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As of 6/13/23 current processing time is 3-5 business days. All pancakes are subject to 15-21 business day turnaround time. Business days are MONDAY-FRIDAY 10 AM- 5PM.The 9.22-square-inch viewing area has one of the fastest auto-darkening times available, and the helmet is reasonably priced. The headgear has extensive adjustability and a pivoting top for excellent fit and comfort.

The X6 Headgear contours to the operator’s head and distributes its weight evenly across six key contact points. And an external grind button allows for switching between the weld and grind operations without having to remove the helmet or gloves.Sentinel’s Ergonomic Halo infinitely-adjustable 5-point headgear provides comfort and balance. And the 9.28-square-inch viewing area allows excellent visibility and clarity. The A50 is priced primarily toward the professional welder.Considered by many welding pros to be the best welding helmet on the market, the Lincoln Electric 3350 offers a large field of clear viewing with a 12.5-square-inch lens. Because of its responsive sensors, the 3350 series is ideal for low amperage TIG welding.

Lens reaction time is another consideration when you’re shopping for the best welding helmets. Basic models are rated to darken in about 1/3,600 of a second, while the professional models can be rated as high as 1/20,000 of a second.The least expensive helmet on the list also has the fastest auto-darkening lens reaction time at 1/25,000 of a second. The Hobart 77056 has shade levels that are adjustable from 8 to 13, giving operators excellent low-light capability for any type of welding.

If you’re currently a welder or looking to become one as your career or hobby, then safety gear should be of the utmost importance to you. And right on the top of any list of safety equipment will be a high-quality welding helmet. We’ve put together a top 5 best welding helmet review of 2022 for you.While both of these are quite fast, keep in mind that longer reaction times can result in eye strain or fatigue if you’re welding or plasma cutting for long periods. If you can afford the fastest model, or if you’re welding as your career, choose an industrial-grade welding helmet.

Now that you know what to look for, here are five best welding helmet headgear that most experts agree meet all the criteria to be called “the best welding helmets.” All of the following welding helmets have the auto-darkening feature and fast lens reaction times. Factors such as viewing size and comfort will vary from model to model.Deciding between auto-darkening and the passive lens is going to be your first decision, and many welders find that it’s a difficult one. They often question which helmet is better suited for their needs and which one will give them the best overall value. Here are a few considerations: PrimeWeld is a professional welding dealer and is here to answer your questions on welding equipment, supplies, and even helmets. Contact any of our PrimeWeld pros, and they will be happy to assist you any way they can! Viewing size is yet another consideration when you’re deciding on the best welding helmet for you. Although some of it is a personal preference, welders who work out of position regularly tend to choose a wider viewing angle. And for most standard work, a six to nine-square-inch viewing angle works well.Exhaust vents expel air from the helmet, keeping things cool with a clear lens. Adjustable shade from levels 5 to 13 gives lots of variabilities to allow for welding in almost any light.At the other end of the price spectrum is one of the most expensive helmets. With a viewing area of 12.11-square-inches, the 3M Speedglas welding helmet also has one of the largest field-of-views available.

Our Lightweight Pancake Welding Hoods Are precision handcrafted from phenolic, basla, and pine woods. They have a contoured balsa box ready for custom-fitting. They are of a one-piece pressure formed phenolic faceplate and folded ear guard design. All models accept “cheater” lenses, have easy side or bottom loading with closures, and are available in Black. Our most popular models are Z-87.1 ANSI approved and OSHA accepted. Smaller models are available; however, they do not provide the approved and accepted coverage (Listed as old style on website).”I want to thank you so much for the support you showed me. I am about to get on an airplane and return home from a crazy six month deployment on the USS Ohio. During this run I got many opportunities to use the hood you sent to me. We had a high pressure air rupture occur that prevented us from being able to make air aboard the submarine. We had a rupture on the reverse osmosis unit that prevented us from being able to make water for anything from drinking to reactor plant operations. We had a hydraulic rupture that caused a loss of steering hydraulics to the ships controlling systems. Needless to say it was a wild deployment and The Original Pancake Hood was right there on the fore front with me making those repairs so the ship was back up and 100% operational. Thank you so much for supporting me and my shipmates. You guys definitely played a part in serving the country and assisting in missions vital to national security!”

