What kind of welding helmet do you use, & are you happy with it?

[budman]

Helmut and Smoking

I am about to pull the trigger on a Miller BWE. This thread has helped, but so has the price on ebay.

Keep trying, diligently! My dad is a COPD patient (30 years at 2-3 packs, an additional 30 years as a smokeless dependent). He wants to do so much more than he can. Its sad. My sister passed away from lung cancer (non-smoker) at 51. Bad way to go. There were other inputs to their problems, but cigs were definitely in both equations (first hand or second hand). Welding itself has respiratory risks, and we don't need to augment them. 'Nuff said. I am off the soap box.

One last chance to derail the BWE.

Buddy

[MAC702]

One last chance to derail the BWE.

Not from me. Just as some have said, there are several TOP QUALITY hoods out there that are different in their designs, but each is just right for certain people. The BWE is that hood for me. The comfortable, practical, stable headgear was the seller, but the rest of it was just plain awesome, too. I bought the black one for $219 from BRWelder.

[imported_frank865]

I am about to pull the trigger on a Miller BWE. This thread has helped, but so has the price on ebay.

Keep trying, diligently! My dad is a COPD patient (30 years at 2-3 packs, an additional 30 years as a smokeless dependent). He wants to do so much more than he can. Its sad. My sister passed away from lung cancer (non-smoker) at 51. Bad way to go. There were other inputs to their problems, but cigs were definitely in both equations (first hand or second hand). Welding itself has respiratory risks, and we don't need to augment them. 'Nuff said. I am off the soap box.

One last chance to derail the BWE.

Buddy

I won't try to derail it...BUT I bought one without trying it first & now wish I hadn't! Don't misunderstand me, the BWE is a good lid, but the Optrel works LOTS better for me. Try the Jackson. Miller & Uvex all before you buy, if possible. One of my friends has a Jackson & LOVES it, but won't use my Optrel or BWE!!!! We're all different. Get what's best for YOU! Try not to make a $250 mistake as I did!

[fun4now]

i say go for it you will love it, ill get miller on the phone this afternoon i gota get out to the shop to get a 800# as i dont have long distance so i'll call them as soon as i get home, the wife's hony doooo list gota get shoes for the boy.
FWIW i got mine at BRwelding online.

[fun4now]

sorry i couldnt find the 800# so i sent in an e-mail. disorganization is a bummer, i think its in my parts catilog the problem is we just rearanged the comp. room to make room for puppys so i cant find any thing i'll try again tomarow. wish me luck.

[HAWK]

I'm a little old fashioned -- I still use a Huntsman with a flip-top

I have been researching and comparing auto hoods, however, and I do have a couple questions of my own.

Most of my work is portable, and in various conditions (dirt, grease, oil, etc) which means rough and abusive use. I find myself replacing the plastic safety shields often, as they get cloudy and scratched up fairly quickly, which affects my ability to see clearly. I usually buy the 2 X 4 coverplates in a box of 100, which stays on the truck, and takes me 2 -3 years to go through.

The question is, with the specialty hoods and the special coverplates required, wouldn't the cost be prohibitive? It was suggested to me that I buy the Jackson or Huntsman lens and use it in a standard hood, which would allow me to stay with generic coverplates.

The other question is, can the sensitivity on any of these be turned down to the point that grinding won't darken the lens? It seems to me a PITA to have to take the hood off all the time to push the "grind" button, and do it again to push the "weld" button. Right now all I have to do is flip up, and I can grind, flip down and I can weld.

I'd appreciate any comments anybody has here, I think those new hoods are great in a controlled shop environment, anybody have any experience using them out in the field?

I have the Miller BWE and an Optrel Satellite. I tried both in field work and like the Optrel better for repair work because of its one touch push to grind and push again to weld button. I put in ear plugs and add helmet. It has no batteries and is always on. The shade and sensitivity can be set with a gloved hand. It is very easy to change out the front shield. I order mine 25 at a time and this last me a year or so. As for the cost a few extra dollars per job more than pays for hood covers.

The BWE is a great hood too. I do like Bulldog and turn the sensitivity all the way down to grind. The buttons are inside and it will turn off after 15-20 minutes of no arc time. I keep it in shop for TIG most of the time. I always keep an old Jackson with a #10 gold lens and a flip hood just in case.

