Auto tinting welding mask?
- Thread starter lynam
- Start date
arkangel06
Banned
Good luck.......
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selohssa
Well-known member
I have been having good luck with the millers. I can't remember what I paid for the last one but I am sure that it was around $200 on sale.
tonydanzah
Well-known member
arkangel06
Banned
nate379
Banned
I have a Miller XLI I bought around 2003 and it's still working great. Was around $200 then, so I'm sure it's cheaper now. I'm still on the original battery too and I've welded TONS with it. I also use it for my torch too, I just don't turn the auto dark on (about a shade 4 or 5 without turning it on)
arkangel06
Banned
Try Boc gasses the one here has miller helmets.
speed bump
Well-known member
I really really like my Lincoln Vista 2000, US made unlike the lower end miller and pretty darn feature filled. Also I can't tell a difference between it and an Optrel.
crewchief888
Well-known member
i recently bought a miller pro hobby from cyberweld.com for $137 delivered
i also liked the speedglass, but seemed a little too wide for my use.
speedglass was a few more $$, and didnt come with spare cover plates, the miller did. that made my descision
i checked around at a couple welding suppliers, no body would even come close on price matching, even when i showed them printed prices.
i also liked the speedglass, but seemed a little too wide for my use.
speedglass was a few more $$, and didnt come with spare cover plates, the miller did. that made my descision
i checked around at a couple welding suppliers, no body would even come close on price matching, even when i showed them printed prices.
murph64
Well-known member
I have a Speedglas that's been great for the past couple of years...Provided I don't forget to turn it on... 
: homer :
Andy
: homer :Andy
vssjim
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Lincoln sells quite an aray and there are many below $200.00
babzog
Well-known member
Ah... try Princess Auto then. They have a nice auto-dark helmet for $50. Fast switching time but doesn't have the large viewing window of the pricier helmets.
GeorgiaHybrid
Well-known member
Another + for the Miller performance helmet. I have the Blue Rage that is in that link and the cost was just over $200 from AirGas. Never used an auto darking before but I fell in love with this one.
atari
Well-known member
Jackson NexJen, I have 2! What every you buy try to get a powered unit. The passive solar units **** in my experience. Also make sure you get one that is ANSI approved. All ANSI auto shade units are 100% UV filtering and will protect your eyes even if they are off. I am a big fan of the Jackson and have used one every day in a production environment for 3 years. The hook I hang it on is about 5 feet from a concrete floor and I miss the hook about twice a month and keeps on ticking.
arkangel06
Banned
I really only use auto dark helmets for tigging
for mig and stick I prefer flips.
for mig and stick I prefer flips.
welderwink
Well-known member
i have a speedglas 9100x but its not in your price range and the cheaper speedglases are not that nice. they all kind of feel cheap. id recommend the millers, check out either www.cyberweld.com or www.weldfabulous.com they are both good sites but depending on what you get check the prices against the others.
atari
Well-known member
one of the guys in my fabrication class last year has a HTP helmet, he was pretty happy with it. it's on sale for $75 now. I'd know how it compares to my Miller Elite, but, HTP's customer service has been good for a long time.
http://htp.stores.yahoo.net/striker-cf-helmet.html
http://htp.stores.yahoo.net/striker-cf-helmet.html
y20dth
Well-known member
I just saw a documentary about the Williams Formula 1 team.
The guy that does the TIG-welding on the exhausts uses a Speedglas.
How is that for a reference?
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_EU/Speedglas/Home/
Looks like a Speedglas 9100...
![Williams%20F1%20Steve%20Berry%20welding](http://<a href="http://s1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/y20dth/Williams%20F1%20Steve%20Berry%20welding/?action=view¤t=vlcsnap-2010-03-28-03h31m13s64.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/y20dth/Williams%20F1%20Steve%20Berry%20welding/vlcsnap-2010-03-28-03h31m13s64.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>)
Wanna see more? : http://s1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/y20dth/Williams%20F1%20Steve%20Berry%20welding/
I really got the hang of this photobucket-thing now
The guy that does the TIG-welding on the exhausts uses a Speedglas.
How is that for a reference?
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_EU/Speedglas/Home/
Looks like a Speedglas 9100...
Wanna see more? : http://s1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/y20dth/Williams%20F1%20Steve%20Berry%20welding/
I really got the hang of this photobucket-thing now
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Damn. Welding helmets have come a ways since I last bought mine.
I puchased a larger view Miller Elite Digital last year on ebay for $170 and its amazingly good.