“Here at Pipeline Local 798 Training Center, Tulsa Ok. We have been training pipeline welders for over fifty years. We believe that good equipment is important to learn welding, from your welding machine all the way to your welding hood. That’s why the only hood we use at Pipeline Local Training Center is the Original Pancake Brand hood. It meets all the industry standards and is constructed with quality. It is also compatible with glasses and quick-change lenses, and that’s very important. We promote Original Pancake Brand Welding Hoods to all our contractors and anyone that ask about what kind of hood to buy. They are also quick to get your order processed with a reasonable price for a good American product.Pancake hoods are usually secured with a wide, adjustable headband, and that extra width spreads the pressure points over a larger area, making it significantly more comfortable.

Because pancake welding helmets are made from thin metal and balsa wood, they are light and comfortable, ideal for long days and the strenuous outdoor work associated with pipeline welding. And since it’s possible to get a perfect fit with the balsa box, there are fewer discomforts to endure, even when the welder is faced with awkward positions and harsh outdoor conditions.

The pancake welding hood is so-named because it is round and flat, like a pancake. Depending on which hand you use to weld, one side of the hood will have a shield protecting the opposite side of your face.

The pancake hood with its balsa box prevents the sun glare that compromises vision when using a traditional pipeline helmet. The balsa box also eliminates fogging, providing clear vision during welding, while its customized fit offers more comfortable welding than other helmets.Comfort: The pancake hood will keep you much cooler than a regular welding helmet during welding. In addition, the Balsa box properly grips the lens, keeping it from wobbling and exerting pressure around the ears.

Lighter weight: Welding helmets are up to twice as heavy as a pancake hood, so pipeline welding for long hours tends to be easier and more bearable in the lightweight pancake hood.A pancake hood’s primary function is to shield a welder’s eyes from the sparks created during welding, but it also protects the eyes from the bright and blinding UV rays that welding emits. Inside the hood is a small box of balsa wood that surrounds the eyes and holds the welding lens. Because it is made of wood, you can have the balsa box fitted to your face’s shape.

Balsa wood is soft and lightweight, and the wood’s softness allows anyone to shape it with sandpaper easily. After being sanded and shaped to fit the welder’s face, the balsa box provides stability between the eyes and lens. Accurate fitting eliminates pressure points and prevents light from entering at any angle, while the lightweight balsa minimizes fatigue.When you see a pancake welding hood for the first time, you” ll know how it got its name immediately. Yet, despite its silly name and unusual look, a pancake hood can ultimately protect a welder’s eyes and face. But there are other reasons why many welders choose to use them in specific situations.

The traditional “structural” welding helmet used by pipeline welders is up to twice as heavy as the pancake welding hood. The extra weight can result in fatigue or neck strain if you’re on the pipeline for long hours. Since the hood is not enclosed, it allows for airflow, keeping the welder cooler.We have three different lenseholders to choose from. Our regular lensholder has a pocket depth of 3/8 inch. Our Chita lenseholder has a pocket depth of 5/8 inch. And our Auto Lenseholder has a pocket depth of 7/8 inch. To find which one you need simply stack all of the lenses you will be using together and measure the thickness overall.

On a final note, getting a welding hood is not the issue, acquiring a standard one for pipeline welding purposes and another use is the most challenging part of visiting the store.

Sarge’s pancake welding hood is another type of welding helmet to work with for maximum protection against reflections, molds, and spatters coming in contact with the face.Included in the product pack is a 100cm sandpaper to help you adjust the fitting of the eyepiece, and an adjustable strap or headband to hold the hood firm whenever you put it on.

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It is typically flat without much thickness. Every other part of the helmet is joined or curved with its flat surface. Hence the name pancake welding hood.Every helmet made in this form has a stand-out feature that makes them needful for the welding process, but can only be tested when you try one on your face.

