opinions on this welding helmet please

[94yj]

i mainly do stick welding and sometimes mig would this helmet be good for use as i don't weld that often and i have always used the flip helmets but the ones now fall apart to easy all opinions greatly appreciated tia

http://www.lowes.com/pd_396400-4712...l=1&currentURL=?Ntt=welding+helmet&facetInfo=

 

[madcrisis]

Dont know about the kobalt but I have this one

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

I love it and its pretty much the same price. Works great, never been flashed. Also has a very comfortable headset (is that what its called?) and comes with a replaceable clear shield.

 

[94yj]

this one has 4 sensors is that better than the 2 sensor ones or does the number on sensor make a difference sorry for the questions i have just always used the old style flip down non auto darkening helmet

 

[pipsters]

The HF auto darkening one for $40 has worked well for me for a while now. Couldn't imagine working without an auto darkening one.

 

[MrJason]

i mainly do stick welding and sometimes mig would this helmet be good for use as i don't weld that often and i have always used the flip helmets but the ones now fall apart to easy all opinions greatly appreciated tia

http://www.lowes.com/pd_396400-4712...l=1&currentURL=?Ntt=welding+helmet&facetInfo=

Had to use this recently at a buddies house, and it was a good helmet. Didn't get flashed, darkness is on par with other units. Headband is a little small, since I've got a big head. (Insert laugh here..) It's lightweight, so I'm not sure how it'd hold up in a commercial environment.

Other than the sizing, it's a fair value for the price.

Jason

 

[BUDSVTX]

I have used a flip shield all my life, over 40 years and i was very afraid to try an auto darkening shield. My daughter gave me one from Harbor Freight it took me a while to even take it out the box. When I finally did try it, it was great. I am always working by myself and it works great when you have to hold a part to be welded with one hand and welding machine in the other hand and try and pull your shield down all at the same time. I like it so much, I bought another one.

BUD

 

[Scout Driver]

this one has 4 sensors is that better than the 2 sensor ones or does the number on sensor make a difference sorry for the questions i have just always used the old style flip down non auto darkening helmet

Generally, the more sensors the better. It is possible that in a cramped or awkward situation that sensors can be blocked. If you only had two sensors and both were blocked, your auto-darken feature would not operate. More sensors are safer in this respect.

For what its worth, I picked up a Weldcote auto-darkening helmet this past spring and really like it.

Scott

 

[SeanConklin]

I'll second the Weldcote. I reach for it over my Snapon EFS.

 

[Kracin]

for welding helmets, its best to try it and see if you like it. the key to a helmet is safety... is it safe and does it operate safe, you don't need to worry about much if 99% of the situations you weld in have you right in front of the workpiece. you mainly have to worry about whats comfortable to you. alot of them fit different and have different ways the helmet will fit on your head and the way you look through the lens.

autodark or non autodark is a preference as well, some people love it and some don't. it really depends on what you like. recently i've been experiencing some discomfort when doing a lot of tack type welding using auto darkening, you can end up getting little tiny flashes. so i've been using a standard lens for a bit and i find it more comfortable for a lot of welding. plus a large and wide viewing area feels a bit better, as well as a lighter weight helmet due to no auto darkening electronics weighing it down.

 

[Kirbot]

Keep in mind, even if you do get flashed for some reason, and the helmet doesn't go dark, there's still a LOT of filtering going on through the undarkened lens.

I've flashed myself a mess of times with my Hobart helmet because of the damn on/off switch it has (I was used to my brother's harborfreight helmet that was always on) but it's never been a problem.

 

[Kracin]

Keep in mind, even if you do get flashed for some reason, and the helmet doesn't go dark, there's still a LOT of filtering going on through the undarkened lens.

I've flashed myself a mess of times with my Hobart helmet because of the damn on/off switch it has (I was used to my brother's harborfreight helmet that was always on) but it's never been a problem.

yes it will still filter radiation, but you could still end up with a headache from the flashes.. annoying, but not life threatening.

 

[TejDarkmoon]

Started out with a flip helmet, tried the HF autodark and liked it. Now I use this. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005V68NHU/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Somewhat expensive but extremely comfortable and worth it in my opinion

 

[APEowner]

I'm not familiar with that particular helmet but I've worked with a bunch of different helmets and I have some things that I look for in one.

I definitely prefer auto-darkening. Sure millions of miles of weld bead have been laid down by welders with non-auto units but to me it's like the difference between an outhouse and indoor plumbing.

The more sensors the better. I pretty much insist on four as the minimum but six is even better.

I like having adjustments for darkness and sensitivity. Some have a response time setting but I've never figured out when you'd want it set for anything other than the fastest time possible.

Easily adjustable head band. I prefer to wear a ball cap backwards when I weld so slag doesn't end up going down the back of my shirt but sometimes I have to lay down (In which case I can't because the bill hits the floor) or it's cold so I want a watch cap that covers my ears. I don't want to have to mess around with a finicky headband every time I switch hats.

I also want reliable detents on the flip up mechanism so I can just flip it up in between beads.