Is this a good welding helmet?

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Hi,I have  been shopping on ebay and seen some auto darkening helmets for like $39 . Just wondering if it is any good. thanks here is the link  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...817485082&rd=1Lasher
Reply:It looks like the Western Safety helmet I have.  It works fine, but you'll get a lot of differing opinions on that.  Mine came from HF and I'll buy a better one eventually, but for now this one works for me.  Do a search on helmets in this site and you'll get a lot of informatoin on good helmets.  Optel seems to be recommended as well as Jackson.
Reply:if you are going to spend money on a helmet i would go for a speedglass from hornell.  they have different styles that cost anywhere from 300-700 doller(in canada)
Reply:Well, $300 to $700 is a bit high for me. I guess thats why I was asking about the $39 helmet on ebay. I was just wondering if it does the job for that cheap of price. ThnksLasher
Reply:It's a decent helmet. I bought mine about 3 yrs ago ... it was $69 then ... lolAnyways, it's a decent helmet but I got an Optrel satellite for Christmas (about $250) and you can't even compare the two.If you're just an occasional weekend welder the eBay helmet will be great but if you do much welding you'll surely appreciate the quality optics/headgear/etc of a good helmet.
Reply:Lasher,Just as most of us start out with a limited budget for our first welder, we also usually feel the need to scrimp on the peripherals too - helmets, which gas & what size bottles, and so on.  The results of trying to be frugal or thrifty are usually less than satisfactory.  And the results of trying to get experienced weldors to sanction buying a cheap auto dark helmet are usually not very encouraging either, and for good reason.  Foremost among them is the fact that you only get one set of eyes so one one wants to tell you to do anything that might endanger them.  I can tell you from personal experience that getting your eyes even mildly flashed is not a fun thing.  It smarts, it is nerve-wracking, deprives you of sleep and it last for about 3 days.  And it is also pretty scary.  Buying a cheap helmet is not a guarantee of this happening to you; nor does buying the best completely insure you against it.  My little episode occurred when I was not welding, a friend was using my welder & helmet & I just turned at the wrong time to the wrong angle & the arc slanted in behind the lenses of my regular glasses as I was turning.  You can read about it here if you want to:http://www.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread...and+in+my+eyesNow, you asked "Is this helmet any good?"  By the standards of most of us, no- it is not a good helmet,  however, it is certainly better than no helmet at all & as long as you have it on it will in all likelihood prevent you from suffering permanent damage to your eyes.  The wording "any good" kinda complicates the question.  There are many features that qualify a helmet as good, better or best and personal preferences definitely get involved right away.  But this helmet has a shade 4 minimum protection in the light mode;  that is s.o.p. to prevent severe damage should the helmet fail.  It is a little slower to change to full dark than more expensive ones, the headgear is probably inferior, the optics are probably less then optimum and so on.   But no doubt there are thousands of them in use & the manufacturer hasn't been sued out of business.  Jim314 & many others are getting along with theirs, so obviously it is "any good", or good enough to start with.  But you'll probably want a better one pretty soon.  Even so, everyone needs a "spectator " helmet to keep around anyway so a buddy can be protected too.If you buy one, I would recomment that you strike your first few arcs carefully by lining up your gun & averting your eyes before you pull the trigger.  Turn far enough to the side that the arc cannot come directly through the lense before you open them to make sure the lense has darkened (but not so far as to allow the rays to come around the side of the helmet either).  By looking to the side of the arc you will still be able to see whether the lense has darkened.  If it works, then have at it.  I would do the same thing if I bought a really expensive helmet, too - any of them can fail.So, by being a little bit cautious, I would not be any more afraid to try it than the Jackson I have now.  But if it didn't suit me, I would also not be afraid to return it & get my money back.  If possible, get it from Harbor Freight or some local store for that reason.Now that I've spent 30 minutes typing all this, I see that Morpheus has added his experience to the thread & pretty much said what needed to be said but I'll post it anyway.   I see that as usual, its a bit pedantic but I hope it helps.  Regards,
Reply:Originally posted by cutter But this helmet has a shade 4 minimum protection in the light mode;  that is s.o.p. to prevent severe damage should the helmet fail.
