Speedglass, your thoughts and opinions?

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[Originally posted in the Saftey Forum]I have been looking at the Speedglas 9100x. I was wondering how many of you out there use this. I weld for a living, working ~12 hour shifts, It's not all constant welding, but depending on where I am in the line I can be welding for 8 hours or so a night. I have a fixed Jackson right now, but my neck starts to feel it from all the flipping down of the hood. I want to go back to an auto lens. I generally always weld with a 13, but prefer a 10 or 11 when I am running stick. Kind of a PITA to be switching lenses and trying to keep them easily accessible since I am running around from station to station all night.I am open for other opinions as well, a lot of guys swear by the quality of Speedglas. I am interested in the headgear of the 9100 as well. I can't really justify the xx, I don't really see me getting in a spot where I can't adjust to see my weld right now, there are sime tight spots but I think the x will have more than enough area to see out of.Thanks
Reply:my buddy just got one and he highly recommends the 9100 X   he is LA CITY CERT STRUCTURAL AND SOON PIPE CERTIFIED.  he only welds stick.  you can slide the cheater magnifiying lens in it when you get to be an old fart too.  lolhe's already 50 something and for him going from a cheap auto lens to the 9100X is night and day.   he let me try its pretty nice.  i have an old speedglass  Circa 1990's   anyway that still works pretty good but i cant find the protective cover lens for it.  i have always used jackson 4x6 and 2x4 fixed windows before that and it not only does a number on your neck but slows down production. So now im stuck between deciding on the miller 9400 and the speedglass 9100.i may go with the miller because it has the shock absorbsion.    But either way your going to get a great hood.“I'm going to do the thing that God put Galen Beasley on this Earth to do:Have Salon quality hair and weld.Nothing like a good cup of coffee and the smell of 6010 burning in the morning. 971-204-3444 cell API ASME Structural NDT and Repair
Reply:Iam a high pressure welder and work for a generating station. I do alot of tig/stick work on pipe. I have the 9100x and the 9002x i believe it is with fresh air supplied system. I like the light weight of the 9100 but have definatly had issues with the lens. Ive had it for about 2 years and am on my 3rd lens. I dont buy them so its not horrible more or less just an inconvienience. The fresh air system is great for long peroids of heavy stick welding or welding in tanks etc but it is quite heavy. Its a good helmet if it dose work. I will tell you this i have had my Optrel satellite for 10 years and it has not skipped a beat to date.
Reply:I have used 3 different Speedglas hoods, I want to like them, but cant. The nicer was the XL, or larger view one, but the the hoods in general let in too much arc light. After 2-3 hours of pipe-welding, (some bad positions) I would get bad head aches. I love my NexGen, but the optics were a touch better in the Speedglas...Lincoln Power MIG 210 MP ( boat anchor )Lincoln Weld-Pac 100 HDHobart IronMan 230Cutmaster 42Jackson NexGenSumner Ultra ClampsDWM120
Reply:Originally Posted by Pressure_WelderIam a high pressure welder and work for a generating station. I do alot of tig/stick work on pipe. I have the 9100x and the 9002x i believe it is with fresh air supplied system. I like the light weight of the 9100 but have definatly had issues with the lens. Ive had it for about 2 years and am on my 3rd lens. I dont buy them so its not horrible more or less just an inconvienience. The fresh air system is great for long peroids of heavy stick welding or welding in tanks etc but it is quite heavy. Its a good helmet if it dose work. I will tell you this i have had my Optrel satellite for 10 years and it has not skipped a beat to date.
