My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

I've seen this a lot on many forums. People bashing or complaning about cheap auto-darkening helmets not offering adequate protection for their eyes. Well, it's all just myths and bullshit passed from one person to another until it's taken as gospel.

Most auto-darkening helmets come with a #3-5 light shade, and then darken to #9-13. People will say that the longer response time with a cheap helmet when switching from light to dark is enough to cause damage. Bullshit. A #3 lens by itself is enough to filter out all harmful UV radiation and most of the IR radiation. The darkening feature is just for comfort.

So, what's this mean? I means that even if your darkening feature failed outright and you welded, your eyes would be protected just the same from UV. Now, you'll get more IR (heat) radiation into your eyes, but you'd receive just as much radiation taking off the helmet and going outside in the sun.

So, why buy a more expensive helmet? The only thing you're getting by doing that is perhaps quicker on/off times and buying a brand name. I've been using a cheap $50 (now $60) HF auto-darkening helmet for the last 2 years and I've never had troubles with my eyes that could be attributed to welding.

Re: Info: CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

My HF helmet is starting to go out and not filtering out as much as it used to. I tried TIG'ing with it and wow, it was like I wasn't even wearing a helmet my eyes were hurting so bad that I was squinting welding. I said ---- that ---- cause I like being able to see. I tried my fluxcore and it worked fine but still not like it used to be but still useable. I even had it adjusted to as dark and to the fastest reaction adjustment possible but no dice. Being that it's a HF, I'll just bring it back and get a new one. They never ask anything about whats wrong with itand just naturally say, you want another or your money back. Now that's how every store should be. I've had it for about 3 years and maybe the 3 winters of sitting in the garage in Wisconsin did something to it but for 50 bucks you can't complain when you can't just take it back and get another. Man I love that store. :6

Re: Info: CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Mine doesn't always darken right away. I got into the habit to blink when I first strike an arc.

Re: Info: CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Keep your bullshit opinions to yourself. I have used both. I KNOW from experience that the HF helmet doesnt darken as fast and or sometimes not at all. Don't come in here spewing your bullshit. The fact is, that if you want to trust your eyes to some chinese ---- to save $200 then do that. When you start to see halos and your periferal vision fades then you can see how much that is worth.

In closing ---- OFF.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

I have a $200 miller helmet and a ~$50 helmet I got at some cowboy store... the cheaper one works the same if not better, its all in the adjustment that most people dont do every day.. especially with tig welding...

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

miller pro hobby, 5 shade levels adjustable sensitivity. i think it was 110 bucks shipped. i can't complain about mine

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Im not saying that every Chinese helmet is junk. BUT why take the chance? How do you think we got kids toys with lead paint all over them? No quality control. Im sure there are a lot of guys that use the HF helmets with success, but I like my eyes.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

my work actually uses them. when i saw that i was scared.

id spend the extra to make SURE my eyes are good :D

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

My HF helmet sucks ass. I woke up with flash burn this morning because it likes to flash on and off when striking an arc. It only takes one time welding aluminum to flash you and you cant see for a couple hours.

Last night was the last straw of getting flashed. I riped the fucker off and threw it across the shop. Just for shits and giggles, I tryed it this morning, pointed at the sun and the fucker works.

Ill sell you the HF helmet.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Wow this is the most bullshit I have seen in a post in a long time. A #3 lens is not enough to protect your eyes. Thats lilke wearing ------- sun glasses. Ill tell you what, go put on some oaklys, flash yourself a couple times welding aluminum, then report back.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

i agree, can you put a price on your eyes? my eyes are worth a couple hundred bucks for a decent helmet at the very least.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

the only reason i bought my miller elite is because i wanted to look more wealthy than everyone else.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Well, yeah that, and you are a hardcore mother fucker.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Dudes! It's true! I also heard if you add the cellophane from cigarette boxes in your Oakleys, it makes them filter better! Lights add +1, regulars +2, and menthols add +3 to the shade. Smearing OC on the front makes it as good as a Miller.

https://www.joe-ks.com/archives_jan2...dingHelmet.jpg

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Better idea, how about YOU keep your use-less JR high welding, backyard stick ------- your prostate with a rod self out of giving advise, and let professional, experianced & train welders give the saftey advise???

1) the optical clarity sucks
2) they glare
3) they're not durable
4) they have ---- for battery life, they EAT AAA alkeline & nimh cells
5) they have gross light leaks between the plastic shield and the AD unit... Guess what moron, that's not something that can be fixed with layers of duct-tape. the UV will pass that bullshit lfaster than your mouth passes a penis to your ass
6) horribly uncomfortable, and unadjustable headgear
7) use one in any real welding in any real amount of time and you'll quickly find that your AD unit claimed to be shaded out to a 13 AD is less comfortable to wear than a real lens shaded at a bright 9
8) very little wrap-around protetion - leaving you prone not just to spatter burns, but to UV/IR damage from reflections.





For that matter you are GROSSLY wrong on how an AD lens is shaded. The VISUAL protection is in the 2-5 light shade range, while the IR and UV protections are typically 1-2 shades ABOVE what the maximum visual shading of the AD unit is. AT ALL TIMES you are protected from damage, working or not. Even turned off the visible light emmitted through a proper AD unit will not harm your eyes. only cause white out that goes away.


To which see reason #7 to not use the import crap helmets. They are OBVIOUSLY NOT providing IR and UV protection that they claim to have. You WOULD NOT be able to physically stand ANY form of welding for ANY amount of real time using the helmets completely darkened out. It simply won't happen. I am very tolerant to the visual stresses. Without any hesitation I can weld on a 10 shade lens for 12 hours doing 300-650 amp wire/flux requiring a minimum of a 13 shade.
Yet I can not tolerate welding a 120 amp short-circuit wire transfer for an hour without needing serious breaks with the HF unit.
You'll find noone else on earth able to do it either, because they are horrible, defective, poorly designed products that DO NOT provide working IR/UV filtering.












For serious... Stop ------- around... Ya we all ---- around with obvious bullshit, but don't give bad advise when it will lead someone to get hurt and make you appear more of a dipshit fool than you already do with my dogs that cock juice streaming out of your nose from where you puffed him too hard
















/end thread

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Tig'ing on an HF helmet = flash burn. Even if it works, it still lets way to much UV through. They're ok for quick flux core ----, but once you get a tig arc going :X


eyes > $300

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

I wonder what engloid would have said in this thread?

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

I care about my eyes a bit as well.

Won't be something I cheap out on.

As far as I know, HF won't replace my eyeballs.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

+1 what happened to him??

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

I weld for a total of 2hrs per year. I'll stick with my h/f helmet. The nasty UV I get in a year of welding with that helmet can't be any worse than the UV I sucked up saturday when I passed out on my back on the dock for 2 hrs.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

i also use the HF helmet and i feel fine after a few hours of welding. but thats not continuous. my project takes a few hours, but its probably 5 min of welding. i am working on getting a tig and when i do i will probably switch to a better helmet also. i am hoping to start making some good dough when i get a tig. also, my HF uses solar panels so i dont have to worry about batteries and it has never not darkened.

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Uh, there is a reason why I spent 300 on a nice adjustable Jackson AD hood.

My vision sucks as is, and there is no need to make it worse because I wanted to save a few bucks.

Enjoy your eyesight while you have it, but I have a feeling it won't be around long...

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Never knew you tig welded Buk?

Re: My useless opinion on CDM auto-darkening helmet protection.
 

Buk studied under OCZC for like five years. I thought everyone knew that.