I know it ain’t cheap but we love the comparison/review videos! Great to get an opinion from a guy with your experience so we don’t waste all our time and money on junk, thanks Greg!
I picked up a couple other affordable options and will roll out videos on them shortly. I am actually impressed with the quality of some of the sub 100$ hoods. The pipeliners seem to have far better quality in the sub 100$ than the conventional auto darkening hoods.
I think you will be impressed with that old tanks durability, in 99 around here auto darkening was only for the lap dogs and fancy pants boys 😂. If you had a big gold or at least big viewing area you got to talk smack to the 2x4 guys. I got a auto in 01 I believe and ended up using the helmet you are showing with the big area ,it was fibre metal which I believe is made by Honeywell if I read correctly. I liked the coverage and all the lens you could see out ( a corner of lens etc) and always ready . I use a speed glass mostly now except a simple weld or two on some junk. I have a Pic my brother took of me in the hood welding some 5/16 s.s going to use for my advertising sign. Different note I can't remember particular measurements but my 89 f150 long bed has 34 or 38 inches trimmed off frame making it I believe 12 or 14 inch shorter wheel base then your cjs ,I ran it in mud runs and tore around and some dirt bag robbed the tires rad, and something else I can't remember and probably some I didn't notice. 3rd gear 4 hi 3500 and dump clutch or 4th in 4 lo same application it ripped pretty good, being that short I'd think it would climb good 22' drive shaft with yokes trimmed for clear. Thought you had said you were into that. Stuff you ever make some gangly stuff that works 😂
Hey there big fella, just wanted to say Merry Christmas and what have you, is all. I was just thinking of you there today, I had to descale a pile of 1/4" parts, and I'm still very much enjoying the wheiler mill scale disk you sent me. So again sir, I thank you kindly! PS, I don't know if you ever run forney brand rods or not, but on a whim I bought a pound of 3/32" 7018, an man, they're awesome, really. Super smooth, and like almost silent too. I'll be getting some more for sure. Anywho, Merry Christmas man, hope ur goin off roading or something fun!
Right on man, better than me lol. I bought a table saw from the 30s, just for a project. An man I gotta say, I nailed it. Quite the process lol. @@makingmistakeswithgreg
That's the best box opener ever. I'm going to give that a try on my next Amazon delivery which I think is the welding hood vision correction lenses you linked last time.
I have another review out in a few days on a more modern pipeliner style hood that’s worth checking out. It’s a bit cheaper but seems to be built really well.
I like it because I feel like old-school, retro Iron Man when I weld with it. You are 100% correct that it is a pain in the butt to weld looking down with it without modification. Might have to chop mine like you did, but it's not my primary hood, just a splurge purchase becaue I like collecting different types of hoods. Mostly sits on the wall like a trophy display unless one of the old guys in the shop start giving me crap about my "fancy" weld hoods (optrel, speedglas, PAPR systems, etc), then I bust out the Honeywell and start doing my best caveman impression while doing welds and communicating in nothing more than grunts.
Haha it definitely is one of those things if you like welding or collect hoods, you must have one. I am not sure how it took a long time before someone chopped the bottom, all the old photos I have seen don’t show the bottoms cut. People must have liked being uncomfortable lol.
I was given a very old Fibre-Metal fixed shade sugar scoop, that was frustrating to use when I first started. The sugar scoop is built like a tank. I replaced the fixed shade #10. This was before I found out about auto-darkening welding hoods. I have no fond memories of using this hood, but maybe I should try it now and see how it works. I only weld outdoors. My cheap Chinese auto darkening welding hood was a game changer for me, allowing me to progress in basic welding.
They are real handy for certain jobs, I think for a lot of work a normal auto darkening is still better. I have been doing a ton of pipe welding recently and I totally get why they are called a pipeliner lol. They work really well for that.
Glad to hear you’re embarking on a new skill. Expect to be very frustrated and to struggle at first. Just keep practicing and keep your head up 😀👍. That titanium 225 is a great welder to start with, it won’t hold you back.
I have a couple shop hoods, but I very rarely use them. Mostly I use a pancake but I also have an outlaw leather chopped pipeliner with the leather top and bottom. It's good for tight spots if you can get your eyes straight on the weld. About the only time I use my big lens shop hood is when I have to get into a spot where my head has to be turned, which makes it harder to weld anyway but at least I can see out is the large lense.
