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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets

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Glenn FitzGeral

01-10-2008 14:05:14

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Harbor Freight lists five different auto darkening welding helmets. Is there a difference in quality/function from one to the next? Graphics mean nothing to me.

Which ones, if any, have you had good luck with? (no controversy intended)

Thank you,
Glenn F.

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dave guest

01-12-2008 16:38:06

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

Thanks, I learned a lot and maybe not too late. Appreciate it.

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dr.sportster

01-12-2008 07:48:25

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

I bought a Jackson hood in 1977 for 10 dollars.It fell off the truck once and the cradle cracked due to the cold.Company bought me a new hood and I switched cradles and J-B welded a small crack.When graphics became popular I took some One-Shot paint and made it flamed etc.It "automatically"flips down with my hand to close the window.Just the idea of my eyes looking at the arc for even a millisecond does not sit well with me.I will still have my same ten dollar hood when I die.Lenses are replaceable.Try a Jackson hood they last.But they are not auto darkening.I laughed once when T-bone wrote "if you blink, you wasted your money anyhow".

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sammyd

01-11-2008 19:09:55

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

Bought a cheapie off ebay 4 years ago. Last job I spent a lot of time under the helmet doing heavy welds didn't have a problem, except that the dark to light time was a bit slower than other helmets I had used. I still have that helmet but use it much less at the new job. One of my better ebay purchases.

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hay

01-11-2008 12:09:42

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

i bought one of the inexpensive auto darkening helmets a few years ago from HF. it is adjustable darkening and to me it works great. it darks right at arc flash. don't know how long it will hold up, but it does good now. no place to replace the battery that i can find, so maybe when it's out, the helmet must be replaced. as the old saying goes, "Ya get what ya pay for".

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Stan in Oly, WA

01-11-2008 17:13:41

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to hay, 01-11-2008 12:09:42

Hi hay,

HF auto-darkening helmets are solar powered (in this case powered by the light of the arc.) I've had several of them and that isn't what wears out. The most common thing to make me have to retire a HF helment is stripping out the splines on the plastic knob that controls headband tightness. I don't think it would be such a problem for someone who welds for long periods, wearing the helmet most of the time. Generally for me, welding is an intermittent part of metal fabrication, so the helmet is on and off, on and off. Once I can't tighten it up anymore, it's not comfortable to wear so I break out another one. That's a nice thing about helmets that only cost $50.

All the best, Stan

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Stan in Oly, WA

01-11-2008 10:58:58

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

Hi Glenn,

As for whether you should avoid foreign made helmets and stick to major brands, you should be aware that Jackson is the only American company that manufactures their own optics. Hornell/Speedglas (who I believe developed the auto-darkening system) is a Swedish company.

Other than Jackson, every name brand American auto-darkening helmet has to get their optics somewhere. Lincoln sells Jackson helmets with the Lincoln name on them, but I'd be very surprised to find out that every American company was so scrupulous. Simple economics (and the absurd corporate claim that corporations have an absolute duty to their stockholders to maximize profits by any legal means) make it a virtual certainty that Asian optics are use in some American brand helmets.

All the best, Stan

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rickd64

01-11-2008 04:23:13

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

You only have one pair of eyes...you must take care of them. I am in the welding supply industry and have been for 26 years. These inexpensive habor freight hoods will not cut the mustard unless all you do is sheetmetal mig. If you are stick welding or heavy mig welding there is not adequate ir/uv filtration which is what cause the eye damage. BUY HORNELL SPEEDLAS. they are the best ask for help from the dealer or email me for the correct model for you needs.

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strawbale

01-10-2008 20:20:31

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

NEX/GEN is the only way to go

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dave guest

01-10-2008 18:44:40

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

I have been flashed till I couldn't see for 5 minutes or so. Used to weld with no shield. How bad is this. Never knew you go to hospital. What do they do for it??? Seriously and I will try to prevent this like gangbusters.

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135 Fan

01-10-2008 22:14:52

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to dave guest, 01-10-2008 18:44:40

Arc welding is the equivelent of bringing the sun 93,000,000 miles closer to the earth! Not wearing a proper shade of lens can cause you to get flashed and could lead to permanenent blindness. A more serious flash can mean a trip to emergency for special eye cream and freezing. It is followed by having to wear a patch over the eyes(s). If you're flashed usually you don't realize it till the middle of the night when it feels like you eyes are being sandblasted. If you do suspect a flash, it is a good idea to have your eyes tested to make sure nothing got in them. Not using any type of eye protection will most definetetly lead to blindness. A polycarbonite cover plate or glasses etc. may help to avoid a minor flash but will not prevent a major flash or going blind. That's why if you buy an auto darkening helmet, make sure it has a certification tag on it. This is the reason it took so long for auto-darking helmets to be put on the market. I do believe you get what you pay for but a brand name sometimes drives the price up. Usually way better quality and longer life. You only get one set of eyes. Protect them. Dave

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36 coupe

01-11-2008 02:04:59

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to 135 Fan, 01-10-2008 22:14:52

Your eyesight is not a good place for cheap.Import items are well known for cutting corners.I wonder why there is such a price spread between imports and name brand helmets.Ill stay with my helmets that have served well for over 50 years.A hinged lens works fine for me.A cheap wrench can be junked when it fails but injury from a cheap welding helmet wont heal.

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MarkB_MI

01-10-2008 19:40:21

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to dave guest, 01-10-2008 18:44:40

Dave,

Always wear polycarbonate safety glasses when welding. They stop most of the UV rays that do the damage when you're flashed.