Reply:I got a Speedglas several years ago, it was my first and only auto darkening helmet.  I like it well enough that I have never considered replacing it with anything else.  I am a hobbyist, not a pro, so I am sure my needs are different than those who weld more in a day than I do in a year.Larry "I feel for the man who cannot spell a word more than one way."  by Mark TwainLincoln AC225-SLincoln Weldpac 100 Miller Matic 180 (auto set)Miller Spectrum 375 ExtremeMiller Spoolmate 100Victor Super Range II
Reply:I have been using Speedglas helmets for over 10 years.  1 - 9000X1 - 9002X1 - CA16-0905-SGXX - 9100XX with Hard Hat, Face Shield, and PAPR.They have some small quirks, but I wouldn't use anything else.Later,Jason
Reply:9100 xx large view works great for me nice and lite.Vinnie
Reply:I got a 100x (I think) for Christmas. Haven't used it a lot, but so far, I really like it. Like Larwyn I'm just a hobbiest. I have to retrain myself to power it up before use, but it'sstill far superior to the HF hood I had. 'Course that's not much to compare to, LOL.                                                       MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:I find the contrast of my Miller Dig. Elite to be much better than my that of my Speedglas.  I have used several different AD hoods, Jackson, Hobart, Miller and Speedglas and think the Miller is the best for my needs.  It's a shame there isn't a place where you can try and compare them on the spot.  Everyone's eyes seem to respond differently and likes / dislikes vary considerably.
Reply:Originally Posted by GerryR It's a shame there isn't a place where you can try and compare them on the spot.  Everyone's eyes seem to respond differently and likes / dislikes vary considerably.
Reply:Love my Speedglas helmets!My first Speedglas, the 9000x is still my favorite. I do have the newer ones and a Pipeliner, but pretty much never use them. Really just "backups" that I got for a steal.Had the original 9000x since 2003, been to hell and back and it's still going strong. Lighter and more comfortable than anything else I've tried.
Reply:Originally Posted by ncfhLove my Speedglas helmets!My first Speedglas, the 9000x is still my favorite. I do have the newer ones and a Pipeliner, but pretty much never use them. Really just "backups" that I got for a steal.Had the original 9000x since 2003, been to hell and back and it's still going strong. Lighter and more comfortable than anything else I've tried.
Reply:Well, I ordered up the 9100x lastnight, was very tempted on the xx, but just couldn't pull myself to order it. (penny pincher) I was just wondering if any of you have ordered from cyberweld before?  Just wondering about how long the standard shipping usually takes.Thanks
Reply:I just ordered my digital elite from them a week or two ago. I think it took 3 or 4 days from the day I ordered it to show up at my door with the standard shipping.
Reply:Originally Posted by MillhouseI just ordered my digital elite from them a week or two ago. I think it took 3 or 4 days from the day I ordered it to show up at my door with the standard shipping.
Reply:sorry that i got in on this a little late. i have a 9100x that i have put through it's paces for over a year now. love the thing. i wanted a second hood and wanted to try a digital elite so i bought 1 about 2 months ago. well after many hours of comparing it to the 9100x. both my son and i have decided that the DE is a decent backup hood to the speedglas. my boy is 16 and in his second yr of welding in high school and loves the 9100x. i got the DE with the graphics and thought he would like it. when i first handed it to him he checked it out and the first words out of his mouth was it feels cheap. what!!!! he said it feels to flimsy. then he tried it on and said the head gear sucks. we both agree that the optics are not as good as the speedglas and the flush mount touch controls are to hard to turn on or adjust with gloved hands. i got flashed several times after thinking i turned it on with gloves. not a problem for the raised buttons on the speedglas. for me to use the DE with my bifocals on i still have to use a cheater because the head gear will not allow me to adjust the window low enough to get a full view with my bifocals. not a problem with the 9100x. this is why i bought the 9100x and not the 9100xx. anytime my boy goes to a welding tournament he takes my 9100x instead of his 9100v. last tournament he took first place and the miller rep gave him his first place prize. a new miller pro hobby hood. my boy thanked him and walked over and gave it to a kid on his HS team that didn't place that had a beat up old flip hood becuase he couldn't afford to buy an AD hood. i'm not saying the DE is a piece of junk. i'm saying that for roughly the same price the speedglas has better features in my opinion.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:Originally Posted by jbmprods last tournament he took first place and the miller rep gave him his first place prize. a new miller pro hobby hood. my boy thanked him and walked over and gave it to a kid on his HS team that didn't place that had a beat up old flip hood becuase he couldn't afford to buy an AD hood.
Reply:Originally Posted by jbmprods.