These are the original Wendy’s Pancake Welding Helmets. The lens holder has a pocket depth of 5/8″ (0.625 inches). The Optional Auto Darkening Filters come in two thicknesses: Variable Shade Auto Darkening Filters at 0.320 inches and Fixed Shade Auto Darkening Filters at 0.020 inches. The Optional Cover Lenses are two different thicknesses: Polycarbonate is 0.0.061″ thick and the Glass Cover Lens is 0.070″ thick. Take care when inserting the Polycarbonate Lens to not scratch the lens.For an outdoor welder who needs to weld for long hours pancakes are the best: not feel heavy on the head, minimize the amount of light that reflects from the lenses, and protect from dust and dirt. Almost all the pancake hoods are handmade and designed to be customized by the user, the balsa box can be shaped according to your face. In that way the mask will perfectly fit and surprisingly comfortable. Pancake hoods should be OSHA-approved, but not all are, make sure you purchase a hood from a reputable source, such as Sarge’s, Wendy’s or Original pancake.

Pancake welding hood is a perfect tool for welding outdoors, you don’t worry about the light of the sun interfering with your welding hood. The hood has a very good airflow which is very important when you work in the summer on the south. The pancake welding hood and the balsa block greatly help reduce fatigue by making the process a lot easier for welders. Last, for most masks it is possible to use an electronic darkening lens or flip-up lens, which makes the hood even better.The main parts of helmet are the box made of balsa, and thin carbon fiber or another inflammable material shield. The balsa block makes a box around the eyes to convenient fixation of the hood and seal-out all the light which may be reflecting from the lens. The balsa box provides steadiness between the lens and the eyes, offers the welder the chance to avoid any light that could deter him from doing his work efficiently.Almost all pancake hoods are designed so the welder can customize the balsa box himself. User shapes the block to fit the contours of his face ideally. The balsa box surrounds the face and eyes and works as a holder for the lenses. Proper fitting excludes any pressure points and make the box sealing out light entering from near every angle.

Sarge, Original Pancake and Wendy are the most recognizable and popular brands of the pancake hoods. Wendy’s welding hoods are one of the best in the market from a pool of varieties of diffident kinds of helmet. The Original Pancake brand hood is more flexible and less likely to break than the other brands that use balsa gusset pieces to secure the ear guard.

Top notch work, this guy has great customer service, his design and engineering are impressive. The cut parts are perfect. The attention that went into every detail is definitely noticed. While on the phone with him you can tell that he is all about the quality of his work. That is hard to find today but his man is the meaning of skilled labor. However, there is no scientific evidence to show that drinking milk will prevent cancer or metal fume fever caused by welding. At the most basic level, milk and welding fumes enter the body via different pathways; milk enters the digestive system, while welding fumes are breathed in through the nose or mouth and enter the respiratory system. The respiratory system is where the most harmful consequences of welding fumes are experienced, like lung cancer. Therefore, drinking milk is not a substitute for taking appropriate safety precautions.Fiction. There is an old myth still circulating among some welders that drinking milk before welding can help protect them from the harmful health effects of breathing in toxic welding fumes, such as lung cancer and metal fume fever. Metal fume fever is a common, short-term illness often brought on by breathing in zinc oxide fumes that are produced during welding, particularly when welding galvanised steel or iron. The milk theory is based on the belief that when welders drink milk, the calcium in the milk will “saturate the body” and prevent the body from absorbing toxic heavy metals that can be found in welding fumes, such as cadmium.All types of welding fume are classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, meaning they can cause cancer in humans. Therefore, it is important that anyone conducting welding, be it recreationally or for work, take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and anyone nearby. Cancer Council recommends selecting welding processes and materials that may produce less fume, using appropriate ventilation systems that are positioned close to the weld, and wearing personal protective equipment including air purifying respiratory protection that filters particulates and ozone.

Once you put on a helmet from Optrel, you’ll likely not be satisfied with any other helmet’s color and light transmission. Seeing clearly with real-life colors is a must for a welding professional.

Alternatively, you can also get the Miller Digital Elite as a low-cost version of the Digital Infinity to save some money. You get a professional-grade hood with a slightly smaller viewing area. So, it is a good intermediate-level choice.Optrel’s unique approach to ADF lens design gives the Panoramaxx CLT the most extensive field of view in the industry. It’s almost as if you are using sunglasses because you can position the ADF very close to your eyes.

