Help me choose between two helmets for school

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I just started orientation at welding school and my tool kit that they supply will be in on Monday. The instructors were very frank about the helmets that come with the kit being hard to use and see out of. They encouraged us to get our own. I don't have a lot to spend so I narrowed it down to these two choices. This fixed lens helmet I would get with a #10 glass gold filtered lens.http://www.pmwelding.com/951p.html?p...hannelid=THFNDOption two is the Harbor Freight auto dark helmet. http://www.harborfreight.com/adjusta...met-46092.htmlI will NOT be doing any TIG welding in this class this time around. Which helmet do you think would serve me better in school? Do you think I should learn to weld using a fixed helmet first? One of my fellow students made a claim that some employers won't allow you to work with an AD helmet, it didn't make much sense to me but I have no experience so...
Reply:I think it is a lot easier to learn with an AD helmet but for the kind of money you can spend you'll get a much better view of the puddle with a fixed lens.Since you're in school it probably doesn't matter that an AD helmet might be more practical for general fabrication. I'd say go for the fixed lens, it's a lot less money. If you later want to upgrade to an AD helmet you probably want something better than HF - in which case you've only spent $25 so not that big of a deal.PS. You should probably try the helmet on before buying. It makes a difference how it fits, especially when you are welding for hours.Last edited by Pete.S.; 11-25-2014 at 07:35 PM.
Reply:In the fixed shade hood, I really like my Jackson Shadow HSL 100. When I first learned to weld, my instructor wouldn't let any new student use an AD hood. His reasoning is that at some point, chances are you'll need a fixed shade hood, and should know how to use one. I still use the same fixed shade Jackson Shadow HLS 100 style hood that I originally learned on as my primary backup. I've had batteries die at inconvenient times, and had 2 AD hoods die, but never had a problem just switching over to the fixed shade hood. I'd put the optical quality of a good lens in a fixed shade hood like my $35 Jackson, equal if not better than that of my $300 Miller AD hood.The optical quality of the HF AD hood just plain sucks. I regularly end up wearing one that one of the students buys so they can try either my Miller AD or my Jackson, which ever one I'm using that night in class. I've had it darken at inconvenient times, then flash me when I wanted to weld. Optical clarity is worse than when I have a really dirty and scratched up cover lens on one of my other hoods. Almost every time I let a student use my hood they almost always exclaim how much better they can see, even when standing several feet away while I run a demo bead. Honestly you couldn't give me a HF AD hood. I'd just trash it. It's so bad I wouldn't even give it to someone.Good optics are THE most important thing in a hood. 2nd would be fit, but I'd rather have a poor fitting hood that is super clear, then a well fitting hood with poor optics. If you can't see and read the puddle clearly, you'll never become a good welder..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWIn the fixed shade hood, I really like my Jackson Shadow HSL 100. ...
Reply:Oooo. I like they have it in blue like my original one. I may have to splurge and grab a 2nd one as a class spare. Makes it real easy to see who is borrowing my hood. I haven't seen another blue one in years..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by Pete.S.From the same welding store the OP linked from:http://www.pmwelding.com/hsl-100.html
Reply:+1 on the HSL 100.Just a heads up, Kevin G: the Huntsman helmet you linked to has a #10 shade but it is not gold: that gold filter shows up in the accessories list for a few more bucks.
Reply:Originally Posted by asdf+1 on the HSL 100.Just a heads up, Kevin G: the Huntsman helmet you linked to has a #10 shade but it is not gold: that gold filter shows up in the accessories list for a few more bucks.
Reply:I've never used one of those big lens hoods. I think all the light would scare me. Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Most local welding supplies sell them. If not that one, something similar. In a fixed shade hood, I'd find something comfortable and durable that you like. I prefer a large window hood, but many others like the smaller window units. One of the Fibermetal pipeliner hoods is also a great choice that would last almost forever under harsh conditions. They are more pricy however.As far as shade, that depends on you. I like to do tig with between a 9-10 shade lens. Mig I prefer 10-12 and stick, 10-13. Depends a lot on if I'm inside or outside, lighting conditions etc.  what you find you need may be completely different that what I need. Fixed lenses are cheap. I bought 3 or 4 when trying to determine what I preferred before I got my adjustable Miller..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:If you want a AD my local supplier has the Miller Classic for $67 and $75 with free shipping. The $75 is a Variable Shade.http://www.weldersupply.com/P/507/Mi...sicSeriesAutoD Miller Classic Series Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Black Fixed Shade 10 Part #231703 FREE SHIPPING!Product Number: 231703$95.00$67.00http://www.weldersupply.com/P/559/Mi...sicSeriesAutoD Miller Classic Series Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Black Variable Shade Part#251292 FREE SHIPPING!Product Number: 251292$105.00$75.00
Reply:If you don't have a lot of money to spend you need a fixed shade helmet and make sure that you buy something that takes a standard size clear lens as you will want to have a couple spares in your kit as you can't weld what you can't see and having dirty or scratched lenses causes unnecessary eye strain. Some hoods take a proprietary lens size and they can be hard to get and a little pricey.Good luck with school.
Reply:Awesome thank you all for such great advice. I like that Jackson Shadow and there are 5 welding supply companies near me as it turns out, so one of them should carry it. Though I am still open to any suggestions or tips that anyone may have for me regarding welding school. We hit the floor Monday and we will be starting out cutting using propylene.
