I have been using one of those cheap Harbor freight auto darkening helmets for years but it never really was good. Not very clear and the shade seemed to vary constantly and false trips in the sun. Well it has a problem now and there is a couple second delay before darkening that just started and it's definitely time to replace. Plus my eyes are getting older and I need something that holds the cheater magnifying lenses. Also have Cadillacs that will be fixed soon so need a better lens to protect what's left of my eyesight. Started researching and see there is something called clear technology that actually looks like a great idea but many vendors have different names for it. Looking at the Miller digital Infinity class but not sure paying extra will give me anything other then better headgear. Just for mig and stick but may add tig in the future. Just wondering what others use and recommend plus what to look for when upgrading to a larger viewing area. Thanks in advance.
Miller or Hobart. I have used and like both for 30 years. They both have a wide range of adjustable shades that can go from light Tig to fire breathing Mig techniques. Two things to look for are the speed at which they darken (faster is better) and the type of batteries they use. I don't like the strictly solar powered ones, sometimes they lag or have issues, I do like the solar with batteries, especially ones that use AAA or AA batteries vs the round watch style batteries. Miller is higher end, Hobart is next down. They are owned by the same parent company.
I also like the ones that have room for a respirator filter or mask, because sometimes you just don't want to be breathing the toxic fumes coming off the welds.
I like the basic charcoal filter masks made by 3M. If I can smell the welds, I will put on a mask.
I have a mid range Hobart helmet with auto darkening visor. You can also set the overall darkness of the visor when activated. My previous helmet was too dark for my mig welder and I couldn't really see what I was doing when welding.
The mechanism for holding the visor up is fairly strong unlike my cheaper version helmet. I do find that my nose will sometimes touch the visor while welding which makes it a bit constricted on air flow. But every persons head and nose are shaped different, so it might not be an issue for you.
I upgraded to Hobart Inventor Series after using a crappy auotdarkening helmet. Quite an improvement. I think optics package is the same between a couple of Hobart Models, its the rest of the hood and suspension that is different.
A Miller with a large window came "free" with the last welder I bought. I had never used a higher end helmet before, but there's no going back now.
Many consider the best out there.
Optrel Crystal 2.0
Thanks everyone for feedback. Never thought about battery type and it seems all the higher end helmets use the smaller Lithium coin batteries. Luckily I keep a good supply of them for my smartthings smart home devices. I just read the biggest problem causing short battery life is putting it away in the storage bag. They all have solar charging so it's best to keep them in a sunny window. I read a lot of reviews today and it seems The Lincoln Viking 3350 is a good compromise at the lowest price but seems to have many failures and it's easy to get it replacedunder warranty. The Vulcan by harbor freight is a Lincoln with a slightly smaller viewing area. The Opetrel crystal 2.0 is a good helmet for bench work but doesn't have enough sensors for off angle work that causes flash. The Esab A60 seems to be a good helmet but the visors are soft and scratch easily with replacements costing big bucks. The Hobarts are nice and affordable with a good reputation but smaller viewing area. The low end Millers use aaa batteries but have a tiny viewing window with cheap headgear. I think I am going to go with the plain black Miller Digital Infinity with the ClearLight 2 lens that has fixed the issues from the first generation. It's overpriced but right now there's a $75 rebate that makes it the best option for my needs at the lowest cost with excellent clarity and a setting for outside that picks up the arc and isn't affected by sunlight. Looks like there is barely enough room for a mask but I can't find any documentation mentioning that and a magnifying lens mount is available. I can't believe how many different helmets are available these days. My first one was a piece of plastic with a dark glass lens and plastic handle.
You can't go wrong with a Miller. Most people have a refrigerator of some kind in their shop, and there is no better place to keep a welding helmet. The cool temps keep the batteries fresh for a long time, no dust will ever get in the helmets and most importantly, you will never have a spider or bug crawl on your face while you are welding.