I seriously feel like it is why I can now do impressive welds on my little hobart 140. It took my welding from basic / lack luster to decent amateur status
I seriously feel like it is why I can now do impressive welds on my little hobart 140. It took my welding from basic / lack luster to decent amateur status
mepilotunot
Well-known member
http://www.cornwelltools.com/webcat...%2d-Welding-Helmet-Auto-with-Adjustable-Shade
I have one of these for $150.00 got a few extras at the Vendor Rally this year. They are made by NU-tech.
I have one of these for $150.00 got a few extras at the Vendor Rally this year. They are made by NU-tech.
shocksystems
Well-known member
I bought one of these Kobalt Auto Darkening Helmets but have not opened it yet. Anyone else have one? Do they work well?
http://www.lowes.com/pd_null_4294932199_4294933768?productId=1054393
Cheers!
Jim
http://www.lowes.com/pd_null_4294932199_4294933768?productId=1054393
Cheers!
Jim
regguy1
Well-known member
I am one of those people.
I bought the HF one they sell for 69.95...it was on sale for 34.99 and I had the 20% off coupon so I got it for 27.99. I've only used it a couple times but it seems to work well. If it doesn't last I'm not out that much.
This one:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=46092
wellstig1
Well-known member
there are 8 of them at our welding lab, none of them works after just a year of (ab)use.
welderwink
Well-known member
I wouldnt buy a speedglas because a guy from a F1 team uses it. 3m (which owns speedglas) could have a partial sponsorship in the team and they get it for free. just like a lot of nascar welding pictures I have seen the guys are using lincoln helmets. and i have only known 1 guy who used a lincoln helmet. if your looking to spend under 200 bucks get a miller performance series helmet. and look at ebay to stay in price range too. now if you have no price range, id recommend either the miller digitial elite series or a speedglas either the 9002x and 9100x. Ive owned both of those speedglas hoods but currently use the 9100x and they are awesome. the 9100x is super comfortable with tons of adjustments in how it fits.
welderwink
Well-known member
and that picture of the guy wearing the speedglas is def. not a 9100 series. its a 9000 series helmet with the sidewindows. the 9100 with side windows has a different cut along the side of the grey area of the front of the hood. the gray plastic is a heat reflective plastic. which you can def. tell works after doing some high heat welding applications.
smooth72
Well-known member
I have a arcone with a 540 lens for about 7 years, been very please. I see them on line for about 140
smooth72
Well-known member
I have a arcone with a 540 lens for about 7 years, been very please. I see them on line for about 140
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bent valves
Active member
My first auto-darkening helmet was the Jackson EQC and it was great. It had replaceable batteries and variable shade. The problem was it failed after a few years of light use.
The second helmet was the UVEX Optrel mira. Cheaper than the Jackson and did not have the variable shade option. My disappointment with the Optrel is it will trigger under florescent lighting, turning dark before the arc starts. The Jackson helmet did not do that and my weld area is lit with florescences. This forces me to set up auxiliary lights and turn off the overhead fluorescents.
The Optrel does not use a replaceable battery. The internal batteries are recharged using solar cells on the face of the helmet. This made me nervous about the life of the batteries but after 5 years it seems to be performing well.
The second helmet was the UVEX Optrel mira. Cheaper than the Jackson and did not have the variable shade option. My disappointment with the Optrel is it will trigger under florescent lighting, turning dark before the arc starts. The Jackson helmet did not do that and my weld area is lit with florescences. This forces me to set up auxiliary lights and turn off the overhead fluorescents.
The Optrel does not use a replaceable battery. The internal batteries are recharged using solar cells on the face of the helmet. This made me nervous about the life of the batteries but after 5 years it seems to be performing well.
Dying Fetus
Well-known member
One more for Jackson helmets! I bought my Jackson Journeyman 5 years and it's still working perfectly.
Harbor Freight has a lot of decent stuff, but their auto-darkening welding helmet isn't any good. I have used that helmet and it hurt my eyes. I wouldn't even use it as a back up.
Harbor Freight has a lot of decent stuff, but their auto-darkening welding helmet isn't any good. I have used that helmet and it hurt my eyes. I wouldn't even use it as a back up.
TheGrooveking
Well-known member
I find that when I weld using an auto-darkening helmet for any period of time I get headaches that I don't get using a flip type. I know they are very quick in responding to the UV light but I think the small amount that gets by bothers me.
TheGrooveking
TheGrooveking