|
|
I am new to welding and am looking to get a helmet for TIG.My #1 priority is safety.Are the cheap harbor freight china made auto darking helmets okay for long term use. Would I do better to pay a little more for a higher quality helmet if so, what helmets are good to use?The techshop where I have access to a TIG has cheap HF helmets that I can use but I want to get my own since I plan to do a good bit of TIG and plan to buy one for my home shop.
Reply:Name brand!!!! FIRST!Speedglass.MillerJacksonNext light weight, and auto darkening. Do your homework a top brand hood can and has lasted me 20+ years.
Reply:dont get CHEAP on the PPE its your eyes ..buy to last....idealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:Listen to the weldingweb elders... they know what they are talking about!
Reply:Hey, it's your eyes, BUT, the UV and IR filters in auto-dark helmets are passive (even in the HF and other cheap Chinese stuff), so even if it looks like you got flashed, you are still safe.Quality helmets will have an ANSI rated plastic protective shield behind the lens, but other than that (which -might- be missing from a Chinese helmet), the safety "should" be the same.That being said, I had a cheap auto-dark, and had a bunch of problems.My TIG HF (that's High Frequency; my TIG is a Miller) would cause my cheap auto-dark helmet to go dark without an arc even present (just the electric field near the cable would do it I guess), which drove me nuts. Then there was the fact that the headgear caused my nose to press into the lens. Worst of all, the image was wavy and uneven (not just behind the nose-prints). Both optically distorted, and with uneven levels of darkness (the liquid crystal portion of the auto-dark electronics wouldn't darken evenly over the entire field of view, and was kind of splotchy).I highly recommend Speedglas (although there are other quality auto-dark helmets out there too). The good ones have a nice large viewing window (if that's a feature that can be accommodated in your allotted budget), and are clear throughout. ESPECIALLY when you're learning, that improved vision can make a huge difference in how you see the puddle, which is soooo critical to TIG welding.
Reply:I quite prefer my Jackson EQC's. The EQC Pro Variable lenses are very affordable, fully featured and tough. The Halo-X hood with 370 head gear is light, very comfortable and easy to use. I can buy just about any hood I want on the market, but don't see any reason to give up my Jacksons, they've worked great for me for enough years to convince me that they're all I need.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Some of the helmets don't adjust below a shade 9. The Miller Digital Elite allows going down to a 5 (in Cut Mode, which works when welding). I use shades 7 & 8 quite often when doing low-amperage TIG (5 - 30 amps). Something to consider if you intend to weld down at the low end.
Reply:I have had a Jackson EQC 3N1 since 2003. It is still going strong. Prices on this model have come down quite a bit since the time I purchased. It quit early on, called jackson and a replacement was sent to me very quickly. The replacement has never missed a beat. the reason I purchased this unit are;- was the largest viewing area of any helmet ( may not be true now )- 4 sensors, never get flashed at low amps or odd angles of use- weld , grind and torch mode- settings- variable shade 8 - 13- sensitivity- delay- Has been a very good all around helmet for me.
Reply:Jackson Nex-Gen in a Halo-X hood with the 370 headgear. Big viewing area, four sensors and weld, grind and torch mode. I've had mine about 7 years with no problems. When the time comes, it'll be another Jackson!"The man of great wealth owes a peculiar obligation to the State, because he derives special advantages from the mere existence of government." Teddy RooseveltAmerican by birth, Union by choice! Boilermakers # 60America is a Union.
Reply:Originally Posted by rlitmanuneven levels of darkness (the liquid crystal portion of the auto-dark electronics wouldn't darken evenly over the entire field of view
Reply:Love my Jackson Nex-Gen. Big window, light helmet best headgear in the industry in my opinion. Also, I love the three in one feature, which allows you to switch from weld mode to grind mode (non-dimming), and cutting mode (dims to 5 shade). I got a great deal on mine around Christmas time last year from Cyberweld.com.
Reply:hi Guys, Just an addition to this thread, I recently contacted 3M the makers of Speedglas about my 9002x lens that was playing up and not clearing fully after each strike, the lens was 5 years old And in veiw of the cost wondered if they could repair it?, I was asked to return it via the local welding rep, Anyway it got lost in transit, only to turn up still at the welding rep, after a couple of emails as a goodwill gesture 3M have sent me a brand new 9002x lens free of charge, I'm over the moon, can't beat that for customer service, took a while but the outcome was totally beyond expectations. Gordon,Lincoln SP-170 MigHypertherm powermax 45Lorch T220 AC/DC TigButters FM 215 synergic MigKemppi 180 adaptive mig RULES ARE FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FOOLS AND THE GUIDANCE OF WISE MEN.
Reply:Originally Posted by gordon stephensonhi Guys, Just an addition to this thread, I recently contacted 3M the makers of Speedglas about my 9002x lens that was playing up and not clearing fully after each strike, the lens was 5 years old And in veiw of the cost wondered if they could repair it?, I was asked to return it via the local welding rep, Anyway it got lost in transit, only to turn up still at the welding rep, after a couple of emails as a goodwill gesture 3M have sent me a brand new 9002x lens free of charge, I'm over the moon, can't beat that for customer service, took a while but the outcome was totally beyond expectations. Gordon,
Reply:I forgot one other issue I had with my cheap auto-dark. In cold temperatures, the change to and from dark was slow (it took especially long to lighten back up). I've used my Speedglas in my unheated garage down to around 20F and cannot detect any difference in performance.Oh, and the buttons on the Speedglas are designed to be usable while still wearing gloves.My version does not have an electronic shade 5, but it falls back to shade 5 when off anyway (which is what I use for plasma cutting).As for Benchmade; aside from their balisong (which is second to nothing in production), they're really not what they used to be. I've got a number of custom Elishewitz pieces, but if you look at what CRKT has done with his designs, I feel that it is actually a better product than anything Benchmade has done with his designs, and at a much lower cost too.
Reply:I like benchmade for every day carries. Once I got my hands on an axis lock manual folding knife I was hooked.
Reply:Yeah, the axis lock is one pretty smooth action.
Reply:Originally Posted by rlitmanAs for Benchmade; aside from their balisong (which is second to nothing in production), they're really not what they used to be. I've got a number of custom Elishewitz pieces, but if you look at what CRKT has done with his designs, I feel that it is actually a better product than anything Benchmade has done with his designs, and at a much lower cost too.
Reply:No one has mentioned the Optrel auto-darkening hoods? I like my Optrel and have used one for many years but I've not had much experience with the other brands. I've used this hood and purchased the same for my shop people and they seem like good equipment. The two ranges, speed of response, grinding setting and room for magnifiers seem to make them a good tool.I like the belled area around the lower face making room for a North half-face respirator too.Cheers,Kevin Morin |
|
发表于 2021-8-31 23:31:57