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Science Forum Index » Engineering - Joining (Welding) Forum » Which Wedling Helmet
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| Kryptoknight |
 Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:59 am |
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after trying 2 autodark helmets from HarborFreighTools i'm now ready to buy
something better.
is the Miller Elite helmet any good (~$249) ?? or would you buy something
other for that price ? |
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| Curt Welch |
| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:06 pm |
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"Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote:
Quote: after trying 2 autodark helmets from HarborFreighTools i'm now ready to
buy something better.
What problems have you had with your Harbor Freight helmets? I happen to
be going to visit their store today and happen to have a coupon for their
cheap helmet for $40 which came in the email. I was thinking of picking it
up as a spare and for others to use - plus to find out if my $200 helmet is
really worth the extra money.
One guy in our class had the top head band break on his HF helmet after the
first day. The small post that snaps into the hole in the strap broke off.
The HF helmets seem to work fine for others however.
Quote: is the Miller Elite helmet any good (~$249) ?? or would you buy something
other for that price ?
I don't know anything about that one. My helmet is an Arcone which I got
at a local welding supply store. It's been fine so far, but the one minor
problem I have with it is the sensitivity with low amp lift-start tig. It
tends not to turn dark at times - I have to be careful to hold my head in
the right position to make sure it triggers correctly and stays dark. It's
got external sensitivity and darkness controls, but even with the
sensitivity turned all the way up, it's borderline with low amp lift start
tig. With HF Tig, the helmet seems to actually pick up the HF and be
triggered by it. I don't know if that was a design feature, or just a side
effect of the sensors picking up noise from the HF?
--
Curt Welch http://CurtWelch.Com/
curt@kcwc.com http://NewsReader.Com/ |
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| Kryptoknight |
| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:33 pm |
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the HF helmets have slow response times in comparison to the good helmets.
after TIG'ing on/off for about an hour or so my eyes start to hurt. i'm not
sure if its because i get a quick blast of bright light before it darkens,
or perhaps the UV protection is not up to par on these MIC HF helmets.
my advice, skip the HF helmets, spend $200-$300 for a good helmet as you
only have 2 eyes and they dont fix themselves when they go bad......
i was also looking at 3M's Hornell FlexView helmet
"Curt Welch" <curt@kcwc.com> wrote in message
news:20070212110658.918$oK@newsreader.com...
Quote: "Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote:
after trying 2 autodark helmets from HarborFreighTools i'm now ready to
buy something better.
What problems have you had with your Harbor Freight helmets? I happen to
be going to visit their store today and happen to have a coupon for their
cheap helmet for $40 which came in the email. I was thinking of picking
it
up as a spare and for others to use - plus to find out if my $200 helmet
is
really worth the extra money.
One guy in our class had the top head band break on his HF helmet after
the
first day. The small post that snaps into the hole in the strap broke
off.
The HF helmets seem to work fine for others however.
is the Miller Elite helmet any good (~$249) ?? or would you buy something
other for that price ?
I don't know anything about that one. My helmet is an Arcone which I got
at a local welding supply store. It's been fine so far, but the one minor
problem I have with it is the sensitivity with low amp lift-start tig. It
tends not to turn dark at times - I have to be careful to hold my head in
the right position to make sure it triggers correctly and stays dark.
It's
got external sensitivity and darkness controls, but even with the
sensitivity turned all the way up, it's borderline with low amp lift start
tig. With HF Tig, the helmet seems to actually pick up the HF and be
triggered by it. I don't know if that was a design feature, or just a
side
effect of the sensors picking up noise from the HF?
--
Curt Welch
http://CurtWelch.Com/
curt@kcwc.com
http://NewsReader.Com/ |
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| Leo Lichtman |
| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:42 pm |
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"Curt Welch" wrote: (clip) One guy in our class had the top head band break
on his HF helmet after the first day. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I assume that HF replaced it without question. They have an excellent
replacement policy. Most people who have tried the inexpensive HF helmets
are satisfied--I am among them. |
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| Curt Welch |
| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:43 pm |
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"Leo Lichtman" <l.lichtman@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
Quote: "Curt Welch" wrote: (clip) One guy in our class had the top head band
break on his HF helmet after the first day. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I assume that HF replaced it without question. They have an excellent
replacement policy. Most people who have tried the inexpensive HF
helmets are satisfied--I am among them.
