Optrel Weldcap

[Hood]

I usually pull the boat in To get on them as that is where most of my work is

The E684 looks nice and seems to be about £300 but add on air fed and it more than doubles, can't see me going that mad

Is the True Colour as good as it shows in the images on their website, for example does it really look like this?

 

[zx9]

For anti-mist, A very small Mount of washing up liquid rubbed on the inner surface with a clean finger, Then polish it off with a soft tissue, Works for quite a while

As a baby biker I used Bob Heath visor spray 'till some one said to use washing up liquid which works just not so easy to take with you on a long weekend touring, should not be a problem in the workshop though.
FWIW spitting on the inside of goggles and polishing it off works but that might be more of a swimming / diving thing.

 

[Chris Stevens]

Depending on type of use, I would have thought very vulnerable external controls would have been something more important than marketing gimmicks? My Miller has arc sensed switching (X Mode) which I feel is more useful than features like external controls and true colour, as its something which really does improve the function.

 

[Hood]

Internal controls have never been an issue for me as I tend to leave on one shade and that is it, also external controls, likewise, are no problem for me either as they never seem to get in the road.
Grind mode doesn't really bother me either as most of my work is Aluminium and thus don't get sparks to interfere with the ADF.
Sunlight? whatever that is (I am in Scotland ) doesn't really bother me either but light reflecting off of the water does on some helmets.

Now my eyesight, it is failing and the clearer the view I can get the better and I think the colour view may help quite a bit, especially if it is as pictured above.
The Vegaview 2.5 clear mode would also be a boon as I often weld in very poorly lit places and usually have to flip up the lid before I start welding.

Just wish there was some place locally that stocked them so I could try out, at the moment I am using a Weldability Phantom XL, the larger view area is nice as it lets in more light and it is a reasonably good lens as it is, at least to my eyes, slightly more blue than green. It also doesn't seem to be affected as much as others I have used with the light reflecting off the water. The graphics however are horrible, I much prefer a nice plain helmet, must be my age

Because I mainly weld a lot of Alu I do get problems with the grey smoke covering, not only the outer lens and helmet, but also getting to the ADF lens. I think the rubber gasket that is on some of the Optrels would be great for this as the smoke should not get anywhere near the ADF and thus only the outer clear lens would need cleaning.

 

[HughF]

If it is clear view you are after, either go back to fixed shade with an Aulektro 'Gold' lens (I have used it extensively for alu tig and a little alu mig, the colour reproduction is superb) or go to a Jackson 'balder' BH3 helmet which has a blue tint to it, very similar to a gold lens.

The aulektro gold is now in all my helmets, I don't use an auto dark - flip front prota-shell with adflo for stick and mig, converted optrel solarmatic comfort for tig.

And honestly, if you are doing a lot of alu mig, save your lungs and get an adflo system...

 

[Hood]

Fixed lens is not a choice I would make as I am often hanging on with one hand and welding with the other, when I got my first Auto helmet, probably 20 years ago I knew I could never go back to a normal lens as it made life just so much easier. Can't even remember what make it was but think Esab, it cost me about £300 and was really no better than the £30 ones you get now, in fact it was probably even worse.
Welding inside standing on the ground, well yes maybe I would consider a fixed lens but a lot of my work involves me acting like a monkey.

Will check out the Jackson.

 

[Badger1bear]

a lot of my work involves me acting like a monkey.


So you eat bananas and throw poo at people looking at you ?

Tough call

 

[Hood]

Has been known

 

[Bill Edwards]

Does the Vegaviews front cover lens have the rubber seal on it?
Thinking that would be a great thing for Alu welding as it should stop the actual auto darkening lens getting greyed with the fumes.

Without venturing out into the night to check I'm fairly sure (95%) it does.
I don't do ali but find myself constantly cleaning the outer lens but the inner unit probably needs wiping twice a year (it's not in daily use but the point I'm making is very little gets through to the inner).

'True Colour' I don't know anything about but can't say I've ever really noticed anything particularly special about the Vegaview other than obviously the very light shade when not darkened, i'm sure it doesn't look like the picture you've posted. However, it must be understood that my eyesight is poor.

 

[Hood]

Thanks Bill, been doing some more searching and it does seem it has the rubber seal

I looked at the Jackson and it does look like the weld view is nice but I think the Optrels rubber seal would be a good thing for me.
Kind of torn between the models though, the light shade of the Vegaview would be nice but the other offerings from Optrel have some features I think would be nice, just a shame the e684, just has a shade 4 light state as I like the look of it.
I will just have to try and decide which features would be best for the type of work I do but it looks like it will be an Optrel due to the simple fact of the rubber seal, just which one .......

 

[Chris Stevens]

Miller has rubber gasket, also Xmode arc triggering, internal digital switching, and lower price consumables. I took a look at Optrel a few years back, but didnt think they measured up any better than the Speedglas I was using at the time.

 

[Hood]

What model of miller and where to buy in UK?
Just had a quick look and found a Miller Elite, not keen on the look of it to be honest but looks would not put me off if function was superior.
Place I looked had front lens cover pack of 5 for £19.10 plus VAT, Optrel pack of 5 outers are £22 including VAT so not much difference in it but maybe I am looking at the wrong Miller or for that matter just an expensive place.
Also don't see a rubber gasket on the lens cover itself, is it on the helmet?
The miller does have the larger viewing area which I like.

 

[HughF]

My miller elite (1st gen) did not have a rubber gasket on the front cover plate. It did have a rubber gasket around the cartridge though. Just an fyi.

 

[Hood]

Thanks.

 

[Hood]

Just ordered an Optrel E684, have some work on at the weekend that will be a good test, fingers crossed I like it

 

[Badger1bear]

Just ordered an Optrel E684, have some work on at the weekend that will be a good test, fingers crossed I like it

Your love it mate, I have 3 optrel masks, 2 x 680 and the top notch E684
Never had a problem with them

Enjoy !!

 

[Hood]

How many bloody heads do you have?

 

[Badger1bear]

How many bloody heads do you have?

Well...........

 

[Hood]

Got the E684 a wee while ago, doing some Alu Tig welding, one word, WOW!!!
Better go get the job finished, rain starting to blow through.

 

[Badger1bear]

Told ya you would love it