YesWelder, Hobart, and Ironton are geared toward the hobbyist market. Hobart is a big brand name, but their welding helmet line cannot compete with Miller or Lincoln. Hobart’s helmets are more affordable but limited in features. YesWelder’s 900B helmet comes close to the big brand names, but the warranty is not as long. Plus, YesWelder is a hobbyist-grade brand, so don’t expect the helmet to endure the same conditions as welding hoods from Miller or Lincoln. Also, this helmet has an external combo grind button with a dial around it. The dial is an external adjustment for your shades, which is handy. But, the external grinding button is too small, and the ring around a small button in the center means it’s too easy to hit the dial and unintentionally change your shade setting. The viewing size is large, but smaller than some of the other helmets we reviewed. It doesn’t support cheater lenses, which is a shame. But for the hobbyist or a professional on a limited budget, the YesWelder 900B is a steal. Plus, if you use our coupon code “WELDGURU10” you’ll get a 10% discount.But using old, green-tinted ADF does the job, even if the welding experience is inferior. You will have to deal with things like you can hardly see the weld puddle, and you won’t be able to tell if a slight color or length change happens with the welding arc.

Disclaimer: Weldguru.com supports our readers with industry knowledge & research. You support us through our carefully chosen products with links that may earn us a commission.Hobart didn’t rate the Inventor for optical clarity. However, the light DIN 3 state means that it almost certainly rates at 1/1/1/2, which is on par with many professional helmets. An external shade adjustability and grind mode are a definite win for this Ironton. Many inexpensive helmets keep all the settings inside. However, this helmet doesn’t have any internal settings, not even sensitivity controls. So, when welding in a well-illuminated area, you cannot decrease the sensitivity to prevent false activation. While providing an exceptional welding experience, these high-end helmets don’t benefit beginners, and it is hard to justify the cost for new welders. Professional welding helmets are designed to improve productivity, reduce effort, increase weld quality, and ultimately help you earn more money. That’s why experienced welders buy them, even if they cost more.

The Speedglas 9100 is the most rugged, professional auto-darkening welding helmet. If you work in harsh conditions and need a high-end helmet that easily handles lots of slag and sparks, consider this 3M Speedglas model.

Only the Optrel Panoramaxx and Miller Digital Infinity are better with color and light transmission. So, the Sentinel A50 does qualify as a premium auto-darkening welding helmet. The view quality is best when TIG welding. The blueish tint and crystal clear image let you see the tiniest details. You can easily spot the most nuanced burn and bubble or sense when your weld pool has poor shielding gas coverage.Welding helmets are a crucial piece of welding equipment, and they are expensive. But, selecting a welding hood is not straightforward, and it’s easy to make a mistake.

Many people make the mistake of buying an overly heavy helmet just to find out that it’s uncomfortable to wear all day. If you weld occasionally, this is not much of a concern. But if you weld often, a light helmet makes the day under the hood far more pleasant.The headgear is large and complex, and it may take a while to adjust for some people. But Optrel’s Isofit headgear design offers its users high adjustability. However, it gets in the way of the adjustment knobs located above the ADF housing. It’s possible to access the controls, but it takes a few seconds to finagle your way around the headgear. If you are a professional welder and have never owned a high-end welding helmet, getting any of the big brand names we discussed will increase your productivity. Miller and Lincoln Electric offer slightly better durability, while Optrel provides unmatched light and color transmission. The 3M Speedglas is best suited for industrial-level work, while still providing an exceptionally clear view. The Lincoln 3350 provides exceptional visual clarity, earning a 1/1/1/1 rating in the auto-darkening category. Its true-color 4C lens allows you to see your work with unparalleled accuracy, making it an excellent choice for those who demand the highest level of precision.The helmet includes an external grind button and huge side windows. 3M designed the entire build to improve productivity in adverse environments. But, the 3M Speedglas 9100 also excels as a precision welding helmet thanks to the best TIG rating on the market. So, while expensive, you get an all-rounder hood for pretty much every job. And while it may be tempting to save a few bucks on cheap brands imported from China, the truth is that these helmets often don’t provide the protection and features you need to work safely and efficiently. Also, the battery is not replaceable, but it should hold out for the 2-year warranty period. Plus, there is no low battery light indicator. The helmet has only two arc sensors, so you can get flashed if welding in cramped spaces. But, this is not a high-end welding helmet. If you weld from time to time, buying the Ironton is a good way to save money.An inexpensive model that lets you experience true-color light transmission and a flip-up design. Looking through the clear visor while grinding is much better than using a “grind mode” offered on most helmets.

