What uall using?(Brands)like dislikes i still have the flip type and looking to upgrade to one of the autodarkng types for doing cage and under car chassis............Thax.

My Jackson EQ Pro has been great, it's about 8 years old. Hornell Speedglas are good helmets also.

Well, here's my story for this year...My original Jackson auto-dimming helmet lasted close to 20 years and cost a fortune back then...I was bummed it kicked the bucket...


I needed to get a job done fast and stopped at the harbor freight store with a coupon for a helmet that cost me a whopping 39 bucks{down from 79} on the way to get steel...I expected it to work marginally at best and croak shortly expecting to buy a better quality unit fast but guess what...It works awesome ! Adjustable shading, speed and sensitivity...Nice, big screen and a good adjustable headband...I'd have never guessed that outcome...

I started with a HF hood, then bought a $100 Kobalt hood to see what something a little better would look like....a substantial difference. I give the HF hood to people that just want to watch and won't actually use it again.

I can't imagine how nice a high end hood would be, but the $100 Kobalt was well worth my $$. Much more puddle definition.

Guess I don't know what I'm missing... HF has worked for me for 7 years now

Like others I've spent a lot of money on helmets. They tend to get broken in my job, so after spending hundreds more fixing and trying to save 'good' helmets I bought a HF 'cheapie'.
It's the best helmet I've had yet, it out performs every other one I've had and cheap enough to not be compelled to try and save it.
Works pays for them so cost means nothing but the HF has been the best value hands down.
Just shows you how much you can overpay for things on the 'more equals better' theory.

I had a cheapie autodarkening helmet for the last 5 year's. Sprang last year for a Miller digital Elite after a test drive at the Car Craft nationals in St Paul. What an improvement. The x mode is unique and great for working outdoors. I got the 1.5 diopter cheater lens and I can weld all day.

Spend the money, you wont regret it.

Adtrobuf

All great response keep em coming i'll see if i can look into that elite by Miller.........

HF has worked great for me too. 5 years and only problem has been the head band broke, I repaired it with a old hard hat head band
I would love to buy one with a reading glass magnification lens
How much welding will you be doing would be a good consideration too.

i bought a HF auto darkining helmet and the AD was delayed just enough where you would have big spots in your vision for several hours.bought another one from Northern,basically the same china stuff and it has worked great for the last 6 years.

I suspect all the "high end" helmets are made by one or two companies. I have a cheapie and I have a Lincoln. For some reason the Lincoln fogs up in cooler temps whereas the cheapie doesn't! The lens also wants to pop out every time I turn the Lincoln on.

The point about working well outside is a good one, the HF doesn't score high in that area.
Not worse than I've had in the past but certainly not better.
Now I want to look into the miller.
Thanks boss.

i have a miller auto-dark hood.

i only have 2 eyes so i wasnt going to cheap out on a hood.

I have the HF one as well, the one with 1/25,000 transition time (you always want something that darkens very quickly).

I've seen many comments about the headband breaking. I think that mostly happens if you try to adjust it with one hand. You need to hold it with the other hand before you push in the knob and engage the ratchet. If you do that I feel like it will last a long time

these have come so far in the last 10 years. I started out with a Huntsman, had a tiny little view and the adjustable shade control was this tiny little switch inside on the unit itself. hard to change. Then it got put away with the batteries left in, and of course they leaked. I like the HF one, but I have probably only used it for 10-15 hours over this past year

I have been using a Miller Performance mid-level helmet like the one below for about 7 years as a body man by trade. This thing has been used a LOT, dropped a LOT and has been flawless. I think I have changed batteries twice in that time. Everyone who has tried it, loves it. They are around $200....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Miller-256162-Fi...=item20c7a46996