jamscal said:
https://optrel.us/product/ready-helmet/
Optrel is Swiss made, lens covers are available, and headgear is great.
The above is the cheapest one, but we have similar in my shop and they're great.
Don't buy a helmet unless the lens covers are common to others or are readily available. (we buy packs from zoro I think.)
Here is the one I buy:
https://www.zoro.com/optrel-welding-helmet-shade-4-9-to-13-black-1007000/i/G4657983/
That does bring up a good point. My WelBilt is identical in appearance to the Lincoln my friend has. I would guess that I could maybe get new quality guts for the helmet I have... although I can't imagine that will save much money.
I recently bought a Lincoln 3350 and I'm super happy with it. Excellent clarity and shade adjustability, head gear is comfortable, big viewing area, etc.
It was expensive but the consumables are cheap and locally available. I put a "cheater lens" in mine and it makes TIG welding thin stuff much better.
I'm a fairly mediocre welder, but there was a step change in how well I was welding once I could actually see what I was doing!
I went for this fancy Eastwood one:
https://www.eastwood.com/panoramic-view-welding-helmet.html
Bonus points to that side glass: For tacking up exhaust parts under the car, being able to look out of the side of the helmet where there wasn't much clearance to maneuver my face and helmet to point at the work helped quite a bit!
In reply to rallyxPOS13 :
That's one of the reasons I'm such a fan of my ESAB Globe Arc. The whole front of the helmet is viewport.
Trent
PowerDork
10/6/23 4:00 p.m.
Every person who has used my ESAB Sentinel has purchased one for themselves shortly afterward. There must be 6 in the shop at this point. They do use non standard consumables and are a bit silly looking, but more professionally silly, not like screaming eagles with bloody talons or skulls and spiders nonsense.
The Sentinel is not cheap, but it is no where as expensive as a 3M Speedglass.
Money no object I would have a Speedglass with the fresh air unit.
And every hood works better with the back sealed off from light with a flap like the 3M has