That’s one benefit I didn’t even think of, with a big wide screen viewing you definitely can see at crazy angles without moving your head due to how wide the screen is. The pancake is growing on me, I just bought the first one I ever used and for outdoors it’s real nice. Whoever invented it was onto something for sure lol.
I never owned one until the one in the video, and honestly it’s better than I expected. Being able to flip up to a clear lense is more handy than I thought. Cool points on the look too 😅
@@makingmistakeswithgreg And for 'that' reason, I'd like to be able to 'switch' between grind and weld options - faster. Currently in the industry, most auto darkening helmets are 'switched' on the inside of the helmet but some manufactures are trending and placing the switches externally to the temple area which has helped speed this model switching back and forth - up, specifically YesWelder is one such company doing this. But it's still clunky and it's a bit difficult with thicker gloves on. So, in lieu of doing that, having this easier flip up and down formula is much, much faster and therefor very attractive. In my Welding Certification Course, the CONSTANT short welding and cleaning (of the weldments) is always making me take my glove off to switch in between modes and of course raising and lowering my mask for the grind and weld modes as stated above. But, having to flip a screen up and down is much faster for these two modes and can keep my helmet down and gloves on, thus saving me time. This is why I admire this video and feel it could definitely be a better formula adding onto the 'auto' darkening parameter of these helmets. I now ponder if the larger viewscreen ones will adapt and become flippable too perhaps? Nonetheless, thank you Greg for this enlightenment of this. I stayed away from these older helmets because of their lack of 'automation' but this is a game changer...
They are common in the pipeline/steam fitting world because they work excellent, but very uncommon in everything else. Most stores don’t even sell the style. They do work great for specific uses.
I used one just like this for 30 + years till the window flip hinge broke, but that hood was made in 1974 , hard to tell if one made today is made as good. I probably could repair it , but I just got a cheap auto darkening hood from HF and it lasted about 3 years till the battery,s that are not replaceable went bad , do not buy a hood that you can not replace the battery in . The last auto darkening hood I bought was from HF top of line with replaceable battery $150 , I like the way it works .
From what I heard the 70s ones were built better, but I have never held one to know for sure. So far I have used it 40+ hours a week for over a month and I have no doubt it will last years, so they still are pretty durable.
Hey Greg, a possible cheaper fix is just to just replace the plastic spacer with one made from another material and you could most likely cut one out at home. I'm thinking of gasket material, like butyl rubber, medium fibre, etc. You could also just replace it with an rubber hose bib oring if it's not too thick? Anyhow I would imagine less stress on that plastic nut then with it replaced. But that new hardware you installed looks excellent. Cheers Joe
I picked up a sugar scoop and adjustable lens from tefuawe about a year ago and was a little skeptical at first but I haven't had any problems with it, over all I'm quite happy with it, comfortable, not to heavy, and the only thing that has worn out is the sweat band. If I where to go back I wouldn't get the flip up lense, more crap to get dirty and I don't like having such a small viewing angle while grinding
I grabbed one from the same company I am in the process of checking out. I was very skeptical of it too, but honestly it’s been quite a surprise so far. It came setup with good head gear, and the overall design was much better than I expected. For the 50-60$ it cost honestly I would probably put it above the Honeywell.
Yay, another style I have looked at I found the _TrueArc_ Vintage version of this is a lot better. It's pre-cut, flat black inside, and a lot better headgear. If I'm remembering correctly I think the price is about the same as the Honeywell.
Thanks for the tip, I looked at that hood. It definitely seems like they did a lot of improvements over honeywells setup. Better tension adjusters, better head gear, and pre chopped on the bottom. Looks like a solid option, especially since it’s even more affordable.
Wanting to be able to grind in tight spaces without changing headgear led me to buy the cheapest version of this on Amazon back in July. I got the JHTII "Flip-up Black Glass Welding Mask" for $49. It came with a pile of sweat bands, 2 lenses (a fixed 11 and an auto darkening 11), a bunch of plastic covers, an attachable rechargeable light, and a bag. In all the months since, I've used it a bunch. I honestly can't fault it much. When welding in the dark, the auto-darkening lens, sometimes won't go clear after a weld. Other than that, I have no problems with it, but I may be less of a connoisseur. My "fancy" hood is a $99 Hobart "Inventor" 4 sensor.
