Question about welding helmets

[young_buck]

Hello all, I just recently started welding (flux core until I buy a bottle) and I bought an auto darkening helmet at the same time as I got my machine. Well today I was just making a few practice passes and my lens kept dying and flashing me. It's been in charge all day and the lenses are brand new so I don't see what the problem is, other than the fact that it is a very cheap helmet.

So my question is, what is your opinion? Should I save and buy a good auto darkening mask or a fixed shade with a gold 11 lens? I have been seriously considering a miller titanium 1600 passive shield and was going to buy a shade 11 gold lens for it but wanted to hear some pros and cons before making the purchase

 

[MRFORDMAN1994]

I have a miller digital elite auto darkening helmet and i like it. Its comfortable and has multiple modes and shades 3 to 13. I paid about $350 for mine>

 

[zkling]

You might be blocking the arc sensors with your hands while welding causing the flashing.

I seldom use a auto dark, they are handy if you have a bunch of tacking or repetitive short welds to do. Otherwise a $40 jackson large window fixed with a #10 gold shade is my go to which is mostly on the bench tig work. If you have a good spot light usually you can see just enough through the fixed to get the torch into position for a start. Now under a trailer or odd ball out of position, the auto dark comes out. There is a night and day difference between a cheap and good auto dark helmet. My 2¢

 

[young_buck]

I could have been blocking the sensors, I never even considered that.. But that's just another reason I am considering a fixed shade, I have heard good things about the gold lenses that's why I wanted to try them, a lot of what I plan on doing is bench work but I am also planning on welding new motor mounts for either a 350 or LS swap into an s10 in the summer

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I have a Miller Digital Elite as well. I like it a lot and think it's worth the coin.

The way I look at it is you only have one set of eyes.........is it really worth screwing with your vision to save $200? Some people have good luck with cheap hoods, but I'm not willing to risk it.

 

[RedneckWelder]

The better autodarkenings have more sensors (3-4 vs. 2), and some even have additional types of sensors (Miller's Elite series has a magnetic arc sensor) to help with the blocking problem. The cheapest autodarkening helmets only have two sensors and are easily blocked when you are working out of position. Try turning up your sensitivity and see what happens before you write off your helmet.

You should probably always have a fixed shade helmet available as a backup and know how to weld with it. Get a good lens for it and it will come in handy. Some prefer it as a primary helmet but I do not. I prefer a higher end autodarkening helmet because I'm often welding in tighter spaces that are not conducive flipping the passive helmet up and down.

What I did was I was able to snag a really damn good deal on a high dollar autodarkening helmet for cheap. Last winter before Christmas Jackson Safety was running a $100 off rebate for their WH70 B3 helmet and Amazon just happened to be selling it for $200, so I ended up getting it for $100 total. Some got it for a few bucks because Amazon dropped the price for like a day to $105ish. This is a helmet that normally retails for $350+, to give you an idea.

Still, even if you do pay full price for a high dollar autodarkening helmet it is more than worth it to protect your very valuable eyes. Miller, Jackson, 3M Speedglas, plenty of good helmets that will be worth every penny. Hit a welding supply house and see what looks good to you.

 

[Hantke]

I got an auto-darkening helmet at Napa for $40, it's red and has a grey "grid" on it, best damn helmet i've ever used. Though when i let someone borrow it they set it on a hot piece of metal and left a nice pock-mark right in my vision. Definitely not heat-proof.
Almost all of the other kids at the welding class got harbor freight helmets and loved them, apparently they have a lifetime warranty, so that's an option.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I have a Lincoln auto darken helmet, but to be quite honest I still mostly use my old fashioned helmet with a gold filter, you can see a ton better and I never get flashed.

Chris

 

[bareass172]

I watched Ebay and got a brand new Miller for cheap. I don't remember the price because I bought it many years ago, but it was a little less than half retail if I remember. Literally brand new and I'm very, very glad I have it.

I did just have a flicker event with mine recently, changed the batteries to be sure that was ok and then I tweaked the sensitivity and it fixed right up. I was welding on a motorcycle under the motor on the frame, I didn't realize the motor was blocking the sensor.

 

[rustiepyles]

Auto hoods are great.. but a cheap one can do more harm than good. Safety gear is not the place to save a buck especialy when it comes to your eyes. Get a nice fibermetal hood with a fixed shade and save your money for a Good auto hood. I fought my first auto hood for 6 months before i realized it was junk and replaced it with a good one.

 

[K-Dog]

i have this one and I love, love, love it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ZF4W68/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Hantke]

i have this one and I love, love, love it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ZF4W68/?tag=atomicindus08-20

That looks eerily similar to mine

 

[crewchief888]

i've been welding for a L O N G time.
my "go to" hood was a jackson big J for many years, sometimes with a gold lense, sometimes with a std green lense.


then i started fabricating cages and bumpers, and doing more extensive bodywork.

i had one inexpensive AD hood that lasted 11 years before the solar cell died.
against my better judgement, i picked up a cheap AD hood from northern tool.

it met a tragic fate after flashing me repeatedly.
i ran it over with a excavator

i now have 2 miller prohobby hoods, 1 at work, and one at home.

