Rhino autodarkening weld helmet

[danande]

Has anyone tried this helmet? Is it any good?

Looks pretty decent. Not the cheapest, but certainly not the most expensive..
I'm not a professional welder. Will be using it for tig and mig/mag in my garage.
Reaction time is top of the line compared to masks like performance line of miller, and even 3m speedglas. It conforms to ANSI Z87.1-2003, DIN/CSA/TUV/CE standards.

Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rhino-BIG-LENS-Auto-Darkening-WELDING-HELMET-Mask-Hood-16-Red-/330742972453?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d01d14025

Here is some specs I pulled of ebay.

Light State: #4 (DIN4)

Dark State: Adjustable #9-#13 (DIN9-13) (Adjustment knob on exterior of helmet - See Picture)

Reaction Time: 1/25,000 Second

Delay Time: Adjustable from 0.15 Seconds – 0.80 Seconds (Adjustment dial inside the helmet above the lens - See Picutre)

Sensitivity: Adjustable (Adjustment dial inside the helmet above the lens See Picture)

Low Battery indicator light: Yes (inside helmet above the lens - See Picture)

Recommended Welding Processes and Max Weld Amps: Stick, MIG, and Flux Cored up to 300 Amps. TIG 5-250 Amps

Power Source: Replaceable Li-Mi Battery and Solar Powered Combination

(Minimum Lifetime: 5000 Welding Hours)

Safety: Conforms to ANSI Z87.1-2003, DIN/CSA/TUV/CE standards

Lens Technology: LCD lens with solar-charging panel in addition to 100% ultraviolet and infrared protection.

Headgear: Ratchet-Style with Headband

Lens Cover: 1 Interior and 1 Exterior Lens Covers are included (Additional Lens Covers can be purchased in my eBay store in a 6-Pack)

Weight: 1.2 Pounds Including Headband

Warranty: 2 Years

MSRP: $249.00

What do you guys think?

Dan.

[DanT]

I have one that I bought on Amazon for the same price - $99.99 free shipping. It is better all around than the cheaper auto-darkening helmet I had previously and I noticed an immediate difference in the darkening activation speed of the lens.

The one feature that I need to investigate more is the darkness level. I am not certain whether it is not working correctly or if something is loose but the knob on the side of the helmet makes no difference visible to me between 9-13. It's plenty dark so I'm not flashing myself MIGing, but it's really dark and I'd like to turn it down when welding in the garage not under the sun.

I'll have some time to fiddle with it more this week and will post details then. Unfortunately I don't have anything else to compare it to immediately at hand. It is comparable in darkness to the other welding helmets I've used so broken or whatnot, it's functional in the most important way.

[danande]

Thanks for input! I will buy and try it then.

I tried a cheap ebay autodarkening helmet with reactiontime 1/5000sec, felt my eyes getting flashed so I stopped using after just 1 tack. Used the old DIN12 helmet instead..
We shouldn't be cheap when it comes to protective gear for the eyes!
But then again I don't weld enough to justify the cost of a 300$ helmet.. Then I can just aswell stick to the old type of helmet and change the glass as i need.