That’s not a bad price and if the headgear still works I would say it was well worth it. Some of the 50-70$ Amazon specials for welders hoods have been far better than I expected. If only the Amazon special welders were as good as more legit companies lol.
For me it was a toss up between this one and the Tefuawe sugar scoop with the Tefuawe winning out because of the headgear. I also bought an Arc One Tradesman T-240-10 auto darkening lens for it. No problems with either but just one nit pick on the lens. It doesn't want to return to the iight state when using it in near darkness. I turn my head toward my dim porch light and it will return. I see the black Jackson PL280 can be had on Amazon now for around $29. Thanks
The tefuawe sugar scoop I picked up and will do a review shortly on it. I knew virtually nothing about it, and my initial impression is that it’s surprisingly good. I can see why it has a really good review on Amazon.
I'm interested in that tefuwe also I got the non flip lens in my cart it says it's. 94 lbs is my intrest and similar shape to this one and a really nice looking headgear. I need a good true blue insert. I have yet to weld with one. So I hear u see really well vs old dingy 80s movie green .
@@Owen-w2e 94 pounds? For those interested, the Techniweld USA sugar scoop looks to be the exact same as the Tefuawe sugar scoop but in a different color.
As a new welder, why do you need safety glasses under your hood? My hood has a grind button, and i assumed that means your wearing your hood as a safety lens that keeps stuff out of your eyes....I have that same hood that you use, a Viking 3350. Thanks.
Great question, here is the answer: in a home shop you can get away with using the flip up shield and no safety glasses. On a job site you can’t do much without wearing safety glasses. It’s very common to flip up a hood and brush a weld or do something else, and at this moment your eyes are exposed and could get injured. It is super common at bigger employers to mandate safety glasses anytime you’re on the job, and anytime the hood is up you must have them on. It’s a PITA to put them on every time you flip up the hood so most people simply wear them all the time. I also switch between the pipeliner and a grinding shield often, and again safety measures at many places mandate safety glasses and a grinding shield. After a while you get used to it. Not to mention the safety glasses offer some protection against arc eye via an accidental arc strike.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg Thanks....it always sounded like the shield wasn't good enough, which i found hard to believe. I totally get you always need eye protection, but under a shield???
I literally got the same model two days ago, thanks for the link on the hardware. Do you have a link for the auto lens? I'll have to see if I really need to chop the bottom off my hood because I just mess around in my garage with welding. Thanks Greg!
It’s far more comfortable with the bottom chopped. Don’t be afraid to do it if you want some more freedom on movement. The auto lens is a “arc ones” 10 shade. It auto darkens but it’s a fixed 10 shade, you can’t adjust the shade. It has no adjustment for sensitivity. I have been stick welding with it 40 hours a week for the last month and it works great. They are pricy at 85$, I need to compare it to other options and tig weld with it to get a better feel for how good it is. I have no complaints using it over my Viking 3350 for stick though.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg thanks, I'll probably buy the lens after the holidays, still have to ponder cutting the bottom of the hood, I'll have to use it for a bit first the way it is
for me the compact design of the fiber metal hoods (which is all I use) is very noticeable, i find that if i weld with any other hood it's like I'm looking though a car windshield
I see you have a glass cleaner , not all glass cleaner are good for plastic lens , I use dish-washing soap. What about the "screens" you hold with one hand , can go in anywhere 😀. I like the old school fix shade , and there are very clear for few money . My old helmet has a clear slot with a shade over the tinted welding glass . I don't notes/remember any "false light" into the hood , and with a bit of practices you can see and place your stick/gun/torch , and just before arc start look though the dark glass. The glass here in Europe seems to be more often kind of 3x4" .Now I am using auto dark-
I generally use invisible glass on my lens with microfiber towels. It seems to work about the best out of what I have in the shop. You’re not kidding on the fact some cleaners aren’t good for lenses, I ruined more that a few lenses with random cleaners lol.
I’m thinking hard on buying a welder for the home shop, I’m torn between the primeweld mig 285 and the Eastwood 250 i elite. Does anyone have some educational input on what machine may be better? I’d appreciate any input.
