What welding helmet do you use?

[stronics]

I'm having an awful time with my current helmet and was wondering what one you use.
I had a fiberbuilt I think that's the name but it finally fell apart after 20 years or so and I have a Jackson fiberglass lift front that is so flimsey as to be useless. The headgear bends and twist and if you adjust it so it will stay up on its own it won't come down without some major head movements, then is slams down so hard it wants to come off.
Other than take up fishing, what do you recommend.
Frustrated!
David

[TxRedneck]

Hi David. Well you know there are the plastic options. THey are lighter weight, and they do well. There is the auto darkening option which many love. I personally have an old Jackson fiberglass fixed shade and I love it. It aint the best, and there are times when it could be much improved. However, for general work its awesome. No complaints. Good luck

[gnm109]

I have a sturdy old hood that started out life as a fixed shade unit. I upgraded it when I bought an auto-darkening unit that I got at a discount through my welding school about ten years ago. It is smallish but it works very, very well.

I also have a Speedglas, which is made in Sweden. It was very expensive and I use it sometimes. It has a larger screen than the old hood and also has adjustments for Stick or Tig sensitivity and indoors and outdoors light. It's really much too fancy for everyday use for a hobby weldfer such as myself.

I think that Hobart has some good ones and, as I say Speedglas is nice but bring your wallet.

[zapster]

i have the same Jackson flip style i bought new and "customizzzzed" in '91

gonna be an antique in a few yrs...

...zap!

[MAC702]

I learned on a Huntsman and a Jackson flip-lens.

But I wouldn't own anything but an autodarkening these days. Greater safety and WAY higher productivity.

My personal hood is my Miller Big Window Elite. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this hood.

My backup is my 5-year old Jackson EQC Executive (their big window). Great lens, and I barely tolerate the headgear.

I also recently won an Arc-One HAWK in a drawing on this forum. I like its simplicity, and my guys really love it for general use. It doesn't see the arc from my Maxstar 150, though, but it's a good hood for GMAW. I do miss the big window when I wear it, though.

[structweld1]

I still only use a huntsman big window. I also use a slider version. No autos for me yet...lol. Soon though I will have a speedglas for work though.

[chopper5]

i use jackson next gen

[383bigblock]

I like my HTP Striker Ultra XL auto darkening. It nice to adjust the darkness to where you can actually see what your doing.

[RC-Racer]

For the most part, I use my Optrel Satellite. It works great for all processes. It darkened reliably and gave good visibility even when trying to TIG weld two razor blades edge to edge at 5 amps. ( notice I said trying )
The two ranges make it super flexible for various processes and conditions. I have even used it while plasma cutting with it set in the grind mode.
I use a cheater in the Optrel ( getting old ) so I occasionally wear my cheap Chinese AD hood when MIG welding when I can't get close enough for the cheater to focus. It works fine but the optical quality between it and the Optrel is like night and day.

[codeman]

Originally Posted by TxRedneck

Hi David. Well you know there are the plastic options. THey are lighter weight, and they do well. There is the auto darkening option which many love. I personally have an old Jackson fiberglass fixed shade and I love it. It aint the best, and there are times when it could be much improved. However, for general work its awesome. No complaints. Good luck

I agree with you TxRedneck!!

[MicroZone]

I now use the ARC-ONE Phantom Auto Dark and I love it !

I once kissed it good night before I left my shop...haha.

[Aric]

I have a cheap HF 91212 $50 special autodarkening helmet and its great for stick welding, but it has a small window.

I Absolutly love my old shool flip style Huntsman 451P Welding Helmet with a big 4-1/2" x 5-1/4" window. Its light and its never "not seen" a low amp TIG arc. I have two of these, one set up with a #5 shade for O/A work.

[imagineer]

I've got a Jackson helment with an EQC Variable lens. I think the helment shell is called the Shadow or HSL100 style.

I'm pleased with the weight, coverage and lens. I absolutely HATE the head gear!!!!!

From day one, the head gear has been a nuisance. The old fixed shade helmet that I used had detents that allowed the helmet to hold in the up position and only a slight head nod made it drop. Unfortunately, it got ran over and destroyed so I got this Jackson. The only way this helmet will stay in the up position is if I tighten the head gear all the way, then I have to force it down when needed. This causes the head band to slip and pull out what's left of my hair.

Again, like the helmet and lens, HATE the head gear.

[MAC702]

Yep, that describes my Jackson headgear perfectly. SUCKS!

[wello]

I have 2 I use at work
one is a 20 buck cheapy



i use when doing a job were my miller bwe may get damaged the miller cost me 500 aussie dollars but has been worth every cent wish I had brought it years ago

[littlefuzz]

I use the miller hood. The ones just below Wello's, it's served me well and never let me down.

BTW wello, what's the conversion of US to Aussie dollars, any idea? You can get those hoods for $260 us dollar if you shop around real good. One guy at work paid $350 for his.

[SPC_Randy]

I use a Huntsman 951p with their auto-darkening solar lens. Works great for what I do.

[MAC702]

Originally Posted by littlefuzz

I use the miller hood. ... You can get those hoods for $260 us dollar if you shop around real good. One guy at work paid $350 for his.

I paid $215

[Tailshaft56]

Originally Posted by MAC702

I paid $215

Kinda pays to shop doesn't it Mac!

[AZboy]

I use a Jackson flip top, but with a gold number 8 lens in it. I will never use the big lens style because my cousing was chipping with one of those helmets and red hot slag got in his eye, so now I use the flip tops so I can chip safely :P

[welder.man]

My everyday helmet is a speedglas V9000.

I also have an migatronic protector auto darkening
http://www.migatronic.com.au/pdf/Aut...&%20Blower.pdf

And I still have a $20 CIG hiderok Flip helmet as a back up, with a gold shade 10.


Simon
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~abba/index.html

[wello]

Originally Posted by littlefuzz

I use the miller hood. The ones just below Wello's, it's served me well and never let me down.

BTW wello, what's the conversion of US to Aussie dollars, any idea? You can get those hoods for $260 us dollar if you shop around real good. One guy at work paid $350 for his.

at the present time my 500 AUD hood would cost 381.910 USD
I could buy another for 318aussie +52 shipping from weldingsuppliesatioc on ebay at the time I didn't have the ready funds and my old helmet was causing a few health probems eg :sore neck and headacnes so I was able to buy it throught work and pay it of I'm planning to buy another later on and this time I'll buy out of the states

[Wildguy]

I love my OSE satelite by Optrel. Best 300 bucks I ever spent.

[prop-doctor]

i ll keep me OLD Huntsman been around a l o n g time

[gawelder]

I have had a Jackson Nex/Gen helment, that I have used about two years.The only problem I have had with it is the headgear. Previously, I had
two Jackson executives.Had problems with the battery compartments on both of them.