Thread: auto-darkening masks from ebay/Bunnings

No experience with the Weldcorp helmets, I've got one from when they used to stock Tecmen, works alright.
Can suggest this one:
Unimig Australian Flag Auto Darkening Welding / Grinding Helmet
That's what my workplace supplied, and with a pair of indoor/outdoor safeties on my eyes have been fine from days filled with welding (Wearing clear safeties sometimes lead to a bit of over-exposure, might just be my eyes though). I'd be more than happy to have one of these in my shed.

The cheapies seem to be fine for most usage from what I have seen. Low amperage TIG and some outdoor situations may catch them out as their potential weakness. The other difference is that most I have seen have 2 arc sensors, while the top line shields have 4 which gives more reliable activation in adverse conditions. Other than that, more dollars = more whistles and bells.
I used one of the auto lenses that replaced a standard filter lens for many years with MIG and Stick with few issues.
I would probably go for the Unimig or WIA as they have had a longer presence on the Australian market and are both companies that are unlikely to sell unsafe products.
No name ebay safety gear does make me at least a little bit uneasy.

As well as the difference in the number of sensors, other differences you will find between the cheap and expensive helmets are
- the range of sensitivities - cheaper units have a narrower range usually 9-13.
- Even if they have a wide range, a switch that allows you to flip between at least two settings e.g. grinding and welding is useful without fiddling with the exact sensitivity each time is useful
- the viewing are tends to be small for the cheaper ones and larger for the more expensive.

I have the cheapest Unimig with a small viewing area 9 - 13 sensitivity and recently bought a Tecmen with 5 - 13 sensitivity, a range flipping switch and a larger viewing area.

Looking at it the other way, some of the reasons for buying the brand name helmets would be the reliability, the robustness and reality vs. their specifications.
The issue I would have with buying a cheap badged helmet would be how long will it last; will it pack up at some stage because it gets a knock and does it really switch in the time and under the conditions that I expect. In previous discussions on helmets consensus has been that switching speed does not matter (although through my limited experience I disagree), but I would like to know that the helmet has not been dazzled by the sun or shielded by bits of workpiece - not much point in having an auto darkening helmet that waits for an arc to be well established before darkening.
I know that a Speedglas or Miller helmet will provide the protect I expect under a range of conditions. Would I put that faith in a badged up lowest cost item offered by a person/ organisation that has no established history of welding...

Michael

Just my two cents worth ...

You have two eyes, they cannot be replaced, get the best you can. I used a cheaper auto darkening one but found my eyes always watered the night after welding, I put it down to just focusing until until I used a Sevore.
Since then never had an issue. A few places also have deals from time to time and you may be able to pick up a $300 helmet for far less.

I justified the extra expense as a one off long term insurance policy, I don't think $300 is too much for eyesight.

Alan

Cigweld have a catalogue (called the Kickoff with Cigweld Catalogue Jun-July 14) special at the moment on their weldskill variable shade helmets at the moment $92. These are a good entry level helmet with solar and high switching speed, backed with Cigwelds name so you can be more sure it does comply with our standards than with some ebay knockoff. Masters still have them listed above this price, go hit them up for the 10% price guarantee.

I had a cigweld and a mate had a cheap helmet. They were overall pretty poor. I constantly got flashed. Always just enough to blind me for a few seconds and usually result in burning a hole through whatever I was working on. An extremely frustrating experience that I endured for over 2 years. I ended up throwing it and getting a Miller Digital Elite. I have not been flashed since. It is a brilliant helmet even with fluorescent lights on in the background or in direct sunlight. My mate used my Miller Digital Elite, and immediately turfed his and got one as well. He had the same issue of getting flashed with cheap helmets.

Note, we both only TIG weld. I do both high and low amp TIG.

Hi,
While we are talking about helmets.

Just a small thing point about electronic shields ,but a very salient one..

People complain of sore eyes "because I used a cheaper helmet". The alleged cheapness of the electronic lens itself is blamed for passing damaging light and causing arc eye. Nope! wrong! it just doesn't happen.
It is internet B/S,the same incorrect statement repeated over and over again in different forums until people accept it as fact. A fact it is not!

A soreness of the eye after welding may be attributed to the light value of the electronic lens set too low,but its like high beam exposure from an oncoming car- annoying but not damaging , you will get over it.
You cannot get an eye damaging welding flash "by virtue of using a cheap brand over an expensive one. Welding flash can only occur when the high intensity UV welding arc ray strikes the naked eye - NAKED EYE- I repeat with emphasis.

The shield whether operating or not, by its impervious to light construction prevents the rays form striking your eye .If the shield carries the (welding helmet standard -they all have them) standard no on the side or on the box, take this to mean the under normal use it cant' do "arc eye damage " to you. Consider, if this was the case then the lawyers would be all over this and yet there are no cases I am certainly unaware of where this has happened. The light seen through the lens is part of the visible spectrum - the nasty eye damaging UV light is stopped at the front lens cover.So,all is ok unless lens or helmet body has a direct hole in it.

Your shield would have to have a physical hole in it, for it not to work. Wearing clear safety glasses can prevent arc eye-1mm of plastic stops the UV the non visable rays in the light spectrum..

I am positive that if people get "arc eye" then at some stage the electronic helmet has been raised and the arc accidentally started or alternately there is a physical gap between lens and helmet lens aperture.

The soreness spoken of is just soreness will be due to the light setting built (sometimes adjustable) into the lens. An over bright light emission will do you no more harm than headlight flash. for most DIY welding 10 -11 -equivalent is fine.It is up to the user to select the amps requirement and choose /adjust the settings correctly. Check the markings on the box or the helmets - most comply to standard ( ANSI <Yank and EN< Euro ) -some may even have Aust Std AS 1338 but it is not the direct equivalent, I understand.

