I Am Ironman

MrWhoopee

MrWhoopee

H-M Supporter - Gold Member
H-M Supporter Gold Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
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Way back in 2016, when I got my $50 Lincoln AC225, I bought the cheapest most economical auto-darkening hood I could find on Amazon. I paid $20. It got little use until I got my TIG welder in 2018, when I started using it fairly regularly. Aside from not accepting a cheater lens with some modification, it's been perfect. Never failed to darken, never went dead, never had to replace the battery. Seeing all the large lens, natural color hoods available, and having a little money to burn, I started casually looking around. A couple of weeks ago, I found a deal I couldn't pass on Temu.

20240611_145004[1].jpg

It's not the large window, but it is natural color. The LED lamp is a nice touch, has spot and flood, is extremely bright and rechargeable (even came with USB cable). It also does not accept cheater lenses, but I'll do the same thing I did with my old one. The headgear is light but I was able to adjust it properly and it seems to retain the adjustments. I used it to do a little stick welding outdoors today and it functions perfectly. For $40 I am quite impressed.

The grandbaby says I look like Ironman.

Welding Hood Auto Darkening Welding Helmets Men Solar - Temu

1pc welding hood auto darkening welding helmets for men solar 2 clarity welding mask 2 arc sensor wide shade 9 13 welder helmet with grinding cut for mig tig arc at the lowest price at Temu.
www.temu.com www.temu.com
 
What's a cheater lens? Does that mean prescription lens?
"I am Ironman" Ozzy Osbourne
 
I personally wouldn't trust my eyes to an inexpensive auto dark welding hood. All Jackson safety equipment at my work place or equivalent brands. There is no certainty that those inexpensive units have full UV protection, no way to confirm the darkening responses time is short enough. No way to gauge accumulated damage to your own eyes. At least buy a brand that will be there in a few years so that you can join the class action law suit for exsesive eye damage from a faulty product. Just my reasoning.
 
This is something that's widely misunderstood- the protection is built into the lens material. No company would trust people's eyes
to a pair of coin cell batteries. The darkening is just for glare, not UV protection.
Many models have a separate UV blocking lens piece that needs to be installed correctly before use, so the instructions need to be
followed carefully before using the hood for the first time.
 
Last edited:
markba633csi said:
This is something that's widely misunderstood- the protection is built into the lens material. No company would trust people's eyes
to a pair of coin cell batteries. The darkening is just for glare, not UV protection.
Many models have a separate UV blocking lens piece that needs to be installed correctly before use, so the instructions need to be
followed carefully before using the hood for the first time.
Click to expand...
true. AVE did a piece on this very thing long ago. I found it interesting as I always wondered. Most of the cheap do not have separate UV that you install... they are already installed.

The thing about Whoopee's helmet that I don't like is the outer protector lens. It means I can't easily replace it unless I find the same shape. The flat rectangular can easily be found....
 
woodchucker said:
true. AVE did a piece on this very thing long ago. I found it interesting as I always wondered. Most of the cheap do not have separate UV that you install... they are already installed.

The thing about Whoopee's helmet that I don't like is the outer protector lens. It means I can't easily replace it unless I find the same shape. The flat rectangular can easily be found....
Click to expand...
Yes, I was looking to see if replacements were available. Not so far. That bubble shield will likely be discarded when it gets scratched up. There is a regular protective lens under it and a spare came with.
 
MrWhoopee said:
Yes, I was looking to see if replacements were available. Not so far. That bubble shield will likely be discarded when it gets scratched up. There is a regular protective lens under it and a spare came with.
Click to expand...
What are you going to do, use the bubble for grinding or welding or both.
 
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