Welding Helmet

[mdr]

Purely for optical quality
Price is not that important

If price was important: Glass. Plain, old-fashioned glass. A cheap (but branded - Parweld, Weldability, etc.) fresh lens straight out of the box with no dust, scratches, fingerprints, nor plastic/glass protectors in the way. Use for a while and replace for another fresh piece with no protectors.

I like to kill all light coming into the back of the helmet for the best view and zero reflections. It really helps with the vision and especially contrast. Remember those large format camera capes? Where the photographer had to hide underneath? Think that! Block from the top, sides, and coming up from below.

Plus there is always adding a super bright LED torch aiming right at the work.

For my two cents I'd try all those things combined. Cheap hood £12; Glass with the shade you like in your auto-darkening is £4 off eBay; dark cotton cloth draped over your shoulders and bulldog clipped at the front is...hmmm...must have something available already. So say all done for less than £20. Not much to try it out before spending $$$ on something that promises 1/1/1/1 clarity but whatever it says in the marketing write up it's still looking through a video screen and not pure glass.

 

[tom2207]

I do fine with my bi-focals for all in every day stuff,under the ramp i stick my prescription readers on they do me 2 foot down
All our eyes are different,theres no way any of us can suggest what we should wear or not,if in doubt,see the eye doc

If you notice , I didnt ,, I only quoted what I wear , and a few examples , as you quite correctly say , see the optom. Its what they do , I make some very interesting task specific glasses , but thats a totally different topic.

 

[Shedendman]

you can replace limbs you cant replace eyes

 

[tom2207]

you can replace limbs you cant replace eyes

yep , sometimes its easy to take things for granted , I make glasses for all sorts of folk , its very rare I dont come home and count my blessings ,, some folk through no choice of their own have a lot to put up with , but people do , people on the whole are pretty amazing, how folk cope in the face of adversity is inspiring.

 

[northwest]

People who think they have somehow beaten the system because they use magnifying reading glasses from the pound shop instead of using one of those "expensive" opticians get right on my T*ts.

You just can't buy eyes and I remember there was a thing one year "what's the best tool you ever bought" or something like that. My glasses was my first thought. I have said this before on here but you could buy a decent second hand car with what I paid (or should have paid) for these glasses and they are just brilliant. I have a spare pair too.

 

[Munkul]

Best filters in order (in my opinion/experience, for what it's worth)

Optrel Crystal 2
Esab Sentinel A50
3M 9100xi/xxi (the i on the end makes the difference, the original 9100x/xx filter is no better than many cheapies these days)

You can buy the 3M in plain non PAPR format
https://www.fosterindustrial.co.uk/speedglas-9100xxi-welding-helmet

I will always plug the Sentinel, i love them, they cannot be beaten for the price. The filter is incredibly clear and bright, although my eyes must be duller than Brad's - I TIG weld at shade 10/11. The hood itself is incredibly ergonomic and adjustable every which way.

I still think the "best" hood overall is the 3M 9100xxi, it has a world beating filter in a worldbeating hood, built to be used industrially all day every day.
TBH at the price from Foster it's not the worst value for money, either! It actually surprised me how reasonable it is..

 

[rtcosic]

your local optom will test your eyes

I have a pair of varifocal READING glasses which I am wearing now.

I confused the bejasus out of my optician when I told him what I wanted but once he got them back from the supplier it was a case of 'why didn't I think of that'.

The 'distance' part of the lens is optimised for the distance to my computer screen desktop.
The 'close' part of the lens is optimised for the distance to my physical desktop.

So my entire normal working area is in perfect focus.

I use them for close DIY work, but never grinding/painting etc as they are too expensive.

Yes they were expensive but I can put in a full day's work at the desk without eye strain.

So - determine the distance to your normal workpiece or workbench and get a pair of reading glasses optimised for that distance. It is probably a different distance than your normal reading distance.

If you are feeling very flush get varifocal ones to cover a wider range of distances. They help with depth of field as well.

Edit: as @northwest my 'normal' glasses cost more than any car I bought before 1990, and I have a daily pair and a good pair. And an emergency old pair in the car. I prefer to check my eyes before driving.

 

[Burdekin]

Mobile welder I know also attaches a led bike light mounted to his helmet with a handle bar mount screwed into the side of his helmet. Cheater lens or you can get cheap reading glasses and go up a magnification or two.

 

[Shox Dr]

Optrel. End of.

 

[pedrobedro]

I have a pair of pound shop 1.5 reading specs for in the shed and they get used for welding. I wonder if a true colour lens would make it any easier to see what I'm doing through the mask. I do have "proper" glasses for reading and they are not worn all the time as I can see without them to read in good light.

