Welding Helmets...I need some input!

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OK, you guys got me thinking about getting an auto dark helmet to go with my newly acquired mig welder.  I went to AGL Welding Supply here in NJ and the cheapest one they had was over $250.00, a little too much for my limited budget right now.  The harbor freight helmets look pretty good to me after getting AGL's price of $250+ but I don't want to buy junk.  They have a Model 46092 for $99.00 that darkens from #4 to #9-13 in 1/20000 of a second.  The only drawback is that it (as well as the two for $50.00 that auto darken at 1/2500) is solar powered and most of you guys recommend that battery power is the way to go, not solar.  Is this helmet worth buying?  How about the two they have that are on sale for half off (now $50.00)?  Any input would be appreciated, I might run down and pick one up next Saturday.  Is there a good place on the web to order a helmet thats battery powered?  Any brand name recomendations for something with good quality but not too expensive?  I would appreciate any input from you all...
Reply:I have one of the $50 HF helmets.  Been using it for a couple of years now.  I have no complaints about the solar feature...As long as you dont block the rays from the weld to the sensor, the autodarken has worked fine for me.  In dark areas, you can occasionally get flashed, but that's pretty much true with all AD helmets.  Clairity and uniformity of the shading is an issue with all these helmets also...I have seen this in both the inexpensive and expensive helmets about equally.  I went to tractor supply and looked through every one of their hobart helmets and everyone had shading uniformity problems to a greater or lessor degree.  At first, I thought the HF was just cheap and that the uniformity would be better among more expensive helmets...It turned out not to be true.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Thanks for the reply, I thought they were just cheap copies myself at first.  Do you have any difficulty finding replacement lenses for the HF Helmet?  A few guys here said that they can't get lenses for them...
Reply:Never needed to yet.  My guess is that a new HF helmet would be the better choice...not a repair of the old helmet.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I am looking for the plastic protective lense not the auto darkening lense?  It gets scratched and yellows over time producing much glare.
Reply:Oh!!!  let me check my receipts...I think I found some a while back...Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:If you go to Harbor Freight online (www.harborfreight.com) they can get you the parts you need.  I just ordered (and received) some spare parts for various items that my local store had no clue about.
Reply:I've got the home depot Lincoln 99.00 one and I've never had any trouble with. I've never used anything else either.I would probably go with the bigger full face type if I ever need another.
Reply:I like the one I bought in 1997...still using it today! It is adjustable for both lens darkness and delay time. What I don't like is that it is a standard welding view size instead of the newer larger window size that is available in the auto darkening lenses of today. What I also don't like is that to turn it on the button is in the front and you simply press the lens and the lens applies pressure to the on  switch. what that means is that I always have to have a plastic clear and not a glass clear. The glass won't let me turn the unit on and off, but the plastic is so much more susceptible to sparks and it pits quickly. It's fine in the the flat position, but if you are doing overhead, it gets tiresome looking through a polka dot view.You may want to consider those things as well as price.And yeah, I think I paid around 300 back then.
Reply:Well, I bought the HF helmet today, paid $50.00 for it.  Also bought another $250 worth of junk, $17 angle grinder, $50 chop saw, junk like that.  I will play with it this week or next and let you all know how I like it...