A welding helmet is the most important welding accessory for safety. It helps to protect you from the sparks and glare generated by your welding. This is the reason why it is very vital that you pick the right sort of welding helmet for your needs.
Not all welding helmets are built the same way. Not all of them can block the entire harmful glare that you might be exposed to during your work. There are two main types of welding helmets commonly used today. There is the passive type and then there is the Auto Darkening Lens. The difference between these two types lies in the lens and how they can shield the user from the harmful glare you get from welding.
The passive type uses coatings on the lens to block intense light, IR, and ultraviolet light from reaching the eyes of the welder. The helmet has to be put in place right before welding and then flipped open right after. Auto darkening lenses use a sensor that detects the arc and it then triggers the lens to darken. This process happens within fractions of a second. This means that the helmet can stay in place during and after the welding process.
As you might have guessed, using a passive lens welding helmet can be inconvenient because it adds time and movement to the process. There are other drawbacks to using a passive lens helmet. One huge drawback is the fact that it becomes a little hard to place the electrode back on the right spot with the helmet in place. This can lead to defects in the weld and low quality results. Another drawback is that a lot of short welds can be next to impossible since the helmet has to be moved on or off or up and down with each weld.
Finally the constant moving of the helmet can become the cause of neck fatigue. The problems associated with passive lens helmets can be a thing of the past with the use of auto darkening lenses. It is very easy to see through the lens of the auto darkening helmets when inactive.
Miller is the most trusted name in welding equipment and tools and they have the finest line of welding helmets that you can find anywhere. Here are two of the best Miller welding helmets available today:
Digital Elite
This is one of the best non-industrial welding helmets that is available in the market right now. With a viewing field of 97×60 mm you can be sure to see enough of the work area with this helmet on and in place. You can use it not just for welding but for other types of metal work as well. This is made possible by the different settings that you can place the helmet in. It has more than one sensor so it can detect the arc right away. You can buy this good welding helmet for about $390.
Titanium
If you want an industrial welding helmet then the Titanium is the perfect one for you. Aside from the usual auto darkening features, it has additional functions that help to make this a really good choice for professional welders. It has a silver coating to help keep the helmet cool, a wide viewing area, and a gasket that helps in absorbing shocks. You can buy this excellent Miller welding helmet for about $400.