Miller Helmet: Big Window Elite

[HAWK]

To all interested in an excellent electronic welding hood:

I received the Big Window Elite on Friday 13, 2004 and have had a lot of fun using it this week. It is by far the most comfortable helmet I have ever worn. It is noticeably lighter than my other welding hoods. Adjustments are snap with this hood. It has the standard movements like head band, forward tilt, and amount of pressure required to lift and lower it. It also allows the operator to adjust the distance form your face to the inside front of the hood.

The fit and finish are excellent. All the controls are inside leaving nothing to hit or break when welding in tight places. It has control knobs for on, shade 9-13, sensitivity, and delay. The knobs are large enough to be adjusted with a gloved hand (TIG style gloves only). The delay is adjustable from .1 seconds to more than 1 second. The sensitivity is very responsive. The shade adjustments accomodated everything I tried form 5 amps of DC tig to 325 amps with a 1/4" carbon rod. I spent some time with stick, mig, and carbon arc ; but I put more in on tig just to test response to the inverter arc, pulsing, and could I get it to flash me.

I tried welding with overhead halogen lights, overhead flourescent lights, outdoors with overcast skies, inside a nearly dark warehouse backlit with garage door window lighting, etc. I ran a variety of amperage welds from 5 amps to 200 amps on my Dynasty with slow and fast pulse rates as well as no pulse. I never got flashed. When I dropped down to 70 amps on 1.5 PPS I could see the arc pulsating narrow to wide in sync with the machine noise, but the Big Window Elite was not at all bothered by the pulsing inverter arc. On fast pulsing the helmet responded equally well. Under no condition did I have a problem with this helmet.

Is there anything I don't like about the Big Window Elite? Yes. I am used to a solar helmet like the Optrel Satellite and will have to get used to pushing the on button. If you don't strike an arc for about 15 minutes it will turn off.

I must say that the Miller Big Window Elite has found a warm spot next to my welding jacket and gloves. It has fast become one of my favorite pieces of welding equipment. I am thoroughly impressed with this new electronic welding hood.

Will I shelve my Optrel Satellite? No. It too is a fine helmet. I think it boils down to personal preference. If pressed to choose one over the other I would have to pick both!

[Blondie_486]

Hawk,

Is there any way to add a magnifier lens on the inside of the helmet? This is a big issue with me in the matter of picking a new welding helmet. I have needed bifocals since I was in my 20's but found that I can't wear them at work especially if I have to use a hammer. I get into awkward positions and my line of vision is right between my regular lens and my bifocal, I end up seeing several images and the only thing I can hit with any success is my fingers. Right now I have a piece of junk Jackson 5x4 helmet. I would have never paid any money for it but when I bought my little red MIG welder they threw it in for free. Right now I'm switching between my regular glasses and my reading glasses when TIG welding the big problem there is when I lift my helmet and try to move I have to switch glasses again. My thoughts are to go back to a smaller 2x4 lens flip front helmet and put a magnaview on the inside. The downside to this however will be all of the filter changing when switching from MIG or stick welding to TIG or plasma cutting.

I've been somewhat leary of an electronic helmet until I joined this group and heard that the Optrel and Speedglas and now the new Miller helmets work pretty well. Maybe my Miller dealer should join this forum and read the posts, I was in there the other day and asking about electronic helmets and what brands they carry. They didn't seem to know much about them though and were recommending the Jackson helmet over Miller or Speedglas. None of the guys in there knew if there was a way to put the magnaview inside the electronic helmets or not and they didn't seem to be enthused about getting one out to look at it either. However they tried very hard to get me to walk out the door with a Jackson and were willing to knock a hundred bucks off the regular price. I told them that I would rather get the FiberMetal 2x4 flip front because I knew I could get a magnaview in it. They didn't have that one in stock though and now they don't know when they can get one.

Any suggestions or comments will be greatly appreciated. I need a better solution than the constant changing of glasses which isn't easy with gloves on.

Blondie_486

[HAWK]

Blondie_486,

That's a good question. It seems like Andy said you can. The inside of the lens has a notched holder. Maybe it is made for that purpose. I don't know what size magnifier (physical demension) would be used. A standard 2"x4" lens looks too small. The literature does not mention any such addition.

I really did not consider a magnifier since I don't use one. It sounds like what you are doing is a nuisance. Andy is at Rockingham this weekend. Maybe he can give some specifics when the race is over.

[Blondie_486]

Hawk,

Yes what I'm doing now is a very big nuisance and I need to do something to change that. The way I figure it even if I can't get a magnifier into an electronic helmet changing filters has to be less of a nuisance than constantly switching glasses, both pairs are now sprung way out of shape from trying to get them off and on with my helmet and gloves on.