I use the low cost ones from Harbor freight. They seem to work good for the price. I did once swallow hard and spent big bucks on an Optrel. I could definitely tell there was a difference in the optics. I could see the arc better. The only issue was it quit working not long after I got it. I contacted Optrel and they sent me a new lense assy at n/c so I was happy about that. Unfortunately the second one failed after a year, but with minimal use. After that experience I figured I'd just stick with the HF ones and replace every few years.
I use an el-cheapo non-autodarkening one. The only problem with it is the knobs that are supposed to keep a snug fit around my head. They would lose their grip so I made my own and now the helmet stays in place.
Jackson auto dark, with added reader lens @ 2.0 diopters.
The good auto darkening helmets will (should) last for decades. I've never had a Miller die, and I've only had one Hobart go legs up.
I've used a Jackson, but it was not autodarkening. Good helmet through.
The nice thing is that a good helmet can be dialed down so it can even be used for flash and face spatter protection when using an Oxy/Acetyene and Plasma cutter, especially when doing it upside down.
Well I just ordered the Digital Infinity with the clear light 2 lens. It has a 4 year warranty that makes me feel better and a large viewing area. Also can adjust down to 1/2 shades with 4 sensors. My last Harbor Freight one is over 10 years old with no problems till now but the visibility sucked and shade always fluctuated that probably has contributed to my current eye issues. This one is a 1/1/1/2 so not the clearest but the adjustability will cover any application I use it for.
Quote from: fluidpowerpro on May 18, 2023, 12:20:42 AM
I use the low cost ones from Harbor freight. They seem to work good for the price. I did once swallow hard and spent big bucks on an Optrel. I could definitely tell there was a difference in the optics. I could see the arc better. The only issue was it quit working not long after I got it. I contacted Optrel and they sent me a new lense assy at n/c so I was happy about that. Unfortunately the second one failed after a year, but with minimal use. After that experience I figured I'd just stick with the HF ones and replace every few years.
I think they all have problems and the Optrel warranty should keep replacing it. The newer Harbor freight Vulcan is one of the best low cost hoods from what I have read but for some reason replacement lens covers are not available so I removed it from my list. Seems to be manufactured by Lincoln.
Quote from: YellowHammer on May 17, 2023, 09:08:24 PM
You can't go wrong with a Miller. Most people have a refrigerator of some kind in their shop, and there is no better place to keep a welding helmet. The cool temps keep the batteries fresh for a long time, no dust will ever get in the helmets and most importantly, you will never have a spider or bug crawl on your face while you are welding.
After what I have read a fridge is the worst place to store these new helmets with Lithium batteries. The cold shortens the battery life and they all have a solar trickle charger built in so for best battery life they should be kept in a well lit area or sunshine. I have never had as spider in my helmet but I am sure it would make me scream like a little girl.
From what I have read all brands have failures and manufacturers will replace them under warranty. I will let you know how it works. Thanks again for all the suggestions and comments.
About 3 years back I teamed up with my local welding supply and did a comparison of all major hoods, including Miller, ESAB, Optrel, Jackson, Lincoln, and for grins we included some Horror Freight models.
Three take-always.
1 - the latest 4C technology is outstanding, and any 4C hood that that you buy will be a quantum leap better than previous hoods.
2 - The Optrel Crystal 2.0 blew the other hoods away in terms of color and clarity. It was at least a generation better. Since then ESAB has reportedly brought out a hood that is its equal.
3 - The Lincoln Viking 3350 was the second best option at the time in terms of color and clarity.
Miller got special mention due to its headgear (the beset of all). From a color and clarity standpoint, it was just behind the Lincoln.
In addition to the color and clarity, what really stood out about the Optrel Crystal 2.0 was the clarity and detail of the weld puddle. Plus having an external button to switch between weld and grind mode on the old was a nice feature.
