So let's talk welding helments.....
- Thread starter TerryH
- Start date
PCO6
Well-known member
Bears Fan - I like the "nose". I'm sure it allows you to take in the full experience of welding. 
superspec
Well-known member
i didnt waste any time or money and went with the miller digital elite. i used a cheap POS HF AD a few years ago at my dads house and never could see **** with it. while i was spending plenty of money buying a tig and plasma cutter why not pop for a few hundred more and not have to wonder if i was missing out.
i do wish i had people closer so that i could try a speedglass or lincoln though.
i do wish i had people closer so that i could try a speedglass or lincoln though.
440-6 Shaker
Well-known member
I got mine from grandpa!
I want one! That is bad ***.
Is there any manufacturer info on it anywhere?
How old would you estimate it is?
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Reminds me of the helmet on the first Ironman suit!
Ft.ValloniaStreaker
Well-known member
I was a fan of the HF auto dark for quite some time. I had loaned it out and 6 months later it still hadn't made its way home, and I was growing tired of the old heavy fixed shade. I picked up a Miller pro-hobby with a 1.25 cheater lens at Welders Supply in Louisville for around $140, I LOVE THIS THING!!! Very light, easy to figure out and use. The best part is the head band, it's ultra comfortable. Just out of habit after I finished a weld, I flipped the helmet up and the pool was blinding compared to looking through the lens. Mark up another satisfied customer.
Depends on the process, but I have two speedglas and two Jackson nexgens. I use the nexgens for tig, speedglas for everything else. I did use my speedglas for tig for awhile and it works ok, but wanted the extra sensor the nexgen offers.
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joebachor
Well-known member
well said! I got most of the way through welding school with a Chinese welding helmet before I bought an American made Jackson. the difference in the ability to see was huge not to mention the features and quality. my time in welding school would have much easier if I would have bought the Jackson to begin with.
big.jim
Well-known member
speedglas for me too
RivennHewn
Well-known member
Hpozzuoli
Well-known member
I think it's hard to use your helmet then go and use someone else's. I have the HF and like it. When I try other people's they seem tough to adjust to. The HF gives good protection and the auto darkening works great. I have good visibility and it lightens up super quick. I think it's all a matter of preference, but I wouldn't say the HF is inferior in any way.
Attachments
Thanks for the link, I need a new one as well.I literally just posted a review on the HTP welding helmet. It's on sale for $99 with free shipping. Go return yours ASAP. I had a harbor freight one and will never have another. I hope your eyes are worth more than $39.95 + 20% off coupon
Here you go
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=244681
Purchase here
http://www.usaweld.com/Striker-Stealth-WG-Welding-Helmet-p/90130-wg.htm
And their best one with 4 sensors is only $139
http://www.usaweld.com/Striker-Stealth-CSV-Welding-Helmet-p/90130-csv.htm
I got mine from grandpa!
Damn, that is really cool looking. You could make a hell of a slasher movie with that mask.
mesquiteforge
Well-known member
gmwelder86
Well-known member
In my truck I carry one pipeliner with an auto lens, pipeliner I've modified with a flip up front lens, packcake hood with a Eqc 9-12 veritable shade auto lens, hunstman lightweight tig hood and just picked up Jackson pipeliner with a flip up front lens. Will probably go with an auto lens in it and have it as a designated hard hat hood.
Had a Harbor Freight helmet for years until the batteries went dead, they are non-replaceable. To me it seemed to work as well as my Jackson and was easier to use
as you don't have to wait for it to "boot" up. Head gear in the HF works as good, it not better than the Jackson too. I also have a Miller Digital something, it's a nice hood also
just don't use it much, always grab the Jax instead. In short if you weld very much it's
best to get a name brand hood, if not the HF hoods work good until the batteries die.
as you don't have to wait for it to "boot" up. Head gear in the HF works as good, it not better than the Jackson too. I also have a Miller Digital something, it's a nice hood also
just don't use it much, always grab the Jax instead. In short if you weld very much it's
best to get a name brand hood, if not the HF hoods work good until the batteries die.
philly fresh
Member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2013
- Messages
- 13
3 miller elites but would love to have a speedglas
Miller here. I had bought the one
from HF and it flashed me one to
many times. I threw it away. My
son in law was "l'll take it". We got
him a gift card at the welding supply. He stares at a computer all
day. I told him you cant do that if
you are half blind.
Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2
from HF and it flashed me one to
many times. I threw it away. My
son in law was "l'll take it". We got
him a gift card at the welding supply. He stares at a computer all
day. I told him you cant do that if
you are half blind.
Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2
For average joe go with the harbor freight. I have read people imply that they aren't as safe as others but can't back it up. Its just what they told their wives after they spent all that money. Want a bigger puddle to see put on a pair of reading glasses. Save your money and buy some more stick/wire and iron and have fun.
NitroShark
Well-known member
I use a Jackson NexGen W60 Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet for TIG welding. $320 and worth every penny.
I been Welding for over 46 years now..
Shawn
I been Welding for over 46 years now..
Shawn
Bobcat753
Well-known member
pepi
Well-known member
Got to tell you I had and used the SpeedGlas, for 5 years good helmet. Just sold it picked up the Miller Elite.
The Miller is Hands down a better rig, 3 quick points, pick it up put it on strike an arc it darkens, SG manual power on. Lager view self explained, head gear. It also has more room under the hood, less back light reflection.
Well worth the $$$$$
side by side
The Miller is Hands down a better rig, 3 quick points, pick it up put it on strike an arc it darkens, SG manual power on. Lager view self explained, head gear. It also has more room under the hood, less back light reflection.
Well worth the $$$$$
side by side
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Even if the HF doesn't auto darken, it will not harm your eyes. Just be somewhat uncomfortable to look at. The protection is built into the lens not the auto darkening element.
The HF is just as safe. That said, as a newb welder, my welds look significantly better after purchasing a nice Lincoln helmet. Its clearer and has a larger window and I can see the puddle much better. So it was worth the money for me. I also bought a TIG machine, and I am pretty sure the HF you can't use for TIG welding, but don't hold me to that.
Damn, now I want a Speedglas. I have a $100 Hobart. It's the first hood I ever bought about 4 years ago. It's okay, always works fine, but now I'm wondering how much better view I would get with one of these better ones. I'm always wandering off joint when mig welding.
No offense Purdum, but the way I see it, it's just like a motorcycle helmet: if you have a $10 head, buy a $10 helmet. If you trust your irreplaceable eyes to HF and China, that's fine with me. I will trust mine to Speedglass. Each to his own of course....
marinusdees
Well-known member
Aren't you glad you asked this question??? Now what do you do???? Please tell us!!!!
PCO6
Well-known member
Here's a $335 Snap-on helmet made in China. Do we trust it based on brand name and price?
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=675744&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog
PCO6
Well-known member
My comments had nothing to do with Speedglas helmets. I wasn't comparing them to anything. I was challenging the Chinese products are junk and you only have one set of eyes mentality that persists on this site.
Have you read here or anywhere, anecdotal and user misuse comments notwithstanding that Chinese helmets have caused eye problems? If there are facts I'll gladly consider them.
My $160 Chinese made Lincoln helmet is stamped ANSI 787.1 – 2003 and that’s good enough for me.
Just my 4 cents (inflation) I learned to weld at Lincoln in Ohio in 1974.
Stick welding with a #10 fixed lens. The fiberglass helmet cost me $12.
I used that helmet for 12+ years working in a pipe fab shop. The helmet had the small
lens. In a fab shop I found that the large lens helmets caught reflections of what was going on behind me and distracted me.
I still don't have an auto darkening helmet. I still use a similar helmet and a good "goldback??" lens which I find superior to the gray/green lens.
