Welding Helmet ?

[Mark71GTX]

The problem I have seen with the speedglass hoods is the odd shaped clear lens - when you go the the welding supply store they are often out. I used to love the Jackson shadow series, until I tried a Fibre-Metal Tigerhood. Those things are great and inexpensive - especially if you have to wear it on a hard hat - I wear a Fibre-Metal hard hat anyway so it is a great fit! Lots of my friends at work were picking on it because of its size - until they tried it - now many of them own one too. I

[sjmiller]

I got an Optrel last year - I'm not looking any further, it does what I want.

[hellbentrodder]

I love my 9002x with flexveiw. The only gripe is that the headgear sucks, it never stays up. I fixed that buy using an old Huntsman headgear and blocks, a couple of 4-40's, and now the best helmet ever.

[Smokey_]

well i have to say that speedglass makes nice helmets, athough i wouldnt say that there any better than my miller elite. I tried both out b4 i bought my helmet and liked the miller better. Honestly i think that all the top brands are equally good, just make sure u get the big screen as that makes all the differnce and dont ever buy cheap discount helmet, i bought a $50 auto when i started welding and after heavy use my eyes would be sore. With miller i can weld all day and my eyes feel fine.

[Bert]

I have a Miller 9000X and I was happy with it for the 4 years I had it. Now I have to wear a respirator and it doesn't fit. Too tapered. Looking at the Miller, 'cause it has 4 sensors, my speedglass has only 2. When I tig, helmet shuts off and on = I'm blinded! I tried my friends Miller with the 4 sensors and had no problem!!!

[Smokey_]

yeah the 4 sensors are great, never get arced and u really notice it when u watch someone else weld as will go dark/light all the time depending if the arc is totatlly visalbe but never do u get arced. The sensitivey adjustments are ace on the miller elites as well, u can set it up for any condition.

me loves my elite, even if it did cost me $350

[Jolly Roger]

I have looked at the speedglass in catalogs, but have never seen one on the shelf. They look kind of small for overhead. I have and use a 27 year old flip front jackson (it was the very first composite hood they made and I got it for the weight). I have a fibremetal I got for wear on a hardhat that is virtually identical to the old jackson. Now that I don't have to wear a hardhat to weld I mostly use my pancake (it's handmade so I can't tell you who made it, and at least 15 years old) with a shade ten auto lens. I have much fewer headaches using it, there is no glare from any source, and it will fit in places no conventional hood will fit. I am actually considering the new Jackson Boss because of the 6 ounce hood weight, largest viewing area in an autodark, and the 3 in 1 capability. I pretty much have to grind every weld down flush and smooth and use cut off wheels on a 4 1/2 inch grinder a lot and it's a real pain switching back and forth.

[fun4now]

i hear you about the grind mode. i wish Miller had put it in their BWE sooner so i would have got it with mine. but at the going rate for the new BWE with grind mode i think i'll stick with my old one for a wile. its about 6 years old and still going strong on the factory battery's so i don't think its going to break and give me a reason to upgrade to the new one, thats a good thing.......i suppose. yea it is, i could never afford a new one now. it would really put a dent in any chance of getting a MM212.

[Bert]

What are you talking about pancake hood? Show us a pic, eh? Ran into my old classmate, he was buying the Jackson Boss, and going to cut it out and rivit it to a leather hood. Never heard of that done either!

[fun4now]

borrowed these pic's from the ask andy site.
here is a link to a maker also
pancake hood