 

[500e]

The Optrel was a revelation I went from really just guessing to seeing how bad I was. Optrel do cheater lenses as well.
I have trifocal glasses I use normally & a pair for welding with just the reading prescription + the 1.5 on the helmet
Cant get on with varifocals

 

[tom2207]

The Optrel was a revelation I went from really just guessing to seeing how bad I was. Optrel do cheater lenses as well.
I have trifocal glasses I use normally & a pair for welding with just the reading prescription + the 1.5 on the helmet
Cant get on with varifocals

Im the same ,, dont like the swimming effect , mind you , the more you spend on the lenses the better they get , and boys its noticeable , we sell some very nice high end lenses , well over a hundred quid each lens , but they are nice to look through ,, better still , if you dont get on with them they will swap them for bi focals or single vision , which is a nice touch as not every one will get on with vari's

 

[500e]

I found flying with them was a real strain Had to keep moving head like one of those dogs in a car window, with rely good trifocals the head movement was a lot less & peripheral vision better, this is the bit I noticed the most1 every time the old optician suggested VF his opening line was the peripheral spread of lens is better.
Since I went to a new optician who works at an eye hospital my prescription has altered slightly but the difference was so noticeable.
As you say Not cheap but only one set of eyes to last a life time
A friend flies with another lens in the top of his glasses to look at overhead panel

 

[tom2207]

I found flying with them was a real strain Had to keep moving head like one of those dogs in a car window, with rely good trifocals the head movement was a lot less & peripheral vision better, this is the bit I noticed the most1 every time the old optician suggested VF his opening line was the peripheral spread of lens is better.
Since I went to a new optician who works at an eye hospital my prescription has altered slightly but the difference was so noticeable.
As you say Not cheap but only one set of eyes to last a life time

I have glazed tri focals with an insert at the top , for switches etc and a distance in the middle , screen and a different seg insert at the bottom for dash radio gps ,,, and glass with a anti reflective coat and a few other bells and whistles ,,, they cost more than my car , but cheaper to get nice glasses than to train new pilots.

 

[500e]

With the maps on lap, consul dials, radios, in a helicopter then looking for the fast jets that seem to try & scare the c**p out of me I know where you are coming from.
Are you involved with lens manufacture ?

 

[tom2207]

With the maps on lap, consul dials, radios, in a helicopter then looking for the fast jets that seem to try & scare the c**p out of me I know where you are coming from.
Are you involved with lens manufacture ?

Im a tech ,, so really just do the cutting and fitting , we order in the blanks made to our spec for specific customers .
Top seg tri focals were helicopter specific , tailored to suit the helmet to gauge / switch distance in a specific cockpit and pilot size , eye watering expense ,, lol ,, but the big company could afford it.

 

[James1979]

Best filters in order (in my opinion/experience, for what it's worth)

Optrel Crystal 2
Esab Sentinel A50
3M 9100xi/xxi (the i on the end makes the difference, the original 9100x/xx filter is no better than many cheapies these days)

You can buy the 3M in plain non PAPR format
https://www.fosterindustrial.co.uk/speedglas-9100xxi-welding-helmet

I will always plug the Sentinel, i love them, they cannot be beaten for the price. The filter is incredibly clear and bright, although my eyes must be duller than Brad's - I TIG weld at shade 10/11. The hood itself is incredibly ergonomic and adjustable every which way.

I still think the "best" hood overall is the 3M 9100xxi, it has a world beating filter in a worldbeating hood, built to be used industrially all day every day.
TBH at the price from Foster it's not the worst value for money, either! It actually surprised me how reasonable it is..

I am a massive sentinel convert as well. I’m in mine a lot of most days but I have the air one. The only thing that annoys me is the clear screen is really prone to scratching.

although I was outside today and it’s been really sunny. Although this has minimal gaps at the back because Of the air I still ended up in weird positions with my arm over my head trying to block the sun. Hence pancake idea.

 

[ukracer]

make sure that what you buy will take a cheater lens ,,,

Is this the bracket for a cheater lens?

 

[ukracer]

yep , sometimes its easy to take things for granted , I make glasses for all sorts of folk , its very rare I dont come home and count my blessings ,, some folk through no choice of their own have a lot to put up with , but people do , people on the whole are pretty amazing, how folk cope in the face of adversity is inspiring.

Quick question I wear varifocals but would like to add a cheater lens. Is a 3 likely to be too agressive with my prescription ones on also.

 

[tom2207]

Quick question I wear varifocals but would like to add a cheater lens. Is a 3 likely to be too agressive with my prescription ones on also.

hi yep , a 1 will be plenty , but as a test try a pair of pound land easy readers , and just hold them in front of your normal reading script glasses , or at least the bit you look through for reading , that will give you a fair estimate , for a pound ,, you may prefer 1.5 , but i dont imagine you will want much more than that ,,hth