Reply:Whether it's a jacket, gloves, hat or hood, good well fitting PPE is important. Quality PPE lasts a long time and even though it's not cheap, in the long run you are way ahead by spending more up front than you are if you have to constantly replace cheap crap. Fit and comfort is really important. If it doesn't fit well and is comfortable, you won't wear it. PPE is only good if you have it on when you need it, and most times when you do, it's too late to even think about putting it on.I often see students using massive large to extra large stick gloves to do mig or tig.  I learned early on that I have small hands. I fit best in medium sized gloves. Small gloves fit my finger length well, but the palms don't fit well. Medium gloves the fingers are just slightly too long, but overall fit well. Standard large gloves leave me with  massive amounts of unused finger length and make it had to do fine work with mig and tig. I tried on probably 2 or 3 dozen different gloves over the years until I found several that I like. For tig they are Tillman 24's, mig they are Tillman 42's and I forget what model the stick gloves are but they were house brand last time I bought some. However usually to get them in medium, I have to have them ordered. I keep at least one pair in reserve and order 2 or 3 pairs as soon as I break out the spare pair. I just have my LWS order them up when they do their regular order and it doesn't cost any extra to get gloves that fit.I'll also stress the importance of safety glasses and hearing protection. I wish now I'd worn hearing protection all the time back when I was in my 20's doing work. Looking back now I can clearly remember getting done work with my ears hurting from the noise, and today I'm paying for it with partial hearing loss. I keep at least 2-3 pairs of muffs on the truck and a pair at the house and shop. I also keep at least a dozen or more pairs of cheap disposable ear plugs in the glove box of all the trucks as well as a can of them on the work truck I can give to others as a courtesy. If I'm making enough noise to need hearing protection, it's only fair to those forced to work around me to offer them something as well. Same goes for dust masks. I keep a good quality respirator on the truck for fumes, but keep a bunch of relatively inexpensive disposable masks on the truck for when doing dusty work or grinding. The 3m 8511 masks aren't inexpensive at about $2 each, but they are worlds better than the really cheapo ones. Again I'm not stingy with them. If I'm making a mess, others shouldn't have to breath in all that dust. On safety glasses. Just because you don't need prescription glasses to read or drive, doesn't mean you don't need them to weld. Again if you can't see you can't weld. I'm on my 2nd pair of prescription work glasses. I'm near sighted, but my regular glasses are too strong to weld in, but I need some prescription lens to see well enough to weld. My eye doc set me up with a prescription that works for most of my welding, and I had the set done in a set of safety glasses. It's no fun having steel dug out of your eye. Any one who has had it done will tell you this. Just get used to wearing them..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWWhether it's a jacket, gloves, hat or hood, good well fitting PPE is important. Quality PPE lasts a long time and even though it's not cheap, in the long run you are way ahead by spending more up front than you are if you have to constantly replace cheap crap. Fit and comfort is really important. If it doesn't fit well and is comfortable, you won't wear it. PPE is only good if you have it on when you need it, and most times when you do, it's too late to even think about putting it on.I often see students using massive large to extra large stick gloves to do mig or tig.  I learned early on that I have small hands. I fit best in medium sized gloves. Small gloves fit my finger length well, but the palms don't fit well. Medium gloves the fingers are just slightly too long, but overall fit well. Standard large gloves leave me with  massive amounts of unused finger length and make it had to do fine work with mig and tig. I tried on probably 2 or 3 dozen different gloves over the years until I found several that I like. For tig they are Tillman 24's, mig they are Tillman 42's and I forget what model the stick gloves are but they were house brand last time I bought some. However usually to get them in medium, I have to have them ordered. I keep at least one pair in reserve and order 2 or 3 pairs as soon as I break out the spare pair. I just have my LWS order them up when they do their regular order and it doesn't cost any extra to get gloves that fit.I'll also stress the importance of safety glasses and hearing protection. I wish now I'd worn hearing protection all the time back when I was in my 20's doing work. Looking back now I can clearly remember getting done work with my ears hurting from the noise, and today I'm paying for it with partial hearing loss. I keep at least 2-3 pairs of muffs on the truck and a pair at the house and shop. I also keep at least a dozen or more pairs of cheap disposable ear plugs in the glove box of all the trucks as well as a can of them on the work truck I can give to others as a courtesy. If I'm making enough noise to need hearing protection, it's only fair to those forced to work around me to offer them something as well. Same goes for dust masks. I keep a good quality respirator on the truck for fumes, but keep a bunch of relatively inexpensive disposable masks on the truck for when doing dusty work or grinding. The 3m 8511 masks aren't inexpensive at about $2 each, but they are worlds better than the really cheapo ones. Again I'm not stingy with them. If I'm making a mess, others shouldn't have to breath in all that dust. On safety glasses. Just because you don't need prescription glasses to read or drive, doesn't mean you don't need them to weld. Again if you can't see you can't weld. I'm on my 2nd pair of prescription work glasses. I'm near sighted, but my regular glasses are too strong to weld in, but I need some prescription lens to see well enough to weld. My eye doc set me up with a prescription that works for most of my welding, and I had the set done in a set of safety glasses. It's no fun having steel dug out of your eye. Any one who has had it done will tell you this. Just get used to wearing them.