[matt167]

I have an auto darkening made by Neiko tools.. I don't have a Tig welder, but it has a specific tig setting which is very sensitive .. I keep it on the Arc/ Mig setting because that's what I use, and it works flawless

paid $50 shipped brand new from an ebay seller

[oldred]

My Jackson "Next Gen" which is about 8 years old works ok for TIG but it will sometimes fail, I also have a Hobart "The Hood" that is 11 years and cost $200 and it will not work at all with TIG. The newer Hobart versions of this helmet however have a different lens module than they did when mine was made.



BTW, and I have mentioned this a bunch of times before, the lens in my Hobart (and also the Miller version of the same one) is the EXACT SAME "Chameleon" brand lens module that was in the Harbor Freight helmet at the time, the Hobart and Miller cost +/- $200 and the HF was usually on sale for $39.99. To their credit the Hobart and Millers had much better shells and headgear but they are hardly $150 better! Both the Hobart/Miller and the HF helmets have different lens modules these days and I really don't know if they are still the same or not, it would be interesting to check.

[matts37chev]

i just got the latest catalog from HF and they have the "blue flame" auto helmet (the one that i have)
on sale in the middle of the catalog for 49 bucks, but on the back cover its only 39 bucks
what the heck?
this is a good example of how you really need to watch the pricing at HF
somtimes that place is a ripoff and sometimes its ok

[IHRodder]

Ive arc/mig welded on and off, I guess a hobby welder, for about 20 years. I always used an old fashioned fixed lense helmet. I guess I was too cheap to buy any of the auto-dark helmets.

A while back I saw the HF auto dark solar powered helmets on sale for 39.99, so I squeezed the cash out and bought it.

Its great! I can actually see what Im doing without having to do the "fast head nod" to flip down the helmet before I strike the arc.

It was always a pain for me to try and get the screws just tight enough to hold up the helmet when I pushed it up, but yet leave the screws loose enough so that the helmet would flip down easily when I was ready to weld and didnt have a free hand. It usually ended up loose and would slowly ease down in front of my face when I wasnt welding.

No worries about getting flashed either if I accidently bump the work while lining up to lay a bead with my helmet up so I can see.

Modern technology. Aint it wonderful?

Mike

[oldred]

Originally Posted by IHRodder

No worries about getting flashed either if I accidently bump the work while lining up to lay a bead with my helmet up so I can see.Mike

That alone makes these things a good investment! Flash burn is commonly caused by the operator striking the arc before the helmet comes down because it struck something while working in a tight area or any number of other reasons. The worst flash burn I ever had came from just the reason you mention, I was preparing to tack a tooth shank on a loader bucket and leaned over to see if it was lined up properly when the 1/4" rod I was using accidentally touched the bucket and the arc flashed about 3 or 4 inches from my eyes! This was a 1/4" welding rod at over 350 AMPs and that one flash from that short distance left me with the worst flash burn I have ever had, an auto dark helmet would have prevented this from happening.

[MARTINSR]

And when ever auto darkening helmets come up I have to mention my favorite welding helmets, I don't like the auto darkening, tried them many times. For me it's the Cherokee... http://www.accustrike.com/ You don't have to open your mouth like the graffic shows, you barely move your chin, I like the control and the CLEAR lense before welding. I also like that it doesn't go all discotec on you with the lightening and darkening of the auto darkening.

Brian

[matt167]

that thing would drive me batty

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by matt167

that thing would drive me batty

Just like anything else, it takes getting use to. I have one at home and one and work, it's the only thing I use. After a short time you don't even think about it, just put it on and go to work.


Brian

[The Flyin Wop]

Guess everyone's got an opinion.But one thing I do know is that I checked around many welders and welding supply houses and everyone tells me don't use a shade lower than 7-9 range.They almost all gaurnatee you will have eye problems sooner or later.
The reason I checked was that even with auto dark/standard helmets,green,mirror, gold type lenses [ I bought 2,inherited 2] sometimes I have a hell of a time checking puddles.I asked if I could go to a light shade and that was the response given to me with a few other words added to it from old guys.
Paisano

[Chris Kemp]

Brian, where do you come up with this stuff? Are you sure that that thing is safe! It looks like some kind of a medieval torture device. LOL

[matt167]

Originally Posted by The Flyin Wop

Guess everyone's got an opinion.But one thing I do know is that I checked around many welders and welding supply houses and everyone tells me don't use a shade lower than 7-9 range.They almost all gaurnatee you will have eye problems sooner or later.
The reason I checked was that even with auto dark/standard helmets,green,mirror, gold type lenses [ I bought 2,inherited 2] sometimes I have a hell of a time checking puddles.I asked if I could go to a light shade and that was the response given to me with a few other words added to it from old guys.
Paisano

the UV protection is done with the green lens filter. you could weld with a non functioning auto dark, and still be safe.. my helmet goes from 9-13 and I leave it on 10

[oldred]

Welding with an auto dark in the light mode would be kind of like arc welding with a shade 4 gas welding lens, the UV/IR protection would still be there and would not cause a flash burn but the visible light would be terribly uncomfortable and would be kind of like looking directly at a bright light bulb. About a 9 is the lowest shade safe to use (for eye strain not flash burn) unless working with really low amperage.


TFW, not at all sure what you mean by the lens shade in relation to "checking the puddle"?

[Fast 4 Door]

Started welding around age 13. Have been welding everything from sheet metal to 1/2 plate. Now I am 41 and probably log an average 5 hrs. a week in the flash. ( I made that up ) I have tried these things and just can't get comfortable with them. Still flippin my 20 yr. old whatever brand it is up and down. I probably won't ever buy one. But if Brian can produce a prototype of that mid-evil looking thing, I want one. Even if it doesn't work . That's a pretty fancy helmet!

[bentwings]

I think that's how museums get started. haha

I've used an auto dark since time began. They are great. The one limitation is for very low amperage welding they are too dark. I keep a head shaker with an 8 for small stuff. I even have a combination that is about equavalent to a 7. I can get my nose right down in the work with my magnifiers and this one. I make some .018 stainless exhaust for large scale model airplanes and you just can't see the weld seam with anything greater. I even use a 500 watt halogen spot light. It gets too hot to be comfortable for very long, however.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Fast 4 Door

Started welding around age 13. Have been welding everything from sheet metal to 1/2 plate. Now I am 41 and probably log an average 5 hrs. a week in the flash. ( I made that up ) I have tried these things and just can't get comfortable with them. Still flippin my 20 yr. old whatever brand it is up and down. I probably won't ever buy one. But if Brian can produce a prototype of that mid-evil looking thing, I want one. Even if it doesn't work . That's a pretty fancy helmet!

It DOES work! No prototype needed, click on the link and you have one for under a hundred bucks delievered to your door. I tried to upload a video of mine but something isn't working.

Honestly, I LOVE that helmet. I have tried a number of auto darks, some very good ones, thinking I was going to find the cats meow and dump my Cherokee. So far, I have't found anything that comes close to as good.

Brian