Decent auto darkening helmet

[Commander_Chaos]

Been getting more comfortable with flux core, wire feed welding but I need a better helmet. I have a Lincoln, which works but it's so dark I can't see what I'm doing and it's not adjustable. I bought a cheap one that's adjustable but predictably it stopped working after less than a week.

Any recommendations on an adjustable shade auto darkening helmet? I'll pay what I have to for proper protection, cause, you know, going blind would really suck.

[J Tiers]

You know, don't you, that the auto dark feature is not for 'safety", right?

The light is pretty bright, and not good to look at, but the UV is the actual bad stuff, and the glass is made to filter that out. The auto dark is to adjust the light level to where you can deal with it. It does not have to do with the UV filtering.

I have used an HF helmet, and found it actually pretty good. A lot better than the Jackson etc helmets we had in class. I could see a lot better with the HF.

[Commander_Chaos]

I guess I didn't know that. So you're saying that the glass is filtering the UV rays all the time?

[J Tiers]

I guess I didn't know that. So you're saying that the glass is filtering the UV rays all the time?

Yippur........ has to be, or the tiny delay in getting dark would build up UV damage over time. And the consequences of a low battery would not be good.

The auto dark cuts the light down to where you have a chance of adapting to it and seeing what you are doing. You need it for practical reasons, but it is not doing anything for UV, the glass (often greenish) is handling that.

[Ringo]

I am getting back into TIG after some 40 year hiatus. Got one of the 110/220v machines. and a autodarkning helmet.
I would be afraid to try auto helmet with stick or mig.
I got high frequency start TIG, and I feel like I getting flashed upon the Hifreq start. Yeah the helmet goes dark on the arc, but I feel I got to wait with the arc for my eyes to adjust.
Once I get the arc litup, and wait for my eyes to adjust, it seems fine. Tried all the auto adjustments.
I went back to old school helmet with new age lenses.
Got the new gold faced glass, with magnifiers cheaters, in old helmet.
I like the auto safety feature of the old school helmet.
"Nod yur head and you automatically safe"
I now use gold lens, a 9 shade, 2.0 cheaters (take my prescript glasses off), and nod my head.

[Dan Dubeau]

I had the same thing as ringo. My cheap import autodark was a bit slow reacting with tig. Splurged and bought A Lincoln viking, and don't regret it at all. Big wide lens, adjustable shade, and nice headgear. Super fast arc sensor, and nice clear optics where I can actually SEE the puddle perfectly. No complaints.

I've read some reviews of the latest Harbour freight helmet, which looks like a viking knockoff, actually being pretty good and comparable. As with all things import these days, it's buyer beware. I've only got one set of eyes. My ears already don't work like they used to, I'm not taking anymore chances.

[Willy]

Look for a lens that has an EN379 rating of 1/1/1/1 or 1/1/1/2 these can be had very reasonably these days. Spending more usually buys you a more robust shell and better and more comfortable headgear plus an overall better user experience long term. Sometimes, well most times actually, it pays to get the best you can afford given that 2 or 3 cheaper ones would have likely got you to where you needed to be in the first place. But alas, hindsight is always 20/20.

I find that flux core and stick welding tends to obscure the view a bit more than the tig or mig process due to all of the extra smoke from the flux.
I had a cheap AD helmet for years and it never gave me any issues, but holy cow what a difference a quality helmet made insofar as clarity goes.


Some good insight into AD lens ratings in the link below.

https://weldingpros.net/1-1-1-1-vs-1...elding-helmet/

[Commander_Chaos]

Thanks, I've spent money on this reluctantly so far since my previous attempts to teach myself welding have ended in tears, LOL I'm confident enough with wire feed so that I was okay paying for an upgrade.
My HF welder broke yesterday so I took it back and got the next model up and I want to do the same with the helmet.

[donf]

My first choice for a helmet is a Jackson W10 HSL 100 with a glass lens. I see a lot clearer with that than even a mid priced auto darkening Jackson. Once you get used to a fixed shade its not bad. Jackson has decent head gear so its not hard to drop the hood with just a nod. One thing I just recently discovered was magnifiers. I don't need reading glasses at all, but for some reason I was having trouble seeing the puddle clearly at times. That's how I found a glass lens offered the clearest view, for me at least. Magnifiers help a lot too as I age. I found that recommendation online, ordered a low number and my view improved a lot. Now I would choose a $50 Jackson, buy a $12 glass lens and spend about$ 20 for the adapter and the magnifier. I recently put the magnifier in the Jackson auto darkening helmet, the view isn't as clear, but its usable now that I added that. Passive lenses are available in different shades, lighter or darker they are cheap and trouble free.

[donf]

I have used an HF helmet, and found it actually pretty good. A lot better than the Jackson etc helmets we had in class. I could see a lot better with the HF.

There are a few different levels of HF helmets, their low priced models aren't that good. The Vulcan series $150-$200 has nicer view than my Jackson auto darkening lens. Jackson has a few different levels of auto darkening lenses. I got the lower priced one so the more premium lens may be nicer.

[av8ter]

I bought an Esab A50 for here at home and a Weldcote Metals at work. The Weldcote is pretty good for a cheapo but has a crappy headband. I only wear it for 10 minutes at a time so it's okay. When I weld at home (my other job) I will spend 6-8 hours under the hood and the Esab is light and has a very comfortable headband. Best 300 bucks spent on a hood. All my welding at work is aluminum wire and home is aluminum TIG.

[gzig5]

The HF Vulcan is pretty good for the money. View is much clearer than my previous cheap auto-helmet and supposed to be close to Viking. It is maybe a little heavier than the comparable miller or Lincoln. I have been flashed a couple times wearing it which is irritating, but it's better than the old one in that regard. I do wish I would have held out for a Viking but I may step up when I'm doing more panel replacement on my car restoration. This probably is a case where spending the extra $150-200 on the hood would be worth it.

[Bob La Londe]

I have a HF Vulcan and a Lincoln (Viking?) with the large view area and multiple sensors. I like the Vulcan better. I also have a couple others that I just put after market auto dark modules into. My son likes the Viking better.

[John Buffum]

My $90 latest "classic series" Miller has a multiply adjustable lens. When I weld in direct sunlight, on the work, I use one setting. As the sun moves behind the house, I decrease it. How great to not only see the puddle, but the edge of the area to be welded. Cuts down on wandering beads. VASTLY improved my MIG welding. Will soon try it with stick.

[Bob La Londe]

Lincoln Viking and Harbor Freight Vulcan in my shop. My son likes the Lincoln better. I prefer the Vulcan.