I don't know. But if the snow doesn't cause class to be canceled on
Wednesday, I'll ask him and tell him what you said about their policy.
--
Curt Welch http://CurtWelch.Com/
curt@kcwc.com http://NewsReader.Com/ |
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| fre4d |
| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:50 pm |
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Who is HF? Lincoln, Miller?
Patrick
Quote: "Curt Welch" wrote: (clip) One guy in our class had the top head band
break on his HF helmet after the first day. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I assume that HF replaced it without question. They have an excellent
replacement policy. Most people who have tried the inexpensive HF helmets
are satisfied--I am among them.
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| Curt Welch |
| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:04 pm |
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| Brent |
| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:07 pm |
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On Feb 12, 7:59 am, "Kryptoknight" <kryptokni...@att.net> wrote:
Quote: after trying 2 autodark helmets from HarborFreighTools i'm now ready to buy
something better.
is the Miller Elite helmet any good (~$249) ?? or would you buy something
other for that price ?
I use a Miller XLI a step down from the Elite but a very nice fast
helmet and rated for low amperage tig... which is the hardest thing
for the helmet to detect and that is most of the work i do.
To me you can never spend too much to be nice to your eyes
Saving 100 dollars on a helmet isnt worth it if it muchs up your eyes,
you only have two and youre hitting both with arc rays in a cheap
helmet.
To me a cheap helmet is a waste of money compared to keeping my eyes
in as good a shape as possible for the next 60 years or longer |
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| Steve B |
| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:45 pm |
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"Brent" <b_philion@hotmail.com> wrote
Quote: To me a cheap helmet is a waste of money compared to keeping my eyes
in as good a shape as possible for the next 60 years or longer
Hold your phone calls, folks. We have a winner.
DING!
Nicely put, Brent. I have a NexGen, and like it. Perhaps I might like
another good one as well, but it's what I have and what I use, and I like
it. My last one was stolen. I used my regular Jackson for one weld, and
then went and bought a new NexGen.
Some here will argue up a blue streak about how there isn't much difference
between the cheap and the expensive.
It's up to every person.
I like buying quality safety equipment and I don't mind the prices. I'm
worth it.
Steve |
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| steamer |
| Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:49 pm |
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I'd add one bit of experience: stay away from Optrel. They're
excellent helmets but when the warranty's up, if you need parts you're outta
luck. The company's based in Switzerland and, as far as I can tell, they
have *no* service centers and no parts available. Mine died a month after
the warranty was up.
--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : Why hasn't a vampire hacker
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : invented carbonated blood?
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words--- |
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| Kryptoknight |
| Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:38 am |
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do these miller helmets have a nice padded head band?
"Brent" <b_philion@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1171325242.929429.223980@s48g2000cws.googlegroups.com...
Quote: On Feb 12, 7:59 am, "Kryptoknight" <kryptokni...@att.net> wrote:
after trying 2 autodark helmets from HarborFreighTools i'm now ready to
buy
something better.
is the Miller Elite helmet any good (~$249) ?? or would you buy something
other for that price ?
I use a Miller XLI a step down from the Elite but a very nice fast
helmet and rated for low amperage tig... which is the hardest thing
for the helmet to detect and that is most of the work i do.
To me you can never spend too much to be nice to your eyes
Saving 100 dollars on a helmet isnt worth it if it muchs up your eyes,
you only have two and youre hitting both with arc rays in a cheap
helmet.
To me a cheap helmet is a waste of money compared to keeping my eyes
in as good a shape as possible for the next 60 years or longer
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| Shaun Van Poecke |
| Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:12 am |
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"Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote in message
news:uwZzh.27363$2m6.13838@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Quote: after trying 2 autodark helmets from HarborFreighTools i'm now ready to
buy something better.
is the Miller Elite helmet any good (~$249) ?? or would you buy something
other for that price ?