I suspect some cheap shields may not accurately fit the lens to the aperture. I have seen a couple of distorted helmets and there was a gap that a pinhole width of light may have passed through the lens aperature. This came about from the helmet being squashed into a space and left there and resulted in a permanent distorted shape.

To those who don't wear safety glasses under the helmet, I say to you, beware! when you raise your helmet apart from the accidental strike hazard you can suffer burns to the eye and eye lids from chipped flux.

Me, I have to wear script glasses under the helmet and as such have never received a "flash" since I started to wear script glasses. Prior to that I remember quite a few flashes and think back that i used to remove them when it got hot.

I have used the WIA helmet with the replaceable battery and adjustable lens and find it good for everything but very low amp tig where it flickers to the point where it can't be used.Not as light as my Speedglas but good for short jobs -I paid around $100 for the Wia a few years back.

To be very clear and re enforce the point ,once again - you can only get "arc eye" from a direct naked eye exposure to the welding arc. Even a safety glasses lens will stop the harmful UV

Grahame

Wholesomely agree with you there Grahame.
As I (poorly) mentioned before, changing my safety glasses removed the strain from my eyes (Too many high beams on the highway will eventually give you a headache). And the best thing about it, is that I now have my favourite type of safety glasses. Light enough to see clearly indoors even in poor lighting, tinted enough that outdoors is fine. No more swapping from clears to darks when I leave the shed into the sunlight.

And bugger welding without wearing safeties at all. The amount of times I've had spatter merrily jump into my helmet in the past two months, glad I'm not tempting fate!

A little bit more info I can offer about the Unimig mask I linked to earlier. Has the old mode selector on the outside, easy to adjust with gloves on, works well for grinding and shifting it in between, nicely briefly darkens the lense when you dial it up out of grinding mode so you can tell that you're going to save yourself from being flashed.
Also has a sensitivity adjustment (for indoors vs outdoors situations), and a delay adjustment (how long it stays dark for).
Only downside is two sensors, not four, but you quickly learn what positions risk flashing you in. Also the view could be a little lighter, though it might be due to the age of the mask.
Pretty sure the protective lenses (Protecting the main lense from spatter, scratches, sweat and whatnot) are cheap, being nice flat simple rectangular shapes.

Thanks guys - a lot of great info there.
I went down to Adelaide Tools today, and tried on a Lincoln helmet with the large screen(97x85mm) - wow!

$285, but the view is amazing. It has 4 sensors, 1/25,000th second switch time, replaceable battery, so I'm leaning towards it. I'm retiring next friday, and so they are fishing for a suggested present, so even if it doesn't cover it all, I'm happy to make up whatever difference remains.
My reading is that Lincoln is a mid-tier helmet, neither the best or worst. Pity they all are covered in artwork - makes me feel I should go dancing through a field with a flower between my teeth.... Black would suit me, but guess I'll have to go with it.

Originally Posted by LordBug

Pretty sure the protective lenses (Protecting the main lense from spatter, scratches, sweat and whatnot) are cheap, being nice flat simple rectangular shapes.

I just had another rush of excrement to the brain.

For those with some shields that have larger, more expensive and easy to scratch lenses. When you need to replace them take the old one to a plastics supply business.

I was able to purchase a whole sheet of a suitable replacement material and chop it up into the correct size pieces. For me the worked out at .80c a piece. ( edit here) disclaimer here if your dumb enough to use the former on a dual purpose welding & grinding-I don't believe it is impact resistant -leastways not from broken grinder wheel pieces at velocity.I saw it once or twice with the old hiderok helmets -luckily no serous injuries as we all wore S / glasses under helmet.

Those of you with migs will notice the build up on the clear lenses.

What is it? I am not sure ,probably a heavy metal or silica deposit . It does not polish off well, so external clear insert lenses must be binned on a regular basis other wise it interferes with vision of the arc.

Don't forget, if you tend to have problems seeing the arc , to pull the entire assembly down and clean it regularly with the recommended cleaner.You will be surprised at the difference

Grahame

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

I am positive that if people get "arc eye" then at some stage the electronic helmet has been raised and the arc accidentally started or alternately there is a physical gap between lens and helmet lens aperture.

Don't forget also that light from the arc can get into your helmet around the sides and under under the chin, particularly if you're working around lots of shiny aluminium.

Originally Posted by WelderMick

Don't forget also that light from the arc can get into your helmet around the sides and under under the chin, particularly if you're working around lots of shiny aluminium.

Mick, your ears are probably like mine - stick out like taxi doors. Mine stuck out so far the tips were visible past the edge of the helmet.

There's a light weight cotton hood we used that.s like a naval gunners balaclava - much better than the greasy protective cream which always got into my eyes and made them sting - bigger hazard . The same hood also kept the grinding dust out of my hair, in the days when I had hair.

Grahame

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

People complain of sore eyes "because I used a cheaper helmet". The alleged cheapness of the electronic lens itself is blamed for passing damaging light and causing arc eye. Nope! wrong! it just doesn't happen.

I'm at a loss then to explain that gritty sore eye feeling that I got when using a cheap 1/4,000th second helmet and that didn't occur with my Miller 1/20,000th helmet. Everyone tells me it doesn't happen but no one explained that either to the cheap helmet or my eyes so they went ahead and did what ever they were doing anyway. I didn't end up flashed (that I noticed), just with the sore eyes.
(Stick on blue tube, well ventilated - if anyone knows what happened I'd like to know)

Michael