I thought I was the only one that used a helmet with a hand held plasma. ::)
I've had the HF Vulcan for about 4 years and it seems fine. Yet to put in a battery. I like that I can dial it down for plasma. It might be more convenient if the control knobs were bigger or maybe on the outside. Don't do much welding and can't compare the helmet to other brands.
Quote from: scsmith42 on May 18, 2023, 11:36:29 AM
About 3 years back I teamed up with my local welding supply and did a comparison of all major hoods, including Miller, ESAB, Optrel, Jackson, Lincoln, and for grins we included some Horror Freight models.
Three take-always.
1 - the latest 4C technology is outstanding, and any 4C hood that that you buy will be a quantum leap better than previous hoods.
2 - The Optrel Crystal 2.0 blew the other hoods away in terms of color and clarity. It was at least a generation better. Since then ESAB has reportedly brought out a hood that is its equal.
3 - The Lincoln Viking 3350 was the second best option at the time in terms of color and clarity.
Miller got special mention due to its headgear (the beset of all). From a color and clarity standpoint, it was just behind the Lincoln.
In addition to the color and clarity, what really stood out about the Optrel Crystal 2.0 was the clarity and detail of the weld puddle. Plus having an external button to switch between weld and grind mode on the old was a nice feature.
It would be fun to see you do that with the current generation. I saw clarity seems to be from blue light and that can lead to eyestrain on the super clear 1/1/1/1 lenses for people with sensitive eyes which I have. Even watching good videos of the ones you mentioned side by side the new Miller clearlight 2 lens was much easier on my eyes so I went with that plus much lower failure rates from reviews I sorted through. To me filtering the blue in the ClearLight removed the strain and glare. Lincoln recently released a new 3350 with a phone app that controls the lens functions that looked cool but seemed useless to me and a 5 year full warranty. It would be nice to do comparisons with full day runs of each with labels removed in a generic helmet and see the results.
Spiders and dust love welding helmets. Nothing worse than a spider bite right on the forehead strap. Been there, done that. Dust is also an issue because of reflection in the hood, it can really cause burns and sand eye. Even wearing a white shirt with a Mig can reflect off the inside of the helmet into your eyes if it is dusty and dirty.
Lithium batteries works fine in refrigerator temps, their optimal charge and discharge temperature range is generally agreed to be from freezing to 110F, but either way, keep the insides clean, so its always best to at least store them in a cabinet or the bag the come with, or they will need to be cleaned every time they are put on which is a pain, and can scratch the inner protective faceplate.
I would recommend purchasing several of the replaceable inner and outer protective faceplates, they provide a primary protection from spatter to the actual optical plate, and they take an amazing amount of damage.
Do not let self darkening lenses get below freezing. I have had 1 miller helmet fail on me and the miller guys told me it had froze. My current miller helmet is still going strong after at least 6 years of hardcore use. I went from HF helmet to the miller and I was happy with HF but once I stepped up to a real helmet there is no going back.
I was just working on swapping the drivetrain in my jeep and its the first time I used the cut function on the helmet. worked great with the plasma and was so much easier than my full face shield.
I've been using a 3m speedglass 9100x for over 10 years now and I'm very happy with it. It's been thru it all. Hot cold water bouncing around in the truck bed. It's a very dependable unit. The only trick I've learned thru the years is to keep spare watch batteries tapped to the inside.
Quote from: 21incher on May 18, 2023, 02:52:03 PM
Quote from: scsmith42 on May 18, 2023, 11:36:29 AM
About 3 years back I teamed up with my local welding supply and did a comparison of all major hoods, including Miller, ESAB, Optrel, Jackson, Lincoln, and for grins we included some Horror Freight models.
Three take-always.
1 - the latest 4C technology is outstanding, and any 4C hood that that you buy will be a quantum leap better than previous hoods.
2 - The Optrel Crystal 2.0 blew the other hoods away in terms of color and clarity. It was at least a generation better. Since then ESAB has reportedly brought out a hood that is its equal.
3 - The Lincoln Viking 3350 was the second best option at the time in terms of color and clarity.
