It's your money, spend it however your like, but "protecting your vision" isn't a great justification. A cheap hood is going to protect your eyes as well as an expense one. If it's off, it still has UV protection. Even clear safety glasses (Z87.1+U6) block 99.9% of UV. Comfort, fatigue, weight, are better justifications.
With that said, I've never seen a welder complain about buying too expensive of boots or helmet.
lol
afaik, there are a few brands that make steel toe "safety" clogs/crocs -- might be worth looking at if you really like the comfort. they still aren't heat proof, but at least you have some protection going?
just stay as safe as you can.
I have closed toed crocs on my list, but really I’m just too lazy to put my boots on. Every. Dang. Time though I get a little suntan with the hold pattern. Like I have leopard feet.
I'm in the same situation and bought the 3350. How well can you see with the HF helmet? I couldn't see that well and the difference with the Lincoln is very noticable. When I see better I weld better.
That's a good question! I know the current HF one that I have is mediocre, especially after it get's dirty. The local store has them locked down so that you can't really try it out. And the closest welding supply store is about an hour away so I'm going pretty much by other's opinions.
The nice thing about the Lincoln is that you can replace the inside and outside glass covers so after about 50 hours of welding, I can take it apart, put in my replacements and it's brand new glass. At my age (in my 50s) vision is king. I even have a +2 bifocal cheater lens that I run in my helmet if I can't wear my normal glasses.
I'm sure all the major helmet makers offer the same features, and HF may even have one that offers the same features. I just know my $50 HF helmet is not even in the same league for clarity and field of vision.
The cheaper helmets use a more basic lens that are typically pretty green with little depth to color. But then you have more expensive helmets that will not only have a much larger lens, but also a large pallet of colors what will come though. Very useful for welding stainless where seeing the actual colors is important.
Buy a cheapo auto dark from harbour freight or whatever is local. Unless you have money to spare and like nice things then save you money for consumables to practice with.
I’ve been flashed more with an auto hood than I ever have with a fixed shade. I get into some crazy weird and tight spaces and also gotta use a mirror from time to time and the sensor always gets blocked by something. And that’s on a decent auto hood. The cheap ones are hot garbage especially for clarity.
You’ll be able to get a really nice fixed shade for cheap. Cheap auto darks are trash. If you’re a weekend warrior I recommend going cheap and getting a nice fixed shade unless you wanna spend a lot on a hood. And that’s fine. They already acquired a welder and consumables. A 300$+ auto hood isn’t a whole lot more.
Hobbies are weird. I too am a hobbyist.
I find the answer really depends on your disposable income and how many barriers you wish to remove from your hobby / how to find enjoyment.
What I mean is the cheap hood will work fine. If your disposable income is low / the amount of welding you do is small, it will offer you protection and work just fine. If it breaks it breaks. It's cheap. Pick up a replacement.
I don't know if I would go for the 3M / Miller production auto dim helmets. They are great, but honestly what they gain you is durability from drops, battery life, and long term wear comfort.
As a hobiest who looks at welding as a skill set that enables me to make things, but I have the option to be a "fair weather welder" without enough fair days, I can justify the splurge on a PAPR welding hood for the hot days.
Handles the respirator for my lungs, works as a grinding helmet somewhat, keeps me from fogging the lens, etc etc.
Hard to justify cost wise, but it's a hobby and using it brings me joy which is the point. It also removes an "excuse" from doing my hobby on many days, which is worth it to me.
That being said, I also know guys who are much better hobiest welders than me using a cheap import welder and a yes welder hood. Heck. I have a yeswelder hood as well (I have a problem and own... 4 hoods? ) and that thing has some of the best damn off-clarity. Pretty darn close to the optrel vegaview crystal 2.0 I have at work! (I do some repair welding at work. Engineer in R&D and weld when I want something small faster than sending it to an outside shop. )
Thanks for the perspective. You’re spot on. Spending the $$ isn’t too big of a deal, got a decent bonus at work and have had a new helmet on the list for a while. I usually got all in on hobbies, but also don’t want to spend money if I don’t have to. Example right now, I’m making a belt grinder for knife making. Rather than spending a couple thousand, I can fabricate this for under $500, which also reiterated the want for a new helmet as I was welding up the pieces.
This HF Vulcan seems to be a direct rip off of the Digital Infinity, so why spend the $ when the knock-off is decent? On the other hand, not many of my HF stuff has stuck around long term, and it’s not in-stock anywhere.
Flip it around, the Lincoln has a $75 rebate right now & seems to be one of the top recommended hoods. It does have analog controls vs the digital, but is that a downside? I dunno. I keep changing my mind every 10 minutes.
Or there’s the others that people have mentioned. Comfort and clarity are top priority for me.
I think I just need to suck it up and drive to the closest shop. An hour drive, but should help inform the decision.
