Thread: Auto Darkening Welding Helmets

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I just bought an auto darkening helmet a little while ago for about $85 and had a few questions. First do all of them have green lenses when you're not welding, mine is quite dark green and I keep checking to see if I left the protective covering on . I find that when I'm stitching sheet metal I don't use it and just close my eyes, they're starting to get burnt and I know it's bad but even with the double halogen spot lights I can barely see anything. I've even got it set at 9-10 and it is clean.
So I'm thinking it's not worth it and I should buy a good one but if it's gonna be dark like that I guess there's no point. Does anyone know a good one to buy that's not too expensive maybe $200-300. I'll order it from the US cause everything here is marked up so high so I won't be able to try it until I get it.

Thanks,
Sean

The standard shade is #4 when not on complete dark. And yes all of them are green.

I bought mine for $65 from Harbor Freight about 6 years ago and it works fine. It's solar powered so requires no batteries. The one we have at school requires a 9-volt battery and has to be turned "ON" to work. When it's "OFF" or the battery is dead, it is quite dark normally, is difficult to see through, and does not work correctly. Both of them, when working properly, are about like wearing dark green sunglasses when not welding and go very dark instantly when you strike an arc. Check to see if the one you have requires batteries...

Mine is the one Miller threw in with the welder when I bought it. Looks like regular sunglasses tint when your not welding. I like mine. I had trouble with it not darkening once awhile back. I set it out in the sun for a couple hours (Solar battery) and it's worked fine since. The only downside, if there is an obstruction between the arc and the sensor on the helmet to block the arc light you can get a flash.

Thanks. I saw Miller has one for $159 that is a shade #3, I think I'll try one. It's just dumb of me to be closing my eyes with the helmet turned up on my head.

Sean

Sean it's worth whatever you pay to protect the eyes. Blindness from fried retinas is incurable! I just got an auto darkening helmet from Northern Tools with the new Mig. It was 59.00 and is solar powered as well. I'll let you know how it is when it gets here Friday.

When I was welding for a living, I found that using an auto-darkening helmet (large lens Miller) for GTAW caused my checks to sunburn by the end of the day (6-8 hours of welding), so I stopped using it. Another issue when doing the sort of acrobatic welding I was doing (laying on my back, hanging upside down, reaching around other parts, etc.), I got a few quick flashes when something I was welding around obscured the sensors as I moved my head and that can be disconcerting.

I don't use an auto-darkening helmet anymore, but only because I'm no longer welding full-time and the good ones were too expensive to buy on my own. Other than the above complaints, I found it far more convenient for the lens to darken than to flip the helmet down under those out-of-position conditions, and it may just be that I'm ultra-sensitive to whatever UV gets through.

I got mine from HTP When I bought the welder, it was pretty expensive, and I think it was about $250 that was about 12 years ago. The entire time I thought it was solar power until it stopped working last year, then I found out it had batteries. Those batteries must have been pretty good to last that long. Even with the new batteries it doesn’t work to good anymore, maybe they only last for so long even though I don’t use it that much.

Richard

I borrow Dan's helmet when I am welding and love the fact you don't have to shake your head to lower the helmet, causing me to lose my place. As my eyes get worse from age I find that putting a worklight behind me to illuminate the area I am welding helps immensely. I had trouble keeping the weld going straight before doing that.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I borrow Dan's helmet when I am welding and love the fact you don't have to shake your head to lower the helmet, causing me to lose my place. As my eyes get worse from age I find that putting a worklight behind me to illuminate the area I am welding helps immensely. I had trouble keeping the weld going straight before doing that.

Don

I have that Helmet and I've been happy with it except I seem to go through Batteries (I get them at Radio Shack)-

I purchased mine from HF and the florecent lights change it when i look up . But when im looking down mine is not that dark just a light tint to it off . This pic is a dark room looking at picture window , in garage with lights on much lighter veiw . Also the curtains are a dark blue .

Northern tool (.com) You can get Hobart auto darkening hoods starting at under $100. I've been using one for 10 years (a $160.00 one) and LOVE IT! Shade 3 when starting out. You can also buy magnifying lenses to go inside them for you (US... ) hard seeing guys!! Buy a decent one and don't have to worry about it hurting your eyes. The cheaper ones can be slow or not real responsive and it only takes a split second to burn your eyes. As far as the sunburns, you can also buy a chin flap made of leather like the welding gloves that attaches to the bottom edge of the hood to keep the UV rays out!! Keep on burnin!!

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I borrow Dan's helmet when I am welding and love the fact you don't have to shake your head to lower the helmet, causing me to lose my place. As my eyes get worse from age I find that putting a worklight behind me to illuminate the area I am welding helps immensely. I had trouble keeping the weld going straight before doing that.

Don

I read once that many of the cheaper helmets like Harbor Freight use the same mechanism as more expensive helmets.

Now this picture brings another whole concern, not protecting your skin. Aside from the short term like a bad sunburn or those pesky holes that hot metal makes in skin, long term exposure to welding rays on bare skin is not good. The damaging rays can even penetrate cloth. I rarely strike an arc without my leather on.

Originally Posted by willowbilly3

I read once that many of the cheaper helmets like Harbor Freight use the same mechanism as more expensive helmets.

.

I wondered the same thing, being supper paranoid about my eyes. I asked about this at our local welding supply store. The guy there has been welding for 30+ years. He said the off brand welders that HF sells may be crappy, but the hoods work well. I was surprised, because he was very picky about welding supplies and brands, but said the HF autodarkening helmets work just fine. My Northern Tools 59.95 helmet works well, my eyes feel fine, and it autodarkens before I recognize seeing a flash, so I feel pretty safe with it, but if I was doing lots of welding on a regular basis, I would invest in the best I could afford, like everything else in life!
Plus I bad enough at welding to need every advantage I can get right now!

I have found that my auto dark helmet works better without a strong light on behind me. I need to turn off any shop lights that are directly on the work area.