The YesWelder 900B is an excellent choice for beginners and professionals. But since it costs far less than models from ESAB, Lincoln Electric, Miller, and Optrel, it’s most attractive to rookies who want to buy a quality helmet without breaking the bank.The Digital infinity comes in many designs, and our favorite is Black Ops. But if you don’t need a large viewing area, consider the Digital Elite. It has all the features of the Digital Infinity, but it’s costs less.

Lincoln Electric’s updated Viking 3350 offers the best optical clarity among high-end welding helmets. It rates as 1/1/1/1. This ranking means your image will not distort in any way.4.5 Weld Guru rating Weld Guru’s rating is dertmined by a variety of factors including features, performance, independant research and real user ratings. Scoring is not influenced by the manufacturer.

Jeff Grill hails from Long Island, a 118 mile stretch of land that starts just off the coast of Manhattan and stretches deep into the Atlantic ocean. He has always been interested in welding from an early age and has the cuts and bruises to prove it as he set out to work with a variety of metals.The spherical lens gives the Sentinel its characteristic “cool factor.” But the lens is also responsible for increased light transmission and helmet’s durability, and sparks easily slide off the spherical lens. However, these lenses are a double-edged sword. The internal glare is more pronounced, and replacement lenses are more expensive than standard rectangular lenses.Lincoln designed
the Viking 3350 for heavy-duty work, not just precision welding. The shell is durable and features a simple, low-profile design. This hood can be showered with sparks and molten debris daily and survive for years.

4.0 Weld Guru rating Weld Guru’s rating is dertmined by a variety of factors including features, performance, independant research and real user ratings. Scoring is not influenced by the manufacturer.

There aren’t many brand-name hobbyist welding helmets. So, this may be a good choice if you prefer a hood backed by a brand name and a longer warranty than the YesWelder 900B.

As someone who’s been in the welding industry for a while, I’ve had the opportunity to use a variety of helmets from many brands, like Miller, Optrel, Lincoln, and ESAB.Also, Lincoln Electric redesigned the headgear with a new “K3034-4” model of the 3350, making it more comfortable and easier to adjust. Just be sure you buy the new matte black version, not the old glossy version. The old helmet offered just as good color and light transmission, but the headgear was a pain for many welders.

The included 9100XXi ADF offers excellent color and light transmission on par with the ESAB Sentinel and the Lincoln Electric 3350. But, it provides a DIN 3 shade, while ESAB comes with a DIN 4 rating and Lincoln a DIN 3.5. Still, the Speedglas 9100 costs about the same as the Optrel Panoramaxx CLT and has poorer view quality. So, the Speedglas 9100 makes sense when you need maximum durability. Optrel and ESAB couldn’t endure the same working conditions 3M designed the Speedglas 9100 to withstand.The Panoramaxx CLT helmet is designed for professional and precision TIG welders. Optrel leads the pack in terms of field of view, light and color transmission, and weight, making the Panoramaxx CLT the top choice on the market for those who demand the best. This welding helmet is rugged and can take a beating. You don’t have to pamper it, unlike the ESAB and Optrel models. But, 3M offers even more durable helmets. The new version also introduced an external grind mode button, making it even more user-friendly. If the Viking 3350 were less expensive, we would have picked it as the best bargain professional helmet.The Panoramaxx CLT is Optrel’s best helmet yet. It’s simply one of the best welding helmets on the market. While it has a few flaws, no other helmet provides a 2.0 shade in the light/grind state. Additionally, the color and light transmission while welding is unmatched.The rugged design, large viewing area, excellent light transmission, and Miller’s X-mode make the Digital Infinity the most versatile welding helmet. You can do precision work or weld in extreme conditions. But, you can also weld outside without the sun interfering with your ADF.

