Welding Tips and Tricks

Im wanting to buy a nice high end auto darkening hood...I've never had one due to the nature of my work. I watched my boss knock his off when we were working on a ceiling an watched it turn into a piece of trash. Now my use of my hood isn't gonna be so rough on it an I was looking at these two...any ideas? i know the platinum is like 60 bucks more but it has an aluminum heat sink on the front of the lens and has an external button to switch for grinding this seems ideal but two guys told me just get the elite...i just wanted to see what maybe some people who might have one or both of these hoods would recommend....thanks

I use a Digital Elite daily and it honestly has been the best hood I've ever owned. I primarily Tig weld but also Stick and Mig no issues at all. The head gear is nice and even welding upside down I haven't had any issues.

I have a miller elite (non digital) and it's ok. I would call it good, but not worth the money. I think my miller digital performance performed better to be honest.

My wife has the Digital Elite and loves it, has no complaints. I have the Digital Pro Hobby and personally love it more than the elite. I am use to smaller viewing areas and I like simple. The Digital Elite has a lot of nice features. I don't like the weight and the big viewing area. I would still recommend either helmet.

I use the Digital Elite. It is Heavy but I do not get arc eye from it. I would really like to have the PAPR but hey we are not rich are we?

Yeah I'd like one of those auto respirator systems and I thought one of those miller hood cooling systems would be cool but apart from not being cheap I imagine it would be pretty heavy! Idk the small cooling band was just under 200 bills I don't even wanna know about the other one. It's not that I'm just that broke all the time it's more about the principle of not pissing my money away on stuff that I may or may not even like. If a friend had one I could try first maybe but....idk. So I got my Hood today. I ended up buying the Platinum 9400! I'm excited to try it tmrw (I should probably go try it now). I think I'm gonna love it. It is heavier than my passive hood but...it seems more convenient and faster to use without having to pick up my hood every few minutes

Adam's Got Skills wrote:Yeah I'd like one of those auto respirator systems and I thought one of those miller hood cooling systems would be cool but apart from not being cheap I imagine it would be pretty heavy! Idk the small cooling band was just under 200 bills I don't even wanna know about the other one. It's not that I'm just that broke all the time it's more about the principle of not pissing my money away on stuff that I may or may not even like. If a friend had one I could try first maybe but....idk. So I got my Hood today. I ended up buying the Platinum 9400! I'm excited to try it tmrw (I should probably go try it now). I think I'm gonna love it. It is heavier than my passive hood but...it seems more convenient and faster to use without having to pick up my hood every few minutes

Buy one of these and you'll retire with it....

Trim the bottom, tape one of the rubber bands, and be Happy!!

LOL!!! I have one of those bro!!! It works I mean it does....even tho mine isn't all super modified! I get what ur saying tho. But I wanted to try a nice one for myself. My uncle has a digital elite and liked it. It just seemed like it was a lot faster and easier to just be able to fab, cut, grind, position material, and weld without constantly messing with flipping my hood up/down. Plus I got some cert tests coming up an a buddy told me that the guy that does the testing is pretty hard on people if they have ANY arc strike outside ur joint or bevel.

Adam's Got Skills wrote:LOL!!! I have one of those bro!!! It works I mean it does....even tho mine isn't all super modified! I get what ur saying tho. But I wanted to try a nice one for myself. My uncle has a digital elite and liked it. It just seemed like it was a lot faster and easier to just be able to fab, cut, grind, position material, and weld without constantly messing with flipping my hood up/down. Plus I got some cert tests coming up an a buddy told me that the guy that does the testing is pretty hard on people if they have ANY arc strike outside ur joint or bevel.

Yeah,
AD helmets have there place, but not with me.

Yeah I never had a place for em till lately...cuz chances were it'd have been broke within a week. If not by me It most surely one of the guys I worked with cuz well lets face it no one cares what happens to tools they didn't buy!

I'll have to tell people about that tape trick.
And yeah, a lot of people complain that it smacks them in the chest. Lol
Obviously I never wore it though. Carried it with me for a few days incase my ad broke, then decided I needed the real estate in my box.


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I will tell you this much about the Digital Elite, my wife has one and loves it. We do a lot of plasma cutting and she puts it on cut mode and away she goes. Personally, I don't like it. I think it is harder to see where you are cutting because of the reflection off the lens and just because it is at least a 3 shade at all times. I prefer using 5 shade cutting glasses. I can flip them up to see where to start then flip them down to cut and see great. The only down side is I don't have the face protection she has. I think the helmet is too heavy. I have the Digital Pro Hobby, it is light and simple. If you are doing a lot of cutting or precise cutting, I don't like the helmet. I will say this much, I love welding with the Digital Elite because it has a large viewing area. I don't think much of the "x" mode. I have tried it and honestly I have more problems with it kicking back to light state on X mode than on weld mode. The helmet does not like low amp tig very well from our experience. My wife has the sensitivity and delay maxed out to keep it from kicking back and forth which when both of those are maxed it is pretty much the same as a passive helmet. Just my experience. Would I recommend it, yes. Would I trade mine in for one, no. It is personal preference.