Reply:I use the speedglas utiltity helmet that came with my used welder.  Works good as far as I can tell.  I can see the bead fine.  I think it is shade 11.http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...gl1PV58JG32WblI've maybe laid 3' of bead total.
Reply:I have a 9002XF that I bought 4-5 years ago.  Have been very happy with it, everything that is except the headgear, which after about a year refused to stay in a given position.I went on ebay to user "netwelder" and bought a replacement jackson headgear for $19 and fastened the detents to the helmet with a couple small wood screws.  Been working great ever since.
Reply:Came in this morning. Headgear feels great. Don't know if I'm crazy about the side lenses covers, well have to see Monday when I go back to work
Reply:Where does 3M manufacture Speedglass welding helmets?
Reply:For some reason I think Europe, could be wrong.
Reply:I have a Speedlgas 100 and I love love love it.  manufactured in Sweden.ugly and over pricedlike my last date
Reply:Originally Posted by ed macugly and over pricedlike my last date
Reply:Originally Posted by ed macugly and over pricedlike my last date
Reply:i have a 9000 and i love how clear it is, its light weight,fairly comfortable,adjustable lens. my only complant is that the sensor is at the bottom of the lens and when im doing certain types of work my glove,the filler rod, or the work will block the sensor and flashes me.  but im learning to work around that. i would realy love to have a hood with more sensors.
Reply:Would these Miller cheater lens fit on my Speedglas 9002X helmet?http://store.cyberweld.com/malemihe.htmlIf not then any other suggestions please. I'm in need of Diopter 1.5.Thanks
Reply:Hello all, Since I was in the market of buying a new welding helmet, I did a web search to look for everyones opinions before purchasing a new auto dark filter.I use to have a speedglas 9002X and loved it, but after being a construction supervisor for several years and not welding any, I decided to sell it. Since getting back into welding again I wanted another ADF. I was stuck between Speedglas 9100XX and Jackson W60 TRUESIGHT. Several friends have the older Jackson Nexgen so I figured I would give the latest Truesight a try.Jackson W60 TRUESIGHT...My Review:As much as I liked all the features of the truesight, I couldn't get use to the "Amber band pass" of the lens. I also did not care for the Halo-X hood (not enough coverage and to flimsy for me)The Amber band pass lens just made everything look bright orange and since I was a old 'blue/green" view guy I decided to sell it.I was then going to buy the Jackson NexGen (which I have used the older ones that belonged to friends), but to my surprise are "now" Amber View also according to jacksons site. W60 NEXGEN*. So I decided to purchase the Speedglas 9100XX with the extra crown & neck protection.This hood is the most comfortable hood I have ever tried. Comfort is great, but I mostly care about the optics of the filter.Once I put the hood on, I noticed a slight difference in the filter coloring when looking into the light. Near the top of the filter the light is a slightly darker blue/green and as you move the light down the length of the filter it gets a lighter blue/green near the bottom of the extra large lens. It is this way in both the on & off state.I decided to weld 1 week with it and try it out and sure enough, the weld puddle color is different when viewing it from the top and bottom of the lens.I contacted 3M and talked to a service technician and explained how the lens was different top to bottom. He said that this is "normal"!?! Well I have had speedglas helmets in the past and it was "Not" normal to me.He was very helpfull though as he asked me to send it to 3M for further inspection.It is boxed up and ready for shipment
Reply:I have one and really like it although it was expensive, just changed over from Jackson and very happy with the weight compared to the Jackson  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Yeah BC, they are pricey but the new design of the 9100 hood is excellent for sure.Did you notice any different shading in your lens from top to bottom while wearing it?
Reply:I have only ever used speedglas hoods in the past 15 years.  Only complaint I have is the mechanism that keeps the hood up seems to wear out too easily IMO.
Reply:This new hood is already showing signs of this also sasweld, which reminds me of a story of when I was a apprentice.I worked with two very good welders in our local for a few years. Everytime I would stop welding and raise my hood to chip slag and look the weld over, they would smack it back down. They would say "Didn't you see the weld when you put it in?" ..."chip the end and start burning rods, leave the inspection to the CWI." ..."You're getting paid to weld, so weld!" I still remember that and still weld like that today, 'hood down & rod up'.....lol.That is one reason I went with the 9100xx w/ side windows. Being shade 3; large lens and #5 side windows, you don't have to raise the hood to walk around. The only downside would be that so much light gets in that I find myself welding a shade darker than normal.
