My auto dark helmet crapped out....

[PurdueSD]

Hey guys, my welding helmet quit working on me. Not real thrilled, it's seen moderate to light use over the last five years. It was a miller, looks similar to the pro hobby ones they sell now minus the digital. As you can tell I haven't been hard on it-Here ya go...

was happy with it before it started acting up. I had to replace the battery this summer then noticed it starts not wanting to turn on without bumping it, then it just quit tried a new battery, still nothing.

Need to get a new one pretty quick ( wives Christmas present depends on it).

I will probably order from cyber weld since they are so much cheaper than anywhere else.

I will probably stick with miller, had several bad experiences with speedGlass at work and they are more than I want to spend. any recommendations? anyone know if the miller performance digital a big step up over the pro hobby? I'd love a nice big window elite, but I don't weld enough to justify $300 on a helmet.

I own a mm212 and mostly weld 1/4" and under structural and plate steel and a bunch of auto sheetmetal tack welding.

 

[zkling]

$40 Jackson large window, fixed shade, very good view. Never have to worry about batteries or other electronic nonsense.

http://store.cyberweld.com/jahswehe1.html

Their new auto darks sounds really nice for the money, but no 1st hand experience here.

http://store.cyberweld.com/jabasaaudawe.html

 

[skyking]

Good looking hood ! Too bad it took a powder.

 

[Zeke]

I have the Jackson SmartTIGer and it's really a good unit. I have a Speedglas and the Jackson is more my favorite. Plus, if you want to install magnifiers, Cyber Weld has the kit for like 8 bucks. There is no kit for a Speedglas that I can find. The manual tells you to put them in front of the auto lens behind the protective lens. They just sit there not attached to anything. That's piss poor.

 

[Rogue1987]

If I were you, I would get a helmet I liked the feel of and put this fixed shade in it:
http://www.phillips-safety.com/welding-safety/welding-lenses/welding-lens-small-2-x-4-25-gold.html

I have a Miller Titanium 9400i that I did like a lot...until I switched over to a Phillips gold lense. I think they are made in Germany. I have one helmet with a #10 gold in it for day to day and another with #13 green in it for stupid high amp stuff, and I can't say enough good things about them.

 

[PurdueSD]

Thanks guys really do appreciate the advice! I do quite a bit of sheet metal patch panels ( spacing out my tack welds). An auto really makes a big difference here.

 

[Jason280]

I know how you feel, I have a Lincoln that's pretty much crapped out with just occasional use. Crazy thing is, I have a Harbor Freight auto-darkening hood that's actually older, cost about 1/3 of the price of the Lincoln, and still works around the shop.

 

[PurdueSD]

Here's the two I'm back and forth on. Any one have an opinion if the performance is worth the extra $65 over the pro hobby?

http://store.cyberweld.com/miwehebldipe.html

http://store.cyberweld.com/miweheblproh.html

 

[wbrian63]

The biggest difference I see between the two is the extra mode (cutting), and the additional 1.22 sq/in viewing area.

Myself, I'd like the larger viewing area.

 

[rsanter]

What about just buying a replacement autoshade for it

Bob

 

[Stooge]

i just sold a spare miller pro hobby in the classifieds and within a week, i tripped over a wheel and my poor digital elite blew apart under myself and the wheel. ive been looking at the digital performance ones as well and for the price of it over a pro hobby, (about $70) you get an inch more viewing area, another sensor (2vs 3 ) and a cutting mode you dont get with the pro hobby. its the one i'll probably get unless i can get another deal on an elite through my company (ITW, owns miller). the digital pro hobby ones can be had for about 130 though, which is cheap enough to just grab one if you need it really quick

 

[purplezr2]

I believe there is a rebate still out on the Jackson welding helments

 

[Zeke]

I believe there is a rebate still out on the Jackson welding helments

I think you're correct 'till the end of the year.

On these various Lincolns and Millers plus a slew of others all for around $100 to 150, I have every reason to believe they are made the same as the HF 40 dollar (varies from month to month) unit. IMHO, you either buy the HF or step up to something you know is high quality. What I'm saying is that 100 dollar helmets are no better than 40 dollar ones just because they have a red or blue sticker pasted on them.

I've been down that road when I bought a Hawk at the LWS. I paid way too much at 140 to replace my first HF. I thought I was stepping up. I was stepping alright, right into a pile of ****. I ended up buying another HF for nasty overhead work and it was every bit as good. Then the Hawk died after 4 years (or less). Then the 2nd HF died.

 

[wrenchguy]

i have to put mine out in the sunlite to recharge, not enough natural lihgt in shop to recharge. probably 15 years old. good luck, wrenchguy aka bigstingy.

 

[FriendOfYours]

Lincoln Viking 3350

More features than the millers and the viewing area is MUCH larger

I'm pretty sure I've owned every hood know to mankind lol this is my favorite

https://weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?PNUM::1:UNDEF:X:K3034-1

 

[roachcoach]

Another vote for Jackson. I have the Tru-Sight and it is a great mask. It has a huge vieweing area, easy controls, and it also takes AAA batteries. It replaced my Miller Elite after it started flashing me.

 

[BoostAddiction]

I believe there is a rebate still out on the Jackson welding helments

I just got my rebate, and it came in the form of two $50 Amex gift cards. With a per-transaction fee of $3.95, and lots of other restrictions.

I know the company doesn't pay full retail on these cards, but I find them obnoxious, and a ripoff.

Why not just cut a check if it really is a rebate?

This is lesson #95003 in why not to ever accept a "rebate" offer that isn't instant.

 

[Mazdaspeed]

Might be worth while just contacting miller...they might be kind enough to cut you a break on a replacement or send you parts to fix the old one?

 

[crewchief888]

i've had zero problems with either of the miller prohobby hoods i have.

one is only 8 months old, the other is approx 6 years old.