79jasper wrote:I'll have to tell people about that tape trick.
And yeah, a lot of people complain that it smacks them in the chest. Lol
Obviously I never wore it though. Carried it with me for a few days incase my ad broke, then decided I needed the real estate in my box.


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It was quite painful.
Wasn't bad when you were looking up, but looking down at a t-joint waist level, it really knocked you.
I'm really enjoying the helmet, thanks man!!

John

This helmet makes you look like you know what your doing...
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?42 ... abrication

AKweldshop wrote:This helmet makes you look like you know what your doing...
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?42 ... abrication

IMG_7976.JPG

IMG_7993.JPG

Looks can be deceiving my friend Just picking

@John,
Is that helmet in the pictures a Digital Elite or is it the Platinum? I've never owned a Miller helmet so I don't know their models, but that looks just like the old Fibremetal Pipeliner helmet, it must be a retro thing. I didn't know that they made them in an auto darkening helmet. Well glad to see someone brought those back from the ash heap of history and brought them into this century. Is it solar or can you change the batteries? You should be able to get the Miller Elite headgear for it so you don't have to use duct tape and gum bands to hold it on your head.

At any rate, I'm glad you found something that makes you look like you know what you're doing.

Len

Braehill wrote:@John,
Is that helmet in the pictures a Digital Elite or is it the Platinum? I've never owned a Miller helmet so I don't know their models, but that looks just like the old Fibremetal Pipeliner helmet, it must be a retro thing. I didn't know that they made them in an auto darkening helmet. Well glad to see someone brought those back from the ash heap of history and brought them into this century. Is it solar or can you change the batteries? You should be able to get the Miller Elite headgear for it so you don't have to use duct tape and gum bands to hold it on your head.

At any rate, I'm glad you found something that makes you look like you know what you're doing.

Len

Your totally kidding right??

AKweldshop wrote:

Buy one of these and you'll retire with it....

And as a bonus, you can use it as a prop in an "Invaders from Mars movie" !!!

@AK,
What do you mean? Which part? I don't get it.

Len

Braehill wrote:@AK,
What do you mean? Which part? I don't get it.

Len

That helmet is not AD, it's a Lincoln Super visibility shade 9.
Fibre metal.
No plastic garbage....plastic shell on a helmet is like latex welding gloves...they melt....

AKweldshop wrote:That helmet is not AD, it's a Lincoln Super visibility shade 9.
Fibre metal.
No plastic garbage....plastic shell on a helmet is like latex welding gloves...they melt....

I can attest to that. Lol
My $40 northern tool cheapo is getting hammered.
Mainly right below the lense is a stupid flat spot, so all spatter just sits there and burns. Lol
Also when running dual shield flux core, the outer lense got so hot, it warped real bad.
I want something with a glass outer lense.

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Too easy.

I would say a 9100ADFLO makes you look like you know what you're doing personally.

And for the record John, my dad is teasing you because the post was about Digital Elite vs Digital Platinum. We all know that you're rocking the Fibremetal to its fullest potential. It has no bearing on the discussion though, and as Adam stated, he knows what one is, so adding more pictures of you welding framework for something while wearing your Fibremetal was just redundant.

Its a helmet that's stood the test of time. We get it. Its 2014 though, and some of us are more inclined to utilize the latest and greatest technology at our disposal. I, for one hate flipping my helmet down. Why? Because I don't have to with the auto darkening hoods, and I don't like it. It's wasted energy as far as I'm concerned, and who likes to do that?

It clearly works for you, and more power to you for it, its just frustrating when you try and impose your opinion on someone else with the bulldog determination that we've all become accustomed to through your denial of the value of 6013 rods.

GreinTime wrote:I would say a 9100ADFLO makes you look like you know what you're doing personally.

And for the record John, my dad is teasing you because the post was about Digital Elite vs Digital Platinum. We all know that you're rocking the Fibremetal to its fullest potential. It has no bearing on the discussion though, and as Adam stated, he knows what one is, so adding more pictures of you welding framework for something while wearing your Fibremetal was just redundant.

Its a helmet that's stood the test of time. We get it. Its 2014 though, and some of us are more inclined to utilize the latest and greatest technology at our disposal. I, for one hate flipping my helmet down. Why? Because I don't have to with the auto darkening hoods, and I don't like it. It's wasted energy as far as I'm concerned, and who likes to do that?

It clearly works for you, and more power to you for it, its just frustrating when you try and impose your opinion on someone else with the bulldog determination that we've all become accustomed to through your denial of the value of 6013 rods.

Finally someone is speaking up like a man!!
You guys are right.

I haven't worked in every field of welding.....

I speak for my field, and sometimes forget you guys do the opposite kind of work, requiring different equipment etc etc....

Sorry Adam...and the rest of you guys....


John~