So I have never used any Eastwood other than the 140amp mig machine. I have heard good things on many of their machines. The primeweld 285 is now being sold at a local welding store, I checked it out a few days ago. It seems to be well built. It’s a hard decision for me because I have not actually welded with either. Both will give the performance you really want in a mig welder. I wish I could give a better opinion 😀.
@ thanks Greg for your response. I have reached out to a Few channels on you tube with no response from the others, my gut says pull the trigger on Eastwood. Duty cycle is 60% it’s it’s own cart’ dual bottle gauges and a pedal, I’m going to try the Eastwood and let you know how it goes. Thank you so much for your input.
A lot of job sites require it. Get caught without your safety glasses on working on something and you can get walked off. It’s far easier to just wear the glasses so that anytime you flip a hood up you have protection. Also remember, even clear safety glasses help block UV and it will lessen the eye damage from an arc strike.
It’s amazing at how tiny particles from welding or grinding can find themselves into your helmet. Then, they find themselves in your eye. Anything that can help prevent that is welcome. Many of us wear glasses. There are lots of safety glasses that aren’t any larger, fit fine and don’t restrict your view.
Greg Thank you for the great video, you give us beginners a lot of information that we all can use.
I am hear to help 😀👍
I know it ain’t cheap but we love the comparison/review videos! Great to get an opinion from a guy with your experience so we don’t waste all our time and money on junk, thanks Greg!
I picked up a couple other affordable options and will roll out videos on them shortly. I am actually impressed with the quality of some of the sub 100$ hoods. The pipeliners seem to have far better quality in the sub 100$ than the conventional auto darkening hoods.
I have auto darknes lens fixed on DIN 11 and is too dark for me. I need adjustable auto shade or between 9-10
I think you will be impressed with that old tanks durability, in 99 around here auto darkening was only for the lap dogs and fancy pants boys 😂. If you had a big gold or at least big viewing area you got to talk smack to the 2x4 guys. I got a auto in 01 I believe and ended up using the helmet you are showing with the big area ,it was fibre metal which I believe is made by Honeywell if I read correctly. I liked the coverage and all the lens you could see out ( a corner of lens etc) and always ready . I use a speed glass mostly now except a simple weld or two on some junk. I have a Pic my brother took of me in the hood welding some 5/16 s.s going to use for my advertising sign. Different note I can't remember particular measurements but my 89 f150 long bed has 34 or 38 inches trimmed off frame making it I believe 12 or 14 inch shorter wheel base then your cjs ,I ran it in mud runs and tore around and some dirt bag robbed the tires rad, and something else I can't remember and probably some I didn't notice. 3rd gear 4 hi 3500 and dump clutch or 4th in 4 lo same application it ripped pretty good, being that short I'd think it would climb good 22' drive shaft with yokes trimmed for clear. Thought you had said you were into that. Stuff you ever make some gangly stuff that works 😂
Hey there big fella, just wanted to say Merry Christmas and what have you, is all. I was just thinking of you there today, I had to descale a pile of 1/4" parts, and I'm still very much enjoying the wheiler mill scale disk you sent me. So again sir, I thank you kindly! PS, I don't know if you ever run forney brand rods or not, but on a whim I bought a pound of 3/32" 7018, an man, they're awesome, really. Super smooth, and like almost silent too. I'll be getting some more for sure. Anywho, Merry Christmas man, hope ur goin off roading or something fun!
Merry Christmas to you too 😀👍. I will be spending the next 5 days making a small engine drive test video along with a bunch of other test videos 😀
Right on man, better than me lol. I bought a table saw from the 30s, just for a project. An man I gotta say, I nailed it. Quite the process lol. @@makingmistakeswithgreg
That's the best box opener ever. I'm going to give that a try on my next Amazon delivery which I think is the welding hood vision correction lenses you linked last time.
Beats getting a paper cut under your nail like I generally do trying to use my fingers 😅
I like the modification. Good idea.
It helps comfort and wearability no doubt. Kind of weird to cut up something brand new, but it’s worth it lol.
I have one of those still. Got it years ago when I turned 14 for my birthday from my dad.
Glad to hear you still have it 👍. That’s a definite keep around the shop, even if you don’t use it.
I'm glad to see this one. Im looking for something like this.
Thanks for the video.
I have another review out in a few days on a more modern pipeliner style hood that’s worth checking out. It’s a bit cheaper but seems to be built really well.
@makingmistakeswithgreg ok great. I will watch for it.
