Welding Helmet Covers

[Oversig]

I Weld daily for forty hours weekly minimum.
My biggest concern is the price of UPKEEP!
Replacing my lens covers both inside & outside covers are running into real money.
What auto darkening Welding helmet has the cheapest replacement Lenses????

Upkeep should be considered when purchasing anything that requires ongoing replacement costs to use.

[aametalmaster]

I welded for 40 years. Keeping your face out of the smoke is the biggest thing. I bet i didn't use 30 covers in 40 years. Some guys used 1 a week...Bob

[Oversig]

I understand your point but it’s not an answer.
Doing normal Welding I’m sure it’s not much of an issue.
I Weld on a fast paced Truck frames production line.
The amount of Welding we do is causing our covers to ware-out quickly. It’s nonstop Welding & my head angle is not the problem.
What auto darkening Helmet has the cheapest Lens Covers?
I currently use a Speedglas 9000x.
Thanks.

[Noel]

Remember when clear lenses were made out of glass? Standard size, fits all. Cheap to buy, companies handed them out to welders. Then someone lost an eye? Ruined everything?
Few buy with the idea of being held hostage to a helmet, but for the price of seeing clearly, replacement lenses and cost seems to be an area no one thinks much about until seeing the price in replacement?
I own multiple helmets so I understand the grief. One thing you might think about, cutting up a clear safety face shield. That and some tape...won't be pretty but quick and easy.

[Noel]

I understand your point but it’s not an answer.
Doing normal Welding I’m sure it’s not much of an issue.
I Weld on a fast paced Truck frames production line.
The amount of Welding we do is causing our covers to ware-out quickly. It’s nonstop Welding & my head angle is not the problem.
What auto darkening Helmet has the cheapest Lens Covers?
I currently use a Speedglas 9000x.
Thanks.

Talk about releasing the purse strings of information. Truck frame production? How big a truck? What process? I'm assuming GMAW in a spray and your getting a greasy smoke, warping distorted lens?
So you a grunt welding or a management type looking at costs? I ask because If your looking to replace your helmet, ask at the counter where you get your welding supplies.

https://www.weldingxpert.com/best-we...elmet-reviews/

[ryanjones2150]

The cheapest would probably be a horrible freight model. But there's no comparison between your speedglass and a cheap-o. They kind of get ya that way huh? Make you buy their special lens protective covers that are specific for that hood rather than a generic fit.

Maybe look into an old school passive hood and retro fit an auto darkening cartridge into it. Then the protective covers will be more of a "generic" fit. I bet you could find a box of those clear covers laying around somewhere. My neighbor bought me a box of those things at a garage sale a couple years ago for something like a buck. I had no use for them so I tossed em.

[Burnt hands]

If you don't need glass covers, I bought some
.030" polycarbonate sheets on ebay and cut my own from them.

12" x 24" piece for $9.55 with free shipping.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEXAN-SHEET...ss!19010!US!-1

[Ltbadd]

Ask your employer to provide them

[Weld dr]

ask your employer to provide them

i agree cant believe they dont provide them

[Olivero]

Lol.

Keeping your head out of it is the way to reduce loss.

I spent multiple years TIG welding and a little Stick. ended up replacing my covers 1 or 2 times. Then I did 1 job on Aluminum, MIG with Argon, had to replace them 2 or 3 times during the project because I had my face in it like I would with TIG, tried moving away and it got a lot better.

Perhaps you can't because you can't see or whatever, then it is what it is, downgrading your helmet seems like a bad way to go, downgrade from speedglass it might feel like you have a messed up cover, permanently.

[ryanjones2150]

I certainly find I get much closer the more my lens gets screwed up.

I use some plastic polish on my outside lens in between changes, it helps.

[FusionKing]

Guys in our shop use McGuire's plastic polish and an air buffer . I save the old ones on my Speedglass and buff them ahead at times.
Jackson helmets are the only way to go if you want the generic size lenses. High quality and low price maintenance.
I just want the cool stuff to impress my customers.
I can't believe no one here beat me to suggesting Jackson …..it's been like 3 days already

[Ltbadd]

I can't believe no one here beat me to suggesting Jackson …..it's been like 3 days already

We were saving that for you

[snoeproe]

I have multiple shields. The one I use the most is the cheapest to replace the clear lenses. It’s a flip window fibre metal with. 4 1/4x2 window. I have an AD insert lens in it. The clear lenses are dirt cheap and I buy a large box of lens covers at a time.
For my other shields with larger windows, I prefer to cut my own lens covers when I need them from a larger piece.

[Willvis]

I welded for 40 years. Keeping your face out of the smoke is the biggest thing. I bet i didn't use 30 covers in 40 years. Some guys used 1 a week...Bob

Jeez. Sometimes I would replace them once a day. I've gone as far as replacing them a few times a day if I was welding 30" pipe in position or something like that. Its not the smoke so much as the grinding. The smoke does effext the life because when you wipe it off you scratch the lenses. I've never used an auto darkening helmet when I was working as an employee. Every employer I have ever worked for (probably 15+) suppied the standard size lenses. I dont think any of them bought non-standard lenses and I dont blame them. I mean some of those lenses are in the $10+ range? When buying the standard clear lenses in bulk they probably pay less then 50 cents each. Believe me that is one of the cheapest things they could buy and is totally insignificant when you compare all the other costs of a welding business. When I have clean lenses the quality of the welding goes up. Get a standard cigweld helmet and get your employer to buy the lenses if they aren't already. If you can't part with your auto helmet then don't ever wipe the smoke off. Take then lens to the washroom and wash it under water and then add soap and then wash off. Pat it dry with a soft towel, they will last 10x as long if you do that.