autodarkening welding helmet does not

[Bubba Fett]

IMHO, the real question is how much do you value your eyesight? Sound s lik its time for a new, quality helmet. A cheap Lincoln would cost about the same as what you spent for a cheapo china model or a much nicer model for about double.

At least the lens tint offered a bit of protection. Bet your kid was still seeing spots though.

V/R
Bogie

Agreed.

To OP, I'm guessing the no-name Chinese company doesn't care about your eyesight. I'd bet they are not adhering to proper safety standards anyway. I mean if you DID damage your eyesight because of a defective product, you likely wouldn't be able to do much from a legal perspective, and they know that.

Don't skimp when it comes to safety equipment. Go with a trusted brand.

That said, try to charge it, and then test the battery with a Multimeter. The charging circuit could also be bad.

 

[Jswain]

Old thread but this is why I would recommend to either:
A) start with a fixed lens hood
B) spend the money on something decent right away
C) at the very very minimum at least get something with replaceable batteries

All cheap solar hoods including the cheapest versions of the name brand ones will end up doing this down the road I've been through a couple and making the switch to a viking was a game changer.

If you are doing a 1 inch weld and it flashes you right off the hop, regardless of it if still has protected you from the UV you are still basically blind for the rest of the weld. If it does this 5/10 times how do you think most of your welds will end up.

I know you can take them apart and solder in new batteries or some people add battery packs but for how long a good hood lasts the difference in price is worth knowing when you pull the trigger your lens will darken

 

[Lassen Forge]

Yep it's an even older thread now, but I'm glad I found it...

The impeller blade on my snowthrower decided to become a 2 piece affair, got it apart and realized it was a cheaps*** pressed together design (from Ariens ??!! WTF???? ), but nothing that couldn't be improved by attaching the pieces more permanently (I'm guessing it's an effort to be cheap, IDK) ... so I grab my trusty Millermatic off the hook (where it's sat for a year and change) to zap the recrusant parts back into conformiy of operation... Struck an arc, knowing my helmet works no mater what...

Guess what didn't work?

It's supposed to be powered off the arc flash (and until yesterday, never failed), but I'm wondering now if it needs a battery to trigger the electronics... I tried running a blind arc (IE running an arc on plate with my eyes closed, and no, you don't get to see how THAT turned out!) in front of it for 10 seconds, seeing if it would somehow play ball... but nope, nada, nothing...

It (supposedly) runs off the solar cells in the visor from the arc... but I wonder if it does indeed have a battery and well, as always one project begat a dozen semi-related ones. If I can't get to it or replace it (for all I know it's a ****** NiCad in there) I may have to break down and join the speedglas crowd... they look like awfully nice helmets... just hoping I can get the other half to agree, before I end up needing a new cane instead... Question is is there anything better for the money?

Wish I'd never got rid of my old #10 hard glass helmet from when I was a kid. Not as convenient as the new ones, but no batteries to **** out, no electronics to fry, and well... yeah.

 

[no704]

Buy a fixed lens to use when your automatic shits the bed, just the lens. Sawp it in and keep working. I hate auto hoods!

 

[corn chip]

those cheap helmets are garbage. speedglas will last you several lifetimes. we use em at work. 2.5yrs still on same battery. miller digital elite aint bad either

 

[finn]

I was perfectly happy with my Hobart Auto darkening helmet until I got a Speedglas as a retirement gift.

The difference is phenomenal.

 

[KomatsuTech]

Buy a fixed lens to use when your automatic shits the bed, just the lens. Sawp it in and keep working. I hate auto hoods!

I only like auto darkening hoods if I'm in a cramped area and can't really flip my fixed hood up or down easily. I prefer to use a fixed lense hood 99.9% of the time.