[fun4now]

my e-mail about the safty concerns of the 1/20000 flash time was forwarded to the miller Safety Director, so hopefully we will get a responce soon.

[Rocky D]

I have a Speedglas 9000v and a Miller BWE....I like the Speedglas because it's lighter than all the rest and surprizingly durable....I dropped it 15 feet fro a scaffold and not a scratch! I have a bad neck from many years of production welding flipping the Huntsmans and Jackson big window hoods thousands of times a week, for 40 years. I use the old Huntsman for TIG cause it has a # 8 lens and a cheater in it. I've tried 'em all and I still put my peepers in a Speedglas...mainly because it's comfortable. The darkening time is never an issue in a helmet...because you're protected by the lens....hundreds of time I've been flashed, by forgetting to flip down the helmet or even in a shop where you have 15 other guys welding around you and I have never gotten a flash that has been serious to the point of degrading my vision in any way, or painfull. The amount of time a lens takes to darken, to me is just a non-issue.

[ctardi]

I've got a miller a/d, the middle one, forget what it's called. With the red flame job, and I absolutly love it!

[wrongwayfc]

Speed glas9002x over here.. Works great! It doesn't really like to say up though and I've never tried a Miller BWE.. I picked the speed glass b/c I think I can fit into tighter spaces with it.

[burninbriar]

Speed glas9002x over here.. Works great! It doesn't really like to say up though .

An employers dream.

[Coalsmoke]

I have a Speedglas 9000v and a Miller BWE....I like the Speedglas because it's lighter than all the rest and surprizingly durable....I dropped it 15 feet fro a scaffold and not a scratch! I have a bad neck from many years of production welding flipping the Huntsmans and Jackson big window hoods thousands of times a week, for 40 years. I use the old Huntsman for TIG cause it has a # 8 lens and a cheater in it. I've tried 'em all and I still put my peepers in a Speedglas...mainly because it's comfortable. The darkening time is never an issue in a helmet...because you're protected by the lens....hundreds of time I've been flashed, by forgetting to flip down the helmet or even in a shop where you have 15 other guys welding around you and I have never gotten a flash that has been serious to the point of degrading my vision in any way, or painfull. The amount of time a lens takes to darken, to me is just a non-issue.

My experience would be concurrent with what Rocky just said. Accidently had my speedglas sitting upside down while grinding, tarp let a bunch of rain water into it. I was worried, by dried it off with a rag and it was fine, so its well sealed too. And, this last job I just finished I spent 25 hours hunched inside the hammer-mill part of a large forestry grinder (think barkmulch maker in large scale) welding in the vert up and overhead position. There was just enough room for me to be able to squirm a bit either way and to flip around from belly to back. If I had one of them larger helmets, I'd have been hooped. Another thing I like about the speedglas is how high top part goes over the top of the head, which dramatically cuts down the amount of slag and sparks bouncing off your head. For serious, demanding work, the speedglas rules the roost.

[jwsrep]

I have a Speedglas 9000X w/side windows. It's a decent hood, but I wish I had my old Speedglas XL hood back....now that was a great a/d helmet. We sell Speedglas, Miller/Hobart, Optrel, Huntsman and Jackson. Heres what Ive experienced.

The Speedglas 9000 series when they first came out were junk. They have improved them with the newer generation lids. The Optrel is a great hood but the outer cover lens' cost a small fortune (Satelite) 20 bucks for pkg of 5...not a big deal, but.... Sorry Miller but I'm not a big fan of Miller helmets either. I have had quite a few failures that Miller stood behind, but.... The Jackson Nex Gen is a good product and Huntsman is....well Huntsman can't hang.

All in all my reccomendation on performance alone would be Optrel or the 9002X Speedglas. Speedglas has always been good to deal with especially on warranty issues, but I have not had any opportunity to deal with them since being bought by 3M.

[drscotch]

I'm a little late on this one. I've got a Jackson EQC (pre NexGen) as well. Nice lens, bad headgear, in my opinion. All this talk has me wanting to try the BWE or Optrel. Personally, as a rookie home shop welder, the auto helmet was by far my best garage investment.

[tigman47]

BWE , but I do have to close my eyes before I start an arc. Don't no why but I always get zapped.