Welding helmets, costs vs longevity?

[OnlyStihl]

My $40 cheapo auto-darkening helmet is being retired after less then 3 years. I'll hang on to it for when someone wants to watch. Main complaint is the harness adjustment, so it firmly fits my head is failing. The ratcheting mechanism is skipping, like teeth are worn (doubt it) or more likely the teeth are not being held in place and slip.

~3 years and $40 seems fair. The last helmet I discovered afterwards is that the sensor battery cannot be replaced. When the battery goes the helmet is for digging or growing weeds.

I ordered another ~40 helmet from ArcCaptain. Hopefully it will last at least as long or longer. I know with the last helmet I dropped it a few times -- Dats Not Good!

Q: What do I get if I spend a 100, 200 or more? Do the more expensive once last /* Forever */ or just almost forever? And how long is forever?

BTW -- I've been cannibalizing my old Tool Chest with the Plasma Cutter. I'm saving the larger panels for future projects and with the smaller cut off scraps I'm practicing my thin metal (24 Guage) flux core welding.

 

[Wilhelm]

I am on my second "cheap" auto-welding helmet.
It is worse than my first one in terms of material quality, ratchet grip and fitment.
My first one just won't auto darken no more.

My first helmet was about 30$, my second ~40$.

I don't weld often, but love the sound of it!

 

[OnlyStihl]

I am on my second "cheap" auto-welding helmet.
It is worse than my first one in terms of material quality, ratchet grip and fitment.
My first one just won't auto darken no more.

My first helmet was about 30$, my second ~40$.

I don't weld often, but love the sound of it!

Google tells me they should last 8 to 10 years. I highly doubt that. If I welded more often, I'd spend more money. I do like to buy quality, but I'm just not sure what any additional $ gets me. If the helmet goes dark when I strike an Arc, my satisfaction is ~90% or more.

 

[Wilhelm]

...If the helmet goes dark when I strike an Arc, my satisfaction is ~90% or more.

And the helmet needs to stay firm on the noggin!

 

[OnlyStihl]

And the helmet needs to stay firm on the noggin!

I took the helmet apart and after several attempts to assemble it correctly, I cracked the code. It now seems to work better. At least for now.

 

[JugHead27]

Cheap welding helmets will produce poor visibility and poor welds IME. I’ve used miller and Hobart helmets and replaced the lens every few months.

 

[Partner]

I also rarely weld, so I bought a cheap one to have my hands free for $20 Previously I had a helmet with split lenses / darker for welding and lighter for viewing

 

[thompsoncustom]

My cheap helmet has been great so far and compared to my brothers Snapon helmet he likes it more, no problems with fitment or visibility so far. It was around 60 bucks on amazon.

 

[lehman live edge slab]

Miller, Hobart, speedglass “3m” and Selstrom “the old fibre metal” all make good goods in the 1-300$ range that should last an occasional user 15-20 years and have replaceable batteries. My speedglass at work has a shade 1-3 grind positions, 8-13 weld positions and has been going 12 years at work. They only start on the battery and run off solar panel when welding so the battery lasts a long time.

 

[StickToTheCode]

i've started with a cheap one then bought two two autos over the years and have gone back to a manual full size lens for about 40$ have had it the longest. Just personal preference i only use the autos if im in a tight spot and cant flip or use them for plasma cutting. mainly doing heavy equip repair and truck work

 

[Sloughfoot]

Cheap welding helmets will produce poor visibility and poor welds IME. I’ve used miller and Hobart helmets and replaced the lens every few months.

The aggravating poor visibility part is what I got with a $80 helmet. Everything else works fine. Can anything be done to improve the visibility?

 

[lehman live edge slab]

The aggravating poor visibility part is what I got with a $80 helmet. Everything else works fine. Can anything be done to improve the visibility?
Yes, I've tried adjusting it.

Not really, if it’s grainy it just is. When looking at hoods try to find ones that look bluish color when off vs green or black. These are the newer style and provide a clearer picture

 

[OnlyStihl]

The aggravating poor visibility part is what I got with a $80 helmet. Everything else works fine. Can anything be done to improve the visibility?
Yes, I've tried adjusting it.

I started with a fixed darkened helmet and stick welding. It was about impossible to weld with zero experience with that set up. Flux core is simple, but with stick welding I have to see the work piece before striking an arc, and that is not always a simple thing to make happen.

 

[Coupe]

Spend a bit more money and buy a good one. My one cost me about $160 have
had it for fifteen years and still going strong. Even now when grinding shut off auto
darkening and stays nice a clear turn on auto darkening and hit the
ark and straight away goes dark. Never owned a cheap one but my mates that have
said never again.
Thee old saying tou get what you pay for cheap can be nasty.

 

[DucTruckin379]

Just a data point...
I've got a Speedglass that I purchased in 2000-2001. It's lived in a production environment (all day every day use) for ~10 years initially, and after being brought home to use here, it's still going strong today. I've replaced small parts a few times in the band/flip down mechanism (easy to get on the good/name brand hoods), and I think I'm on my 3rd set of batteries (pretty sure they just age out at some point and die). I definitely like not having to worry about a sketchy company exaggerating darkening response time, or the consistency of the darkening across the lens etc. (safety stuff). I get the need for a low cost option though. It took me 3 months of big pull outs from my check to pay for this one at the time, and I remember being sick when I pulled the trigger on it.

 

[gorilla]

I bought a cheapo welding helmet...best thing I ever bought. Does the job very well, I also use pub gas CO2, built trailers, climbing irons etc, just great .. have faith in yourself.

 

[stretch5881]

My auto-darkening was a gift.... and a POS. I don't weld enough for an expensive one. So it's back to the flip lens type with cheater lens and gold glass.

 

[Al Smith]

I think one of mine was sold by TSC under the Hobart brand name .It's the large glass type not auto darkening .I have several . I use a number 11 lens . long time ago when I welded crane booms at BLH among other things I used a number12 lens with number 2 flash glasses under .Some of that stuff was using 7/32" rod at over 300 amps.

 

[drf256]

Buy right once.

I got lucky and found a Jackson nexxgen for $80 at a garage sale. Person didn’t know what they had.

There’s a reason people pay for the good stuff. It also depends on the process, I use a fixed lens for all but TIG.

You can buy separate headgear and keep your existing helmet if you like it.

 

[OnlyStihl]

Buy right once.

I got lucky and found a Jackson nexxgen for $80 at a garage sale. Person didn’t know what they had.

There’s a reason people pay for the good stuff. It also depends on the process, I use a fixed lens for all but TIG.

You can buy separate headgear and keep your existing helmet if you like it.

I did see replacement head gear the other day. Looks like an upgrade and not at all expenisive.