But then again I am old and set in my ways LOL.
Nick
Stick welding with a #10 fixed lens. The fiberglass helmet cost me $12.
I used that helmet for 12+ years working in a pipe fab shop. The helmet had the small
lens. In a fab shop I found that the large lens helmets caught reflections of what was going on behind me and distracted me.
I still don't have an auto darkening helmet. I still use a similar helmet and a good "goldback??" lens which I find superior to the gray/green lens.
But then again I am old and set in my ways LOL.
Nick
I'm just a hobby and farm patch up welder but I need my eyes. I use a 3m speed glass 9100 and I like it a lot. A buddy of mine has a CSV stealth AD helmet that I borrowed when I was teaching my 11 year old granddaughter to weld and it was real good quality and value also. I put the speed glass on her head.
almac
Well-known member
I am a new welder but from what I have learned in the past, is don't cheap out on tools...ESPECIALLY safety equipment. the more $$$ you spend, the less chance you will have to be to be harmed. IMO.
I was going to spend $100 on a Lincoln at home depot, but I bought a new TA211i welder and it had a free tweco helmet coupon. I sent it in, and I am not disappointed with it.
if I had the $$$ I would buy a miller elite if I felt I needed a new one.
I was going to spend $100 on a Lincoln at home depot, but I bought a new TA211i welder and it had a free tweco helmet coupon. I sent it in, and I am not disappointed with it.
if I had the $$$ I would buy a miller elite if I felt I needed a new one.
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
False. The lens may block the UV part of the radiation when not shaded, but the visible portion of the radiation can still cause damage to your eyes if it's too intense. I have gotten arc burn from a plasma while wearing shade 5 glasses even.
PCO6
Well-known member
From "Welding Tips and Tricks" ...
I have used a gold lens and oh my are they a sight. Have a miller elite digital. Not the same pic but convent and nice.
Joe69
Well-known member
I used a fixed 10 shade speedglas for years. It gave up last summer, and I got a Miller digital elite, on sale, to replace it. They are both quality hoods, but I like the features of the Miller. They went on sale again, and I bought another one for home. I've started TIG welding, and the 10 shade felt uncomfortable. With the Miller hood, I use 11 shade for TIG, no more discomfort. It was money well spent, I only have one pair of eyes.
Joe
Joe
Joe69
Well-known member
As far as the safety concerns, I bought a cheaper Arc One Vision hood, for home use, a few years ago. It would constantly lighten up mid weld. That's what I replaced, when I bought my 2nd Miller Digital Elite for home. I refuse to use a hood that I can't trust.
Joe
Joe
WILD-BILL
Well-known member
Well, this has been a very enlightening thread. Like the OP, I have have been using the HF helmet for some time as well as an Everlast helmet that came with my Tig and I have not had a good clear veiw of the puddle from either. I (like many) just thought that's the way it is.
So after reading this entire thread, I asked the guy at AirGas which helmet he would recomend that would fit my limited bidget and the first he went to was a Jackson. That one was not compatable with a cheater (which I think I would really benifit from) so his next choice to fit my bill was a Lincoln Viking 1840 (IIRC).
Is this a good choice for the home hobbiest tig welder and should I expect to see better clairity and definition of the puddle? Have any of you gone from the HF to the 1840 and if so can you share your thoughts?
So after reading this entire thread, I asked the guy at AirGas which helmet he would recomend that would fit my limited bidget and the first he went to was a Jackson. That one was not compatable with a cheater (which I think I would really benifit from) so his next choice to fit my bill was a Lincoln Viking 1840 (IIRC).
Is this a good choice for the home hobbiest tig welder and should I expect to see better clairity and definition of the puddle? Have any of you gone from the HF to the 1840 and if so can you share your thoughts?
Architorture
Well-known member
I have a kobalt and I've been pretty happy with it. with the sensitivity cranked up it will blackout when you turn the lights on