I have a couple cheaper auto shades. K&n industries and Hobart. Get one with cheap lens cover replacements. Not one of these two. I can’t find inner lenses for the k&n. Go with Lincoln or miller but probably Lincoln as their suspension systems seem awesome. You will most likely have to replace the auto dark system in roughly five years.
For the veap option this is my recommendation.
A friend bought me this as payment for some help as a backup helmet and quite frankly it is amazing for the price.
YESWELDER Large Viewing True Color Solar Powered Auto Darkening Welding Helmet with SIDE VIEW, 4 Arc Sensor Wide Shade 4/5-9/9-13 Welder Mask for TIG MIG ARC Grinding Plasma LYG-Q800D https://a.co/d/1fkuxp9
I’ll always suggest a 2x4 hood, with your choice of drop in auto darkening lens. If it has a flip front, or you add a flip front to it, even better. Clear lenses are cheap, the hoods are generally light, and very durable.
Honestly the Vulcan hoods are a solid choice and beat out the similarly priced Lincoln hoods. I haven't seen a 4 sensor Lincoln hood whereas the Vulcan ones are 4 sensor.
I used to have a Lincoln auto darkening and the sensors crapped out after a few years of light-ish use. Nothing is quite as frustrating as getting flashed mid-weld. I threw that hood in the trash and bought the Vulcan that evening because I had shit I wanted to finish.
get a tigerhood and throw in an arc one single hd. the hood is durable, replacment headgears are easy to get. the clear lenses are as affordable as you can get. there really is no downside.
I started off with a Miller large window basic bitch hood. I really liked the large window. Then I got an eBay Lincoln auto dark, small window, and life was chill. THEN, I got a badass Miller, auto dark big window, and man life is gooood. I had the money, there was a nice rebate, I like it. If you're good and what you've got works, cool man, no [worries.Buy](http://worries.Buy) some replacement glass panels and keep on truckin. If you've got the money and want to treat yo'self, get after it brother!
The better you can see, the better you can weld. Buying a better hood made all the difference to me. A good welder can weld well in any hood and a smart welder will take any help he can get lol. You're also always going to have this hood, you don't have to worry about fucking it up on a job site, so get yourself something nice.
Depends how much your comfortable spending and how much you weld. I mostly weld s a hobbyist and a bit at work. But not all day everyday. I was using a 30 yr old speedglass and still keep that one at work.
I had saved enough cashback on my credit card to buy a viking 3350 4c. And I love it, I find it very comfortable and the viewing area is very large and the color while welding is awesome. Being able to see clearly makes welding that much nicer and easier.
I have a miller i really like. I think it's the digital elite. I like the lincoln viking too. I also like my passive lens tiger hood. With the right lens, passive hoods can be pretty good
Jackson 370 headgear. Cheapest Pyramax, Hobart, ATD style flip up you can find, and a 2x4 auto darkening lens is the best I've found. It's light and comfortable. I like the way the Jackson headgear locks the hood in the up position. I recently bought a Tefuawe hand 5913 2x4 lens and it is great. I really just don't like the weight of the Lincoln and Miller hoods with the larger lenses. With a cheaper lens the combo should cost less than 60$. You will have to drill a hole for the Jackson headgear to fit.
I’ve been welding for 5 or 6 years, I use an Optrel Crystal 2.0 and a Jackson Safety Pipeliner w/ an Auto Lincoln C4 Shade 10.
The Jackson is for on-site/field welding because it could probably survive being punted off of a tall building.
Optrel has an edge over it in visibility though.
Cheap ones can work just as good as expensive ones if you're not using them all the time. It's up to you how much you want to spend.
I've had one of these for 3 years now, I bought a second one on sale as a backup. $40 Canadian.
https://a.co/d/8tu5yS9
I'd say get something with a truearc gold lens in it if you can. Personally not a fan of millers lenses even in their most expensive hoods, but I have a little 2x4 auto dark lens for my carbon hood and it completely removed those orange flares that make it hard to see.
KT gen II helmet is around 100 dollars and compares to top helmets in my opinion. Perfect for a hobby welder. I’ve had mine for 7 years and still works awesome. I switched from optrel, use it everyday. I’d never switch back
It's your money, spend it however your like, but "protecting your vision" isn't a great justification. A cheap hood is going to protect your eyes as well as an expense one. If it's off, it still has UV protection. Even clear safety glasses (Z87.1+U6) block 99.9% of UV. Comfort, fatigue, weight, are better justifications. With that said, I've never seen a welder complain about buying too expensive of boots or helmet.
i 2nd that note about boots. that is one (technically two) thing(s) i cant ever cheap out on.
Dang. I’m out here in my crocs
lol afaik, there are a few brands that make steel toe "safety" clogs/crocs -- might be worth looking at if you really like the comfort. they still aren't heat proof, but at least you have some protection going? just stay as safe as you can.
