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Auto dimming welding helmets

Desert Rat

Desert Rat

Fetch the comfy chair
Joined
Oct 19, 2002
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Recommendations for a reasonably prices auto dimming welding helmet? I read in another thread that some of them are solar charging only and not to get one that can't be plugged in or batteries replaced. I was looking at one in Lowe's the other day but the brand was Kobalt, which is a tool brand, for $130 but I'm not sure on quality and it is solar. They have a Lincoln one for $99 but I thought it was solar powered as well. I'd like to keep the price under $200 if possible.
 
runnin my miller for years. lots of feet of wire threw it.

and if it is low set it in the sun for 10 min and good to go. thats only if i dont use it for a week or so.

would by a new one no question.
 
I'll look at Northern Tool and Miller. I have a Miller mig welder and I like their products. I've slobbered over the Northern Tool website for a long time but never pulled the trigger on any products.....yet....
 
I have a Huntsman helmet with an iView auto darkening solar with battery replaceability. Paid around $180 for it and have put 1000s of yards of wire threw it as I use it at my work daily.
 
By the way, are you selling York compressor mounts or just yours and why? I've thought about doing that mod at some point along with an onboard welder.
 
I'll second the Miller. I love mine. Got a cheap one from Harbor Freight (~$40 IIRC) and it lasted just a few projects. It went dark all of the time. I still have it as a backup, but I use a good Miller one now. It was ~$180 IIRC. I bought it off of ebay.
 
the Miller performance series runs around $200 on eghey.... i run an Elite and love it.... hard to beat Miller's stuff...
 
I have a Hobart helmet and it has never let me down. By the way Miller and Hobart are made by the same folks. Go buy a hobart welder and see what kind of gun you get or buy a miller welder and see if it comes with some hobart wire. Alot of the welders are the same the millers just come with the autoset features.
 
Hobarts are a good machine, but there are internal differences between the brands.. tho that gap may be closing now that Miller bought Hobart...
 
My first auto dark was a harbor freight special. That was 5+ years ago. It rode in the shop truck for two years before I got the Optrel. The harbor freight still works just fine as a back up. The Optrel died after 3 years. I looked at alot of different hoods including the Miller(which is highly recomended). My only requirement with a hood is easy control adjustments. I like to be able to change settings without taking the hood off. I am now using the Lincoln Vista medium window. The buttons are inside on the bottom of the window. It is a 3 way hood with 4 shades. Airgas has a good auto dark under the Radnor name with controls outside like the Optrel.
 
I bought mine at a local welding shop here in Oregon. Yeah I make and sell york compressor mounts. Pm me and we can talk.
 
Thats a good helmet, few people I work with have one of those and love em. More or less, getting good advice from different people and doing some research and then a matter of personal preference is what it takes to get a good helmet.
 
yup, Jackson makes a nice helmet... good choice...
 
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