I like it because I feel like old-school, retro Iron Man when I weld with it. You are 100% correct that it is a pain in the butt to weld looking down with it without modification. Might have to chop mine like you did, but it's not my primary hood, just a splurge purchase becaue I like collecting different types of hoods. Mostly sits on the wall like a trophy display unless one of the old guys in the shop start giving me crap about my "fancy" weld hoods (optrel, speedglas, PAPR systems, etc), then I bust out the Honeywell and start doing my best caveman impression while doing welds and communicating in nothing more than grunts.
Haha it definitely is one of those things if you like welding or collect hoods, you must have one. I am not sure how it took a long time before someone chopped the bottom, all the old photos I have seen don’t show the bottoms cut. People must have liked being uncomfortable lol.
I was given a very old Fibre-Metal fixed shade sugar scoop, that was frustrating to use when I first started. The sugar scoop is built like a tank. I replaced the fixed shade #10. This was before I found out about auto-darkening welding hoods. I have no fond memories of using this hood, but maybe I should try it now and see how it works. I only weld outdoors. My cheap Chinese auto darkening welding hood was a game changer for me, allowing me to progress in basic welding.
They are real handy for certain jobs, I think for a lot of work a normal auto darkening is still better. I have been doing a ton of pipe welding recently and I totally get why they are called a pipeliner lol. They work really well for that.
👌👍 thanks for sharing!
No problem 😀👍
I ordered mine last week. It’ll be here tomorrow! Also got the titanium 225 stick welder. Excited to learn a new skill !!
Glad to hear you’re embarking on a new skill. Expect to be very frustrated and to struggle at first. Just keep practicing and keep your head up 😀👍. That titanium 225 is a great welder to start with, it won’t hold you back.
Hey Greg, your modification looks a little like Bender Rodriguez from Futurama LOL
Haha I might just paint it to look like that 😅
I have a couple shop hoods, but I very rarely use them. Mostly I use a pancake but I also have an outlaw leather chopped pipeliner with the leather top and bottom. It's good for tight spots if you can get your eyes straight on the weld. About the only time I use my big lens shop hood is when I have to get into a spot where my head has to be turned, which makes it harder to weld anyway but at least I can see out is the large lense.
That’s one benefit I didn’t even think of, with a big wide screen viewing you definitely can see at crazy angles without moving your head due to how wide the screen is. The pancake is growing on me, I just bought the first one I ever used and for outdoors it’s real nice. Whoever invented it was onto something for sure lol.
Baaad ASSSS!!!! Gonna buy one now!
I never owned one until the one in the video, and honestly it’s better than I expected. Being able to flip up to a clear lense is more handy than I thought. Cool points on the look too 😅
@@makingmistakeswithgreg And for 'that' reason, I'd like to be able to 'switch' between grind and weld options - faster. Currently in the industry, most auto darkening helmets are 'switched' on the inside of the helmet but some manufactures are trending and placing the switches externally to the temple area which has helped speed this model switching back and forth - up, specifically YesWelder is one such company doing this. But it's still clunky and it's a bit difficult with thicker gloves on. So, in lieu of doing that, having this easier flip up and down formula is much, much faster and therefor very attractive. In my Welding Certification Course, the CONSTANT short welding and cleaning (of the weldments) is always making me take my glove off to switch in between modes and of course raising and lowering my mask for the grind and weld modes as stated above. But, having to flip a screen up and down is much faster for these two modes and can keep my helmet down and gloves on, thus saving me time. This is why I admire this video and feel it could definitely be a better formula adding onto the 'auto' darkening parameter of these helmets. I now ponder if the larger viewscreen ones will adapt and become flippable too perhaps? Nonetheless, thank you Greg for this enlightenment of this. I stayed away from these older helmets because of their lack of 'automation' but this is a game changer...
Thanks I never seen the hood bolts before
They are common in the pipeline/steam fitting world because they work excellent, but very uncommon in everything else. Most stores don’t even sell the style. They do work great for specific uses.
I used one just like this for 30 + years till the window flip hinge broke, but that hood was made in 1974 , hard to tell if one made today is made as good.
I probably could repair it , but I just got a cheap auto darkening hood from HF and it lasted about 3 years till the battery,s that are not replaceable went bad , do not buy a hood that you can not replace the battery in .
