Auto darkening helmets

Hey guys, I am looking at buying a auto darkening welding helmet. I have seen them as high as five or six hundred dollars, but I have found them on the bay for around one hundred. Does anyone have any advice on what I should avoid? I have never owned one before.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

I bought this one last summer it's a Miller Digital Elite. 3 mode settings grinding, cutting, and welding. Adjustable shade from 3-13. And cool graphics. I had one of those $100 didn't like it. It was actually too dark for mig, only shades 9-13. I like 7-8 for mig, higher for arc.

This one was more but it cost less than a visit to the ER from burning my eyeballs up. Helmet about $320. ER visit $1600.

I wish mine had cool graphix.

Advise? Don't buy the cheapest auto hood out there, we are talking about your eyes.

I have owned several. look for the fastest times, and most versitility you can afford. It is nice to plasma, and grind with your hood, without changing back and forth all the time.

The local welding supply has a miller 1/20,000 speed, for grinding to arc welding darkness for $329. Does that sound like a fair price?

Oh yeah, I like the cool graphics too, and thanks bonehead.

I have a Miller 20K milsec hat & I love it! Just be sure to hit the start button B4 u use it... EVERY TIME!!! I found if I don't... it doesn't work.

BoB

Thank you tripper, I am going to go by welding supply and check them out. Thanks again everyone. I will let you guys know what I come up with.

Sorry DMW I told everyone else thank you but you. Thank you for the pictures and advice that is a cool looking helmet. I really like the graphics. If I can't find a hood with cool graphics maybe I can airbrush it or maybe put some stickers on it.

I also have had the cheaper ones.But cannot see what I was doing.I stepped way up and got the same one that DMW has.Was worth every penny.It also has an outside welding feature that works great with the sun out and the glare.Try cyberweld.com They have killer pricing that pretty hard to beat.

Lucky's Speed Shop

Cyberweld has the same helmet for just under $300, no graphics is $261. Plus free shipping. Great prices on all their stuff.

Any of the Miller or Jacksons are good helmets. Just get the features you want/need.

I've been welding for 35 years and just decided to get the best one I could. It's actually inly the second one I've bought.

I guy that worked for me had a "speed glass" hood, and I really liked it until I found out it was a $500 hood. Scared me to be around it, think'in I was going to drop somthing heavy on it, or something.

I like my Miller. I had one of the cheap auto darkening helmets for a while, but there was a noticable (to me) delay in the darkening of the lens. Worth the price difference in my book if you are using an auto darkening hood.

As a side note, I remember when I thought my equipment was high tech because I had a flip up permanent dark lens instead of having to flip up the whole hood to see with a fixed lens, lol. Man are we spoiled now days.

here is my newest....

redrider said:

Thank you tripper, I am going to go by welding supply and check them out. Thanks again everyone. I will let you guys know what I come up with.

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dmw56 said:

Cyberweld has the same helmet for just under $300, no graphics is $261. Plus free shipping. Great prices on all their stuff.

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Yep... Don turned me on to Cyberweld.com & that's where I bought mine... free shipping too!!!

BoB

You have one set of eyes and they are worth spending the money on a good helmet. Do not buy the Harbor Freight Chinese crap! If all you are going to do is MIG welding them buy a good Speedglas w/o the sensitivity adjustment http://store.cyberweld.com/speeduthel.html or http://store.cyberweld.com/spwehe90auda.html. If you are going to TIG at some point then spend the extra money for darkness and sensitivity adjustment http://store.cyberweld.com/speedglas9000v.html.
I say this from experience. Even the cheaper models will give you a headache and hurt your eyes(feels like you have sand in them) after a couple hours of welding.

Helmets

I've been a welder/fabricator for 40+ yrs. and like the old school flip up helmets w/ fixed lens'. a light Huntsman for mig & tig w/long bibs - - -just never trusted the autos after it quit in the middle of a hot aluminum tig pass on 1" w/ a 50/50 mix of Ar. and He. One of the worst burns I ever had.

Thanks again everyone. I checked out that web site, It looks like they have some good prices on welders too. I have been thinking about purchasing a plasma cutter, That would be a nice addition to my hot wrench and grinding/ cutting wheel. looks like they have some good prices on those too.

redrider said:

Thanks again everyone. I checked out that web site, It looks like they have some good prices on welders too. I have been thinking about purchasing a plasma cutter, That would be a nice addition to my hot wrench and grinding/ cutting wheel. looks like they have some good prices on those too.

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I love my plasma cutter. So does my neighbor, he uses it almost as much as do. I should have him do my cuts. He's dentist and he can make really straight cuts good steady hands.

Well, looks like the wife is going to get the helmet for me for christmas. I even got to pick it out, I went with the Miller Elite (inferno) cool graphics. I was going to tell the owner of the price on cyberweld but before I could even say anything he priced it for only about ten dollars more than the web and if something goes wrong with it I can just take it a couple of miles up the road. Nice! He also had the Miller Extreme plasma cutter in there on sale for about $1100 . So many toys and so little money. lol

I have the 375 Extreme.Its a killer little machine