Welder's Auto-Dark Helmets

wushaw · Mar 29, 2009

Something cheap to try...put light on the subject, a halogen light on a tripod will work.

WilliamBos · Mar 29, 2009

Hooked_on_HP said:
Speedglass,Lincon,Miller all have good helmets. Stay away from cheapos. In my experience the higher the amps the darker the shade I run.Any of the settings 9-13 are safe. Try to focus your vision on the puddle and not the arc. As I have gotten older I have to wear glasses when welding close . If you can't see good you can't weld good.They make magnifiers for the hoods if this is the case.
Bill

Do the magnifiers go on the helmet??

wushaw · Mar 29, 2009

Yes, here is one place that sells them.
MIG Welders, TIG Welding Gloves, Hobart Welders, Miller Welders, Welding Jackets

Scotty370 · Mar 29, 2009

Wayno- Just funnin' with ya

. Interesting concept, Never knew they existed!
Wushaw-I thought with that arc lighting up, it would provide more illumination than any aux light I might use, but.........!!!! ~Scotty

GIJOE · Mar 29, 2009

I bought this one from Northern Tool about three years ago. It works perfect and have never had a problem with it.

Northern Industrial Solar-Powered Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet | Welding Helmets | Northern Tool + Equipment

KubotainNH · Mar 29, 2009

I have both auto and flip lid. The auto rocks for what I do. It's a HF unit made by Hobart I think. It's hard to find anything like this not made in China.

bowhunter543 · Mar 29, 2009

I have a hf also for almost 5 years. When not in use it is stored in a dark cabinet. When I take it out, I hold it up to a fluorescent light and it darkens every time. They may be cheap but it works for me.

bobodu · Mar 30, 2009

I finally ran over my first HF helmet after four years. So I bought one of the "skull" ones ( for some reason I really can't explain..) and then found out that had batteries and needed to be turned on every time,plus it simply didn't fit my head. Now matter how hard I tried,I could never see through the window. Bought another $40 helmet.

Scooby074 · Mar 30, 2009

Ive been very happy with my miller BWE. No complaints in 2 years of frequent use. One thing youll notice is the headgear is alot better on a good helmet. Also, I dont trust the Chinese optics in cheap helmets. Ive used a cheap Princess auto (canada's harbour freight) helmet and it messed my eyes.

SPYDERLK · Mar 30, 2009

Ductape said:
Interesting, as I have the same problem with my three year old Optiva welding helmet. Even on the lightest setting, I can't see a blessed thing........ even welding outdoors in bright sunlight. Before I strike an arc, its no problem....... but when it darkens, it is waaaay too dark. I hate to spend another couple hundred on a second shield........ but too often my welds go off track due to the fact that I can't see what the heck I'm doing.

Bright sunlight at your back will "blind" you due to reflection from inside the helmet. Its best if the only light getting to your eyes is coming thru the lens.
larry

waynokakid · Mar 30, 2009

I was pokin' back at ya too, Scotty. It is an interesting concept. I just happened to stumble across the website. I had been looking at auto darkening helmets, but this looked more appealing to me. The big plus for me was Made in USA. The learning curve for that type of helmet is rather short.

allen in texas · Mar 30, 2009

SPYDERLK said:
Bright sunlight at your back will "blind" you due to reflection from inside the helmet. Its best if the only light getting to your eyes is coming thru the lens.
larry

Ditto that.
I had trouble seeing my puddle for years as a hobby welder a welder friend of mine told me my lens was too light.

He said the arc blinds me with my light lens. I went to a darker lens and I see better now. Still not like I want to but better.

AS far as the quote above, I've thrown a shirt over my head to stop light from coming in my helmet from behind me. Helped a lot. Overhead florescent lights are especially bad.

WilliamBos · Mar 30, 2009

Hooked_on_HP said:
Speedglass,Lincon,Miller all have good helmets. Stay away from cheapos. In my experience the higher the amps the darker the shade I run.Any of the settings 9-13 are safe. Try to focus your vision on the puddle and not the arc. As I have gotten older I have to wear glasses when welding close . If you can't see good you can't weld good.They make magnifiers for the hoods if this is the case.
Bill

So whether it is Arc or Mig, anywhere between 9 and 13 is safe?? Will not harm the eyes??

Ductape · Mar 30, 2009

SPYDERLK said:
Bright sunlight at your back will "blind" you due to reflection from inside the helmet. Its best if the only light getting to your eyes is coming thru the lens.
larry

I'll be doing a little welding within the next couple days. I'll try blocking any light coming in from the back of the mask. I've even tried putting a 500 watt worklight on what I'm welding...... but its still too dark. It seems foolish, but I may end up replacing my $200 shield with a cheap one. BTW, I have great eyesight.......so a magnifying lens won't help me.

Scotty370 · Mar 30, 2009

All good info, and thanks! Couple points. This SpeedGlas Helmet has an Auto-Range at the top of the small interior knob that you turn from the 10 o'clock position to the 2 o'clock position, that gives you auto activated response from 9-13 darkness. 9-Dark at 10o'c and 13-Dark at 2o'c. (Hope you can follow this!) On the bottom, from, say, from 4o'c to 8 o'c, it gives you the option of 'steady-dark'. (ie Manual) 9-Dark at 8 o'c & 13-Dark at 4 o'c. I replaced the batteries, and now I can see, that in the Manual Mode, (Just looking outside at a white window frame) it, does darken from 8 o'c to 4 o'c. So the Circuitry appears to be OK. Whether that was the batteries, or not ,I don't know. The "light from behind" comments are interesting. Seems like a red-rag, mechanics-type, duct taped to the back of the helmet, safari-style, might be in order! Thanks all, once again! ~Scotty

Willl · Mar 30, 2009

We use to pop-rivet pieces of leather (usually pieces of old welding chaps) to the back of our helmets to block external light.

Dargo · Mar 31, 2009

Ductape said:
BTW, I have great eyesight.......so a magnifying lens won't help me.

Enjoy while you can! I used to be able to say that for almost 50 years. Now....well, my bifocals work fine. I haven't had to go to trifocals yet.

gordyy · Apr 1, 2009

bought me one of those harbor freight cheapie's last year
then had to have knee surgery a few time long story
the kids and their buddies were working on building race cars without me last year, they said it was a piece of crap they never could get it to work right always too dark.
I finally got to the point I can screw around in the shop a bit (dont tell the work comp people)
I was doing a little bit of fabricating for my model railroad build and decided the old man should try it out.
guess what you takes the plastic scratch coating plastic off both sides of the lenses it work pretty darned good.
not as comfortable as the hobart I have at work (hope that is still there) but it sure was a lot cheaper for fooling around at home

J_J · Apr 1, 2009

Those auto darkening helmets are on sale at HF for $39.99. Sale ends April 13

Dargo · Apr 1, 2009

J_J said:
Those auto darkening helmets are on sale at HF for $39.99. Sale ends April 13

Like I've said many times, I wouldn't take one of those junk hoods if they were free. Without any doubt I have been flashed by those hoods and my eyes felt like they had been sanded after I was stupid enough to use one a long time ago. I don't mean to be rude, but my vision is worth more than $40 to me. If you only want to spend $40 or $50 on a hood I highly recommend a regular hood. It's definitely worth risking the only eyesight you'll ever have by buying a cheap hood made in China for $5.