welding helments

Posted By: racerx

welding helments - 10/05/13 02:00 AM

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.

Posted By: justinp61

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 02:24 AM

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

Posted By: screamindriver

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 02:33 AM

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...

Posted By: GoodysGotaCuda

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 02:45 AM

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.

Posted By: 70Cuda383

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 04:19 AM

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

Posted By: a12superbee

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 06:04 AM

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.

Posted By: astrobuf

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 06:36 AM

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

Posted By: racerx

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 12:53 PM

All great response

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

Posted By: Copper Dart

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 01:06 PM

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.

Posted By: bonefish

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 02:10 PM

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.

Posted By: Stanton

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 05:06 PM

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.

Posted By: justinp61

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 06:27 PM

Quote:

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.

The first one I bought came from hf and had the same issue, that's why I bought the Jackson.

Posted By: a12superbee

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 09:28 PM

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.

Posted By: racerx

Re: welding helmets - 10/05/13 11:37 PM

Quote:

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.

Mite like to check this out

http://www.amazon.com/Miller-Digital-Series-Luckys-Welding/product-reviews/B001B0597W

Posted By: GoodysGotaCuda

Re: welding helments - 10/05/13 11:58 PM

Quote:

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

I bought the Kobalt one because I figured if it wasn't much better, I'd just take it back to Lowe's.

...still got it.

Posted By: 340duster340

Re: welding helments - 10/06/13 12:13 AM

i have a miller auto-dark hood.

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

Posted By: feets

Re: welding helments - 10/06/13 04:54 PM

Quote:

Quote:

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.

The first one I bought came from hf and had the same issue, that's why I bought the Jackson.

I, too, have eye fatigue after welding a short time with the HF hood. It's tolerable for someone who makes a few spots here and there but if you're going to do any real work you need a real hood.

I'd like to upgrade to a better piece. It would allow me to get some work done without blowing my eyes out.

Posted By: VincentVega

Re: welding helments - 10/06/13 05:01 PM

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

Posted By: SeventyGTX

Re: welding helments - 10/06/13 05:05 PM

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