Auto-Dark Welding Helmet.......

[Scotty370]

.....in a Harbor Freight flyer mailed to the house. Reg 69.99 for $38.99. You need the coupon in the flyer, but maybe you can pick one up at the store. In the Welding Threads, people seem content with them. At that price, (the cheapest I've seen), I might get one for the visitors I get, that say: "Can I watch?"! ~Scotty

 

[JoelD]

I own that helmet and works great, purchased one for my brother, he likes his.

That is the best price I've seen, I purchased on sale for $49.

I don't think you can go wrong.

Joel

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I bought the one for $49 two years ago, and when I'm using a 'MiG' welder it works great.

last week i done some heavy welding with a 'stick welder' for 3 days, and my eyes was blurry for days, and felt like sand was in them... I laid around with potato slices on my eyes.

I don't know if the helmet was the problem because i have used it like that before, and i have mine turned all the way up, and the switch is on fast.

I still don't know want the problem was.

 

[Scotty370]

The 'sand' syndrom, or white spot in your vision are nothing to fool with! I'm not endorsing, just thought I'd bring it to the attention of folks that are still 'head-flipping' with one darkness grade! I couldn't weld at all without our SpeedGlas, well some people say I can't weld at all with it!!

Exactly Scooby!

 

[Scooby074]

I bought the one for $49 two years ago, and when I'm using a 'MiG' welder it works great.

last week i done some heavy welding with a 'stick welder' for 3 days, and my eyes was blurry for days, and felt like sand was in them... I laid around with potato slices on my eyes.

I don't know if the helmet was the problem because i have used it like that before, and i have mine turned all the way up, and the switch is on fast.

I still don't know want the problem was.

Its THe helmet. My eyes feel the same way when i use princess auto (canada's hf) helmets. I use a miller Big window elite. My eyes are never sore now. My eyes are worth more than 38.99, Hope yours are too.

 

[JoelD]

Interesting responses, I've used my HF auto dark helmet with no ill effects, I've not welded super long, but a good amount.

How would I know if there was a lack of darkness? I've got mine on full dark and fast.

I feel no discomfort, but don't want to mess with my eyes for any amount of money.

Thanks,
Joel

 

[Tom_Veatch]

...How would I know if there was a lack of darkness? I've got mine on full dark and fast....

I don't think it has anything to do with amount of visible light transmitted or blocked by the various darkness settings. As I understand it, the damage is primarily caused by the UV/IR component of the welding arc light and the darkness control doesn't affect that. Adjust the darkness control to allow you to read the puddle comfortably. If your eyes burn with that setting, the glass isn't blocking the UV/IR effectively.

I'd be very happy to be corrected, if I'm wrong in that understanding.

Edit: Part of the reasoning behind my understanding is contained in this quote from the "Airgas" webside:

Note: As long as you are wearing your helmet with auto-darkening filter you are protected from UV/IR (ultraviolet/infrared) rays in the dark and light state and every shade in between.

 

[flusher]

I don't think it has anything to do with amount of visible light transmitted or blocked by the various darkness settings. As I understand it, the damage is primarily caused by the UV component of the welding arc light and the darkness control doesn't affect that. Adjust the darkness control to allow you to read the puddle comfortably. If your eyes burn with that setting, the glass isn't blocking the UV effectively.

I'd be very happy to be corrected, if I'm wrong in that understanding.

There should be no UV coming through the glass in the helmet regardless of the darkness control setting, which is there to control the amount of visible light that's transmitted to your eyes. And the UV hitting you in the chest should be absorbed by your welding jacket.

I'd check for scattered UV off whatever jacket you're wearing that's getting inside your helmet. You may have something reflective like metal buttons that are scattering UV into your eyes.

I have one of those HF auto darkening helmets. Works fine. Never had any eye discomfort. I wear a blue colored welding jacket and wear my work glasses with polycarbonate lenses under the helmet when I weld.

And I've had welder's eyes before (sand in the eye feeling) when gas welding with a badly fitting pair of welding goggles.

 

[BrentD]

Another common entry point for UV/IR is from behind the helmet. Some people will make a leather flap that rivets to the top edge of the helmet, flips down over the back of your head, and overlaps the sides of the helmet to keep the light from getting in back there.

I was working on a project one time where I had to spend long hours in a building working on some electronic components of the project while another person was welding some framework, and even though there were commercial UV shields set up all around the welding area and I was facing the other direction I still had the "sand" feeling to my eyes for a couple of days.

And I remember another occasion where I went with some friends to South Padre Island one summer... One of the girls had really fair skin so she wouldn't go out in the sun at all. One day, we convinced her to come down to the beach with us and sit under a really thick umbrella on the beach while the rest of us were in the water. We were there for about an hour and she was completely in the shade of the umbrella the whole time sitting in a plastic lounge chair. When she got out of the chair all of the exposed skin on her back and the backs of her arms was beet red. She got a really nasty sunburn just from the sunlight reflecting off the sand.

 

[Big Bri]

I too had an HF auto helmet. . . and i burnt my eyes after welding some aluminum for a couple of hrs. I now only use fix lens helmets. to tell you the troth i now never buy any cheep (HF. or any other brand) safety equipment.
I don't buy cheep safety glasses, welding helmets, gloves, chains, tires, or anything that could put myself or someone else in harm. For whats its worth i don't understand how we can spend big bucks on equipment ie welders tractors and our other toys and then cheep out on the accessories.