Air fed true colour helmet

[scotto75]

Hi,

I posted up a year ago about getting an air fed helmet. Ended up buying a 3M Speedglas 9100FX. I’ve used it quite a lot at work, for MIG and TIG, but have begun to have a few doubts about it.

I had to some TIG welding at home recently, and had the 9100 at work so used my esab A40, and actually found it better. Basically, my eyesights is great up close and the green tint of the Speedglas is causing me trouble seeing the arc, but the True Colour filter made it loads easier to see.

Secondly, I have had to do lots of welding in awkward positions, and the 9100 is quite bulky. I don’t really use the flip up front that much so could do with something lighter and smaller really, for when I’ve got me head stuck in the footwell of a car etc.

I would like an air fed system still, and like the wide visibility of the 9100, but I’m almost tempted to take a step back and get an air fed A40 instead.

I know the Sentinel is a good helmet, and almost bought one instead of tge 9100, but hear it’s slightly heavier than the 9100.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an air fed true colour helmet that is light and less bulky than the Speedglas?

Thanks!

 

[hotponyshoes]

See if you can get a demo of a 3m 9100i
Same as your fx but without the flip-up lid so it's not as heavy/bulky.
The i version is there true colour, personally I think the optrels are better in this respect but it's personal preference.
I've not tried the A40.

My thinking would be, if you like the 9100i then you could just order the helmet and use your existing air pack saving a few quid.
If you can live with your current filter and it's mainly the bulk that's the issue you can just get the bare shell saving you even more.

 

[scotto75]

Thanks for the advice. Hadn't thought of that to be fair. Can't see an 9100i, but there is the XXi. Not able to find a respiratory helmet on its own though.
Looking at it, the XXi ADF fits all the 9100 helmets and is supposed to be 'less green' than my FX which has the 9100x filter. Maybe that's a solution?

https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/worke...sonal-protective-equipment/speedglas-9100xxi/

Still preferred the blue tint of the esab A40 True Colour to green of the 3M.
Went round in circles with this last year, and everybody seems to rate the Optrels (apart from the price maybe).

 

[hotponyshoes]

The x's are the lense size.
So x is smaller than xx
The i at the end shows its a true color version.

So an xxi would be bigger and clearer than your existing x

Yes, the 9100 and the 9100fx both take the same adf.

Helmet on its own is

https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/p/d/v000086558/

Although any welding suppliers will probably have one on the shelf

There are various versions available, the bare shell needs you to use your existing headband etc.

If you can get a demo of the xxi and you like it then it might be worth getting the 9100 helmet with a xxi adf then all you need to do is unplug/plug in the air hose if you want to use your fx for grinding.

 

[scotto75]

If you can get a demo of the xxi and you like it then it might be worth getting the 9100 helmet with a xxi adf then all you need to do is unplug/plug in the air hose if you want to use your fx for grinding.

Thank hotponyshoes. That makes a load of sense. There is a welding suppliers up the road from where I work that stock 3M helmets so will stroll over on a lunch break and see what they say. Nice one.