auto hood ?

[slagburn]

wondering about the auto hoods. never tried one , but been welding for 10 year as hobby / parttime side job. is a auto hood more for small runs were you pick the hood up and down all day and use it as a face sheild for grinding. i had a friend that just started to weld tell me that there the best thing and i had to try one. but the fixed never bothered me. i run pretty long beads. is it beter for tacks and short runs were you have to move and start again.

[slagburn]

i also hear they darken slow in the cold. welded out side today, just above freezing. not sure if that is true? might give one a try, just wondering.

[Stick rod]

I have a Speedglass 9000X.The book claims there rated to 23 degrees F,but I`ve used mine for short periods in the teens.Use mine in the shop and field both sometimes welding nonstop for 10 min. no problems.Been on job sites where guys have all brands of ADF`s not heard of any problems.Hope this helps.

[Kelly Aitken]

I'm using mine outside right now and it's 4 degrees in the morning. Works just fine. Can't grind with it because the sparks cause it to go dark. It doesn't matter if you are doing short runs or welding all day, they are great. I thought mine craped out because it wouldn't lighten up. I figured, at least it broke in the dark mode so I can still use it. Turns out I was getting so much reflection off the snow it wouldn't lighten up.

Kelly

[JET]

I have used several different auto helmets. I bought a Jackson NexGen ECQ and love it! This things kicks ***. I have welded with it cold and it doesn't matter. It also has a 3n1 system so you can grind with it and it won't darken all the way. It has 4 sensors and I have never been flashed. By far the best helmet I have used (blows away a Speedglas). I have heard the Optrel is really good too, that was my 2nd choice when looking.

[slagburn]

thanks,

have to borrow one from a friend and try it. think he has a miller.

[INTP]

I found the AD helmet to be more of a benefit in some situations than others. In general, I found it more useful on MIG than TIG. By that, I mean that the starts on MIG would be better positioned without having to nod. With TIG, it was less of a deal because of the HF start, and being able to get the arc going and see what you're doing before the puddle starts. It also happens that my first AD helmet was a Speedglas Utility, which is a good helmet, but isn't supposed to work with TIG. I also found the AD helmet useful for the limited stick welding I've done, but maybe that's just my lack of coordination and experience starting off the weld.

So I can see why it would be more useful if you're doing lots of starts and stops. Once you're going, it's the same, so if you do long welds then you might not appreciate it as much. You also aren't going to have as sore a neck as you would if you had more stops and starts with the non-AD helmet.

But when I welded my subframe connectors to the underside of my car, I was welding upside down in a tight space, and the head nod would have been awkward or impossible. The AD helmet really helped not just me, but I think the welds are better, too.

[Terence638]

Ive got 2 1 is a Jackson older model and it feels like there is an anchor on my head, The other is a Miller Xli series it is light as a fetaher and works increadibly well, I havent noticed a differenc in the cold but then again i havent thought about it and now eye burn so i guess its ok.
The prices are dropping also. the front lenses hold up very well also.
Good luck
Terence