Welding helmets

Started MIG welding at school and am thinking of getting my own helmet preferably an auto. So my question is are the cheap ebay (50-80ish) helmets ok for the rec. welder? And specific rating or functions to look for?

Ive got one of the auto ones from harbor freight....ive had it for about a year now and have probably a good 20-30 hours worth of weld time behind it....still got all my eyesight and it works perfectly fine. Best 50 bucks ive spent on fab equipment!

x2.

I have a Hobart and have used two of the Harbor ones. My eyes bothered me after a while welding with one from Harbor, but I tried the other one and it wasn't bad. Check the reaction time on them before buying one. The price difference wasn't much.

I would still look at the better ones if you can squeeze the money. Eyes aren't cheap anymore.

I also like the large glass old style helmets and still use mine pretty often. Welding in all the screwed positions under rigs the sensor likes to get in the shadow.

The auto's keep the burnt eyelids to a minimum while spotting.

yeah, some of the auto ones a drop light will will make it darken to the point you cant see also

If you get one of the auto-darkening helmets from Harbor Freight be sure to check how fast it darkens and if it meets ANSI standards. Get one of the ones that does meet the standards and darkens in 1/20,000th of a second or less. This will protect your eyes as well as any of the $200 helmets, and Harbor Freight has them for as little as $50-$60 on sale.

Note that while the Harbor Freight helmets will protect your eyes, there is no denying that they are cheap helmets. They are made rather flimsy and are definitely not something I would recommend for anyone who really does a lot of welding. For the occasional hobby-welder they are fine. For anyone who plans on doing some welding almost every weekend I would recommend something more sturdy.

Jeffro600 said:

Ive got one of the auto ones from harbor freight....ive had it for about a year now and have probably a good 20-30 hours worth of weld time behind it....still got all my eyesight and it works perfectly fine. Best 50 bucks ive spent on fab equipment!

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I’ve used the same thing for about 2 years now; mine is labeled as “Western Safety”. Make sure you get the one with adjustable sensitivity, delay time and darkness. The hi/low sensitivity settings help keep it from going dark when you get near a drop light. They are great for the weekend warrior, but if you plan on welding semi-professionally get a good name brand helmet.

I have a Hobart Hood and wouldn't use anything less. Some of the cheaper ones will stay dark longer than they should, mine shuts off right when the weld is done. The price has come down on them to $150 also.