Are tools OK to discuss here? If not, delete. Just picked up a MIG TIG welder. I honestly haven’t done anything beyond oxy/acetylene since high school. I know they have the auto darkening ones and such now. So what’s a good or bad helmet to get? I see them from $30 to thousands of dollars. Just need something to Putz with in the garage with eye damage or that will break right away.
I had one of these last about 7 years of 5 day a week use as a professional fabricator. When it finally shit the bed, I bought another one plus a second for at home. I like it a lot. It’s comfortable and pretty lightweight. I tried a “yes welder” helmet in between and it was a complete piece of junk. https://www.harborfreight.com/101-s...sOh3Ma1oqztHGhiAtJY8u-Jy2u-HR9hIaAqIQEALw_wcB
Once you've experienced a decent instant on, you'll forget all about the "head bob". Mine was about $400.
I use an old 3M Speedglas helmet that I’ve had for close to 20 years. I bought a cheap auto darkening helmet a few years ago so I could “watch over” a helper, and it was not fast enough to react to the tig arc. It worked fine for a mig welder, but not on tig. Buy a good helmet. You won’t regret it, and as @noboD said, you only get two eyes for life.
I use an Accustrike chin operated welding helmet, and a cheap Miller Auto Darkening Helmet. I prefer the Accustrike for most welding/grinding due to the flip up lens, and the Miller for tight spaces/exhaust, etc.
Big fan of YesWelder helmets. On ebay. Check this one: True Color Weld Hood Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Side View TIG MIG ARC | eBay
A friend turned me on to a furic wide view with a magnifying lens received it last week and tried it out on my tig. Holy crap what a difference I could see what I was doing and actually get the filler rod right into the puddle. The helmet was a hundred and a half all in with ship and tax. Got mine at mad dog fab.
I have a Lincoln auto-darkening with a smaller view and an off-brand one with a larger window and a very comfortable head support. Once I got the one with the bigger window and a comfortable head support, I don't ever use the other one. Auto-darkening is where it's at, get a little bit over a bottom end one and you'll be very happy.
The auto darkening helmets are great if you use them regularly, but if you only use them once or twice a month, the batteries go dead pretty fast. I'm dealing with that since I retired. I had to go dig out the old flip down helmet because the batteries were always dead in the Auto Darkening helmet. Concerning the auto darkening helmets, once you get past the really cheap ones, most are pretty good as far as having your eyes flashed, unless the batteries are nearly dead. I do not tig weld, so I can't speak to that. Then the pricing often depends on what features the helmet has. Past the cheapest of cheap, the next level tends to be only replacement battery powered. Years ago they had strictly solar powered without replaceable batteries, you really want to stay away from them. When the solar unit quits working and the battery dies, you throw the helmet away. I don't think they sell them anymore, but be aware. For those replacement battery only helmets, the batteries don't last very long, so you want to be sure you stock some batteries. With dead batteries, the auto darkening doesn't work. Next up is the solar powered with the battery backup. That solar power (any light does work) the batteries have a much longer life span, as long as the helmet sees some light and gets used. The auto darkening relies on light sensors in the lens housing to change from light to dark, or from dark to light. Less expensive helmets tend to only have 2 sensors, the real expensive helmets have up to 6 (maybe more now). Some helmets have what is called "true view," that means the lens allows more color to pass through the filters. The "true view" lenses makes it easier to see the weld puddle (in my opinion). I have seen that "true view" lens on some inexpensive helmets. Then there is the size of the lens. Cheaper helmets tend to have smaller lenses, more expensive helmets tend to have larger lenses. There are a variety of lens options. The next deal is the head gear that is attached to the helmet. There is some really cheap headgear that simply makes the fit of the helmet all wrong for some people, or work really well for others. The high zuke helmets have adjustable everything, the drop stop, the lift stop, the strap across the top of your head, the strap at the back of your head, a fancy sweat band on the forehead, and you can even adjust how far the face shield is away from the head gear. Helmet head gear arrangements fits everywhere between the two extremes. So the issue is, many helmets mix and match the variables listed above. Some cheap helmets may have a better head gear and a lesser lens, or a better lens and a cheaper head gear. Every price range has a different collection of features, some people need some things, but not others. The local "farm store" around here had a pretty decent 'true view" lens with 4 light sensors, and a pretty mid range head gear for pretty close to $100, but they put it on sale pretty often in the $70 range. That said, the next restocking round might have completely different features for the same helmet price range.