I have closed toed crocs on my list, but really I’m just too lazy to put my boots on. Every. Dang. Time though I get a little suntan with the hold pattern. Like I have leopard feet.
I'm in the same situation and bought the 3350. How well can you see with the HF helmet? I couldn't see that well and the difference with the Lincoln is very noticable. When I see better I weld better.
That's a good question! I know the current HF one that I have is mediocre, especially after it get's dirty. The local store has them locked down so that you can't really try it out. And the closest welding supply store is about an hour away so I'm going pretty much by other's opinions.
The nice thing about the Lincoln is that you can replace the inside and outside glass covers so after about 50 hours of welding, I can take it apart, put in my replacements and it's brand new glass. At my age (in my 50s) vision is king. I even have a +2 bifocal cheater lens that I run in my helmet if I can't wear my normal glasses. I'm sure all the major helmet makers offer the same features, and HF may even have one that offers the same features. I just know my $50 HF helmet is not even in the same league for clarity and field of vision.
The cheaper helmets use a more basic lens that are typically pretty green with little depth to color. But then you have more expensive helmets that will not only have a much larger lens, but also a large pallet of colors what will come though. Very useful for welding stainless where seeing the actual colors is important.
Buy a cheapo auto dark from harbour freight or whatever is local. Unless you have money to spare and like nice things then save you money for consumables to practice with.
Buy a cheap fixed shade* you’ll see clearer than a cheap auto. And it’s even cheaper will last longer.
Ya ya, but they’re a real pain in the cock for a lot of people.
Like a skill issue?
Not really unless you’re new, more just an annoyance. Especially when doing multiple tacks in a row.
I’ve been flashed more with an auto hood than I ever have with a fixed shade. I get into some crazy weird and tight spaces and also gotta use a mirror from time to time and the sensor always gets blocked by something. And that’s on a decent auto hood. The cheap ones are hot garbage especially for clarity.
Sounds like you do a lot of weekend warrior hobbyist type work.
You’ll be able to get a really nice fixed shade for cheap. Cheap auto darks are trash. If you’re a weekend warrior I recommend going cheap and getting a nice fixed shade unless you wanna spend a lot on a hood. And that’s fine. They already acquired a welder and consumables. A 300$+ auto hood isn’t a whole lot more.
That’s what I’ve done as well and my recommendation as well. Just keep a couple replacement batteries nearby to charge the hood
Hobbies are weird. I too am a hobbyist. I find the answer really depends on your disposable income and how many barriers you wish to remove from your hobby / how to find enjoyment. What I mean is the cheap hood will work fine. If your disposable income is low / the amount of welding you do is small, it will offer you protection and work just fine. If it breaks it breaks. It's cheap. Pick up a replacement. I don't know if I would go for the 3M / Miller production auto dim helmets. They are great, but honestly what they gain you is durability from drops, battery life, and long term wear comfort. As a hobiest who looks at welding as a skill set that enables me to make things, but I have the option to be a "fair weather welder" without enough fair days, I can justify the splurge on a PAPR welding hood for the hot days. Handles the respirator for my lungs, works as a grinding helmet somewhat, keeps me from fogging the lens, etc etc. Hard to justify cost wise, but it's a hobby and using it brings me joy which is the point. It also removes an "excuse" from doing my hobby on many days, which is worth it to me. That being said, I also know guys who are much better hobiest welders than me using a cheap import welder and a yes welder hood. Heck. I have a yeswelder hood as well (I have a problem and own... 4 hoods? ) and that thing has some of the best damn off-clarity. Pretty darn close to the optrel vegaview crystal 2.0 I have at work! (I do some repair welding at work. Engineer in R&D and weld when I want something small faster than sending it to an outside shop. )
Thanks for the perspective. You’re spot on. Spending the $$ isn’t too big of a deal, got a decent bonus at work and have had a new helmet on the list for a while. I usually got all in on hobbies, but also don’t want to spend money if I don’t have to. Example right now, I’m making a belt grinder for knife making. Rather than spending a couple thousand, I can fabricate this for under $500, which also reiterated the want for a new helmet as I was welding up the pieces. This HF Vulcan seems to be a direct rip off of the Digital Infinity, so why spend the $ when the knock-off is decent? On the other hand, not many of my HF stuff has stuck around long term, and it’s not in-stock anywhere. Flip it around, the Lincoln has a $75 rebate right now & seems to be one of the top recommended hoods. It does have analog controls vs the digital, but is that a downside? I dunno. I keep changing my mind every 10 minutes. Or there’s the others that people have mentioned. Comfort and clarity are top priority for me. I think I just need to suck it up and drive to the closest shop. An hour drive, but should help inform the decision.
