Hallo everyone,

as I'm now considering which should be my next helmet I purchase, wanted to ask few questions:

1) has anyone used Viking 2450? How it compares to Elite?
2) is digital elite worth the extra money of usual Elite?
3) What's the view color of Digital Elite, Elite, Viking series when not darkened, and what's the color when darkened?

P.S. I've found weldfabulous.com, and I think I will be ordering from there... if someone has some information why I shouldn't be buying there, please, don't keep it to yourself

Thank you!

 

Get a cheap fixed lens shade 10-11 gold lens. I own a miller elite, good helmet but you get flashed some times. I Havnt welded with it in months. It's now i paper weight... I use the huntmen hoods with a shade 10 gold lens. Never going back to those auto darkening hoods. Can't stand seeing green welds after a nice yellow or Orange natural shade. Take this into consideration when wanting to spend over 200$ for a auto helmet when a 50$ set up is better imo..
Collin

 

I have the elite, i like it. i think an auto darkening is good to start out with, as your starts and stops, the steadiness of your hand, etc isnt fully developed yet. I havent been flashed with the elite yet, but i have had problems with the sun darkening the hood through my window sometimes. But i just turn the sensitivity down. I see a lot of experienced welders saying they prefer a normal hood because of the visibility/ reliability. As of now, i like the helmet.

 

I weld with a regular $30 Miller Titanium flip down for tig but auto-darkening certainly helped when I first started out. I like using auto darkening helmets for mig welding now. I don't own an elite but I've used them and there nice hoods.

 

As I understand, I it is pasive (non auto-darkening, you don't see anything without an arc?) with fixed shade? Yeah, I read through that thread adn I was verry interested about those gold lenses... but I'm a little affraid about my stops and starts, cause I really like to see where I position my tungsten when I'm about to start arc....

P.S. also I'm not sure where to purchase gold lens with international shipping... and if I'll go this route, I will purchase more shades, like from 9-12 to be able to switch up if nesecery... I can get this Jackson helmet for 48$ in local store



So I would just need lenses for it

P.S.S. so whats the color through ELITE?

EDIT: Checked - no Jacksons in stock, so if I go fixed shade route, I'll be purchasing Miller Titanium 1600 from weldfabulous.com... And also did a little search and couldn't find any places that ship radnor 4 1/2 x 5 1/4 gold lenses internationaly, so would need help from someone of you guys

 

Miller elites are garbage. Sensors aren't the best and the headband gear is complete **** and rather uncomfortable. I've never worked with someone who had anything positive to say. Battery life is crappy to.

I bought that Jackson you posted. With a 9 and 10 gold lens. Best lid I have ever used. Well, the Jackson NexGen Boss was the best.

The new Jacksons have a really good headband setup. They are very comfortable.

That's all I can offer.

 

I was trying not to bash the elite, but well said sir!

 

So how about Miller Titanium 1600 + gold lens(as I understand, those are just fron lens covers, like for auto-darkening helmets they are just transparent, but for passive helmets you switch out those transparent for gold, right? or are they the actual lenses?)?

Or should I go that Jackson route instead of Miller Titanium 1600?

P.S. still haven't found any place where I can purchase gold lens with international shipping

 

If I use a product and it's price doesnt reflect it's quality. I give it the review it deserves.
I paid $350 for my elite back in 08. Within 1 year, I literally replaced everything (once) except for the actual shell. Since then. I have replaced the batteries more than a dozen times (my cheap $60 Princess Auto, auto darkening helmet still has original batteries, still works, and has since I bought it in 04). I have replaced the headband a total of 3 times on this elite. And the auto darkening lens itself twice...

 

Ok, I'm now really considering taking the plunge and going gold lens fixed shade route... either that jackson hood if it's in store or that Miller Titanium 1600 if I have to order it from US, but the biggest problem is getting gold lenses....

So, I there someone who could help me with that???? Collin?

P.S. If I get those gold lenses I still have to buy few front lens covers to switch them if they get scratched, right? Or is that gold lens actually front lens cover?

Thanks!

 

^ I would go with the Jackson. It is VERY comfortable. Especially over prolonged periods of time.

I'm in Canada and I have welding supply stores that stock the Jackson's and gold lenses.
I can look into shipping and what not.

