Hi guys, I want to give my stick welder a go but before I can I need a mask and then some rods!
What welding mask would you guys go for? Best value for money ideally as I don't have a fortune right now. I see on ebay auto darkening masks at £10-400 on ebay!
Chris
I have one from Harbor Freight that my wife uses and likes. Tom's is cheaper but at least you now have options on where to get one.
I've had a couple of the real budget ones, but they didn't last, no shock resistance what so ever, maybe Im too clumsy but things roll and fall around here. Had a low end Lincoln, good tough helmet with solar or arc power but they still need a battery and it wasn't user replaceable, even this user. Now have a Miller that you can change the batteries in, and have had to. Also look for ones that have reasonably priced shields, some are helmet specific and those get expensive.
I found a very reasonably priced SpeedGlass on Craig's List. I'm "a bit" anal about my welding helmet as I have glaucoma and up until surgery last spring I also had cataracts. One thing to keep in mind is eyes are very difficult to repair so a cheap helmet may not be inexpensive in the long run just like a cheap motorcycle helmet is not a bargain when you're skidding down the road on your back. (done that too).
The $40 helmet that I bought from Northern meets the same standards/approvals as the $300 helmets (ANSI Z87.1 , CSA Z94.3 and CE EN379). I've had it for 15 years and it has never flashed me or let me down. I found it through a recommendation by Jodie over on
WeldingTipsandTricks. If it's good enough for him, I guess its good enough for me. The reviews on Northern weren't half bad either (495/502).
Tom
I have the predecessor to this one. I like that it has four sensors and a large viewing area.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/p..._200416894
It's solar powered with battery backup and the battery is replaceable.
I also have one of the cheap Harbor Freight helmets that I bought for when I have someone over to show me how to weld or I'm showing them how not to weld, not on purpose.
Ed
I have a Speedglass 9002x with the adflo attachment because I like breathing as much as I like seeing. Plus the adflo seems to keep things from fogging up when I put the helmet on my fat head
Regretfully the term "inexpensive" did not apply.
As I mentioned, and similar to Ed, I have the cheap Harbor Freight for people that might stop by and want to watch. It has proven to be a quite reasonable helmet and the experience has been similar to what Tom has had with his.
This site provides information about what protection you are trying to achieve ...
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_ha.../eyes.html
Information from the Lincoln Electric and other sites suggest that the Ultraviolet and Infrared are relatively easy to screen in that a coating is applied to the lens and 100% of the problem is resolved. Given that ordinary polycarbonate safety glasses will restrict 99% of the UV while appearing perfectly clear seems to bear this out. Note that it is a permanent coating and therefore "always on" ... assuming you have the helmet on and the UV is not leaking in from the side or somewhere else ... and not part of the auto-dimming feature.
Note that the UV produced will affect exposed skin so a protective coating like ***** sleeves, gloves, etc. should also be applied to those areas to prevent "sunburn" of any exposed surfaces. Regretfully skin cancer is a possible outcome from over exposure of the skin to UV, so it should be taken seriously.
The visible spectrum component is what the auto-dimming is designed to address. The OSHA document suggest that the "bright lights" can cause temporary blindness and eye fatigue but does not appear to be permanent. Therefore if your auto dimming helmet fails then it is very annoying and should be avoided but does not cause permanent damage.
As a side note, both of my helmets seem to be at shade 5 even if the battery is dead. Certainly not what I would want to run a long bead but enough for me to feel annoyed but "somewhat protected from the light" when I strike an arc and find that the battery is dead and it didn't go to shade 10.
Just my opinion,
Arvid