auto darkening welding helmets. which one?

[2stix]

ive been useing an old lincoln auto darkening helmet for over 10 years now. and it finally has taken a dive. the shield has a weird shading. like darker in some areas and lighter in others. plus i am getting flashed and have to re-set it all the time, in hopes it will work when i start. the viewing area is small at 3.5"X1". but hey at the time it was a nice piece. now it is time to get a new one. especially one that has the low amp rating for tig welding. i would also like a larger viewing area, but the larger it is, the more expensive the helmet it seems. i have been researching the net and found quite a few (pro) welders stating they tried a cheap northern tools, or HF helmet with good success. but like most, i would rather not skimp on my eyes safety. after looking at ALOT of different brands and price ranges, i cannot find anything of product origin of the shields. ive seen the same shields on some of the cheaper models as were on the more expensive ones (miller-lincoln-hobart-ect.). of course the shield is the most important piece. but are the more expensive helmets useing cheap china made shields, or are some of the cheaper helmets useing good shields? any pro welders here with some good advise to help me decide?

 

[xcm]

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/auto-darkening-welding-helmets.html

love my lincoln, $250ish, but if i'd have seen that video, might have bought the cheaper one, as that cheapie seems pretty nice for the money...

 

[Seiler]

I love my Miller Digital Elite. When it comes to the safety of my eyes, I don't mind spending $275. I only get one pair.

Scott

 

[2stix]

funny, that is the exact video that really got me considering the cheaper helmets. and even funnier, the miller Elite was the helmet i was considering from the get go. i used to get a pretty decent deal through my local airgas, since i made a good repore with them buying welders and all my wire, rods, gas, ect. now all the guys i knew have either been transfered or on to other stuff. the new folks dont know me and i am back to being a new customer. kinda sucks, but what can you do. anyhow, for piece of mind i would have no problem buying the miller, but i just dont want to spend the doe if all they are is a cheap helmet with the miller name on it.

 

[skycrawler]

check online i got my speed glass 9200xx for 300

 

[Begster]

Having used Miller's economy series, a Speedglass, and Airgas's brand auto darkening, I opted for a Miller Elite. It has probably twice the viewing area of the speedglass, and fits comfortably. As Sieler said, I don't mind shelling out a few extra to protect such an important body part.

 

[2stix]

yes i hear you and i too am leaning toward the miller elite. and yes i get not minding shelling out for the more expensive helmets to protect your eyes. but if you notice, millers entire high end series darkens at 1/20000th of a sec, and some of the less expensive ones have a shield that does all the same stuff, and even darkens at 1/25000th of a sec. and of course almost all the cheaper ones darken at the same 1/20000th of a sec. heck some of the cheaper ones even have 4 sensors were some of the high dollar ones only have 2. my questions are, are there many different shields out there? were do the shields that miller uses made from? do they use a USA made one? are they all china made? just because the millers are more expensive, doesnt mean they have better shields. allthough it doesnt mean they are the same as the cheaper shields either. if we allways used the "more expensive is allways better" thinking, then we would all be wheeling around in H1s. and we all know how well those things handle. if this was a choice between a u-joint made in the USA, or one made over seas, it would be a no brainer because we all know the metals from over seas are by far inferior. can you guys with the millers check your shields and see if it has a country of origin stamped/written on it somewhere? thanks for all the input guys.

oh, and seiler, were did you get your digital elite for $275? thats a good deal.

 

[Seiler]

oh, and seiler, were did you get your digital elite for $275? thats a good deal.

www.cyberweld.com

They have gone up a few bucks since I last bought mine.

Scott

 

[2stix]

thanks Scott. i found that site last night actually. best prices around for the most part.

 

[skycrawler]

I used a Miller Elite While at HIWT and loved it.. sure is the way to go for the money.

 

[rysam]

I have a 35$ (on sale) Harbor Freight auto darkening helmet that is exactly like the one in the vid (except my flames are blue) and compared to the fancy hoods, it works the same. I agree it doesnt have all the bells and whistles, or as light as a big money hood but for my few hours of welding, It works fantastic. No flashes or hiccups, it still holds itself up alright.

Im so far from being a real welder its not funny, but for an average Joe Hack Im happy.

plus, if it melts, falls, breaks, whatever. its cheap to replace.

 

[Seiler]

thanks Scott. i found that site last night actually. best prices around for the most part.

No problemo. If you have any other questions or need anything, feel free to let me know. :thumbup:

Scott

 

[alex22]

Having used Miller's economy series, a Speedglass, and Airgas's brand auto darkening, I opted for a Miller Elite. It has probably twice the viewing area of the speedglass, and fits comfortably. As Sieler said, I don't mind shelling out a few extra to protect such an important body part.