Ive owned a few differnt types of auto helmets, and have tried a wide
variety of others through work. My general take on the matter is much the
same as others have expressed.... dont go cheap; you will really regret it,
and fast. at the upper end of the market, the newer big screen speedglass
helmets dont have much competition. they have the big screen, the flip up
front with the huge clear glass window, side windows at shade 4 or 5 i
think, and a filtered fan forced respirator. these are an absolute joy to
use and wear in a dusty/dirty environment, and in summer you'll never take
it off. they really help keep your cool. Ive been given these to use on a
few jobs, but i have a hard time justifying the cost of the respirator for
personal use (about AU$1500).
for myself, i use a lincoln dominator, i think it might be the same helmet
as the miller in the states. this is not a cheap helmet, but as someone
else mentioned, its one of the only ones rated for low amp tig work, and the
sensitivity and respnse time is super fast, i think better than 1/100,000th
of a sec? faster than all the others anyway. ive been using this helmet
for the last 4 years and im extremely happy with it. the lense is by far
better than anything else, speedglass included. i never ever get a headache
or eye strain despite using it for arc air gouging, plasma, thermic lancing,
low amp tig, high amp mig and stick work. as a nice bonus, in the 'off'
state the lense is the right shade for oxy cutting. the only thing i can
fault is the headgear. not nearly as comfortable as the speed glass stuff.
and it does seem to pinch your hair in the same spot sometimes. the shade
adjustment is on a big knob on the outside of the helmet that you can adjust
while wearing gloves without taking the helmet off. brilliant. replacement
plastic lenses can be harder to come by than the speedglass stuff, though
anyone can order them in. I get a bunch of 10 fronts and 5 rears at a time
and keep them in my toolbox. my company re-imburses me for them as they
supply all the speedglass wearers with replacement lenses. at 4 years, my
helmet is still in usable condition, but i'll probably pass it ont o an
apprentice soon and buy another one (of the same model). i chopped a bit
off each side of mine so that i can wear low profile earmuffs with it, which
is a site requirment in some places. when i put a new front and rear shield
on it, it still looks brand new despite probably 1000+ 8 hour days in
service. it still uses the original battery (!). last month i replaced the
actual 'headstrap' part of my hemet, it had cracked at the point the helmet
rotates on it. i was pleasantly surprised at paying only AU$20 for the
replacement parts which consisted of about a dozen pieces including all the
clamps and pressure pieces that prevent the helmet from easily falling down.
i would have expected it to cost a lot more than that in australia
considering the helmet retails for around AU$450.
the speedglass stuff is also good, and for headgear you really cant do any
better. it is the lightest and most comfortable to wear. it also ballances
very well on your head in the up position, unless you ahve the respirator
fitted in which case it only tilts up about 3/4 of the way. not comfortable
then. the lenses just arent as good as the lincoln/miller in my opinion,
and i have used the latest greatest big screen fast models as well as the
standard. it also irritates me that the shade adjustment is on the inside
of the helmet, this is a frequently used adjustment for me. it does however
make complete removal of the lends very easy for cleaning of the helmet. if
you are using this helmet at work, most companies will provide you with
replacement front and rear plastics for free, which is nice. its the most
commonly used helmet in most industries, so most companies have them in
stock replacement parts for these helmets (shields, sweatbands, headstraps
etc) can be bought at any welding supply store.
Shaun |
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| Kryptoknight |
| Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:14 am |
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and btw, the current helmet i have from HF was a "Western Safety" helmet.
the helmet is comfortable, but i dont think i can swap out the auto lens for
something better (this would cheaper than buying a new helmet).
"Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote in message
news:uwZzh.27363$2m6.13838@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Quote: after trying 2 autodark helmets from HarborFreighTools i'm now ready to
buy something better.
is the Miller Elite helmet any good (~$249) ?? or would you buy something
other for that price ?
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| Kryptoknight |
| Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:26 pm |
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well, my 1st helmet fro HF was "western safety". ws is a company from
canada. the helmet just fails to stay dark, does allot of flickering.
the 2nd helmet i got from HF is a "chicago electric". it is comfortable. the
auto dark section does come out of the helmet. anyone know where i can get a
new quality auto dark lens/component?
"Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote in message
news:nPEAh.560$5j1.380@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Quote: and btw, the current helmet i have from HF was a "Western Safety" helmet.
the helmet is comfortable, but i dont think i can swap out the auto lens
for something better (this would cheaper than buying a new helmet).
"Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote in message
news:uwZzh.27363$2m6.13838@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
after trying 2 autodark helmets from HarborFreighTools i'm now ready to
buy something better.
is the Miller Elite helmet any good (~$249) ?? or would you buy something
other for that price ?
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| Brent |
| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:43 pm |
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On Feb 14, 6:38 am, "Kryptoknight" <kryptokni...@att.net> wrote:
Quote: do these miller helmets have a nice padded head band?
Indeed they do FIRST thing i noticed putting it on |
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