Reply:I've owned 2 different speedglas hoods..a few years ago had a 9002X and it i think it was just a lemon because it seemed to never work right,it would easily flash back n forth for some rerason,i bought it cheap at a pawn shop so i think it was damaged before the pawn shop got it..i ended up giving it to one of our apprentices and he just uses it at the apprenticeship school where he can use it in a comfortable position,but when i used it in some off positions i think the 2 sensors were flawed because it would flash on me.I tried a Speedglas 100V that a buddy had on a job about a year ago and really liked it for the price(at the time around 130.00 for a plain black one) and went searching for one,got lucky and found someone selling 1 on eBay still new in the box and ended up getting it for 80.00 shipped to my door.I have to say it was one of the best hoods i've used in the 30+ years i've been an Ironworker for what i use it for,the clarity is beautiful and this one never flashes off n on like the 9002X i had did..the ONLY thing i didn't like about was the headgear it comes with,it's not the ratchet type,it is a type that you pull together to tighten it on your head and real flimsy,then push a lil button to release it..i never could get used to it,so just a few weeks ago while i am working a nuclear power plant welding a bunch of stainless thrown at me from the fitters i got a Jackson 370 headgear off of a new HSL100 hood from the tool room and drilled the holes for it to fit,....this headgear is THEE most comfy headgear i've ever used..,and add that with how light the 100V hood is and i couldn't be happier with it.And NO..i'm not sayin this is THEE best auto out there.just saying for stick welding.MIG welding and "some" TIG it works flawless and very clear,i have a Jackson NexGen with the Halo-X hood for low amp TIG'n and this coming week i think i'll swap the jackson 370 headgear onto that one also because the Halo-X is so flimsy the pin that holds the hood locked in always comes out and it'll fall down to your chin,the pin is very tiny on it compared to the 370 headgear,so i think it'll solve the problem.All in all..for the price of the 100V line I think they are a GREAT hood/lens and has yet to let me down...i been lookin at the new 9100's and may get one of those too because a few pipefitters i know use them day in,day out and swear by them.I think you can get them for around 140.00 plain black and about 20.00 more for the graphics..i never worry about the fancy graphics because i just scratch em all up in no time,plus load it up with ironworker stickers anyhow..lol Attached ImagesLast edited by FabCrazyGuy; 08-26-2011 at 08:37 AM.Lincoln Ranger 8 225Lincoln 180 ProMigMiller Maxstar 200DXInternational Ironworkers Local 70930+ years and counting
Reply:I hear ya Fab, I am always switching out different manufactures headgear. I like comfort and being able to adjust the in/out for eye relief also.Unfortunately most of the job sites I go on now require a hardhat with a welding hood.I have tried many if not most manufactures hard hat adapters and I ran into the same issues with all of them... When the hood is down it always stops after it hits my nose or chin.I have mixed/matched and added screws to get it to stop in the right spot for me. Then there is the issue of eye relief. Either the hood is to far away or to close.I purchased the speedglas 9100 hardhat adapter and figured it would have the same issues. To my surprise it worked. There are not a lot of adjustments, but once on, it actually stopped the hood in a good spot both in the down position and eye relief.
Reply:Just received a new filter from 3M.I haven't tested it yet, but inspection doesn't show the fading that the other lens did.The serial # on the old lens showed it was manufactured in July, I bought it in Aug.3M customer service was great, no issues and very helpful.Here is the 3M email report:I have been holding your lens this long as we are having problems seeing what you are seeing. The optimal viewing through the lens is straight ahead. If you look left, right up or down you can see a slight difference in the shading. During our initial conversation I referred to this as potential "angle dependency". I can see a little bit of this, but I have to tip the entire lens to almost 90 degrees and this lens would fall within specification. I am going to replace this lens and send it to our optical engineers so they can test it for any potential angle dependency issues and let me know if the lens is within specification.         Our optical engineers did say that from lens to lens you can see a slightly different tinting (light yellow, green, light blue) and this is normal. The replacement will be shipping today.Semper FiJesus may have been a Carpenter, but his dad was a Millwright" A grinder and a can of paint, will make a welder what he aint' "I've done so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing!