Miller digital elite is what i use for all my welding. Have had it and used it regularly for 10 or 12 years now. Just gotta keep a pack of lenses and extra batteries handy, but they have grind mode and all the goodies you'd ever need. Or a cheap pipeliner hood with a auto darkening lens. I tend to wear blue safety glasses under mine (and around the shop) and it's like welding in high definition.
A great add on for working on cars, is an LED light on your forehead for when you're trying to see to start up in a hole while in a weird position, especially tig. Mine was $10 and it sticks with velcro tape.
I bought a Harbor Freight auto darkening that's solar powered . Only used it a few times but leave the shield by a window to stay charged up. I used the old standard pipe welder flip up shield for 20+ years but...the auto darkening is waaaay EZ'er to use. For a beginner why go and spend 2 or 3 hundred dollars on a professional grade shield? 6sally6
The auto darkening ones are what you need. They work great , especially when you have to get under a vehicle to weld. You should also get one with clear view, as when you are welding it provides you with a "clear view". They will have replaceable batteries. Just order a pack of them from Amazon, they are like watch batteries. How long they last will depend on how much you weld. I had a Miller but later changed to a Lincoln and have been very happy with it. They last a long time. Paid about $250 when I bought mine, but the competition from little known brands may have made them come out with a cheaper one. Haven't compared any lately as mine has been working just fine for years. This is one area where you need to take your time before buying. Look on U tube for some videos comparing them. The lesser known brands are more "hit and miss", so it might be worth a little extra for one you have heard of. Look at the Mig and Tig welders that are available. There are a couple lesser known that seem to have a good name....but they in general have been problematic. So buying an unknown kinda takes a leap of faith. Maybe you get a good one, maybe you don't. But get autodark and clear view..........
My Miller elite 2 has served well for over 15 years, goes through batteries though. Always press the re-set first to check. If it doesn't darken twice, or the red light comes on somethings wrong
There must be an issue with your helmet if it is chewing through batteries at the rate you claim. I have two, a cheapy and a Miller Digital Performance and there will be times where they will sometimes sit for months unused and in the 10 years I have owned both I think I have changed the batteries twice.
The batteries are good for one or two starts if the helmet sits for a bit less then 2 months, after a couple of starts, its pretty inconsistent, my eyes are more important than that. The helmet hangs on the welding cylinder regulator valve when not in use, there are no windows that would allow direct sunlight to reach the solar charger on the helmet, and I'm not in the shop with the lights on very often, so the batteries are on their own. The last pair of batteries were the 3rd set (helmet takes a pair of batteries each time) in less then a year. There is a big difference between a welding helmet sitting in a well lit up shop not being used and a helmet sitting in a mostly dark shop not being used. Also understand, this helmet was used almost daily (for most of the day) for the first 2 years of its time here, since then, its just sits in the fairly dark shop. When I want to use it, about 5-6 times a year, and the batteries are dead each time, its time to do something different. The helmet is about 7 years old now, so there is no warranty. I suspect if a guy installed new batteries, and began using the helmet a few times a week, it would probably do well, but that is not its future here. For the amount of welding in my future, the old single stage non-auto helmet will work fine.
My Miller helmet sits in a bag when not used so it is getting no light and like I said I think I have replaced the batteries twice since I bought it and that was at least 10 years ago. A good ANSI certified helmet will also provide 100% UV and IR protection even if it doesn't darken so other than dilating your pupils you are not damaging them if it doesn't darken.
I just report on what I experience. New batteries fix the problem, until it sits a couple months with out use again. I've been in the welding industry for 40 years, 28 of those running my own welding shop. You have a lot of nerve telling me what you think might or might not hurt my eyes. Are you an Optometrist making an official statement? Are you willing to take care of a man and his family for the rest of his life, because you have led him to blindness with your bold statements? Sorry, but I'm not taking your word that the flash is not going to cause damage to my eyes. If the helmet doesn't darken, the weld puddle just becomes part of the bright blob, and it doesn't take much of that to give me a headache. I have discovered over the years to pay attention to what my body is telling me, so I'm not going to take the chance. Its the only set of eyes I have. At this point, it doesn't matter if there is something wrong with this helmet or not. I'm not using it, and I'm not doing enough welding for me to invest in a different auto darkening helmet.
i'm cheap and behind the times i'll stick to my fiber metal flip lens, had mine 20 years or more and it is used a lot. if something happens to it then i may be in the market for a auto darkening hood. the ones i have tried didn't go clear enough for me, but the new ones may be better.
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