REALLY? You are going to be cheap when it comes to your vision? Hmmm I think your priorities are a little backwards... spend the money on a quality unit, your eyes will thank you in the long run.
And DONT use brake clean to clean parts you are going to weld, you will die (your best option) or if you dont, you will wish you were dead when you get Phosgene gas poisoning, which is uncurable.

The active chemical in brake cleaner is tetrachloroethylene, when this chemical is exposed to excessive heat and the gas argon, which is used in MIG and TIG welding, it produces phosgene.

I know this is a little off topic, but if this saves anyone it is worth it.

 

Definitely good info about the brake cleaner, I read that before too. Scary stuff!


But back on the safety factor between helmets. I'm not trying to argue w/ you about it but I want to know what makes this cheaper helmet unsafe. There are literally tons of posts out there from people who use this same mask everyday because it was cheap and I have yet to see one bad review on it.
Is there some kind of standard that auto darkening helmets need to pass in order to be safe as far as response speed, or darkness amount?
Just wondering cause if you can prove that this cheaper helmet is truely unsafe I would gladly sell it and get something better.

 

Ok,
I did a little research and appearently there is a "newer" ANSI rating called Z87.1-2003 or Z87+ that welding helmets should be approved for.

I checked and even the cheapest HF helmet show to be ANSI Z87.1 2003 approved.
Here are the specs from the manual;

Welding Protection Types: For All Arc Welding Processes; Not for Laser Welding or Oxyacetylene Welding/Cutting
Shell Material: High Impact Resistant Plastic Polyamide Nylon
Shade Range: 9 to 13; Clear State: #-4
Infrared Protection: 780-2000 nm
Ultraviolet Protection: up to shade 16 all the time
Viewing Area: 6.29 Square Inch
Lens Switching Speed: 1/25,000 second
Power Source Solar Cells: (rechargeable battery included, no additional battery required)
Power ON / OFF: Fully Automatic
Operating Temperature: 23 to 131° F
Storing Temperature: -13 to 167° F
Lens: ANSI Z87.1 2003-approved

 

I have been using the HF helmets for about 4-5 years. i have had probably three different ones and have never had an instance where i was flashed except when the sensors were covered and i could barely see the arc.
Even if the helmet doesn't darken the lens still has UV protection so your not going to scar your eyes just see a spot for a little while. While this isn't good it is rare and won't cause permanent damage.

 

I use this on, but I also weld quite a bit

[http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.co...E--BLUE/Detail

 

I sat in a meeting with the OWNER of HF Tools, along with the COO, and two marketing guys... somehow the subject of torque wrenches came up and I said I was looking for one, but when I saw the one on sale at HF for only $16 bucks I didnt buy it, the owner wanted to know why?!??
I said, well in all honesty, this is a torque wrench where measurements and specs are important to be accurate, and because it was so cheap, I passed on it... he freaked out, ran to his office, grabbed a MAC Tools Torque wrench, along with the HF tools torque wrench and showed me the certifed tolerances sheet... the HF tools version was actually MORE accurate +/-4% and the Mac Tools wrench was +/-6%...
So more expensive is not always better...
Not only that, ALL of their tools come with a lifetime warranty... something to think about before dropping $300 on a basic socket set from Snap on, instead of $20 bucks...

(My wife works for the owner and the COO as their assistant)


And in reply to Zick, I didnt mean you have to spend more money (Hence my story above), I just was pointing out to not be a cheap *** when it comes to personal safety... as long as something meets or exceeds the ansi standard, get the best priced version.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I ended up going with the one I originally posted because it appears to be good and pretty similar to the HF one. After shipping it wouldve been about about the same cost and I had a couple other things I needed to get from summit and I had a $20 discount there.

 

This is just my opinion:

Personally I don't see why anyone would waste money on a auto darkening helmet...IMO thats ranks up there with a wide lense...No point...being able to see more of the area "around" where your welding is nothing more than a distraction..You see everything you want to see and then some with a regular lense hood...I recommend a flip up lense so you can weld and flip it up to grind....I used to do this for a living before I got hurt...I welded pressure vessels and pipe so I know my ****...Another bad deal with a auto darkening helmet is something mentioned earlier...If the sensor gets covered which is easily done if welding in confined spaces and no mistake about it when it unshades its bright as hell...

IMO no need for a high dollar hood..I used $30 hoods and loved them..Much lighter weight etc...

Rememeber the hood price doesn't dictate your ability.


Having said all that why would you spend a bunch of money on a hood right off the bat any way? If you feel like you "have" to have it after doing it for a while then buy it....Thers not a good market on used hoods..Wait and see how well you like welding before you commit.

Also the price of a hood has little to do with how fast it shades....They will all shade quick enough or they would not be on the shelf...Quality sets them apart..How well they hold up..How sensitive a sensor is etc....I agree with Dave about quality...Would you buy a gun from a manufacturer named Bob because it was a lot cheaper than Smith and Wessen? Sure they both shoot but which one would you want in your hand when/if the time came to use it...A quality piece or a bargain basement piece?

 

i run this one



it was a bit more expensive but i weld quite a bit for work stick/mig so i needed something good with a warranty and the style fit me well. auto darkening is also a must , try with and without it .

also when i under something and i am grinding as well i can just grab the grinder with an auto darken helmet and i have it set to where you have to be grindding alot to get the auto darken to come on but when the welder arc's its perfect everytime. only thing i have had a problem with is in certain positions you can get the sensors blocked in tight spots and it wont darken but a small move is usually a quick fix. overall its a good helmet that has cheap new front and inner windows you can replace when they become old.

 

yeah some of the more expensive professional helmets have a grind mode. I haven't ever used one though.
Ill stick with my HF helmets. When they are on sale plus the 20% coupon they are pretty cheap.