helmet question

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Hi, I'm a very newbie (my first day). I'm using a harbor freight auto darkening helmet and a lincoln 100vdc mig welder. Trouble is I can't really see what I'm welding. I have to look before I put on the helmet and squeeze the trigger. When it's welding i just see a light blob but not the actual area I'm welding. So, I can't tell if I'm in the area of the metal I'm supposed to be welding unless I stop, lift the helmet and reverify. The auto darkening is on 10. Do I need to be positioned an inch away from the welding tip while welding or something to see what I'm doing? Sorry for the newbie question but it's my first welding attempt...Thanks!
Reply:Try setting the A/D to 9.  This should lighten up the shade and make it easier to see.  No you won't flash yourself, doubt that your eyes will even get tired.  Good luck.Regards, KbnitI r 2 a perfessional
Reply:10 is pretty dark for the little 100hd Lincolns- used the same set you have for a whileHF helmet and a Lincoln Weldpak 100hdI even use shade 8 on my OptrelYou can help the viewing by throwing a work light on the welding area.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:With low amp mig yes drop your setting , but I would have thought at ten you should have seen a bit more than your impling.Are you sure your gloves or arms are not in the way? It happens more often than you would think.Good luckBrettA good guess is better than a bad measurement
Reply:Chinese helmet.  I won't trust ruining my eyes with one.  I'd rather pay more for a decent USA made auto darkening helmet.  Just my opinion.
Reply:ok, thanks for the advice guys. I'll try the setting of 9 tomorrow. It has settings from 9-13. The helmet I'm using is here: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=46092  It was cheap... but hopefully safe.Thanks for helping a real green newbie!
Reply:I got a simlar helmet like that one..........JUNK I used it for like one pass................JUNK JUNK.................I was looking for a second helmet ...tired of brining my optrel home all the time... but it is betterand a side notedoes any one know were I can get a  deal on a opterl sattilite helmet???thanks in advance
Reply:Hello Weldnewbie,I have never experienced a helmet cause a problem with seeing definition of the welding puddle unless the plastic protective covers inside or outside the helmet are dirty/foggy. If a rookie weldor I would be more inclined to implicate his overall eye sight. He may also not know what he is looking for if a new weldor.Sometimes I have let a rookie welder TIG some scrap material together just so that he finds out what he is looking for when welding stick or mig. With TIG, no smoke or spatter, helps define the puddle with new weldors. I have not heard of this problem with a seasoned weldor.Also I do not use a $50.00 Harbor Freight welding hood either but there are many a weldor using them and I have not heard of any problems with them as far as seeing the weld.Ok, well, I hope you find out what is causing the problem and post the solution.
Reply:let me first start off by saying that i am not a profesional welder, i am currently enroled in welding classes. i have been reading thru this great website and have learned alot of little tips and tricks along the way. now regarding the Harbour Freight auto welding helmet, i myself was kinda skeptical about the price differences between $40-50 vs $150+ helmets on the market. im on a budget and would love to have the big view area that some of the more expensive helmets have. unfortunatly the $40 HF helmet was the only thing in my budget. i have perfect vision as of today and want to keep it for as long as possible as we all need our eyes to be able to weld. i started to research the name brand auto helmet vs the HF auto. i made numerous calls to welding supply shops. i asked anybody i could that could give me some input. and all that i have come up with as a difference between the 2 helmets is the speed at which the helmet changes from clear to dark. HF AUTO = 1/25,00th of a second. you can adjust the shade number between 9-13 . the UV/IR protection is shade 16 (din) at all times. so even if the helmet were not turn dark when an arc is struck , the UV protection is still there at all times. it has built in power source (solar cells ) two built-in 3v lithium batterys as a power back up. no change of battery is needed. expect lifetime of more than 6yrs. you can also adjust fast (.25-.35 second) or slow (.60-.80 second) the dark to clear delay.comes with an extra clear plate and all that for $40. i use this helmet for stick, mig, oxy,tig, welding and have not had 1 problem seeing what im welding. now i just googled auto welding helmets and i just picked speedglass 9000 auto helmet price - $463 . has all the same features as the HF and is even a little faster when changing from clear to dark 0.65 milliseconds (Utility, 9000F and XF) dont get me wrong i would love to have this helmet or somthing similar. $40 vs $400 and the only difference is milliseconds .. yes the more expensive helmet might have more settings and more options...of course you get what you pay for right? my whole point of this rambling is that some of us just simply cannot afford a $400 helmet that really does the same thing as the HF $40 helmet. like i stated before im no expert or anything. just a guy who loves melting 2 pieces of metal together. im sure there are some experts who are going to go on and on about how important their eyes are and they wont trust a china made auto helmet blah blah and they wont use china made welders cuz they suck and so on. im going to weld a couple passes with a HF set up and a couple using something from my class. the name brand stuff. i want to see if poeple will be able to tell the difference just by lookin at the welds? maybe they can i dont know really. i would like to put that challenge to anybody else who has access to different machines also. anyways ill take my $40 helmet for now. thanks for reading my 1st post.