The last auto darkening hood I bought was from HF top of line with replaceable battery $150 , I like the way it works .
From what I heard the 70s ones were built better, but I have never held one to know for sure. So far I have used it 40+ hours a week for over a month and I have no doubt it will last years, so they still are pretty durable.
Hey Greg, a possible cheaper fix is just to just replace the plastic spacer with one made from another material and you could most likely cut one out at home. I'm thinking of gasket material, like butyl rubber, medium fibre, etc. You could also just replace it with an rubber hose bib oring if it's not too thick? Anyhow I would imagine less stress on that plastic nut then with it replaced. But that new hardware you installed looks excellent. Cheers Joe
No doubt changing it with a better material so it doesn’t need as much pressure would solve the stripped nut issue. 👍
I picked up a sugar scoop and adjustable lens from tefuawe about a year ago and was a little skeptical at first but I haven't had any problems with it, over all I'm quite happy with it, comfortable, not to heavy, and the only thing that has worn out is the sweat band. If I where to go back I wouldn't get the flip up lense, more crap to get dirty and I don't like having such a small viewing angle while grinding
I grabbed one from the same company I am in the process of checking out. I was very skeptical of it too, but honestly it’s been quite a surprise so far. It came setup with good head gear, and the overall design was much better than I expected. For the 50-60$ it cost honestly I would probably put it above the Honeywell.
That is from the tiger Hood series I have one mine is red mine is on a Halo it's mounted on a hard hat
Yay, another style I have looked at I found the _TrueArc_ Vintage version of this is a lot better. It's pre-cut, flat black inside, and a lot better headgear. If I'm remembering correctly I think the price is about the same as the Honeywell.
Thanks for the tip, I looked at that hood. It definitely seems like they did a lot of improvements over honeywells setup. Better tension adjusters, better head gear, and pre chopped on the bottom. Looks like a solid option, especially since it’s even more affordable.
I use an auto dark lens that you can put in a fixed shade mode, it’s the best of both worlds
Wanting to be able to grind in tight spaces without changing headgear led me to buy the cheapest version of this on Amazon back in July. I got the JHTII "Flip-up Black Glass Welding Mask" for $49. It came with a pile of sweat bands, 2 lenses (a fixed 11 and an auto darkening 11), a bunch of plastic covers, an attachable rechargeable light, and a bag. In all the months since, I've used it a bunch. I honestly can't fault it much. When welding in the dark, the auto-darkening lens, sometimes won't go clear after a weld. Other than that, I have no problems with it, but I may be less of a connoisseur. My "fancy" hood is a $99 Hobart "Inventor" 4 sensor.
That’s not a bad price and if the headgear still works I would say it was well worth it. Some of the 50-70$ Amazon specials for welders hoods have been far better than I expected. If only the Amazon special welders were as good as more legit companies lol.
For me it was a toss up between this one and the Tefuawe sugar scoop with the Tefuawe winning out because of the headgear. I also bought an Arc One Tradesman T-240-10 auto darkening lens for it. No problems with either but just one nit pick on the lens. It doesn't want to return to the iight state when using it in near darkness. I turn my head toward my dim porch light and it will return.
I see the black Jackson PL280 can be had on Amazon now for around $29.
Thanks
The tefuawe sugar scoop I picked up and will do a review shortly on it. I knew virtually nothing about it, and my initial impression is that it’s surprisingly good. I can see why it has a really good review on Amazon.
I'm interested in that tefuwe also I got the non flip lens in my cart it says it's. 94 lbs is my intrest and similar shape to this one and a really nice looking headgear. I need a good true blue insert. I have yet to weld with one. So I hear u see really well vs old dingy 80s movie green .
@@Owen-w2e 94 pounds? For those interested, the Techniweld USA sugar scoop looks to be the exact same as the Tefuawe sugar scoop but in a different color.
@@bryanthornton6787.94 lbs less than a pound if you look I did put a . After it's. Its.94lbs what I meant less than a pound sorry for that 😮
@@Owen-w2e It's all good. Mine with flip front and arc one lens weigh about 17oz if I recall correctly
9500 predator generator 1500 today
I saw that, that’s a really good deal for sure.
got 1. Learning from yts top welder!
As a new welder, why do you need safety glasses under your hood? My hood has a grind button, and i assumed that means your wearing your hood as a safety lens that keeps stuff out of your eyes....I have that same hood that you use, a Viking 3350.