Miller got special mention due to its headgear (the beset of all). From a color and clarity standpoint, it was just behind the Lincoln.
In addition to the color and clarity, what really stood out about the Optrel Crystal 2.0 was the clarity and detail of the weld puddle. Plus having an external button to switch between weld and grind mode on the old was a nice feature.
It would be fun to see you do that with the current generation. I saw clarity seems to be from blue light and that can lead to eyestrain on the super clear 1/1/1/1 lenses for people with sensitive eyes which I have. Even watching good videos of the ones you mentioned side by side the new Miller clearlight 2 lens was much easier on my eyes so I went with that plus much lower failure rates from reviews I sorted through. To me filtering the blue in the ClearLight removed the strain and glare. Lincoln recently released a new 3350 with a phone app that controls the lens functions that looked cool but seemed useless to me and a 5 year full warranty. It would be nice to do comparisons with full day runs of each with labels removed in a generic helmet and see the results.
That's good to know about the Clearlight 2. I'll check it out if I get a chance.
Well, I think I just got scammed. I ordered from a website called Cyberweld.com because they were priced the lowest and supposedly have a store front. Received the helmet today and it is the wrong helmet. They took a cheaper helmet and put a barcode sticker with the digital Infinity code and listed it as the digital Infinity on the packing slip so it seems like a bait and switch. I tried calling the number but no weekend hours and also sent them a email. Really sucks because I have a project I was going to start. Hopefully it was a screw up in how they labeled it but I never ordered from them before and don't want to drive a hour to take it to the nearest UPS location. I'll follow up but don't recommend buying from Cyberweld.com. Here's a pic of the re label
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34694/20230520_165819.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1684619936)
You can see the digital Infinity barcode put on a digital performance hood. Next time I will buy from Amazon to avoid hassle like this and wasted hours.
call your credit card and they can cancel the payment. then they will call you back.
Quote from: doc henderson on May 20, 2023, 06:18:02 PM
call your credit card and they can cancel the payment. then they will call you back.
I use PayPal for buying from places I don't want to have my credit card info and I definitely will get them involved if this isn't straightened out Monday. They can lock a company's bank account to get action. My fault for being cheap and trying to save 15 dollars over my normal supplier.
I bought an M18 framing nail gun off ebay, or so I thought. An M18 box showed up with some cheap pneumatic coil nailer in the box. I called the seller and he was oh so apologetic, would fix it right away, didn't know what happened, bla, bla, bla. Well a few days went by and nothing, so I contacted Pay Pal, told them what happened and they took care of me. At the sellers expense they had me package up and ship the bogus nailer back, of course I took very good care to properly package the nailer using lots and lots of packaging, nothing but the best, get the good box, you name it. Pay Pal sent me back my money and I went an bought my M18 framing nailer locally.
Quote from: 21incher on May 20, 2023, 06:04:22 PM
Well, I think I just got scammed. I ordered from a website called Cyberweld.com because they were priced the lowest and supposedly have a store front. Received the helmet today and it is the wrong helmet. They took a cheaper helmet and put a barcode sticker with the digital Infinity code and listed it as the digital Infinity on the packing slip so it seems like a bait and switch. I tried calling the number but no weekend hours and also sent them a email. Really sucks because I have a project I was going to start. Hopefully it was a screw up in how they labeled it but I never ordered from them before and don't want to drive a hour to take it to the nearest UPS location. I'll follow up but don't recommend buying from Cyberweld.com. Here's a pic of the re label
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34694/20230520_165819.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1684619936)
You can see the digital Infinity barcode put on a digital performance hood. Next time I will buy from Amazon to avoid hassle like this and wasted hours.
Cyberweld is 100% legit! They are highly thought of on the welding forums. Maybe a customer scammed them by swapping out and the hood unknowingly got put back into inventory.
Call them on Monday. I would be shocked if they did not make it right.
I've dealt with Cyberweld more than a couple of times. They will fix it. I can't believe it was on purpose.