I tried asking Andy in a previous post about the possibility of putting a magnifier in but I don't remembering him saying whether or not you could. I had written other things in the post as well and maybe that sidetracked him from my original question. I figured since you had one in front of you that you'd be able to see if it were possible to get one in or not. The magnaview lenses that I've used in the past are the standard 2x4 size I haven't seen them in any other sizes.

Thanks for the reply

Blondie_486

[HAWK]

Blondie_486,

I'll check with Miller Monday. I sent Andy email concerning your question. He should get back to us when the race at Rockingham is finished. I will get you and answer. I must say this Big Window Elite has really surprised me. It really is awesome on aluminum with the pulse on at 1.5PPS. I'll look around the shop. I had a 1.75 2"x4" mag lens at one time. Iused it in an old Jackson Flip hood. By the way: I agree with you on Jackson products. I doubt they would make a good boat anchor!

[Blondie_486]

Hawk,

No they're too light for a boat anchor! It'd drift off in a mud puddle! I think Jackson needs to return to the drawing board. At one time Jackson products were OK but my preference was always toward FiberMetal but there wasn't anything wrong with the Jacksons of years ago (like back in the late 60's early 70's).

Blondie_486

[Paul Seaman]

Hey Guys: Jackson is what made my welding jump to the next level. I had a red 110 wire feed and the journeyman shade 10 auto dark fit that niche very well they just are not up to the pro or high amature level. We have all had words about the different hoods and for a change there are many very quality choices and for many different reasons. Hawk putting the new big window miller up with the Optrel is high praise and I look foreword to my dealer getting one just so I can see the difference for myself. weld well, weld safe

[bail76]

Blondie,
The 2004 Miller catalog says the new Elite will hold a magnifier. Hope this helps.

[HAWK]

pjseaman,

I have owned 2 Jackson helmets. I still have my original 2"x4" flip lens Jackson. I also had a 9-13 variable shade EQC hood. The EQC Journeyman was bad to flash and the lens quality was poor. It had real light areas on the outer fringes and was hard to look through unless looking straight on. One day the lens failed. It had a small dark rectangle in the middle that grew larger until no arc was visible. It was out of warranty and would cost $75 plus freight to exchange for a remanufactured lens. I declined and gave it to a friend who was willing to pay for the exchange.

[Grampa]

Bi Focals

I made a trip to my eye doc and got some bifocals that were more suited to what we are doing..no more buted fingers and I can now use the hood..I am using an older hood with the large viewport in it as the samll one did not work out at all..

I think I will take Hawk's word on this and get the new Miller hood..

Grampa

[Blondie_486]

Grampa,

What kind of bifocals did you get? Are they especially designed for welders? Could you give a little more detail on them? It would be nice if I didn't have to keep switching glasses all day because I have to switch to read the blueprints too.

Thanks

Blondie_486

[Grampa]

Eye wear

Blondie,

Take your hood and go off to see your family doc and get a referral to an eye doc who practices industrial medicine..what my eye doc did was raise the dividing line between the lower part and upper part of the bifocal..(a few thousands)..now I can see and use the hood without quite so many head tilts and gymnastics..

This probably not something the guy at Wal-Mart can do..

Mine are made from safety glass and are rated to be Industrial safety glasses..Use wire frames as when ya bend em not if ya bend em..ya can straighten them out..

The big glass hoods are best..that was so cool when they came out with big glass hoods..;>)

Hard part is finding the eye doc that has a clue what we need..

Good luck

Grampa

[HAWK]

To Grampa and all:

I see some of you are considering the new Miller Hood. Please note I have only evaluated the BIG WINDOW ELITE with the four independant sensors. To the best of my understanding the other Miller Helmets do not use this newer technology and even when updated will not have the four independant sensors.

The point of my message is get the BIG WINDOW ELITE not one of the other Miller hoods. Remember the post when the Dynasty came in it was the SD model rather than the DX. He was pretty disappointed. From what I know I don't think the other Miller Helmets would be quite as nice on the performance end.

[Grampa]

being conservative

I will wait a bit..keep on keeping on with the old style that has serve me well..not exactly sure why I need a new one anyway..

Thanks Hawk for the update on the hood deal..

Grampa

[HAWK]

Grampa,

You don't have to go with a new electronic hood.. None of us welders really must have the new electronic hoods. However, they do make the arc start easier, speed up production, and take the strain off our necks and backs when flipping the hood hundreds of times a week. For me the benefits outway the financial burden. I have been through several electronic hoods before the new Miller BIG WINDOW ELITE. I still own and use my Optrel Satellite and my Kemper e hood is hanging on the wall collecting dust. It is just a spare. I think my favorite (for sentimental reasons mostly) is the old 4"x 5" Fibre-Metal or the Hunstman cardboard hood.