Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

Welcome to the Auto Darkening Welding Helmet home page. Welding helmets are an essential safety item for all welders, and one that darkens automatically when the arc is struck will make your welding experience safer and easier, whether you are arc, mig, or tig welding.

Auto Darkening Welding Helmets

It is vitally important to select the correct welding helmet for the type of work you are involved in, and having a basic knowledge of the welding process and what the helmet is protecting you from will go a long way towards making your purchase informed, safe, and ensure you get the correct safety equipment. Some of the top welding supply and helmet manufacturers are Speedglas, Jackson, Lincoln Electric and Miller Electric. A helmet from one of these companies will be guaranteed to meet all the required standards.

So why do you need an auto-darkening welding helmet in the first place? We the truth is, the auto darkening facility is not essential, but if you have welded for some time you'll know what a pain it is having to keep lifting the visor to make sure you are in the right starting spot for your weld. Then you've used up a hand that may have been needed for something else. It's just inconvenient and the auto darkening lens style helmets save you all that trouble.

Reasons To Buy An Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

So, to purchase the right helmet it's necessary to be familiar with terms like 'arc' and 'flash', as these are the things that will damage your eyes. The unexpected exposure to your, or someone near-by's eyes, of the arc flash what occurs during the welding process results in ultraviolet, infrared, and visible light of an extremely high intensity. The UV and IR light can burn your retinas and cause permanent eye damage. The visible light is unlikely to cause you real damage but will certainly cause some general discomfort.

So, we have established that it makes good sense to wear a welding helmet, and that the auto darkening welding helmet is a great way to keep you safe, and your hands free. There are plenty of helmets on the market, ranging from extremely cheap to very expensive, your budget will likely dictate what you buy. Just make sure that it meets the necessary national and/or international standards by checking the label on the auto-darkening cartridge.

There are also a range of lens shade options one can choose with your welding helmet. Be aware though that if the helmet meets the stringent safety standards anyway, it will filter out most of the harmful rays anyway, so you can be pretty safe with no modification from the factory settings. If you do decide to customize your lens shade, make sure that you select one that allows you to have good visibility and to see your weld puddle clearly. This is the level that will ensure you weld effectively. A fixed shade or variable shade view area is also a factor in your purchase. Fixed shade is fine if you are doing the same type of work all the time, variable shades allow you to adjust the darkness of the lens. It's your call ,based on your work environment.

The auto darkening welding helmet will cause the lens viewing area to darken when the welding arc is struck due to the sensitivity of arc sensors within the helmet. It takes less than a millisecond to darken and this 'very' short time lag will have no detrimental effect on your eyes. Just check that response time when buying the helmet as they do vary. A millisecond or less is the right one to go for.

Solar Powered Welding Helmets

It's up to you whether you decide to choose a battery powered or solar powered welding helmet. The advantage with the solar-powered model is that there is no on/off switch, they are active all the time. That said, the solar welding helmets do still have batteries that need regular maintenance and changing as the battery life is not indefinite. We like them because there is no switch to turn on or off, the welder is safe and the batteries don't run due to forgetting to turn the switch off. Some battery models come with a low battery indicator.

So to summarize. the welding helmets auto darkening models are a great asset to all welders, be it a beginner or seasoned professional. Make sure you get one that is lightweight, comfortable, adjustable, and meets all the safety standards. Do this and you are all set for a much friendlier welding experience. We highly recommend the auto darkening welding helmet.