Reply:yawutevrs,Yes, that was, as you said, quite a ramble.  I understand that a lot of people can't afford a $400.00 helmet, especially when you are a student learning how to weld and need your money for tuition and things like that.  But, yes, there are differences in helmets that cost $40.00 vs. helmets that cost $400.00.  Consider weight.  The Speedglas series of helmets are one of the lightest helmets out there.  Consider that when you have to have one on your head 8 hours a day.  Consider the quality of the lens.  Yes, there are differences, and not in the ability of someone to tell what helmet you were welding with when you made the weld, but how tired your eyes are at the end of that 8 hour shift.As long as the helmet meets ANSI specs, your eyes are going to be protected, no doubt about that.  But when you make your living with a tool, you want to have the best tool that you can afford.  There are also those out there who will say they don't like A/D's, no matter who makes them, they prefer a solid shade lens.  They are right for them.  FYI, I own about a dozen different helmets, from the Huntsman Fibremetal I learned to weld with when I was a kid, to flip fronts, solid shields, and A/D's, including Jackson, Speedglas, and Optrel.  Each one has it's purpose and use.  Just remember that, as you so succinctly put it, you do get what you pay for.  And if you make your living at it, pay for the best you can get.Regards, KbnitI r 2 a perfessional
Reply:This subject has litreally beat to death on this forum just in the time I've been a member.Here is my two cents again, considerably condensed. People's eyes are different. What may work fine for one person may not work for another. Some people use a #9 lens and it works perfectly for them. Others can't. All I can see with a #9 is a big bright spot. You have to try different shades of lens to find what works for YOU. By the way, bigger rod or wire, bigger arc, more light. Means you need a darker lens as you increase the size of the arc.As for Harbor Freight and other cheap chinese ( I still refuse to capitalize the word) AD hoods: No matter what specifications are given for them, I still think about the lead based paints they have sold us, the tainted baby formula thay have sold us, and the heprin that has caused deaths that they have sold us. The heprin is especially revelant to me as my wife was exposed to this crap in three different surgeries. Can you TRUST the data for chinese made products. I can't.
Reply:I have the blue flame AD helmet for HF and i used it for about 3 years and its been pretty good. I started to notice that my face was gettin all dried out and sunburned. So after that, i went out and bought a fixed shade (10) jackson helmet and im loving it. It dosent bother me that its not an AD. But since i got the jackson hsl 100 helmet, you can put the EQC nexgen in it. So ill probably do that someday and ill have an auto dark again. Buy a fixed shade helmet as a spare!
Reply:Originally Posted by paweldor USA made auto darkening helmet.  Just my opinion.
Reply:Slow Friday nite, so I figured I'd throw my hat into the ringI know that AD hoods are pretty convenient, or at least I've heard (don't own one, probably never will)I always thought it would be handy to be able to see where the rod was prior to striking an arc, but Hell once you get used to a regular hood it's not really a problem.  If you're within an inch or so, just drag the rod and it arcs enough to see where the joint is, then get over to it.  Few little burn spots on the steel is all.When it comes to a wire machine you can pre position your hand/stickout where ya want it prior to flippin' the hood down.  Easy thing.  Squeeze the trigger, and have at it.Don't want to use your free hand to flip the hood down.  Give a quick nod of yer head and it comes down.  A few bruises on the beak give ya characterI suppose the one benifit would be not gettin' whamo'd when you're moving around next to what you're workin' on, and the damn rod accidentally hits the metal.  SUNRISEPrice of equipment, and steel, bein' what it is, seems like a big additional expense.They got along without 'em for many years."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1The Part that matters- the AD Window--is still made is Asia
Reply:Ever try a gold plated filter plate lens?  Amazing arc clarity. BTW, I have never used an AD lense, and won't.  I prefer the light weight Fibre-Metal helmet with the gold lens.  There were days I was "under the helmet" for hours on end.  AD helmets are just too darned heavy IMHO.[/QUOTE]paweldor, I am taking the time to post this as I was like you satisfied with the standard Fibre-Metal helmet. Best light weight helmet & head gear in the world as far as I'm concerned. With 20years of welding,experiences, I want to tell you that I recently found that the Fibre-Metal FMBV913X1 offers me the same Head Gear that I love with simple shade and sensivity adjustment. Nothing else. If you like Fibre-Metal like me, you should like the AD FMBV913X1. Took me over 8 years (and a lot of $$$) to cut though the hype and get this basic helmet that does all for me.  Ok, just trying to spread the word with a positive experience that works for me.Best Regards