Best welding Helmet ?

[eyspy]

OK, Money is no object.

What is universally considered to be the best Auto welding helmet on the market today ?

[Supe]

Nothing is universally considered. Its all personally preference. Speedglas and the Jackson NexGen seem to come up routinely as cream of the crop, with the new Miller Elites not far behind. Optrel is often thrown into the mix as well.

[v4lal]

Just buy the most expensive one you can find.

[jcrazyjj]

if money really is no object then you can get a Speedglas 9100XX from cyberweld.com for $419 or a 9002X with Flex View and Side windows for $475.

But there is no set best welding helmet, what fits joes head but not fit pauls comfortably. What might be just the right weight for simon is too heavy for jack. The only way to really find out is to go to your welding supply shop and try them on. See what you like and dont like and go from there.

[LarryO]

Ive found the Speedglas to be great. I own 2 - 1 for small jobs and tacking with small view and the other with the Adflo system which keeps fumes out of your face and blows nice cool air while you weld.
Price for Speedglas in Australia is about $600 for a low end small view and up to $2000 with the Adflo system.
Hope this helps

[eyspy]

Originally Posted by LarryO

Ive found the Speedglas to be great. I own 2 - 1 for small jobs and tacking with small view and the other with the Adflo system which keeps fumes out of your face and blows nice cool air while you weld.
Price for Speedglas in Australia is about $600 for a low end small view and up to $2000 with the Adflo system.
Hope this helps

Hooley Dooley !!! When i said money was no object I was thinking along the lines of about $2 - $300 !! Had no idea they could be that expensive !! WOW !!

[galencwi]

Originally Posted by v4lal

Just buy the most expensive one you can find.

lol that may just work. I really want to try the optrel. i really liked my miller elite but for a guy who goes thru a cover lense every 1-3 days its not the best set up. Millers cover lense on their elite series is specific to miller. The yard i work at has 4x6 lenses that work in a pinch but it leaves a lot of the hood and rubber gasket exposed.
Plan on spending a few bucks a month for them if your going to be welding all day every day in all positions.

[miller lite man]

I've been using the next gen for about three years great hood .

[schwinn68]

I've got a Miller Digital Elite series and I love it. I've had two other auto hoods and this is by far the best one I've owned.

[rwells173]

Originally Posted by schwinn68

I've got a Miller Digital Elite series and I love it. I've had two other auto hoods and this is by far the best one I've owned.

same here, great bucket. very light

[meancoyote]

I like the Optrel.

[DesertRider33]

I'm 100% Jackson EQC. I can buy whatever hood I salivate over, regardless of price, but I see no reason to have anything other than the Jackson EQC's I have been using for the last 5 years or so.

[JWC]

My pick is the Jackson EQC. Although I havnt used a Miller Elite, Ive heard those are very nice as well.

[vdotmatrix]

I have been reading all kinds of post from here to a month os sundays andI had to balance inexperience, wallet, eye safety and ease of use. I have only read good reviews fro the Northern Tools line of Auto darkening helmets. There is the TECMEN solar powered $50 unit that has 478 out of 480 positive reviews (5 out of 5), which boasts 1/ 25,000sec and giant viewing area. The next bump up is the TECMEN solar assisted/battery unit with 1/25,000 sec response, variable shade 9-13, delay, low battery indicator, manual on /auto off, giant window. Th only this is I can't find any mention of magnifier lenses for this thing. It is made by TECMEN electronics in china and made the helmet exclusively for northern tools. I paid 144$ total, with tax and shipping.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...2922_200342922

Hope this helps someone.....

[lugweld]

The EQC will fall into the price range you were thinking and will do a fine job. Or you can get a non adjustable AD Speed glass for that.

[JohnDaMan]

Man I've tried quite a few auto lids here lately in my quest for the one with the best clarity and coloration. I've used Speedglas 9002x, Miller Elite, Miller Digital Elite, Jackson Boss, and a cheapy no name. The best one by far (to me) was the Jackson Boss. It not only hard the largest viewing area but the clearest optics and best coloration. The next would probably be the Speedglas with the Miller Elite following very close behind. The thing I don't care for on the Speedglas and Miller helmets is the fact that they have a nasty greenish yellow tint to the welding arc. The Jackson however is similar to a gold fixed shade that has nice vibrant colors to differentiate the weld pool from the metal. The cheapy was junk. I would not buy it period.

What I decided to do is order the Miller fixed shade hood (MP-10) and a Jackson Nexgen EQC lens to drop in. I also ordered a second Miller to drop a trusty gold lens in. I believe I'll have the best of both worlds with the nice Miller headgear and the clarity of the Jackson lens. Good luck in your decision!

[robotfist`]

Originally Posted by JohnDaMan

Man I've tried quite a few auto lids here lately in my quest for the one with the best clarity and coloration. I've used Speedglas 9002x, Miller Elite, Miller Digital Elite, Jackson Boss, and a cheapy no name. The best one by far (to me) was the Jackson Boss. It not only hard the largest viewing area but the clearest optics and best coloration. The next would probably be the Speedglas with the Miller Elite following very close behind. The thing I don't care for on the Speedglas and Miller helmets is the fact that they have a nasty greenish yellow tint to the welding arc. The Jackson however is similar to a gold fixed shade that has nice vibrant colors to differentiate the weld pool from the metal. The cheapy was junk. I would not buy it period.

