Autoflash welding helmets?

[Milow68]

I have been checking into a few autoflash helmets! Wondering if anybody had some inputs good or bad. I have used a "optrel plus XXX" it is a few years older but worked good. Local dealer has Optel, speedglass (not in stock right now so didn't test fit), and Vision (sales guy had one and liked it a lot) All are about $300! I don't mind spending the money?
Brad
PS another local store had the miller flag one for a little over $200?

[Ralph LoGrasso]

Hey Brad,
I've got a Hornell Speedglas and I love it. When I was shopping for one, I found that the best prices were online. I Think the place I bought mine from was called Cyber Weld, their prices were the cheapest out of everyone, and I think they even had free ground shipping. I can get you their info if you decide to go with a speedglas. I believe my hood is model 9000X. It has an adjustable lens (5 different shades) which really comes in handy, especially when welding outside. I think I paid about $269 for mine, but there are a few different models, the larger viewing area, and adjustable lens upped the price some. The cheapest speedglas is around $125 I think.

[ProdigyCustoms]

Harbour frieght has them for $100, recently, for $50. I bought a few of them at $50. Work fine, I think, LOL! Darkens to 9 to 13.

[SShep71]

I use a Jackson EQC professional variable. I love it, I use a hornell speedglass here and there but I personally like the Jackson better. Its a little esaier to breathe in for me, but its a matter of personal preferance. The jackson cost me like 250.00 when I bought it new. I am a structural steel worker so I use it all day long sometimes, if you dont do a hell of a lot of welding you really dont need anything like that. The only important thing to remember is that the shade the helmet darkens too is a big determining factor. If it doesnt get dark enough for your applicatin its no good, you will be seeing stars after TIG welding or GMAW (stick).


-Shep

[Tig Man]

Still nothing faster than the speed of light. Think about it after the long haul. Just old school.

Mark

[WS6]

i was gonna say that Tig. after watching a fabricator friend of mine still using an old school helmet i asked why he didnt use a new auto darking one. convinced me not to use one thats for sure. doesnt need scientific proof to understand the pretty simple concept of speed versus distance

[Camaro Zach]

Still nothing faster than the speed of light. Think about it after the long haul. Just old school.

Mark

I'm staying old school too, i wouldnt eve be able to counteract myself putting the helmet up so i could look, so it would be worthless anyways

[Matt@RFR]

In my experience, most fabricators don't use the auto darkening hoods because it's too easy to block the sensor with your arm (or your helper's arm) or the weldment. Beyond that, most have small view ports. They're good if you know you have a lot of tacks to do though.

For reference, I use Huntsman 4x5's. They last forever (with exception to the head gear), you can drop them, throw them when you're pissed, whatever, and you'll never hurt it. My MIG hood looks like it started life in the ship yards of WWII and it's still pluggin' along like a champ. Cost? $30.

[RobM]

i use the cheepo "old school" hood, mine has a very big view port as well which i like plus its light and it can take some abuse. and the whole fact that nothing is faster the the speed of light concept has crossed my mind. On a differnt note does any one out there use a resporator when welding?

[boodlefoof]

When I'm welding I set a small fan up to pull the fumes away from me.

[bnoon]

Old school here too with several different shades for the different types of welding I do (TIG/MIG/stick/gas-braze). Just get one with a large viewing area is the most important thing. I trimmed the bottom of my hood to be able to see going between tack welds without doing the flip up/down thing... I never could get any of my shields to do that properly without being to loose... My eyes are to sensative to even try an auto one. That .000005 darkening time is just to long...

I also do the fan thing... Fans are cheap at the end of summer into fall... $7.95 each for box fans from Target last October... I got 4 for the garage!

[sanddan]

I also use a Jackson EQC professional variable. For the part time home fabricator it's the best thing going. I also could never get the hood adjusted to stay up when I wanted and still flip down on command. I haven't noticed any eye problems but I also don't weld all day long like you pro's. Just now i am trying to learn Tig welding and it's one less thing to worry about. LOL I just wish I had gotton one sooner.
Dan

[Jim Nilsen]

I learned the old school way and have lived with some full time welding and others that didn't follow the rules.

The only people who I have encountered that have gotten flashburn are those who didn't wear there normal required saftey glasses. If you think about it logically, have you ever gotten sunburn on the other side of a window ? The sun has some damaging rays of its own that are as bad for you as welding. Most all of the damaging level of light will be brought down to a tolerable amount if you wear standard saftey glasses ( not Plastic but glass). I am not saying that it is good , rather that from my experience that the only people I have ever seen get any damage had no protection what so ever.

If you are only doing mig or stick welding and on a hobby level I totally recommend a self dimming hood. I also like my Jackson helemt for fit and the way it disapates the fumes from coming in. It will help you become a better welder a lot faster and in some places you might find that you don't have the room to flip the helmet and don't have the skill to start from feeling where you are at.

If a person welds for a living I agree with everyone that wearing the proper solid shade is probably the only insurance you have to keep your sight, but it has it's drawbacks to the new tech. The liability that the manufactures have accepted for the failure of the hoods ability to do the job without causing permanant sight threatening damage that would cause them to go out of business is a point to think about. You have to be exposed to unfiltered welding flash for more than a few minutes from my experience with the guys that have ever gotten any problems and if you add up .0000005 or less it would take quite a few spot welds to ever get to 1 minute of exposure over a pretty long period of time.

So to sum it up for me , I wouldn't give up either len's and I really like my auto dimming shade when I am in those really tight spots under a car or on my back for other reasons.

So wear normal eye protection under your helmet for the extra added saftey most of us are looking for.


Jim Nilsen

[63SW]

I didnt know if i would like the Auto Darkening helmets so i did like Prodigy and got one at Harbor Freight as well ...
Like he said , it was only $50.00 down from 100+.
I actually like it and have had no problems and my welds look better too!
It states that it darkens in 1/25,000 of a sec - sounds pretty quick to me.

[MarkM66]

I think actual "glass" safety glasses are obsolete.

[woodman13]

Hood? Glasses? spppp!...I do the real old school way....I close my eyes! lol

Just kidin!

I see these TCNs(third county nationals)(Iraq) welding stuff all the time and they just close their eyes and hope for the best...It cracks me up to no end.

27 days and counting! (back in good ole USA)