Which helmet?

[msaraf]

I've been looking at a number of different auto darkening welding helmets and have narrowed it down to either the Hobart XL or the XLi. Is the extra cost for the XLi worth it? Which one provides more face and neck protection? Are there any other auto darkening helmets I should consider that are in this price range?

I'll be using this helmet for stick, tig and mig.

One last thing, does anyone know if that 3V lithium battery comes with the helmet?

Thanks!

- Mike

[Hobart Expert Rock]

HI MIKE.........THE HELMETS ARE, AS FAR AS I KNOW ARE NOT LITHIUM BATTERY TYPES.......THEY ARE SOLAR JUST CHARGE THEM UP IN THE SUN...... THE ONLY DIFFERANCE AS FAR AS I KNOW IS ONE HAS OUTSIDE CONTROL AND THE OTHER HAS INSIDE CONTROL...........WHAT EVER YOUR PREFFERANCE IS...... THE CONTROL I'M TALKING ABOUT IS FOR DARKENING THE LENSE......... YOUR CALL NOW IT IS YOUR $$$$$$$$$$$$$$..........ROCK
[email protected]

[Hunter991]

Welding helmet

You may want to consider the speedglas line of welding helmets. I just recently went through the same decision process and was shopping around for helmets. I had decided on the hobart and was going to buy it from tractor supply company, as they had the best price around. I went to several local welding supply stores and asked them about the hobart and all of the suppliers acted funny about it. They all said that there had been alot of problems with the helmet. They all suggested a speedglas helmet. I wound up buying the 9000x for around $270 with side windows. Speedglas also has a lower end helmet for around the price of the hobart. I couldn't be happier with mine even though it cost more than I planned on spending on a helmet.

[msaraf]

Thanks for the info guys!

[Roger]

With your new TIG welder can turn it down weld real thin metal. For auto darkening to handle wide TIG range sensitivity adjustment becomes must have. Some helmets don't work well with pulse TIG again sensitivity training.

[Roger]

Looking at Miller parts catalog they now have helmets with sensitivity adjustment and delayed lightennig. They didn't list number of sensors. A good autodarkening filter will have 2 to 4 sensors. More is better.

[FIXXXXAH]

NOTHING BUT SPEEDGLAS

GET A SPEEDGLAS. THEY MAY BE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT THEY ARE FAR ABOVE ANY OTHER AUTO DIMMING HELMET OUT THERE. FASTER, CLEARER, AND MORE RELIABLE. I USED ONE OF THE HOBARTS A FEW WEEKS AGO, BRAND NEW, AND IT FLASHED ME NUMEROUS TIMES. SPEEDGLAS'S ARE FASTER, CLEARER, DONT DIM WHEN THEY SHOULDNT, AND STAY DIMMED WHEN THEY SHOULD. NOT TO MENTION THE PORTS TO KEEP YOUR BREATH FROM FOGGING THE LENS.
GO TO WWW.SPEEDGLAS.COM AND YOU CAN CHECK OUT ALL THEIR STUFF, AND IF YOU DECIDE TO GET ONE, EMAIL "[email protected]" AND TELL THEM THAT MATT KREBS SENT YOU, THEY WILL HOOK YOU UP.

SPEEDGLAS TILL I DIE BABY

MATT

[Hunter991]

speedglas

Speedglas has some helmets in the price range of Hobart but they are fixed shade. They also have some higher end helmets that are specifically for low amp tig, and they have one with a hard hat attached. If you need or want the best speedglas is the way to go.

[Hobart Expert Dave]

Mike all our Hobart Hoods do come complete with the 3v lithium battery. It is a life time rechargeable battery and it is non replacable. Think of it like the ones in your calculator that is soler powered have you ever had to replace it.
Thanks
Dave Evans

[DaveD]

About a year ago I bought a speedglas fixed shade 10 based on the supply house recommendations (newbie welder, but old enough to be a old grandfather). At the time it was the right decision. My opinion is speedglas is one of the top line brands in helmets.The only thing I might do over is spend $130 more and get the variable shade. Right now I can't convince myself to shell out for the variable shade one and don't trust all the $100 off brand ones I see on ebay.

[FIXXXXAH]

HERE'S A FEW PICTURES OF WHAT I DID TO MY HOOD THIS WEEKEND... IT'S PRETTY COOL IN PERSON

[FIXXXXAH]

NEXT... LOOK AT ALL THREE...

AND RUSSEL, THAT IS THE EXACT SAME HELMET I TRIED, HOPE I DONT GET BANNED FROM THIS BOARD FOR SAYING THIS, BUT I DIDN'T LIKE IT at all. I HAS A TENDANCY TO UNDIM FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND WHILE YOUR WELDING, HAS TROUBLE WITH TIG, AND THE EXTERNAL SHADE ADJUSTMENT KNOB IS JUST WAITING TO GET BROKEN, AND FEELS RATHER PEEFY AS IS....

[FIXXXXAH]

I KNOW THESE WERENT REALLY ON THE TOPIC, BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD POST, JUST TO EMPHASIZE "SPEEDGLAS BABY"

[BugEyedValiant]

I have a helmet that is the same as the Hobart ones(it came from Harbor Freight) and had mine do the flashing thing once. All you have to do is hit the reset button and the problem goes away. It is a good helmet for the money.

[FIXXXXAH]

VALIANT-
PERSONALLY, I WOULD RATHER HAVE A HELMET THAT DOESNT FLASH YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND IS FASTER TO BOOT. TO EACH HIS OWN THOUGH

IF THAT HELMET IS A HUGE FACTOR, SEE IF MILLER IS DOING THE SAME DEAL, AS YOU WILL GET THE SAME MACHINE, AND A BETTER VERSION OF THE HELMET [THE MILLER'S HAVE INTERNALY ADJUSTABLE SHADE [SERIOUS, I'D GIVE THE EXTERNAL KNOB A FEW MONTHES, MAX] ALONG WITH SENSETIVITY AND DELAY ADJUSTMENTS, HELPS ELIMINATE THE TIG PROBLEMS, BUT IT STILL FLASHED ME [THIS WAS THE SILVER ONE, WITH A PEELING BACK DIAMOND PLATE SCHEME, THINK IT MIGHT BE A HARLY EDITION OR SOMETHING.]

MATT