The most prominent feature of the Digital Infinity is its X-mode. It triggers the ADF by detecting the arc’s electromagnetic field. Since it doesn’t rely on the arc’s IR/UV waves, it cannot initiate false darkening when flashed by the sun or lights in the work area. The X-mode makes this the most versatile auto-darkening helmet because you can weld outside and inside and never worry about false activation or getting flashed.

The right Miller Digital Infinity in the game! Sleek design. Doesn’t look like a cheap, boxy hockey helmet. Doesn’t look like a sport bike helmet. Perfectly designed in the ‘looks department’. Sensors never failed on me and the headgear is the most comfortable ive ever tried.Grind mode prevents the ADF from activating and darkening your view. This mode keeps the helmet at the lightest available shade to help you see better. The shades are usually DIN 3 or DIN 4. But, some high-end helmets like Optrel Panoramaxx CLT offer DIN 2, which is near life-like illumination. If you are a hobbyist but feel more comfortable with a brand-name helmet, the Hobart Inventor model may be a good choice. The YesWelder 900B we recommended earlier for hobbyists supports far more features. But, the Inventor by Hobart comes with a longer warranty. Still, you should know that the Inventor helmet is manufactured in China, just like the YesWelder 900B. On the other hand, Miller and Lincoln’s helmets have a simple design with minimal crevices and thicker shell plastic, allowing them to handle harsher conditions. But, the 3M Speedglas welding helmets are made to endure the work in the toughest welding industries like mining and construction.With this hood, you get an extensive view area that matches Lincoln’s Viking 3350, which improves light transmission, especially with a 1/1/1/1 optical rating. Additionally, the Translight+ is rated for TIG welding down to 3A. So, unless you do meticulous, fine work, the helmet will trigger the ADF.

Almost all welding helmets on the market are either 1/1/1/1 or 1/1/1/2 rated for optical clarity. Either is a good choice. The 1/1/1/1 lens provides the best image accuracy; there is no distortion. However, the 1/1/1/2 lens distorts the image slightly when looking at an angle. But, this is minimal, and unless you are a precision TIG welder, you are unlikely to have any issues with 1/1/1/2 helmets.

However, the color and light transmission are almost identical to the ESAB Sentinel A50. So, Optrel and Miller have a transmission advantage over the Viking 3350, which is worth noting since the 3350 is more expensive than the Miller Digital Infinity. Still, many welders prefer Lincoln’s 4C technology, and they still enjoy excellent color accuracy.The headgear is comfortable but basic. An external grind mode button is missing, and there is no cutting mode. So, this helmet only supports weld and grind modes, and you are forced to use a dark DIN 9 to plasma cut, which is too dim for plasma arc. Other competing helmets support DIN 5-9 for cutting. Miller, Lincoln Electric, and Jackson Safety work great for hobby welders and professionals alike. They compete well against sophisticated helmets from the brands mentioned above. What they lack in technology, they make up with in endurance. For example, the Miller and Lincoln welding helmets can handle harsh working conditions better than the Optrel or ESAB offerings. The shell and ADF are relatively light, considering the size of the filter lens. But, the headgear is too “light.” A basic headgear design helps when you reach inside the helmet to adjust the ADF, but it also makes the helmet less comfortable. The Miller Digital Infinity and the Lincoln Viking have more adjustability and offer a better fit.The bigger the viewport, the more light will enter through the ADF. But, most importantly, with a big viewport, you’ll see more of your workspace. If you put the helmet in grind mode, you can work efficiently with a large viewing area. But, if you have a small viewport like on the Ironton helmet, you cannot complete every task without removing the helmet. High-end helmets from ESAB, Optrel, Miller, or Lincoln offer good headgear designs. If you weld all day, get a helmet with a headgear that allows multi-point adjustments. Properly balancing the helmet’s weight goes a long way in reducing strain, neck pain, and neck joint degeneration. Miller’s Digital Infinity is an iconic auto-darkening helmet used by professional welders worldwide. It’s more expensive than the Sentinel A50 and has slightly better light and color transmission.The big lens provides the largest viewing area among welding helmets with rectangular lenses. Optrel’s Panoramaxx CLT still provides a far wider field of view, thanks to its nose-cut shape, but Miller’s replacement lenses are inexpensive and readily available.