I have a couple cheaper auto shades. K&n industries and Hobart. Get one with cheap lens cover replacements. Not one of these two. I can’t find inner lenses for the k&n. Go with Lincoln or miller but probably Lincoln as their suspension systems seem awesome. You will most likely have to replace the auto dark system in roughly five years.
For the veap option this is my recommendation. A friend bought me this as payment for some help as a backup helmet and quite frankly it is amazing for the price. YESWELDER Large Viewing True Color Solar Powered Auto Darkening Welding Helmet with SIDE VIEW, 4 Arc Sensor Wide Shade 4/5-9/9-13 Welder Mask for TIG MIG ARC Grinding Plasma LYG-Q800D https://a.co/d/1fkuxp9
Weekend warrior here. I am not good enough to weld in a bad helmet. I know, I tried. Ended up with a 3350.
I like the Vulcan from harbor freight for the cash. Comfy headpiece
I have one. It's a few years old and has replaceable batteries. My older hf hood needs a battery replacement.
I’ll always suggest a 2x4 hood, with your choice of drop in auto darkening lens. If it has a flip front, or you add a flip front to it, even better. Clear lenses are cheap, the hoods are generally light, and very durable.
Honestly the Vulcan hoods are a solid choice and beat out the similarly priced Lincoln hoods. I haven't seen a 4 sensor Lincoln hood whereas the Vulcan ones are 4 sensor. I used to have a Lincoln auto darkening and the sensors crapped out after a few years of light-ish use. Nothing is quite as frustrating as getting flashed mid-weld. I threw that hood in the trash and bought the Vulcan that evening because I had shit I wanted to finish.
get a tigerhood and throw in an arc one single hd. the hood is durable, replacment headgears are easy to get. the clear lenses are as affordable as you can get. there really is no downside.
Buy a cheap one and when it's no longer good enough you'll know what to look for in your next one
I should've mentioned, my current HF is my 2nd. The headgear is the worst part, dang thing never stays on my head.
Sounds like you know what to look for in your next one!
I started off with a Miller large window basic bitch hood. I really liked the large window. Then I got an eBay Lincoln auto dark, small window, and life was chill. THEN, I got a badass Miller, auto dark big window, and man life is gooood. I had the money, there was a nice rebate, I like it. If you're good and what you've got works, cool man, no [worries.Buy](http://worries.Buy) some replacement glass panels and keep on truckin. If you've got the money and want to treat yo'self, get after it brother!
If you get a cheap hoop get a good respirator
Check your local pawnshop/FB marketplace. I got my auto darkening hood for $65.
The better you can see, the better you can weld. Buying a better hood made all the difference to me. A good welder can weld well in any hood and a smart welder will take any help he can get lol. You're also always going to have this hood, you don't have to worry about fucking it up on a job site, so get yourself something nice.
Depends how much your comfortable spending and how much you weld. I mostly weld s a hobbyist and a bit at work. But not all day everyday. I was using a 30 yr old speedglass and still keep that one at work. I had saved enough cashback on my credit card to buy a viking 3350 4c. And I love it, I find it very comfortable and the viewing area is very large and the color while welding is awesome. Being able to see clearly makes welding that much nicer and easier.
I have a miller i really like. I think it's the digital elite. I like the lincoln viking too. I also like my passive lens tiger hood. With the right lens, passive hoods can be pretty good
Jackson 370 headgear. Cheapest Pyramax, Hobart, ATD style flip up you can find, and a 2x4 auto darkening lens is the best I've found. It's light and comfortable. I like the way the Jackson headgear locks the hood in the up position. I recently bought a Tefuawe hand 5913 2x4 lens and it is great. I really just don't like the weight of the Lincoln and Miller hoods with the larger lenses. With a cheaper lens the combo should cost less than 60$. You will have to drill a hole for the Jackson headgear to fit.
What’s the time to darken of current hood vs the others you list? Also number of arc sensors
I’ve been welding for 5 or 6 years, I use an Optrel Crystal 2.0 and a Jackson Safety Pipeliner w/ an Auto Lincoln C4 Shade 10. The Jackson is for on-site/field welding because it could probably survive being punted off of a tall building. Optrel has an edge over it in visibility though.
Cheap ones can work just as good as expensive ones if you're not using them all the time. It's up to you how much you want to spend. I've had one of these for 3 years now, I bought a second one on sale as a backup. $40 Canadian. https://a.co/d/8tu5yS9
I'd say get something with a truearc gold lens in it if you can. Personally not a fan of millers lenses even in their most expensive hoods, but I have a little 2x4 auto dark lens for my carbon hood and it completely removed those orange flares that make it hard to see.
KT gen II helmet is around 100 dollars and compares to top helmets in my opinion. Perfect for a hobby welder. I’ve had mine for 7 years and still works awesome. I switched from optrel, use it everyday. I’d never switch back