1st one was under $150 delivered from cyberweld, 2nd one won in a drawing (via facebook) from matheson welding.

both have been flawless for the couple years ive had them

 

[K-Dog]

That looks eerily similar to mine

I bought mine form the store I swear.

 

[PnHmech]

I had a $200 miller and kept having problems with it. I am now using an old auto Jackson my uncle gave me before he passed. I mig tig and stick every day. Usually 9-10 on the shade


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[not-required]

Speedglas for me. Love it and never had a problem. Thinking about picking up a second one for home.

 

[Oldbear]

I could have been blocking the sensors, I never even considered that.. But that's just another reason I am considering a fixed shade, I have heard good things about the gold lenses that's why I wanted to try them, a lot of what I plan on doing is bench work but I am also planning on welding new motor mounts for either a 350 or LS swap into an s10 in the summer

By all means practice your welding. Its the only way to get better. As far as the mounts go - if your new to the welding... don't practice on motor mounts for a project - not a good way to test for bad welds.

I bought my mounts from S10V8 - new rubber and professionally made mounts for less then I could buy my new rubber mounts up here in Canada.

IMHO

Also, I weld with a auto helmet and a fixed shade standard helmet... good to have the backup... it sounds like your battery may be dying. If your helmet is a Princess Auto version (mine is) the battery may have gotten weak over time as they most likely didn't get a manufactorer known for high end batteries - and they do use the battery to start the shade.

 

[rockinacummins]

I have a Hobart auto-darkening at the moment. It's great for in the shop for sure. But its not really built durable. It doesn't weigh a ton either though, which I like. I don't like using it outside especially if it's sunny. Hard to beat a good Jackson brand hood with the big lens. And by all means, get the gold lens! They are SO clear and they hold up better than anything I've ever seen!

 

[chewy7]

Otherwise a $40 jackson large window fixed with a #10 gold shade is my go to which is mostly on the bench tig work. If you have a good spot light usually you can see just enough through the fixed to get the torch into position for a start. Now under a trailer or odd ball out of position, the auto dark comes out. There is a night and day difference between a cheap and good auto dark helmet. My 2¢

i have been using that jackson helmet for over ten years and still use it at work .

 

[pepi]

Miller Elite is my choice, but to address your question, is there anyway to adjust the sensitivity and reaction time on your helmet?

That is where to look for what I believe or understand to be your problem. Flashing you, could be the lens not reacting fast enough to the change or the sensitivity set to high as in not sensitive ...... no paper work with the helmet?

 

[t100]

i have this one and I love, love, love it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ZF4W68/?tag=atomicindus08-20

That's what I use everyday at work.

I have 4 helmets, 2 of the Lincoln Viking 3350(biggest window), a Speedglas 9100XX and Miller Elite.

I just sold the Elite this week for $165 and the Speedglas is my home shop helmet. I weld at 2 places at work which I keep on of the Lincoln at each bench.

I've never own a Harbor Freight helmet which a lot of people swear by it. the reason is the school I teach beginner welding bought 8 of these, they all broke within 12 month of occasional use(4-6 hours per week).

modern medicine has improved over the past 50 years tremendously, but if you hurt your eyes, there isn't much the doctors can do. even they can, the procedures are expensive.

do yourself a favor, buy a good one.

 

[bigdave39355]

I weld for a living. I use fibre metal pipeliners. These hoods will last forever. They won't burn up like a plastic hood.

Plus that cool skull and bones or flames helmet does nothing for the quality of welds.

go where folks weld for a living, pipeliners and tigerhoods are what you will find.

learn to weld with a dark lens, then move to the autodarks.

I use several pipeliners, one with an athermal gold #10, the other with an arc one auto lens with I tack alot.

Dave

 

[young_buck]

By all means practice your welding. Its the only way to get better. As far as the mounts go - if your new to the welding... don't practice on motor mounts for a project - not a good way to test for bad welds.

it sounds like your battery may be dying. If your helmet is a Princess Auto version (mine is) the battery may have gotten weak over time as they most likely didn't get a manufactorer known for high end batteries - and they do use the battery to start the shade.

I have been practicing my welds quite a bit lately (until I blew a fuse that is) and they are getting a lot stronger as I go, my helmet is from Canadian tire and it's only a week or so old, I would like to think my battery wouldn't be dead yet.

 

[young_buck]

Miller Elite is my choice, but to address your question, is there anyway to adjust the sensitivity and reaction time on your helmet?

That is where to look for what I believe or understand to be your problem. Flashing you, could be the lens not reacting fast enough to the change or the sensitivity set to high as in not sensitive ...... no paper work with the helmet?

No adjustments on the helmet at all, it was a very cheap shield

 

[Bruce57]

I have a Lincoln Viking and have had excellent results with it. I mostly mig and arc weld, mig is mostly gas but some flux core. I agree with others, this is not something to cut corners on. One of the things I like about the Lincoln is that it is auto on, as well as solar and battery. I don't weld every day or all day long so the auto darkening is a good fit for my needs.