Need Welding Helmet Advice ....

[Dan]

OK ... so I got my first welding helmet when I was 14 ... simple old time Fibre-Metal unit. Still have it 44 years later.

That said, it is time for an auto darkening unit. I had a cheap one once (probably Harbor Freight) .. about 15 years ago ... it kind of worked.

I do a bit of everything .... stick, MIG, TIG ....

So I started looking ... had never even heard about "true color" ... or Optical 1/1/1/2 or 1/1/1/1

Soooooooo .... where do I begin?

I see you can spend $50 to $500

Since I am more of a hobbyist (I am a retired machinist .. build the odd trailer .. always repairing something) ... I would like to stay in the lower end of the scale if possible.

That said, I want to be safe and keep my eye sight.

Any suggestions?

Thanks .... Mike

I had all kinds of issues welding because I couldn't see using the cheap Harbor freight auto darkening hood. I finally bought the Vulcan auto darkening hood from Harbor Freight when it was on sale. What a difference it works like a helmet should work my welds are 1000 % better. Try it you won't regret it.

 

[Old Irish]

I had all kinds of issues welding because I couldn't see using the cheap Harbor freight auto darkening hood. I finally bought the Vulcan auto darkening hood from Harbor Freight when it was on sale. What a difference it works like a helmet should work my welds are 1000 % better. Try it you won't regret it.

in my opinion the Vulcan hood is as good as the Lincoln Viking hood, I have used both and I think the Vulcan may very well be a copy of the Viking. I highly recommend it.

 

[PILOON]

LOL, OK, 'I'm in the over the hill club' but I still weld!
Advantage is that since I've now got 'natural shakes' welding is actually easier.

 

[Gary Fowler]

My buddy shakes something terrible, but he can still stick and TIG pretty good. I guess he gets his shake in time with the needed oscillation of the stick. He walks the cup when TIG welding which keeps his tungsten arc the right distance, but I dont see how he feeds the wire with that shaking.

 

[Gary Fowler]

My neighbor who is still in the construction trade told me that some jobs wont allow auto-dark hoods siting safety concerns. Likely a rule made by a safety inspector who had no idea what or how they work. Probably thinking that if it doesnt auto dark, it would burn the welders eyes. He said he just carries a regular dark lens for the safety inspector to see, then just uses which ever he wants and no one ever says anything.

 

[Ross McRae]

Hi, I am Ross McRae from Australia, I am 84 and still do a bit of welding so found the welding helmets article very interesting. I have a UniMig 240 for a couple of years now, but mostly use stick or oxy, Old habits die hard. I am trying to use the Mig more often. To many jobs on the farm and not enough time to work on my old Auburn or Sharknose Graham,
Have Fun, Ross

 

[Gary Fowler]

Hi, I am Ross McRae from Australia, I am 84 and still do a bit of welding so found the welding helmets article very interesting. I have a UniMig 240 for a couple of years now, but mostly use stick or oxy, Old habits die hard. I am trying to use the Mig more often. To many jobs on the farm and not enough time to work on my old Auburn or Sharknose Graham,
Have Fun, Ross

I rarely use oxy/acetylene for welding anymore, but still use it for cutting sometimes. A plasma torch doesnt always get into corner that a cutting torch will. I still braze with silver solder sometimes so the torch is still needed. You cant really beat the versatility of a stick rod although, I am getting more and more use from my Mig / FCAW rigs.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I bought a wendy's pancake a couple of years ago and put a arc one auto shade 9 in it and it can't be beat for welding outside.

In over 50 years of construction, I only experienced 2 welders using a pancake hood, both in 1978 and both pipeline welders. I have had numerous pipeline welder come to work in petro-chem contruction but they all used regular hoods. Yes you do get the very occasional sun glare in the lens but it can usually be mitigated with just a slight relocation of the head. The best reason for not using a pancake is that it doesnt work with eyeglasses or safety glasses which are required on all contruction jobs to be worn 100% of the time plus a hard hat also in most cases.

 

[Old Irish]

In over 50 years of construction, I only experienced 2 welders using a pancake hood, both in 1978 and both pipeline welders. I have had numerous pipeline welder come to work in petro-chem contruction but they all used regular hoods. Yes you do get the very occasional sun glare in the lens but it can usually be mitigated with just a slight relocation of the head. The best reason for not using a pancake is that it doesnt work with eyeglasses or safety glasses which are required on all contruction jobs to be worn 100% of the time plus a hard hat also in most cases.

in 20 years of construction and 20 years of aviation work I have never seen anyone but me use one, including pipe welders and structural welders but it works for me as it was designed to do when I need it. 90% of the time I use a traditional hood and head gear with a cape, the pancake is a tool and like all other tools was designed as a solution for a specific set of problems and circumstances. it does it's job well.
nothing works for everyone & every where, a pancake is an excellent option for folks who have trouble seeing due to back light, a cape is another and there are many other options, the pancake is my preference for outside work when the sun is at my back because it removes the need to reposition my head to see the work. If it didn't work for me I wouldn't suggest it to others and not everyone here welds for a living and the ones that do probably already know about pancake hoods and the +'s and -'s of using one. as for sun glare being occasional it is pretty much everyday here in the " Sunny South".
YMMV.

 

[streem26]

Everytime this question is asked i give the same answer: Fibre-Metal Pipeliner with either a shade 10 gold passive lens or a shade 10 tradesman auto-darkening lens.
The hood is light, durable, and cheap.