digital elite miller or jackson halox next gen

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i'm going to buy either the miller digital elite or jackson halo x nex gen. Which is the better quality helmet ?
Reply:I don't think you will go wrong with either of them.  They are both well made products.  Some guys prefer the Millers, they are nice.   I prefer the Jacksons, have had great service from both my EQC's with the old HSL100 hoods and with the new Halo-X hood.   Now that I have the Halo-X on the one I keep on the truck, I think I will switch over to the Halo-X on the other one in the shop too.   It's lighter on the head.One advantage to the Jacksons is that I can get inner and outter cover lenses for them anytime anywhere for cheap, since they are both flat and standard sized 4x5 and 2x4.   I have even cut my own cover lenses out of leftover scrap of flat polycarbonate sheet when i used to work in the manufacturing plant.  Worked just as well as the store bought lenses and free.   With the Miller hood, you have to buy the Miller cover lenses, which are more expensive and may not be as readily available as the standard size flat ones in the Jacksons.  If Miller would switch to standard size flat cover lenses, I would buy a Miller and see how I like it.  Untill then, I stick to Jackson.Try them both and pick the one you like.  Last edited by DesertRider33; 08-31-2009 at 07:16 AM.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:thanks for the info, thats stuff I didn't know about jackson.  I was acually leaning towards the jackson nex gen, just haven't heard much about them bad or good. If anyone has any good or bad experiences with either helmet let me know, I appreciate any feed back!
Reply:In my opinion, the Jackson has the best optics out of any hood on the market.
Reply:i use a fixed shade gold lens in my halo hood and the nexgen in the standard "shadow" hood. I swapped them around once and tried the nexgen filter in the halo hood and it seemed that because of how soft the halo is put too much stress on the nexgen screen. kinda like when you press on an lcd screen and see the colors change is kinda how it looked when i would flex the hood a bit and watch the screen on the nexgen. the shadow helmet is stiff and sturdy to support the nexgen filter fine.i use an autodark for when i need accurate arc strikes and that's it. you can't beat the definition and clarity that a gold passive lens will give you. the advantage of the nexgen over the miller is the clear front plates are cheap and easy to pickup, solar panel for exceptionally longer battery life and it has 4 sensors which help with tig (if you like autodarks with tig). not sure if the elite has 2 or 4 sensors. i think the headgear in the jackson is built better also.after you use that halo for a while those other helmets get heavy..Last edited by loudnproud; 09-01-2009 at 06:54 PM.
Reply:Interesting.  Maybe the Nexgen lens is heavier or not as stiff as the EQC lens.  I have no problems with my EQC in my Halo-X and I've used that combo in all sorts of awkward positions.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33Interesting.  Maybe the Nexgen lens is heavier or not as stiff as the EQC lens.  I have no problems with my EQC in my Halo-X and I've used that combo in all sorts of awkward positions.
Reply:those eqc pro variable look nice but i haven't had the chance to try one yet. most auto dark hoods seem to have a blue-ish tint to them but does the eqc give more have a resemblance to a gold filter? even with the smaller window it would be a fair trade off to the nexgen to get a more natural color..
Reply:The EQC is more green than blue or gold.   The 2x4 window hasn't been a problem at all for me and I've used them in some very awkward tight areas.   Only drawback is once in a while the 2 sensors above the lens get blocked by something.  I've learned to be concious of that and position accordingly.  I have 2 EQC Pro Variables and I love them, keep one in the shop and one on the truck.   Very durable under hard use and they take regular old AAA batteries that I can get anywhere anytime for cheap.   I used regular batteries for a few years, then I bought some Duracell rechargeable ones and a little wall charger and now I keep 2 in each hood and 2 charged ones in the fridge to change out.   When they go dead on the road I just switch to my fixed shade hood and weld on.   They last a couple months of every day use before change out.  The regular non rechargeables last longer, 3-4 months of every day use.Last edited by DesertRider33; 09-02-2009 at 12:58 AM.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I  had a miller elite for awhile, when it crapped out and i sent it back an old school guy turned me on to the old way. Old school fibre metal hood with a gold fixed lens. Best hood ever. After welding all day long my eyes were tired with the miller. the gold lenses reflect 94% of the light off the ray and are much better for your eyes. Long story short after the new wore off of my fancy camo hood i prefer the old school plane jain. Something else to think about is my opinion not fact. Nothing is faster than the speed of light so how can that good go through the process of seeing the arc and reacting darking the lens before you get an intital flash of light, with an auto dark lens whats the chance of you NOT getting a quick glimpse of the arc without the darkness. Thats what the old schooler told me. Dont know the facts but it makes sense and my eyes feel better at the end of the day.Weldandpower 225Heliarc Rig for itTorchesect ect ectLifes Short WELD NAKEDLooking for a SA200
Reply:We have had 2 Miller Digital Elites for the past 3 months and they are holding up well, so far. They have proven to be exceptional when welding out in the sun or when working inside doing small TIG work. The X mode arc sensor that's included in the Digital Elites makes a very big difference in reducing (eliminating) flashes due to blocked sensors.  My partner had always refused to use auto-dark helmets. He had tried several and hated every one of them. I too had experienced shortcomings with the ones that I had tried (mostly flashes when the sensors got blocked) but I still preferred them over fixed shade helmets. Then I bought a Miller Digital Elite helmet and have been very happy with it (no more flashes). After about a week I was able to get my partner to try it, and after about 3 hours of welding with it he became a convert, so much so that he didn't want to give it back. The next day an order was placed for a second Miller Digital Elite. CharleyMiller MM252Miller Bobcat 225NTMiller DialArc HF / DIY Cooler2 Victor O/A TorchsetsMilwaukee 8" Metal SawMilwaukee Dry Cut "Chop" Saw 5 Ton Wallace Gantry Various Grinders, Benders, etc.