[Josh MacD]

I'm looking at buying a new welding helmet with a larger viewing area. Mine is the smaller rectangle size. Is HF a good place to buy a safe auto darkening helmet? I just got a 25% coupon and would like to use it, if a helmet from HF won't lead to blindness.

[Farmwelding]

I'm looking at buying a new welding helmet with a larger viewing area. Mine is the smaller rectangle size. Is HF a good place to buy a safe auto darkening helmet? I just got a 25% coupon and would like to use it, if a helmet from HF won't lead to blindness.

Do they work yes. Heck some people swear by them. It depends on what you want to do with it in my opinion. What process are you running? How often are you welding? What projects/where are you working on the projects? I don't use my welding helmet except for my college classes and some at high school so no more than 10 hours a week and that is pushing it. I bought a Miller digital infinity and I'm glad I did. I can see everything, cut mode and x-mode are extremely handy. Use it inside, outside wherever. I've never used a harbor freight helmet on tig, just mig and some stick and it leaves something to be desire as I see it. I've used a cheap hood from farm and fleet and menards on everything now and I must say the farm and fleet helmets weren't great either but the one from menards that was like $40 I was able to use for everything. I could go from high amp mig and stick and then did some thin gauge stainless at around 15 amps and never got flashed. I feel like it's hot and miss with cheap helmets. From my experience though, I'm not impressed. Once you use an industrial helmet you don't want to go back. It's like driving a brand new GMC pickup then going to a trashed cavalier. It's no fun. It'll get your from point A to Point B but it just isn't the same.

[jwmelvin]

Check out the Striker Supreme XL. It is a massive improvement over the $35 HF helmet I had before.

http://www.usaweld.com/Striker-Supreme- ... remexl.htm