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Marlowe

01-10-2008 18:12:14

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

have two in the shop over 5 years get used 15 to 20 hr a week [this week 30 each] they were the cheep ones and they darken in 1/25,000 of a sec.only thing the guys don't like is they are not the large lens other then that they are great and since we started using them no and has went to the hospital with welders flash

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Gus

01-10-2008 18:11:13

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

I have one with a small lense. Wearing bifocals, I can't see down far enough. I also have a non-auto darkening that I can see down fine, but in cold weather it fogs up and then I still can't see down enough. I do like the auto feature.

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KEB1

01-10-2008 19:59:42

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Gus, 01-10-2008 18:11:13

I have the same problem with bifocals. Solution is to find a magnifying lens to go in the helmet that has about the same strength as the difference between the near and far portions of your glasses. Essentially turns the normally far portion of your glasses lens into something close to the near focus part of the bifocal. I had to try a couple different strengths before I found one that worked, but the plastic lenses are pretty cheap.

Keith

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Gus

01-11-2008 03:17:29

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to KEB1, 01-10-2008 19:59:42

Great idea. Did you get one the same size as the helmet lens? At a welding shop?

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JMS/.MN

01-11-2008 08:00:58

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Gus, 01-11-2008 03:17:29

They"re at welding supply stores, about $15.

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jonjon

01-10-2008 16:51:15

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

Better check the Time on it to darken. 1/25,000. 1/16,000. Makes a difference for repeated welds. Don't believe me ask the guys I work with about the repeated trips to E.R. for flash burn.

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Dick L

01-10-2008 16:39:49

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

I have had the H F auto dark helmet for over a year. Like said below, if it does fail I will get another one just like it. I paid under under 50 bucks. Works fine for me.

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TimV

01-10-2008 16:32:22

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

Bought one from the Homier traveling tool show 3-4 years ago for $40 and absolutely love it. Only thing I don't like is that it turns dark-to-light a bit slowly, causing an occasional issue if you're doing repeated welds like tack-welding a sheet metal seam. More money will typically get you a larger glass area, and features like an adjustable shade and adjustable dark-to-light time. If this is one of those purchases that you want to buy a cheap one to see if you'll like it and then buy a better one, I'd advise getting a good one right off the bat--once you've used it you'll never go back to a flop-top helmet again.

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jdemaris

01-10-2008 15:52:08

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

I bought one on-sale from Harbor Freight two years ago for $35 (their cheapest). It's been great. My local welding shop wanted over $100 at that time.

I'm sort of "old school" and was reluctant at first - but now I love it. No more starting welds with no helmet and quickly closing my eyes (and then putting the helmet down) - and often getting flashed and half-blinded.

Only slight problem is when working at night near shop-lites. Get too close and it shifts to "dark mode" before I want it to.

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Dusty MI

01-10-2008 15:20:03

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

Are they available with the large lens?

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BobReeves

01-10-2008 14:34:06

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

Like Jon, I bought a HF couple years ago.. been working great, if it quits I'll go bak and buy another one.. The headgear is not the most comfortable but I don't weld for a living and can live with it.

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jon Hagen

01-10-2008 14:26:26

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

Bought one of the HF auto dark helmets several years ago for $55 at the time. I see it is in latest catalog for $49.95. Plain little unit with the adjusting knob on the side. Never fails to work when I need it.

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elifish

01-10-2008 14:20:39

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

Usually as far as welding helmets go, you get what you pay for. speedglass is the best bar none. It's worth the extra money. Also, I bought a cheap one a few years ago and it is still working. But, normally you get what you pay for.

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rockyhawaii

01-10-2008 14:13:01

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

I had the $50 helmet from Harbor Freight and it lasted about three uses before it went out. I notice that they will now sell just the auto unit so they must have a problem with them. I replaced it with the solar-powered Lincoln helmet and it's been working so far.

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Allan In NE

01-10-2008 14:10:45

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Glenn FitzGerald, 01-10-2008 14:05:14

I dunno Glenn,

These guys on here talked me into getting one. Slickest thing since sliced bread.

Got it at the local implement dealer for "about" $100. Shifts gears in 1/25,000 of a second.

No more "helmet nod". :>)

Allan

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Rick Kaufmann

01-10-2008 18:16:17

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Allan In NE, 01-10-2008 14:10:45

Northern Tools least expensive A/D helmet is $49.99. Has a 3.85" x 1.73" view area, adjustable variable shade from 9-13, adjustable ratchet headgear, and a switch time of 1/25,000 second which oddly enough is the fastest switch time listed for any of their helmets, even faster than the ones costing $75.00-$200.00. This is a solar powered unit. How good do the solar powered helmets work in dim light compared to a battery powered unit? Anyone out there have any experience with this helmet? Thanks.
Rick

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Slowpoke

01-11-2008 01:28:33

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Rick Kaufmann, 01-10-2008 18:16:17

That sounds exactly like the one I bought from HF about 5 years ago for I think $120. But mine is 1.81" high, solar power only. The problem in dim light is that there is always a "light state" when it's off, which is kind of like wearing light colored sun glasses. The numbers go from about 1 to 4 or 5 with 1 being the nearest to clear glass. Read the specs on expensive helmets and you'll get a better idea. Since my eyes are no longer 18 years old, I like working in the full sun to get the most light. If I look towards the bright sun the glass will darken. I think by now the viewing area should be larger than it was 3-5 years ago. Then a auto darkening glass at the dealer was $225 for installing in a standard helmet.

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chvet73

01-10-2008 19:44:19

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Re: HF Auto Dark Weld Helmets in reply to Rick Kaufmann, 01-10-2008 18:16:17

My HF Auto only lasted about a year. The lens area turned cloudy. It worked great until that happened. I replaced it with an expensive Auto Dark helmet which has lasted several years. It definetly works better and visibility seems better as well. Seems like most other people have better life from their HF ones then I did.

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