Needing a new welding hood.

[dowmace]

I started a new job recently that has me doing occasional mig again, anyone have any good recommendations for what the good hoods are now? I haven't bought a new one in a few years and then I just had a fixed darkness harbor freight cheapie. The guys I work with all recommend completely different things so I am collecting as many opinions as I can.

I'd definitely like to stay under 90 bucks as I don't weld all day long just tacking brackets here and there minor stuff like that. Most of the other people in my position just do the old turn your head and squeeze the trigger trick but I'd like to keep my eyesight so I'm going to start wearing a hood again.

 

[J.P.]

If you wanna' get all fancy and go with an electronic/auto model that looks like an American flag, or skull, or whatever that's fine but to be honest I don't see any *real* need for anything more sophisticated than a plain ol' Huntsman 411P.

They are cheap, lightweight, very durable, and I've used the same one daily for many years of heavy-duty use and it's served me well......and you can cover them with gun stickers.


Link:
http://store.weldingdepot.com/cgi/weldingdepot/25023.html?id=Ym62aJK4


The most important thing I look for is actual GLASS lenses (both shaded & clear).
You can easily wipe them clean.....the plastic lenses become marred, scratched, and blurry very quickly.

FWIW, I use a #9 for Steel and a #12 for Aluminum and prefer non-mirrored lenses.

I think most people find a #12 too dark and use a #10, but I don't have any problem seeing even when running as low as 4-6 Amps on Aluminum.

 

[dowmace]

I don't think I need auto darkening but it would be nice. How does that huntsman feel on your head does it have any kind of wobble through the head gear. I know my cheapo nobrand one feels flimsy in that aspect

 

[BReeves]

I'm what they call a farm weldor, occasionally weld stuff that needs fixin. I have a Harbor Freight auto dark bought several years ago for around $50.00 and it works great. If it craps out tomorrow I would go buy another one just like it.

OH! And once you use an auto dark you will not like a fixed hood ever again.

 

[Perplexed]

I have very limited experience in welding, but I'd echo the recommendation of an auto-darkening hood. I started with a hood with a static window, and when I made the switch to auto, my first response was "Why didn't I do this to begin with??" It's very convenient especially if you're in the habit of stopping often to check your work or need to do a bunch of separate welds in succession. The only thing I'd add is to make sure any auto-darkening hood you get has adjustable sensitivity, otherwise it may go dark prematurely if you're welding outside or in a well-lit shop.

 

[dutchwrangler]

I thought the subject was "wedding hood"... sounded like a death knell.

 

[Hump66]

I just bought the Kobalt one frome Lowes. 9-13 shade, auto-darkening, and reaction time adjustments. Also comes with a spare lens cover and a bag to keep it in. Pretty nice hood for $100.

 

[J.P.]

I don't think I need auto darkening but it would be nice. How does that huntsman feel on your head does it have any kind of wobble through the head gear. I know my cheapo nobrand one feels flimsy in that aspect

I've not had any 'wobble' issues at all, and I've replaced the headgear once in 12 years.....and I'm notoriously hard on equipment.

OH! And once you use an auto dark you will not like a fixed hood ever again.

I disagree.
I had two auto-darks and disliked them.
Working on something very small and "flight critical", for example, I'd still have to raise the hood to get a good enough look at weld quality....when you need to identify extremely small stress cracks.
Additionally, I've never used an auto that didn't burn me at one time or another.(probably used 5 different models)
Sometimes the lag time on an auto-dark...which the naked eye cannot notice...will allow enough UV in to add up by the end of the day and leave me with itchy eyes at night.
Also there have been times when working in tight spaces at high current there is a phenomenon involving reflectivity...or something...that will cause the auto function to fail suddenly.

 

[doctorjj]

Fibre Metal 990 or the 906 is nice with the flip up lens.

 

[cearven1987]

Pipeliner they last forever