Big G
Hardcore
Posts: 5,146
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Post by Big G on May 26, 2011 9:36:03 GMT -4
I don't know about that. Everyone else I've talked to about them told me not to waste my money on a more expensive helmet. They all like theirs.
You must have just had a dud.
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Post by theonlybull on May 26, 2011 11:23:39 GMT -4
i've never gotten a flash from a hood that didn't darken, their a shade 3 or something when thier light anyway
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Creepy
Administrator
Dartmouth
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Post by Creepy on May 26, 2011 12:51:15 GMT -4
Please clairify - Flash as in: 'see a bright light with no ill effects', or flash as in: 'wake up at night in pain clawing your eyes out'. Just to keep straight what we are talking about here, a dud would bring the suck most certainly. The light setting is a #3, you shouldn't get a flash with after-effects from that. just a momentary, as if you looked at the sun.
The PA ones are surprizingly good for what you pay, especially compared to huge markup for brand names. $50 vs $500? I have a used Speedglass, but used to use a PA.
(does anyone else find that 'brand name' welding stuff still has that jacked price, where other markets have come down some to compete with off-shore? I think we are conditioned to think cheap sucks, when in this case, it might be that brand names are so expensive, it makes the low-line models appear really cheap, "they can't be any good!")
You have to keep the sensors clean. A bunch of welding dust over the sensor will make it suck, and if its really cold, they are slow until you make a few arcs and it has a full charge.
I do recall 'a buddy' pissed at his brand hammer new Miller mask sucking and flashing him and not working right. He exchanged it for new, and the new one was the same. Then he put the settings in the right place and its been fine ever since. lol
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Post by DamnJeep on May 26, 2011 13:40:31 GMT -4
Please clairify - Flash as in: 'see a bright light with no ill effects', or flash as in: 'wake up at night in pain clawing your eyes out'. Just to keep straight what we are talking about here, a dud would bring the suck most certainly. The light setting is a #3, you shouldn't get a flash with after-effects from that. just a momentary, as if you looked at the sun. The PA ones are surprizingly good for what you pay, especially compared to huge markup for brand names. $50 vs $500? I have a used Speedglass, but used to use a PA. (does anyone else find that 'brand name' welding stuff still has that jacked price, where other markets have come down some to compete with off-shore? I think we are conditioned to think cheap sucks, when in this case, it might be that brand names are so expensive, it makes the low-line models appear really cheap, "they can't be any good!") You have to keep the sensors clean. A bunch of welding dust over the sensor will make it suck, and if its really cold, they are slow until you make a few arcs and it has a full charge. I do recall 'a buddy' pissed at his brand hammer new Miller mask sucking and flashing him and not working right. He exchanged it for new, and the new one was the same. Then he put the settings in the right place and its been fine ever since. lol I'm curious about this as well. Wrong terminology I think. You won't get a "flash" when your sheild doesn't darken. You'll just curse about how bright it was and why won't that piece of crap sheild not darken when its supposed to.... I've had the PA shield for a while and its works well. The older ones only had 2 sensors and if one was blocked it would not darken. Which was a pain in the hole when welding in a tight spot. I usually end up using my old Jackson shield.
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Trever
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Post by Trever on May 26, 2011 14:36:33 GMT -4
.... or flash as in: 'wake up at night in pain clawing your eyes out'. This is exactly what im talking about!!! I threw it in the trash. Personally...I notice a difference in quality and so far I havent got hit with with it again! You cant put a price on your eye sight.
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Trever
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Post by Trever on May 26, 2011 14:49:13 GMT -4
You won't get a "flash" when your sheild doesn't darken. You'll just curse about how bright it was and why won't that piece of crap sheild not darken when its supposed to.... I have to concur,,,,I did get "flashed" just buy the helmet not auto darkening,, and flashed bad! I was three days at one point getting over it.
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Creepy
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Post by Creepy on May 26, 2011 15:18:33 GMT -4
.... or flash as in: 'wake up at night in pain clawing your eyes out'. This is exactly what im talking about!!! I threw it in the trash. Personally...I notice a difference in quality and so far I havent got hit with with it again! You cant put a price on your eye sight. OK, agreed 100% then. you must have had a dud or the sensors were covered. As a counter-point to the 'expense' comments I made - the expensive brand name units are held to a quality standard listed on their boxes and manuals, and that does increase costs.
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Post by johnny5 on May 26, 2011 15:56:07 GMT -4
the pa ones r prob good for home use but for everyday welding i do, they suck compared too my miller elite. company buys them for there maint workers. slow changing ,heavy and uncomfortable. at home i use a miller performance series.
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Creepy
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Post by Creepy on May 26, 2011 18:02:15 GMT -4
Yeah, thats about right. Not saying the PA's are the bomb shizzy.
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jmurphy
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Post by jmurphy on May 26, 2011 20:58:00 GMT -4
I use the PA $50 helmet for home use and haven't had any major issues. I have about 50 hours of actual welding time on it so far. Most annoying thing I find is that the tensioners loosen quickly and the mask gets sort of floppy and won't stay up.
edit: I should say I bought it so I could have an auto darkening helmet while learning without investing too much $$. But if it broke tomorrow I would still buy the same one again.
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Creepy
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Post by Creepy on May 27, 2011 10:54:14 GMT -4
It is SO much easier to learn to weld with an auto darkening helmet, especially automotive.
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Post by theonlybull on May 27, 2011 11:22:41 GMT -4
You won't get a "flash" when your sheild doesn't darken. You'll just curse about how bright it was and why won't that piece of crap sheild not darken when its supposed to.... I have to concur,,,,I did get "flashed" just buy the helmet not auto darkening,, and flashed bad! I was three days at one point getting over it. i honestly can't see that happening, unless the sheild was completely missing all the lenses...... i've had them not darken, with 250 amps on an arcair, to no ill effects...
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Trever
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Post by Trever on May 27, 2011 14:22:38 GMT -4
I have to concur,,,,I did get "flashed" just buy the helmet not auto darkening,, and flashed bad! I was three days at one point getting over it. i honestly can't see that happening, unless the sheild was completely missing all the lenses...... i've had them not darken, with 250 amps on an arcair, to no ill effects... Im not lying. Maybe your eyes are tougher then mine! lol I remember when I was in trade school my teacher told me that as long as there was a lense in front of my eyes, even clear, I wouldnt get a flash burn. No one is going to convince me that now!!!!
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Post by theonlybull on May 27, 2011 18:50:16 GMT -4
i'd have to agree with him, even with just safety glasses, i've never gotten a flash..... though there was some pretty big sun spots..
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Post by DamnJeep on May 27, 2011 20:04:32 GMT -4
I have to concur,,,,I did get "flashed" just buy the helmet not auto darkening,, and flashed bad! I was three days at one point getting over it. i honestly can't see that happening, unless the sheild was completely missing all the lenses...... i've had them not darken, with 250 amps on an arcair, to no ill effects... I don't doubt that you say you had a flash but I'm gonna have to agree with this. Can't see how you got a flash with that shield. A clear poly carbonate lens (not just plain plastic) will block almost all UVA/UVB rays. So a poly lens above the filter plate will pretty much eliminate any flash regardless of if it darkens or not. Flash from reflected welding light?
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