I've been up in the air between the Speedglass 9100XX and a Miller Elite for the past few months. From what I've been reading, I like the head gear on the Speedglass compared to the Miller, is it actually more comfortable than the Miller? After about an hour of welding with an old Jackson welding helmet with a glass lens it starts to get heavy up there. No local welding shops have a speedglass in stock for me to try out.

~Alex

 

[skycrawler]

I've been up in the air between the Speedglass 9100XX and a Miller Elite for the past few months. From what I've been reading, I like the head gear on the Speedglass compared to the Miller, is it actually more comfortable than the Miller? After about an hour of welding with an old Jackson welding helmet with a glass lens it starts to get heavy up there. No local welding shops have a speedglass in stock for me to try out.

~Alex

the head Gear on the 9100xx is definitly alot more comfortable. i love the 9100xx overall alot more the a miller.. however millers helmets seem to be stronger and more durable. if i could put speedglasses headgear, screen and side windows in a elite i probably would.

 

[93xjcowboy]

I have the Lincoln Viking 2450 helmet. I think I paid $150 for it and I couldnt be happier with it. It has a very large viewing area (not as big as the $300 helmets but very close) and it has excellent clarity. I have used some of the cheaper helmets and a few of the more expensive helmets (all with new clean lenses) and there is definitely a difference. I also like the low profile of the lincoln compared to the cheap helmets, Its good for people like me who like to get up close and personal with the weld. Its not as small as speed glass but I have a big head so I like this one.

These are probably my favorite parts about this helmet.

Its both battery and solar powered
You can flip the screen so the solar is on the bottom and you get more visibility up top (good for vertical and overhead)
You can get a hard hat adapter if you need one
Its pretty light weight

 

[2stix]

i have looked at the lincoln viking 2450s and they seem to have alot to offer. the 1/25000 sec switching time is impressive. so is the 4 sensors, and 5amp tig rating. plus it is cheater (magnifying) lens compatible. the one thing i was leery of, is the shield looks VERY similar to a shield found on one of the cheap helmets. as a matter of fact, this was how i came up with my original questions. like are the expensive helmets sharing the same shields as the cheap helmets? but since you have personally experienced both the expensive and cheap helmets, and say there is definitely a difference, well that says alot. thanks for the information.

 

[2stix]

i have looked at the lincoln viking 2450s and they seem to have alot to offer. the 1/25000 sec switching time is impressive. so is the 4 sensors, and 5amp tig rating. plus it is cheater (magnifying) lens compatible. the one thing i was leery of, is the shield looks VERY similar to a shield found on one of the cheap helmets. as a matter of fact, this was how i came up with my original questions. like are the expensive helmets sharing the same shields as the cheap helmets? but since you have personally experienced both the expensive and cheap helmets, and say there is definitely a difference, well that says alot. thanks for the information.

 

[93xjcowboy]

i have looked at the lincoln viking 2450s and they seem to have alot to offer. the 1/25000 sec switching time is impressive. so is the 4 sensors, and 5amp tig rating. plus it is cheater (magnifying) lens compatible. the one thing i was leery of, is the shield looks VERY similar to a shield found on one of the cheap helmets. as a matter of fact, this was how i came up with my original questions. like are the expensive helmets sharing the same shields as the cheap helmets? but since you have personally experienced both the expensive and cheap helmets, and say there is definitely a difference, well that says alot. thanks for the information.

IMHO The actual lens is where the major differences are. Most of the cheaper ones I have used do not have the clarity. I have not seen a cheapo with the same lens assembly yet so I don't know if that's what you meant. If you TIG weld then you will love this helmet.

I picked up a mid range Miller helmet today and the plastic almost folded over on itself it was so thin. It was really light weight but I wouldnt want to weld a cage with it for fear of something burning through or falling through.

I do have one bad thing to say about this helmet, It applies to every helmet out there though (that I have seen). The adjuster hardware is plastic and not metal. It makes up for it though because the flip hinge click locks instead of friction locking so it does stay up when you have it up and flips down easily when you want it to do so.

 

[Doose-doe]

For the past 3 years I've used a Jackson NexGen. I absolutely love it. I am a proeductiong welder and it works great I've never ever had an issue with it even after I cracked the "blue" or the actual important part of the lens. Lately I've been testing Jacksons new helmet for them called the Trulight I think. the thing is great. super clear large viewing area just overall a great helmet.
my .02

Kevin

 

[2stix]

thanks for the input. i did look at the nexgen, but the price tag was a bit high. now if i was a production/fulltime welder, i would definatly consider it as they come with a great reputation. but for a weekend warrior like myself, i am pretty much set on the lincoln viking 2450. i tested the fit and viewing at my local welding supply house, and i liked it alot. plus the easy removable shield for cleaning and lens replacement was a big plus. in that price range i feel it is a good choice.