Optrel, ESAB, 3M, and similar brands target professional welders whose work demands high precision and productivity. Their helmets are expensive, but one exception is ESAB’s Sentinel A50 which is relatively affordable.

Ironton’s auto-darkening welding hood is a decent helmet for hobby welders. But, if you plan to weld often, we suggest you get the Hobart Inventor or the YesWelder 900B. While they are both more expensive, you’ll have a far better experience.The Speedglas 9100 is the most durable auto-darkening welding helmet. 3M designed it for mining, marine, transportation, and heavy manufacturing. If you want a helmet that can handle demanding work in rough industries, the Speedglas 9100 is a good choice. I’d agree its a good looking hood. i like it a lot. However i find it to be pretty heavy especially for overhead. Also my head gear broke but i’m pretty sure thats just a miller thing. 2nd miller hood that the headgear has broken on me. all in all a good pick though Disclaimer: Weldguru.com is based on information from multiple sources, including AWS Handbooks, U.S. Army Operator Circulars, O.S.H.A and our own first-hand experience with welding. It is not a replacement for manufacturers directions and is only to provide reminders for experienced welders.Affiliate Disclaimer: This post may contain links that will earn us a commission at no cost to you. This helps keep Weldguru a free resource for our readers.

Your headgear quality determines the fit adjustability and comfort. For example, you cannot adjust the basic headgear provided by Ironton and Hobart for a comfortable, balanced fit. You may have gaps between the headgear straps and your head, the straps may catch your hair, and the lack of padded cushions reduces comfort.The Hobart Inventor uses a standard ADF lens that doesn’t support true color technology. But, thanks to the large view area and quality ADF, the visual experience is quite good. It’s much better than most inexpensive “standard” ADF helmets.

The most durable helmets usually have simple designs and heavy shells. For example, helmets from Optrel are ultra-light, but their shells are thin. While made with excellent plastics, they shouldn’t be used in extreme conditions where slag constantly falls on the shell.5.0 Weld Guru rating Weld Guru’s rating is dertmined by a variety of factors including features, performance, independant research and real user ratings. Scoring is not influenced by the manufacturer. On the other hand, true color technology lets you see the tiniest details. So, you can prevent weld defects by reacting in real-time. Why finish the entire weld if you noticed that porosity occurred mid-way? Just stop, re-grind, and restart the weld. That’s why accurate color and light transmission saves time and money. Welding radioactive metals can increase the exposure hazard from ionizing radiation. Heating materials which emit alpha particles can bypass the body’s protective mechanism for alpha radiation.

For general discussion of welding hazards, lead, manganese and ionizing radiation exposure are possible sources of infertility. These sources, however, do not constitute a complete list of the biological insults that could produce infertility. Welding processes can involve materials which might be contaminated with solvents, greases or oils; welding can include operations that inadvertently vaporize plastics, rubber or other compounds; and welding can produce radiant energy that can affect adjacent processes and produce toxic gases or compounds.

The voltage supplies for electron beam welding often emit X-ray radiation. Plasma arcs can also emit X-rays and many processes use X-ray radiography to determine the quality of welds. Radiation from X-ray emissions can cause sterility; however, the dose of this radiation must be sufficient to produce this effect. Other effects are known to occur at much lower levels.

Thank you for your letter of August 27 regarding male infertility and welding engineers. Your letter was forwarded to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) the Directorate of Technical Support for response.

In other words, there are many elements of the specific worksite that must be reviewed to make an informed judgment. We will be happy to assist you if you need further information about specific processes or hazards. Please contact Hank Woodcock at (202) 219-7065, if we can answer any additional questions about welding hazards.It is not possible to cite specific exposures and toxicological effects based on a job title. Welding engineers may be exposed to a wide variety of hazards depending on the industry, the duties, the materials welded, the adjunct processes, the equipment used and many other factors. Some general remarks, however, can be made concerning typical hazards from welding operations.