speedglas or optrel?

[boominrick]

i think i have came to these 2 helmets.

the hornell speedglas flexview 9002x with side windows.


or


the optrel satellite ose


right now i am doing alot of mig and im sick of my fixed helmet, i also do tig with inverter welders. but right now we have a big steel rail job and i am the primary welder.



i like that both these companies also make papr powered air resparator.


i know that the speedglas is almost double the price, but i like the flexview feature and the side windows.


i am going to see if my job will help pay for it.



well tell me your thoughts between the 2.

[Supe]

Are you SURE you like the side windows? Everyone I know who has used them around any other welders finds them to be a huge distraction and cover them up. They also get a glare off the inside lens because of them.

The optrel will likely be tougher to find cover lenses, etc in a pinch, moreso than the Speedglas.

[boominrick]

in area i am working in i am the only welder within about 250 feet. i think it would be a neat thing to have

well i also have a sneaky boss that will like to come up to you and watch you work or watch from a distance so if i can see that, that would be nice.

i also have alot going on around me so when the shop idiot is using the crane i can see if a rail is coming in my direction.


i think ether helmet i get i will order enough lenses so i should be alset.


one of the bigest things i like about the helmets is that both can be used with a powered respiarator. the adflo and optrel's new os100. i realy want to get one of those to becuase my throat has been killing me laitly welding all these rails. and will be doing so atleast untill jan no stop.

[Roospike]

My opinion .....Optrel Satellite hands down.

[Black Wolf]

I have two Speedglas units, 9000X (6yrs old) 9002X (1 week old). Both came with solid shells, but I ordered in a replacement shell that has side windows that I used with the 9000X cartridge since about May '05. Hands down, the Speedglas helmets are the best I have ever used. Other than the shortcomings with the headgear, the one I have used for 6 yrs has been flawless.

I would like to question your decision about the FlexView feature....Do you really think that you need it??? The reason I ask is that when the helmet is active, the shade 3 lens is very easy to view work through. I had a co-worker that ordered a 9002X Flexview w/ADFLO system exactly like you want, only to find out that the FlexView part of the system was held on by a cheesy spring that came unhooked at the slightest of contact, and dropped his AD cartridge onto the floor several times until it cracked. He managed to secure a new one (VERY nice LWS salesman) and used it for a very short period of time until the same thing happened again.

The Speedglas helmets in bare form, or with Side Windows are very nice pieces of equipment, I would suggest that you shy away from the FlexView system. Look at the Flexview at your LWS upclose, if you like it, look up the part #'s and order the pieces to upgrade your helmet to the FlexView later on. If you find that you are having the same issues with the cheesy spring, just revert helmet back to non-FlexView and carry on.

Love the helmets....Hate to see you unhappy with the FlexView feature.

[spuddown]

I currently have 3 speedglas hoods, All three have sidewindows and wouldn't own one without. I weld piling up to 48" with up to 3 welders welding on the same piling during a stand up splice and very seldom do I have a problem with the arc from another welder. If we're getting close I have had to turn my head slightly to get away from their arc. It has never caused a glare inside the hood. One of my hoods is a flexview and I also lost a lens because the outer cover pulled off when I went to flip it up. I was standing on a scaffold welding on a Dolphin. The lens went in the drink. Trust me, they don't swim. The company I work for replaces anything we break or lose on the job so I had a new hood the next day. The hood was only $20.00 more than a lens so they bought me a new hood too. If you do get the flexview use both hands to flip it up. I have since then and haven't had a problem with it. That was a couple years ago.

[boominrick]

thank you guys. im talking with my LWS to see if they can work something out with my company.

[Capnbondo]

I have an optrel and honestly it is going to become a dust collector/backup whenever I can afford somethng else.

Honestly I think the optics are really good and that is the strongpoint. Soif you do straight production welding never out of position, sitting at a bench all day, it is probably great.

But, I find if I am welding in a weird spot, quite often it just doesn't see the arc and I have to try to re-position so that it will darken.

I need my helmet to work with me so that I can weld in a positon that is comfortable, not have to contort myself even further so that the helmet will work.