I have bought a cheap mask to test a welder, a Clarke flip down one. It is unbelievably uncomfortable, doesn't really fit and of course you are as blind as a bat till you start welding. So I think a good auto darkening helmet is a must. I wondering if anyone had any recommendations.
- Thread starter zaph
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Pay as much as u can for a decent one and u won't regret it
I've had my Speedglas mask for over ten years now its comfy and can't fault them its cost me less than a fiver in battery's and less than a hundred quid in inner/outer lenses . Yes it was expensive to buy but has payed for it self times over .
I've had my Speedglas mask for over ten years now its comfy and can't fault them its cost me less than a fiver in battery's and less than a hundred quid in inner/outer lenses . Yes it was expensive to buy but has payed for it self times over .
Premiershipman
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Big fan of my Esab Eyetech II helmet, find it very comfortable to wear and no performance issues at all.
cumbriasteve
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If I was doing a fair amount of welding then I would probably go for a speedglas, however for the couple of hours actual welding time I may do each week and probably less than that most weeks, I bought a £25 cheapie from Ebay 2 years ago.
It's still working perfectly and I have no complaints at all about it, when it eventually gives up the ghost unless my welding time increases it will probably be the same again.
It's still working perfectly and I have no complaints at all about it, when it eventually gives up the ghost unless my welding time increases it will probably be the same again.
fire hazzard
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I got a esab eyetech 5-13 mask of ebay,sold as faulty which i won for £30.00.It wasn't
really good mask my only hate is the flimsy plastic joiners that hold the air diffuser to the cradle.It has a grinding function and a led indicator when it is selected,just in case you forget.The outer lenses are large and respond well to being treated with T cut scratch remover after the end of a shift.Before that i had a eyetech
10-13 brought new off ebay brought to replace my speedglas 9000 series which drove me mad from the moment i had it.
1, It would flip down when you didn't want it to
2,it wouldn't flip down when you wanted it to
3, It was very flimsy(broke two cradles) common fault it would seem.Ive seen a few glued and riveted back together
4, replacement parts are expensive(if you have to pay for them)
5,Headband width adjusters creep after a while,adding more adjusting and frustration(super glued mine in the end)
On a positive note the functions of the lens.Delay/sens/shade were spot on and easy to use.
and the side windows this should be on all masks as standard.
Being small and compact its easier to work in confined spaces ie making exhausts/welding car floors ect.
So in summary i hate the speedglas 9000series mask but love the lens and side windows,and i will never hear or say a bad word against the adflo system.My current set up is the eyetech mated to a adflo unit,which Ive used in many a fume filled production environment.
really good mask my only hate is the flimsy plastic joiners that hold the air diffuser to the cradle.It has a grinding function and a led indicator when it is selected,just in case you forget.The outer lenses are large and respond well to being treated with T cut scratch remover after the end of a shift.Before that i had a eyetech 10-13 brought new off ebay brought to replace my speedglas 9000 series which drove me mad from the moment i had it.
1, It would flip down when you didn't want it to
2,it wouldn't flip down when you wanted it to
3, It was very flimsy(broke two cradles) common fault it would seem.Ive seen a few glued and riveted back together
4, replacement parts are expensive(if you have to pay for them)
5,Headband width adjusters creep after a while,adding more adjusting and frustration(super glued mine in the end)
On a positive note the functions of the lens.Delay/sens/shade were spot on and easy to use.
and the side windows
this should be on all masks as standard.Being small and compact its easier to work in confined spaces ie making exhausts/welding car floors ect.
So in summary i hate the speedglas 9000series mask but love the lens and side windows,and i will never hear or say a bad word against the adflo system.My current set up is the eyetech mated to a adflo unit,which Ive used in many a fume filled production environment.
HI Zaph
I had a few of these in my possession for a while and did a short video for some guys in a car club I belong to - ok well maybe it could have been shorter ...lol - reviewing the differences.
You can see it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSMmRiYELT0
It goes from cheap to expensive - hope it helps - btw I am not a video pro but I am a coded tig welder - although still learning and it's just my honest opinion about these masks.
All the best
I had a few of these in my possession for a while and did a short video for some guys in a car club I belong to - ok well maybe it could have been shorter ...lol - reviewing the differences.
You can see it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSMmRiYELT0
It goes from cheap to expensive - hope it helps - btw I am not a video pro but I am a coded tig welder - although still learning and it's just my honest opinion about these masks.
All the best
Badger1bear
If your not on fire, then your too far away
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I plumbed for the Optrel Satellite welding helmet about 5 years ago and it's been superb from day 1 and still working well
outofthefire
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optrel e680 for me
cecotto479
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I like my £50 Parweld.
Jim_gsxr1000
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Got a £50 par weld and a £300 speed glass, speed glass is much better but... At a price!
Psymon
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Depends on what you are welding. I had an auto dark helmet but since I started TIG with stainless decided to go for an ESAB auto dark Origo air fed mask. There is a chance that the fumes off stainless steel can cause cancer and I am sure there are other metals which you should not be breathing in. Rather than risk it I thought an air fed mask would be best. Safety should be the number 1 consideration.
Thank for all the replies, I ended up getting the SifLite Auto Darkening Welding Helmet for the site. Autodarkening is definitely the way to go, and it does the job.
Two problems, one is the low light levels in the garage. I need to setup a decent lighting system. The other is fitting into tight spaces. I need to weld a bulkhead, and it difficult to get my head in at right angle to see what i am doing..
Two problems, one is the low light levels in the garage. I need to setup a decent lighting system. The other is fitting into tight spaces. I need to weld a bulkhead, and it difficult to get my head in at right angle to see what i am doing..
something_awful
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I use this,
Unless you do alot of hours welding a week,dont bother spending big money on a helmet,a £25-£50 auto darkening one will be a huge improvement on the flip down type you have now..Too many people have 'all the gear' just to say they have it,but dont get any real benefit from it.Keep a hand shield handy for those awkward to get places 
langy
langys rodshop
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Unless you do alot of hours welding a week,dont bother spending big money on a helmet,a £25-£50 auto darkening one will be a huge improvement on the flip down type you have now..Too many people have 'all the gear' just to say they have it,but dont get any real benefit from it.Keep a hand shield handy for those awkward to get places
Maybe so but when you have used a better mask you will appreciate the difference
cecotto479
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And up until today, I still did. Then, I absent mindedly put it down on top of something I had just welded and went to answer the phone.
On return, it was ablaze! Not just melted or smouldering, but proper big flames.
Anyway, it was literally poured into the bin and off I went to SIG to get a replacement. I wanted a better one and ended up with a a Lincoln Viking 3350 with a Foose design on it. Can't you just buy a helmet now?
It was about £180 with a huge viewing area and it is bloody amazing. What a difference. So, while my £50 Parweld was OK, spending the extra really was worth the difference. To be fair, I'd rather have it a bit cheaper, in plain black, without the girly bag and the Foose Neckerchief/Bandana, but I'd now recommend buying the best one you can get.
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