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What Welding Helmet Does Everyone Recommend

Started by 21incher, May 17, 2023, 09:44:33 AM

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21incher

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. 
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

YellowHammer

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.
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

rusticretreater

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.
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peakbagger

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. 

Tom King

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.

Walnut Beast

Many consider the best out there. 

Optrel Crystal 2.0


21incher

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.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

YellowHammer

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.      
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

fluidpowerpro

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.
Change is hard....
Especially when a jar full of it falls off the top shelf and hits your head!

kelLOGg

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.
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doc henderson

Jackson auto dark, with added reader lens @ 2.0 diopters.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

YellowHammer

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.    
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

21incher

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.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

scsmith42

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.

Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

Larry

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.


Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

21incher

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.

Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

YellowHammer

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.
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

Crusarius

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.

Ventryjr

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. 
-2x belsaw m14s and a Lane circle mill.

scsmith42

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.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

21incher

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


 
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.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

doc henderson

call your credit card and they can cancel the payment.  then they will call you back.
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21incher

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. 
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Southside

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.   
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scsmith42

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


 
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.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

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