Reply:Ok, sounds good to me, Mac.  I was trying to get at the same idea by going by what the ad says:  "Clear state: #4".  You said it correctly.Hey, are you really sure you can live without posting here?  You will certainly be missed.
Reply:OK. Here is my philosophy on this one. Take it for what it is worth, since I have no experience with an auto helmet. I have a good lincoln non-auto helmet. It was about $25. The reason I like it is that there are plenty adjustments that are high quality so that it fits me well. I have learned to use it by touching the wire to the work piece, then pulling the trigger after I move the helmet down. The only thing I don't like about it is the small lens. Sometimes, when I am looking down at a weld, I have to crane my neck to keep the helmet from being pushed up by my chest.I want to get an auto helmet some day, but a crappy auto helmet is of less use than a good non-auto for me. I got a free helmet with one of my welders, and that was exactly what it was worth. It is really only good for my kids to use to observe while I am welding.Until someone changes my mind, I don't think I will get an auto until I can afford a good one.Think about the fit and the field of view. I weld better if I am comfortable and have a good view, and that means I like the bigger lenses.MM175Lincoln AC225 Tombstone
Reply:i have a HOBART hood  and its pretty good for tight spots, i do alot of duct work where frillping a helmet gets to be a pain in the ***....but i have had it act up on me and its no fun........ i have my trusty old jackson (flipper) and it has NEVER LET ME DOWN !!!the HOBART  is more comfy and lighter, and i like it for TIGHT SPOTS and tig worki would say for 125.00 t0 150.00 you can get a really great helmet....... but if you are just starting off i would just get a (flipper) and see if you are really into welding invest you money in tools and machines first !dawg
Reply:I bought one of the cheapy auto dark ones, It works ok, but if I am welding for any extended amount of time, I see some spots for a bit. I imagine this is normal,  the hood is better than the piece of crap they tried to pawn off at first. (the one you are supposed to hold in one hand while welding with the other and kneeling on the piece to steady it... ) If you need one quick I imagine it is better than nothing, pklus when you get a really nice one, you wil be REALLY impressed.
Reply:Cutter,You can check your lense function with a flint striker or even a cig. lighter.Sirarcalot,How do I do that with SMAW? Lasher,I've got a Western Safety (Harbor Freight) and the head gear is functional.  You can adjust the drop.  You can adjust the distance from the lense to your face so you can fit your safety glasses.My friend pulled out his $150 helmet and crowed about what a better view he had with it after using my helmet.  I cleaned all the flux smoke off of my lens and handed it back to him and he had nothing further to say.  I guess he should actually use his equipment Now for the downsides.  I do see spots every now and again after welding.  I notice them most often after welding with no daylight.  I really think this is the nature of the beast with auto-dark helmets.  There is a delay with any of them.  However, there is ALWAYS a shade 14 protection from UV and IR as long as the coating on the lense is not scratched.There is no gasket between the polycarbonate protector and the lense.  This means I have to remove the protector and carefully clean the flux smoke off my lense more often that I'd like to.  I thing I can probably buy some weather stripping for the difference in price one with a gasket would cost.I wish there was better coverage on the top.  It's a PITA to weld with the sun shining on the back of your lense.  That's the same with any helmet though.The head gear, every now and then, will pull my hair.  Since I started wearing a bandana to keep the sweat off my lens, I haven't had this happen.There doesn't appear to be a removable shield on the backside of the lense.  I've got a few burns in it.The sensors are a little too sensitive.  I keep having to run my hand over my lense when welding in daylight and the helmet will darken sometimes and won't lighten when I break the arc.  I think a little window tint will take care of that.  My friend's helmet did not have this problem.  I recall one of our members mentioning using some colored tape to alleviate this issue.Now, I have been thinking about getting a fixed shade helmet as a backup.  From all the reading I've done on this site, I'll buy gold lenses for it.
Reply:Originally posted by david_r Cutter,You can check your lense function with a flint striker or even a cig. lighter.
Reply:Originally posted by david_r The head gear, every now and then, will pull my hair.
Reply:Originally posted by Jim314 Yeah, me too.  And I ain't got any to spare!!