Thanks.
Great question, here is the answer: in a home shop you can get away with using the flip up shield and no safety glasses. On a job site you can’t do much without wearing safety glasses. It’s very common to flip up a hood and brush a weld or do something else, and at this moment your eyes are exposed and could get injured. It is super common at bigger employers to mandate safety glasses anytime you’re on the job, and anytime the hood is up you must have them on. It’s a PITA to put them on every time you flip up the hood so most people simply wear them all the time. I also switch between the pipeliner and a grinding shield often, and again safety measures at many places mandate safety glasses and a grinding shield. After a while you get used to it. Not to mention the safety glasses offer some protection against arc eye via an accidental arc strike.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg Thanks....it always sounded like the shield wasn't good enough, which i found hard to believe. I totally get you always need eye protection, but under a shield???
The other advantage to this hood is that you can pretend you’re a character in a low budget sci-fi movie.
You definitely can 😅
I literally got the same model two days ago, thanks for the link on the hardware. Do you have a link for the auto lens? I'll have to see if I really need to chop the bottom off my hood because I just mess around in my garage with welding. Thanks Greg!
It’s far more comfortable with the bottom chopped. Don’t be afraid to do it if you want some more freedom on movement. The auto lens is a “arc ones” 10 shade. It auto darkens but it’s a fixed 10 shade, you can’t adjust the shade. It has no adjustment for sensitivity. I have been stick welding with it 40 hours a week for the last month and it works great. They are pricy at 85$, I need to compare it to other options and tig weld with it to get a better feel for how good it is. I have no complaints using it over my Viking 3350 for stick though.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg thanks, I'll probably buy the lens after the holidays, still have to ponder cutting the bottom of the hood, I'll have to use it for a bit first the way it is
for me the compact design of the fiber metal hoods (which is all I use) is very noticeable, i find that if i weld with any other hood it's like I'm looking though a car windshield
also the pipeliner (that's the white hoods) are more compact than the tiger hood (the gray hoods)
I see you have a glass cleaner , not all glass cleaner are good for plastic lens , I use dish-washing soap. What about the "screens" you hold with one hand , can go in anywhere 😀. I like the old school fix shade , and there are very clear for few money . My old helmet has a clear slot with a shade over the tinted welding glass . I don't notes/remember any "false light" into the hood , and with a bit of practices you can see and place your stick/gun/torch , and just before arc start look though the dark glass. The glass here in Europe seems to be more often kind of 3x4" .Now I am using auto dark-
I generally use invisible glass on my lens with microfiber towels. It seems to work about the best out of what I have in the shop. You’re not kidding on the fact some cleaners aren’t good for lenses, I ruined more that a few lenses with random cleaners lol.
I’m thinking hard on buying a welder for the home shop, I’m torn between the primeweld mig 285 and the Eastwood 250 i elite. Does anyone have some educational input on what machine may be better? I’d appreciate any input.
So I have never used any Eastwood other than the 140amp mig machine. I have heard good things on many of their machines. The primeweld 285 is now being sold at a local welding store, I checked it out a few days ago. It seems to be well built. It’s a hard decision for me because I have not actually welded with either. Both will give the performance you really want in a mig welder. I wish I could give a better opinion 😀.
@ thanks Greg for your response. I have reached out to a Few channels on you tube with no response from the others, my gut says pull the trigger on Eastwood. Duty cycle is 60% it’s it’s own cart’ dual bottle gauges and a pedal, I’m going to try the Eastwood and let you know how it goes. Thank you so much for your input.
Who wears safety glasses with a rated hood on? Like i get it but safeties ruin your vision of the welds
If working around multiple people wearing UV rated eye protection is a nice bit of kit to have on when a person takes their helmet off.
A lot of job sites require it. Get caught without your safety glasses on working on something and you can get walked off. It’s far easier to just wear the glasses so that anytime you flip a hood up you have protection. Also remember, even clear safety glasses help block UV and it will lessen the eye damage from an arc strike.
It’s amazing at how tiny particles from welding or grinding can find themselves into your helmet. Then, they find themselves in your eye. Anything that can help prevent that is welcome. Many of us wear glasses. There are lots of safety glasses that aren’t any larger, fit fine and don’t restrict your view.