Auto darkening welding helmet

I'm in the market for a new one.

What should I look for? I'd like to spend ~$200 at the upper end but...

Priced a positive pressure respirator / mask while picking up a new Ar/CO2 tank. Yikes! ~$1200. If I could find one of these for a lot less I'd consider it...

What say ye?

Get the helmet with the most light sensors you can find ...

I know a few people are going to knock this, but I don't care at this point. Yes I run the H.F. western safty helmet. I've seen/used the ones the guys run in our shop the 200 300 and 400+ and even some of the guys in the shop use the HF ones. They like them. Not one of our guys have had eye problems using them. the only bad thing the guys and I don't care much about is the view lense seems low so your always looking down it's not really eye level. But for 50 bucks on sale you can't beat it.

OK flame on guys I got my suite all zipped up and ready to go.

I have to add, look for a helmet that provide the UV protection even through the clear glass.

Got mine on ebay for pretty good price, try it.

I've tried them all, and theres none better (in my opinion) than my Jackson NexGen. I've had it since they first came out, and it has proven it's durability many times over - dropped from atleast 4 or 5 bridges, dropped from the roof of a 5 story building onto pavement, dropped atleast 50 times in the shop.
Oh yea, here's a good one, I used to build SS tanks - big ones! I was welding what is called half pipe onto the out side shell of a 40' tall 12' O.D. tank that was spinning on a positioner. Picture a 4" pipe cut in half (lengthwise), and wrapped continuously around the tank in a spiral from the top to the bottom, over a mile of weld on 1 tank! Anyways, I was apparently too close to the weld, probably half asleep, head started hanging lower, becouse I was laying on my stomach on top of a scaffold w/ my head, and arms hanging down. I ended up completly melting my helmet, and the black casing on the lense itself. Let it cool off - still works perfectly.
It was expensive when I got mine, but I hear they are way cheaper now, maybe $2-$250?
For the ultimate in summertime comfort, add on a Shadow air system. Expensive, but worth every penny if you do alot of welding.

jdogg4 said:

I know a few people are going to knock this, but I don't care at this point. Yes I run the H.F. western safty helmet. I've seen/used the ones the guys run in our shop the 200 300 and 400+ and even some of the guys in the shop use the HF ones. They like them. Not one of our guys have had eye problems using them. the only bad thing the guys and I don't care much about is the view lense seems low so your always looking down it's not really eye level. But for 50 bucks on sale you can't beat it.

OK flame on guys I got my suite all zipped up and ready to go.

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I have that helmet also, for all the welding I do (a couple of hours a month) it works just fine. I wouldn't try to do much more than that though-

I've also used the Jackson NexGen. Nice hood...until some one else in the shop uses it, takes out the clear lens, because it's got a little spatter on it, doesn't put a new lens in, and welds with it anyway on dirty crappy steel with a MIG. Totally ruined the Auto dark lens. I found this out when I went back to the shop to do some work for a customer....I was a LOT P.O.'d. But in a pinch, on a Sunday, so off to HF. They had them on sale for $35.00, so I bought two. That was about 4 months ago, and I'm still using them with no probs.

My all time favorite hood was the Optrel Satellite. Nice and comfy, and the whole thing is contoured a little closer to your head. That's nice when you're trying to get your head up under the jeep to see what you're welding, especially around the steering linkages...

-Dan

SCW said:

I have that helmet also, for all the welding I do (a couple of hours a month) it works just fine. I wouldn't try to do much more than that though-

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Our guys are using them all day long 6 to 8 hour days and no problems with them yet. I think we have 3 guys using them out there right now and have been for over a year or so now. IF I get the money down the road for a nice one like jackson NExgen I for sure will be getting one. alot more viewable area and with the fan setup O ya that would be one really nice setup.

I have an ancient Jackson Journeyman V and a Hobart "Hood" I really like the easy adjust knob on the Hobart and it's not nearly as likely to flash you when you are doing real close-in work.

jdogg4 said:

Our guys are using them all day long 6 to 8 hour days and no problems with them yet. I think we have 3 guys using them out there right now and have been for over a year or so now. IF I get the money down the road for a nice one like jackson NExgen I for sure will be getting one. alot more viewable area and with the fan setup O ya that would be one really nice setup.

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Hey, if their eyes aren't blood-shot and burned, it can't be all that bad!

Good to know, thanks-

SCW said:

Hey, if their eyes aren't blood-shot and burned, it can't be all that bad!

Good to know, thanks-

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yep were an asme code shop and theys guys weld on positioners about a foot away or so migging all day long. Trust me I wasn't 100% behind these helmets at first tell I talked to them about it. These guys are the pros and if they would have said anything bad about the auto dark function no way would I have got one.

The only bad thing was they said get the western saftey one the other ones head band part I've heard can fall apart and replacement parts aren't there.

I have used the HF one with good results until one day it just wouldn't work...probably too many drops to the floor. I liked it while it worked, especially for the price.

I still have, and use, an ATD model that I paid too much money for years ago, but it still works and gets the job done nicely.

I recently got a good deal on a used TIG machine off my Matco Dealer, so I treated myself to one of these from Miller...

It's bling, but man oh man is it nice.