welding helmet ??????????

[rockslut]

A lot of u guys i know are like me, seldom a weekend will go by with out welding on something. And some weekends are consumed with hours of welding. Its what i like to do.
Here's the question, how much $ do you invest in a helmet. I have been through prob 4 cheep helmets in the last 20 years. I have a little cash set aside ($150 )and i think i want to invest in new welding helmet. Any first hand suggestions ??

These r the ones in kinda narrowing it down to..

http://www.eastwood.com/extra-large-...ng-helmet.html

http://www.usaweld.com/Striker-Digit.../90131-dig.htm

[pipelayer]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

I think your better off giving your little brother the money and continuing to make booger weld knowing you made me happy.

[PhantomEB]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

Only link that worked was the last one? I say save a bit more and get a Miller Elite.

[70 Steed]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

I don't weld nearly as much as you but I bought the best helmet I could buy. Someone who welds as much as you should do the same. I couldn't make any of your links work but I wouldn't trust my eyes to a Chinese welding helmet. I bought a Miller. I think it was about $350.

[ntsqd]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

A friend recently moved up from an HF auto-darkening to a Lincoln auto. He didn't think that there would be much difference, but he sent out an email about how wrong he was. Said he'd wished that he'd upgraded years ago.

[Rockbronco67]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

I have the Lincoln black vicking 3350. I love it. It has a big viewing window and plenty of sensors. The only thing I would like is the grind mode button on the outside of the helmet. Some things you get what you pay for and I think that is definitely true with helmets.

[rockslut]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

Thanks for the input guys,( except for pipe ) I did a little aluminum welding job this morning for a friend who insisted on paying me. That expanded my budget a bit. These r my 2 choices $20 more for the bigger view lens ? prob go with the viking.

http://www.amazon.com/Darkening-Weld...tal+elite+lens

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...A1X3HB95POB91O

Can't wait to use it..

[crawlin68]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

I have been using the Miller Elite for years and love it. A very good friend of mine who is a welding instructor at a local college advised me to buy the best helmet I could because you only get one set of eyes in life. If you have $10 eyes, then buy a $10 helmet. Just my .02.

[CityHick]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

I've got a Lincoln welding helmet that I don't even see listed on their website anymore. It is a solar powered auto-darkening lens. My biggest complaint is that its a small lens - about the size of a pair of glasses expanded into a rectangle. Second biggest complaint is that it has to "charge" under a light or in the sun for a while before I start welding. not a big deal - but I tend not to think about it until I have my project all clamped together and ready to start welding. Then I have to wait.

If I were to start over, I'd go for a non-solar, larger lens helmet. Another lincoln or a miller, something known to be high quality.

I will say though that the last time I had my eyes checked (probably around age 38 - I'm now 40), I still had 20-15 vision and the doctor saw no evidence of me doing any welding, and also saw no evidence of my eye injury that happened when I was a teen (blunt force trauma... could have lost sight in one eye... long story).

Spend the money, protect your eyes.

[welndmn]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

I bought a Speedglas helmet a few years ago, they are going to cost you $200 but they will last a very long time.

on the subject of safety, I just bought this too.
I've been wanting a nicer face shield rather than the blue OSH special.

http://www.amazon.com/Sperian-Protec...ds=face+shield

[70 Steed]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

I bought a Speedglas helmet a few years ago, they are going to cost you $200 but they will last a very long time.

on the subject of safety, I just bought this too.
I've been wanting a nicer face shield rather than the blue OSH special.

http://www.amazon.com/Sperian-Protec...ds=face+shield

I have one of those face shields. They are great.

[Bronco Brian]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

on the subject of safety, I just bought this too.
I've been wanting a nicer face shield rather than the blue OSH special.

http://www.amazon.com/Sperian-Protec...ds=face+shield

I have one of those face shields. They are great.

Have one too is very nice

[rockslut]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

Good call on the face shield. I were safety glasses religiously when grinding. But have had metal pulled out of my eyes 5-6 times. Im sure that the small pieces get caught in my eyebrows and fall into my eyes afterwards. For less than $20 (no brainier)

[earlybronco72]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

My welding helmet died, and it was out of warranty, so when I bought a new one I kept the old one and use it for my grinding helmet. Works awesome.

[SBlanny]

Re: welding helmet ??????????

With so many options out there its hard to pick a helmet that fits every user. Having owned a portable welding business for a number of years and gone through countless helmets some cheap some expensive, here's my 2 cents. A large viewing window in an automatic helmet is perfect for any welder especially someone who doesn't have a ton of experience or doesn't do a lot of welding. Being able to see all the way until you strike the arc is priceless. I currently have both ends of the spectrum a Miller Elite which has the bells and whistles and a Lincoln weld-mark basic set-up both auto darkening. The reason these two helmets have lasted so long is serviceability. As new helmets come out it gets harder to find replacement lenses (interior and exterior) for these helmets which will leave you with a helmet you cant see out of. Also the replaceable batteries are key. For someone whose helmet sits on a shelf or in its cover for months and then needs to be able to go into service is where the solar powered units always failed. The auto darkening unit in these helmets is sometimes sealed and when the batteries die the helmet is done. So I guess i summary, Auto-darkening, with some lenses and spare batteries should keep your cheap or expensive helmet in operation for a long time. Hope this helps. Scott