You still need a clear plastic outer lens.

For what it's worth. I will probably never go back to an auto darkening setup.
My Jackson

 

Holy ****, my miller just got its dick put in the dirt lol. I got flashed with a harbor freight mask, and bought a miller so i wouldnt get flashed. Idk what you're doing to your helmets to break all that ****, but i've had no problems with mine. I usually dont subject it to impact tests against walls though. And havent changed the battery since i've owned it. Though im sure your use is much more frequent than mine.

 

I never used a good auto darkening, so I can't say anything bad about em. I'm sure they work or they wouldn't cost so much. I can vouch for a regular $30 Lincoln hood with a $15 natural color shade 11 lens. 4"x6" so I can get a great view of what I'm working with.

 

Ok, before taking the plunge, main question - how do you guys see where you start arc? ok, open up helmet, check, position torch, put helmet on, and then, maybe your hand has shaked, how do you see where you start???

This is the only thing I'm worried about!

P.S. I've found Jackson HSL-100 in local store for 44$! So I would only need someone who could ship me gold lenses!

Thanks

 

Yesterday I put on a hold last Jackson HSL-100 in the local store for a week

today after trying passive shade 10 I understood that I'll give this gold lens thing a shot!

So, tomorow I'll be going to get my brand new Jackson HSL-100. Still need to find where I can buy gold lenses and front lens covers, or maybe there is someone who could help with shipping them to me?

Thanks

 

i use a digital elite at work and its awesome the elite i have at home has flashed me a few times i now but i still use it. The digital picks up the electrical field charge and goes dark before the arc is even started if you hold the torch far away from the part and hit the pedal the helmet goes dark :-) but they are expensive

 

I just get my torch where it needs to be flip down the helmet and step on the pedal lightly. From there I can see if I need to adjust before pressing it further and establishing the arc. Since you don't have a adjustable pedal I suggest you make your hand steady and position the torch where it needs to be. It's not hard you will have no problem using the flip down after you have som practice it.

 

Yeah, I think I'll be ok!

Thanks

P.S. Still searching for help with gold lenses

 

Here is my new helmet



And here are both of my helmets together



Payed 40$ for helmet, 10$ for 5 pieces of glass front lens covers That store had gold lenses in stock, but only small size, and they've never had large size and never will... so still in search for gold lenses!

also found that weldfabulous.com has Weldcote Metals shade 9 large gold lens, but I want also shade 10... not sure I need shade 11... this helmet came with shade 10 lens, and it is pretty good for me from 80-120amps... so, as my welder maxes out on 130, I don't think I really need shade 11...

What shade gold lenses do you use for 20-120amps???

Thanks

 

I"m not here to convince you on buying miller hoods. I been a welder for quite sometime now. And i have own from the miller hobby hood my starter hood. the Performance hood as well and the Digital elites. I have the older analog since 7 years ago. And now I have the newest digital elite still testing that one I heard great things about the x mode featured that's why I decided to get it this year. Any how my 2 cents are on the digital elite (analog version) its been such a great hood first of all it was in a flood LOL a hole on top of my rig was directly pointing at it inside one of the boxes so when it rain it flooded the hood. I thought it was trash but I got it to work again just by air drying it with a blow dryer. The second occasion was I dropped it a few times from pretty high elevations it also has survived that. And last but not least and this did impressed me allot was that I was performing a full penetration weld in a tight space on a moment frame structure i was like 6 to 7 inches away from the actual weld was using my short goose neck on my wire feeder after i was close to finished the full pen weld i saw my lens darken out on one side I was pissed cause I tough it was history but i went and got my older version performance series to finish up the days work mean while i left my analog elite helmet on the shade and to my surprise the helmet didn't crack and I still have it and work with it every time. I have the hardhat adapter on it cause it is true regular head gear it crap. I also had the problem with the batteries draining to fast. But i resolved that by cleaning the battery terminals with a knife and some electrical cleaner from Autozone so that is my two cents. And no I'm not a hardcore miller welder guy only I have both miller and Lincoln equipment so not here to criticize any of them they both are good for the line of work I do. just trowing my two cents on the elite analog helmets and by the way the ark trough my elite window looks green.