Decent auto darkening helmet

[The wrench]

i was using el-cheapo AD helmets for years and just got fed up with poor visibility so sprung for a Viking. Wow what a difference! It's faster and much clearer. I wish I had gone that route first.

[wmgeorge]

This is what I finally purchased, 3M Speedglas Welding Helmet 9002NC, 04-0100-20NC, with Natural Color Technology Auto Darkening Filter for MMAW TIG MIG Welding Helmet: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement I have used Harbor Freight and Miller both adjustable, in the past and they were fine, but the clarity of the view with this one is beyond belief, day and night. I have 2.5 x magnifying safety glasses underneath and the viewing is fantastic.

[Sparky_NY]

This is what I finally purchased, 3M Speedglas Welding Helmet 9002NC, 04-0100-20NC, with Natural Color Technology Auto Darkening Filter for MMAW TIG MIG Welding Helmet: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement I have used Harbor Freight and Miller both adjustable, in the past and they were fine, but the clarity of the view with this one is beyond belief, day and night. I have 2.5 x magnifying safety glasses underneath and the viewing is fantastic.

I had a speedglas for many years and recently got a Harbor Freight ArcSafe helmet which is far superior to the one I had. Mine was a older model Speedglas though. I love that Harbor Freight ArcSafe helmet !

[wmgeorge]

That Harbor Freight ArcSafe helmet looks like a winner. I had no issues even with the cheaper HF one I had, and I loved the Miller and still have, but the Speedglas for these old eyes is so clear its wonderful to use. If that ArcSafe was on the market I might have went that way.

[kj4oll]

This thread motivated me to get a new helmet too!
Old one is a "no-name" that I probably bought from Amazon 10-15 years ago.
New one is a Miller T94i XL.
Much more complicated, but after I read the manual about 9 times, works great.

[Jerrythepilot]

I'll add another vote for the Viking. I love mine.

[markx]

Can vouch for the ESAB A50. Really excellent, clear and fast acting filter for the money. Especially for TIG application in different pulsed modes and intricate low current jobs. It does not flare flutter or react to led lights. With cheap noname hoods I constantly struggled when using TIG. They seem to work really well on stick and mig arc, but a pulsed or low current TIG torch tends to confuse them and flaring, flutter, delays and all sorts of hickups develop. No alteration in settings or batteries could really resolve the issues so I gave up and bought the A50. A world of difference followed....money real well spent in my opinion.

[CEY]

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/

Great article on helmets and Lens, thanks Willy for posting. I’ve seen the numbers before but never knew what they stood for...

[CEY]

I’ve got Four or five helmets, from the cheapest, 50 year old, non-darkening, to Lincoln Viking, and Hobart Auto... I have a big job coming up, building 100 foot of fence, so I thought I would splurge, and picked up an ESAB A50... like it’s looks and how comfortable it sit on my head... the job starts Monday I’ll report back soon... any Pros n Cons on this helmet?

[av8ter]

I’ve got Four or five helmets, from the cheapest, 50 year old, non-darkening, to Lincoln Viking, and Hobart Auto... I have a big job coming up, building 100 foot of fence, so I thought I would splurge, and picked up an ESAB A50... like it’s looks and how comfortable it sit on my head... the job starts Monday I’ll report back soon... any Pros n Cons on this helmet?

I really like my A50. The cons I can think of are it seems to need new batteries every 6-9 months and it's cost. Not a cheap hood. Pros? That would be everything else I can think of. Light, comfy headband, good color thru lens and multiple memory settings for different types of processes if you do tig and mig.

[Bob La Londe]

One of the biggest issues I've had with welding is lighting up the area so I get good contrast through my auto dark or even fixed lens. It's not too bad when I'm welding outdoors if I can position myself so the sun shines directly on the weld area.

Often however I find myself using the welding table inside the shop and lighting becomes an issue. A couple halogen work lamps can be positioned so they really make the area pop, but they're not always practical.

Yesterday I saw an ad for an auto dark from Yes Welder. It may not be a new thing, but it's the first time I've seen something like this. Built into the face of the welding helmet are six high intensity LED lights. I'm sure they eat batteries like crazy, but that would be incredible for any kind of out of position work or setups and structures that don't allow you to position some other light to shine on your weld area. I have heard that yes welder is working its way up in name recognition of import welde s like Everlast, Vulcan, AHP, etc, but I am going to look around to see if anybody else has a similar welding helmet before I walk down hard-earned cash to try it out.

[QSIMDO]

I just bought a Yes helmet and wish I'd seen that model before I did!
I'm extremely impressed with how well the $70 model is that I bought and how well it fits.
MUCH more secure and comfortable than the $300+ Miller I've been struggling with
and the lens is much larger than the Miller but equally responsive.
The body is a bit flimsy but I don't see that as a problem.