That makes me feel better. The way they added a new barcode for the more expensive hood to the box for the cheaper hood and ignored the manufacturers part number really had me worried. Not like someone switched a halmet in the box. Hopefully they straighten it out fast and don't make me waste time and gas driving to UPS. Still won't order from them again after this debauchery, waste of time, and limited support. Back to Baker Supply, Welding supplies of IOC, and Amazon for welding supplies. PayPal is standing by to help as a backup.
It's not name brand, but I have been very happy with this "YesWelder" hood. It has from and side view windows so your vision isn't obstructed at all and the auto darken works great.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34297/16846883256078741328503403923180.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1684688274)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34297/16846884035025899273519762501479.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1684688355)
the reader lenses I use, will clip onto that AD insert.
Got through to them finally and it turns out they add their own stickers to the helmet boxes when they arrive. They don't always put the stickers on the right boxes and no one verifies the vendor number on the box when shipped. They are shipping a replacement and having the manager verify it's the right one then trying to setup a UPS pickup for the wrong one I was sent. I bet there are some happy people that ordered cheaper helmets and got Infinity helmets. Guess it's a quality of the workforce issue. So it is a real company and hopefully I will get the one I ordered soon.
Well I got the replacement helmet that is the right one but the box serial number doesn't match the helmet serial number. It's definitely new but for some reason switched around the boxes. I registered it with the box number and then applied for the rebate and they showed where the sn is in the lens that's supposed to be the same as the box and it is different. Have another email off to them to find out why. I definitely won't be buying anything else from them
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34694/20230524_160943.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1685045576)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34694/20230524_161021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1685045576)
Really comfortable head gear and a giant window. I'll try it once everything is straightened out.
The thing that's a bit different with that helmet than the others I use is that the sensitivity setting is a bit unusual. Turn it up too much, and it won't change at all. I'd start with the sensitivity setting all the way down to get used to it.
I have a Miller that works fine. Even though it's an auto-darkening unit, I still look stupid because I give the hard "nod" when the helmet is already down. Old habits are hard to break I guess
I got this one:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_4087~0.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1685136739)
Viking 1740 Series rated; 1-1-1-1.
Quote from: Tom King on May 26, 2023, 08:43:56 AM
The thing that's a bit different with that helmet than the others I use is that the sensitivity setting is a bit unusual. Turn it up too much, and it won't change at all. I'd start with the sensitivity setting all the way down to get used to it.
Luckily there are instructions with it and I read them before playing. That really eliminates false triggers and should be handy when I pick up a low amp TIG. This helmet is like coming out of the stone age for me. It switches so fast compared to my old helmet that was more like a fade in \ fade out. I didn't realize it has the 1/2 shade adjustment that is actually noticeable.
Quote from: Magicman on May 26, 2023, 05:33:53 PM
I got this one:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_4087~0.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1685136739)
Viking 1740 Series rated; 1-1-1-1.
The Vikings are nice. Mine is actually a 1-1-1-2. I don't weld off angle so shouldn't see a difference and wanted shade 3 for the grind mode for my old eyes without spending over $300. Wound up going with Miller because it blocks more blue light that my eyes are sensitive to. I really can't weld good enough to deserve this helmet but trying to make the my eyes last. Amazing the choices available now.
Y'all have done it again. Making me want something that I did not know I wanted or needed. I bought 8-10 Yes auto darkening helmets a little over a year ago for school. They have grinder and torch settings and came with replacement cover lenses. The color is a different than the green look of the weld bead that I've had with the Lincoln and Hobart helmets that I've previously used. They have held up relatively well to the punishment and misuse that high school kids can dish out.
I have been wearing my readers under the helmet rather than having a built into the helmet magnifier. I will likely get myself a higher end helmet next year or over the summer. The group here sure provided some good choices.
My Dad was a welder all during WWII. I wish he could see some of the welding stuff available these days, but he's been gone a long time.