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Welding accessories.. best place to buy.

Johnnie Walker

Johnnie Walker

Piece of Fish!
NAXJA Member
Location
WA state
Currently taking a welding course at my local community college. Have a small list of items to pick up. Most I know I can get for relatively cheap at HF, was wondering if there are specifics and/or other recommend places to pick up these items on the cheap.

Here is the list from the class:
Shade 5 welding goggles - I believe I have a pair or 2 of welding glasses, so may not need to buy these.
Welding hood
Safety glasses - easy to find/cheap
Gauntlet gloves
Work gloves

Looking to NOT break the bank.
Thanks in advance.
 
westair has always taken care of me, but it can also just be my particular branch. the harbor freight auto darkening helmet will probably get you through the course. i'm on my second one, the first one lasted a few years before it started not darkening correctly. that's a lot of misuse though.
 
I buy from Sims welding supply, not sure if one is near you or not. They are a lot cheaper than AirGas from what I have found.

Amazon also has a lot of really good prices on welding stuff.
 
Sims came into our shop today trying to drum up buisness, passing out cards.

Basically any welding supply place... i prefer geneva in van nuys... but 90% of that is customer relations and the 15% account discount.

Airgas, and places like that, are one of the best places to get safety glasses, i buy em in bulk now from roark supply, but airgas has great prices... screw buying those at home depot. 1) their styles are pure yuppie, and 2) theyre expensive.

What the hell is a gauntlet glove? A mix between a MIG glove and kevlar talons?
 
check with your local airgas, i believe they still over student discounts?

my local home depot has a huge selection of safety glasses and prices, just make sure the are z87 or better.

HF hood will get it done..but if you can swing it..maybe later try and get a good quailty hood like the miller elite.
 
that $300 miller elite wont work any better than a $50 hf hood for a student... only reason to buy that, is if your trying to act all big man on the block. Which would be hilarious at a community college class...

Are you kidding?!?
 
xcm said:
that $300 miller elite wont work any better than a $50 hf hood for a student... only reason to buy that, is if your trying to act all big man on the block. Which would be hilarious at a community college class...

Are you kidding?!?
Click to expand...

I disagree. being able to see WTF you are doing is a huge thing, especially for a beginning welder.

the HF hoods are junk, I am really happy with the speedglas I have been using over the HF I used to use. I'm thinking about buying one.


I get all my supplies at westair if I can't wait for an online order.
 
rockclimber said:
I disagree. being able to see WTF you are doing is a huge thing, especially for a beginning welder.

the HF hoods are junk, I am really happy with the speedglas I have been using over the HF I used to use. I'm thinking about buying one.


I get all my supplies at westair if I can't wait for an online order.
Click to expand...
i dont know, i can see pretty well with mine, and i've used pretty expensive miller hoods when i had a yob and they definitely did not work that much better, if any. i will say the construction is much better, but it'll last through the class and then some.
 
I gotta back xcm on the hood thing. A expensive hood isn't going to make you a better welded. I've had my hf auto darkener for 5 years and still works great.
 
I do half my welding with a HF hood and half with the speedglas, its easy to tell which welds were done with the better hood.

especially when I'm under the jeep struggling for light.
 
my welds always get better after a few beers. maybe this is the case? just coincidence with the hoods?
 
builtit said:
check with your local airgas, i believe they still over student discounts?

my local home depot has a huge selection of safety glasses and prices, just make sure the are z87 or better.

HF hood will get it done..but if you can swing it..maybe later try and get a good quailty hood like the miller elite.
Click to expand...

xcm said:
that $300 miller elite wont work any better than a $50 hf hood for a student... only reason to buy that, is if your trying to act all big man on the block. Which would be hilarious at a community college class...

Are you kidding?!?
Click to expand...
wow dude, before you go fling off at the keyboard, try reading the post a little more carefully before you shoot off some comment that was completly unwarranted
..maybe later try and get a good quailty hood like the miller elite.
Click to expand...


and yes, if you plan a doing alot off tube work, a quality hood can make all the difference(extra sensor bars in the hood prevent "flicker" better quality glass, higher uv rating, easier parts finding ect..not to mention clearer/cleaner glass in non tint..oh..and a nice grind setting.

is if your trying to act all big man on the block
Click to expand...

damn, with attitude...quess i should trade in my miller welder for a HF flux core 110 job...woiuldn't want to look like a "cool guy"
 
Last edited:
Calm down drama train. I stand by my comments, your not the only one with a nicer hood, but it doesnt sound like the guys who are sporting $200+ hoods, are asking where to buy welding gloves.

This dudes new to the sport, asking where to get good deals on gloves. Sure doesnt sound like he needs a miller elite hood to me, and i thought you must be joking, my mistake. Just makes no sense to me.

As far as the HF hood, ive never used that one, but i have used the ones the have stacked by the pallet at the welding supply, bottom dollar cheapies... Thed work for him just as well as my high dollar hood... He wouldnt know the differance.
 
An auto dim helmet will make ity much easier for a newb to learn, vs a fixed shade.

HF has decent entry level stuff, start with that, and upgrade once you figure out what you like/dont like
 
Redo...congrats on taking a course.hopefully they offer certification, if they do, try and get as many as you can.

One thing I found to help improve viability, regardless of my hood manufacture, and yes I once to had a hf hood, was to use a plastic polish for the lens, clean every couple of welds, specially while inverted.they sell some at weld supply, but I use a product called plexis, mainly cause I use it on my street bike windscreen and helmet so I always have some.

The polish keeps the lens super clear and clean, also helps keep the splatter from sticking and burning in.

Btw,plexis is about 6 bucks a can, and can befound at any motorcycle shop.
 
Anyone by chance happen to have the 39.99$ HF coupon for the 'Blue flame' auto-darkening welding helmet. That could send a pic to me with the barcode/exp date? Apparently, the one I got is incomplete and does not have the barcode on it.
 
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