What I decided to do is order the Miller fixed shade hood (MP-10) and a Jackson Nexgen EQC lens to drop in. I also ordered a second Miller to drop a trusty gold lens in. I believe I'll have the best of both worlds with the nice Miller headgear and the clarity of the Jackson lens. Good luck in your decision!

Thanks for posting! THIS IS EXACTLY the information I have been searching for. It is amazing to me what little data is readily available on welding helmets out on the web. There are hardly any reviews and even the websites for the biggest brand names omit pertinent information (such as lens speeds). Why does Speedglas, Miller, and Jackson/Boss not openly divulge the lens speeds to their most expensive helmets when the cheapo helmets all readily advertise whether or not they're 1/25,000 or 1/10,000 of a second? It's such an important thing to know. After all, it is your EYES you're dealing with.

The most important thing to me aside from eye protection is coloration. I once used a shade 10 passive helmet that had the best coloration of any lens I've ever used. It was like watching the weld without a shade! But when I moved onto an autodark helmet, I found that everything just looked green and that it was harder to see the weld pool among other things. I have been looking for quite some time for a great autodark welding helmet that can resolve COLORS. Thanks to your post, I will check out the Boss/Jackson.

For me, the most important issues in a helmet are:

1. Eye Safety
Lens response time, amount of arc sensors?

2. Coloration and optics
How clear is the lens and can you see any colors?

3. Headgear
Is it comfortable and is it replaceable? All head gear breaks, if it's not replaceable the helmet is useless.

4. Lens Size
A larger lens is better for when one must weld in a compromised position.

5. Helmet Shape
If you do any overhead welding and the helmet itself has grooves or lips in the plastic (usually for appearance) or a plastic shelf below the lens such as the Harbor Freight helmets, they can all catch spatter that will eventually burn through the helmet and ruin it. A helmet should be aerodynamic.

[BuildItBigger]

Originally Posted by robotfist`

Thanks for posting! THIS IS EXACTLY the information I have been searching for. It is amazing to me what little data is readily available on welding helmets out on the web. There are hardly any reviews and even the websites for the biggest brand names omit pertinent information (such as lens speeds). Why does Speedglas, Miller, and Jackson/Boss not openly divulge the lens speeds to their most expensive helmets when the cheapo helmets all readily advertise whether or not they're 1/25,000 or 1/10,000 of a second? It's such an important thing to know. After all, it is your EYES you're dealing with.

The most important thing to me aside from eye protection is coloration. I once used a shade 10 passive helmet that had the best coloration of any lens I've ever used. It was like watching the weld without a shade! But when I moved onto an autodark helmet, I found that everything just looked green and that it was harder to see the weld pool among other things. I have been looking for quite some time for a great autodark welding helmet that can resolve COLORS. Thanks to your post, I will check out the Boss/Jackson.

For me, the most important issues in a helmet are:

1. Eye Safety
Lens response time, amount of arc sensors?

2. Coloration and optics
How clear is the lens and can you see any colors?

3. Headgear
Is it comfortable and is it replaceable? All head gear breaks, if it's not replaceable the helmet is useless.

4. Lens Size
A larger lens is better for when one must weld in a compromised position.

5. Helmet Shape
If you do any overhead welding and the helmet itself has grooves or lips in the plastic (usually for appearance) or a plastic shelf below the lens such as the Harbor Freight helmets, they can all catch spatter that will eventually burn through the helmet and ruin it. A helmet should be aerodynamic.

The issue of the changing speed can be VERY DECEPTIVE because it depends on how the filter is being tested. Is it measuring the transition time from passive to start of the transition (lowest range on the filter) or is it measuring the transition time to the highest setting in the filter. Arc One measures to the highest setting, while Jackson measures to the lowest setting - Meaning Arc One is actually the fastest transition time on the market.

[DesertRider33]

I wouldn't mind putting one of my Jackson lenses in a Miller hood, if I didn't have to buy Miller's special curved cover lenses.

[Atticabob]

Yup I have a Jackson Boss in a Miller shell now... My biggest complaint is the curved "Special" cover lenses. I also have a SpeedGlas 9002x and v. I find myself reaching for the Boss most of the time.

[TICH]

It depends on where you're using it too. As far as construction I started out using a nice fancy miller elite, great hood but add a hardhat and it gets to be to big and bulky its hard to get into places. Now I use an old school Fibre Metal with an auto lense I put on myself. I guess if I were to ever work in a fab shop or something like that I would go back to the Miller elite but for now my $40 Fibre metal does just fine.

[gjgarre]

I use a Miller Elite at work, and i have just a harbor frieght $42 dollar auto dark helmet at home, and after using the elite for 8 hours, sometimes I wish i had my harbor freight helmet. It probably wont last anywhere near as long, but it weighs about a third of the Miller helmet, so it has its advantages. If money was no object though, i would definitely go for the Miller Elite.

[eyspy]

Miller Elite is what I have, inherited it from my father when he passed on. I was curious as to how it compared with others. So far it seems that what I have is a good one, without the need on my behalf to experiment with others. Still, I had no idea my old man had such expensive tastes. I thought it was only worth around a hundred bucks or so ?

[ericm]

Can anyone comment on the plastic in the Miller Elite? I realize it's not a football helmet,
but it seems kind of flimsy. Does it hold up over the years?

[tresi]

I hate them all but you got to wear one of them.