Reply:I worked with a guy who had a speedglass shield.... I believe it was a 9100. It seemed to function beautifully, but it had the shaded lenses to the side of the speedglass lense (I'm having trouble describing this.... it's friday), and I really didn't like that feature. Maybe it just takes getting used to.
Reply:Yeah, you can get the 9100 with or w/o the side windows. They are a shade 5, but they also come with covers that you can snap in.After 30 seconds, I forgot they were there. When a buddy borrowed it, I asked him how he liked the windows. He said he forgot they were there....lolSemper FiJesus may have been a Carpenter, but his dad was a Millwright" A grinder and a can of paint, will make a welder what he aint' "I've done so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing!
Reply:They are handy when your buddy's like to give you the 5 lb beater weld test Semper FiJesus may have been a Carpenter, but his dad was a Millwright" A grinder and a can of paint, will make a welder what he aint' "I've done so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing!
Reply:I have an inverter tig machine located in a sunny room. I do a fair amount of low amp pulsed tig on stainless. I have tried a lot of helmets. For my money, the best is a Jackson Nexgen:Great viewing area, uses standard covers, comfortable headgear, filter made in USA.To test it, I went outside in bright sunlight and did a 1 amp pulsed tig 50/50, 25% on at 320 pps, and it still worked.Hope this helps, JB
Reply:Does yours have the amber view in the light state then turn green when welding?Is the light state a 3?I went for the speedglas because my old 9002X optics were better than the nexgen. ( for me anyways )I used several of my friends nexgens on job sites and they are a 'very' nice lens. Would be my 2nd choice for sure.Several buddy's say they like the boss even better, but I never tested one myself.For those long 12hr days of welding, the 9100 hood is the most comfortable hood I've ever tried.I still haven't tested the new filter yet, to many honey-do jobs going on atm.Semper FiJesus may have been a Carpenter, but his dad was a Millwright" A grinder and a can of paint, will make a welder what he aint' "I've done so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing!
Reply:Originally Posted by skelley521They are handy when your buddy's like to give you the 5 lb beater weld test
Reply:You will not be disappointed with that ADF. Speedglas makes the best shields hands down. I've used them and feel that the Miller Titanium Series comes in at a far second. I have the Speedglas 9002X and it’s always worked without a flaw. I do a lot of grinding so I recently bought the 9100FX with the integrated grinding shield/9100X lens, and it is by far the best helmet to ever to be released. The head gear is so comfortable and helmet is nicely balanced in the up position. I can easily wear it 8+ hours a day. It’s got the side windows too, but I keep the covers in them. It’s a very durable helmet; I will get a lot of years out of it. I didn't buy the 9100XX lens because it doesn't have the solar assist feature that I like which helps get more hours out of the batteries.
Reply:You guys that have problems with the 9100x and light coming in should check out the snap in bib  that speedglass offers. It's made of Kevlar and is light weight. Fixed mine right up! That was the only complaint I had when I bought mine about 2 years back.
Reply:Originally Posted by jbellI have an inverter tig machine located in a sunny room. I do a fair amount of low amp pulsed tig on stainless. I have tried a lot of helmets. For my money, the best is a Jackson Nexgen:Great viewing area, uses standard covers, comfortable headgear, filter made in USA.To test it, I went outside in bright sunlight and did a 1 amp pulsed tig 50/50, 25% on at 320 pps, and it still worked.Hope this helps, JB
Reply:Originally Posted by JayLWhere does 3M manufacture Speedglass welding helmets?
Reply:I have had two Nexgens over the last five years and both have been amber in the light and dark state I wonder whats up with that
Reply:my Nexgen is amber in light state, green dark,  and its a brand new lens.VinceHobart CyberTig 300 stick/tig w/water cooler (my CL score)Victor 315/1060 on LP            mostly farm repairs/projects