[6pack] Welding Helmet Question

[Glenn Rattmann]

Bob, I'm not a welder, and I don't play one on TV.  But I would think 
about the risk of counterfeit goods from overseas (you know where I mean).

These guys are everywhere in the marketplace.  For them, it's all 
about price.  It's not about safety, or meeting specs.  The US 
government is overwhelmed by imported stuff and really can't enforce 
standards like we might wish.

Part of the counterfeiting process is the false labeling, not just 
the inferior materials or methods.  It's easy to make a label that 
says "meets ANSI standard so-and-so", or "Grade 8 Bolt", or 
whatever.  I know nothing about the auto-darkening process, but maybe 
the switching time you mentioned is subject to some variables which 
have to be controlled tightly during material-sourcing AND 
manufacture.  Who is controlling that, if it comes from Asia?

With the global environment, I have become a more careful consumer in 
critical applications.   With my eyes, I wouldn't take any 
chances.  I would go to a big-name US supplier of welding accessories 
and buy a high quality US-made version of the helmet, even if I used 
it only once a year.  Bonus-- your purchase might help some guy in 
Ohio keep his job in a small factory....

By the way, the counterfeiting of fasteners has been a huge business 
for about 20-25 years now.  I think about that every time I get on an 
airplane and wonder if the AN hardware is really AN.

--Glenn/74.5 TR6s
San Diego

At 01:20 PM 1/22/2009, you wrote:
>I'm considering one of the auto-darkening type helmets figuring I'll
>be able to see where everything is before I light things up. A search of
>Sears & Home Depot shows the auto-darkening models to be in the $100 - $200
>range. Harbor Freight had one at $80 and eBay has a bunch of new ones listed
>at $30 - $50. And I've also seen some for $400. From a spec standpoint, they
>are all similar with regard to reaction time, darkness scale and meeting
>various industry standards. So I'm guessing the difference lies in various
>construction aspects of the helmet itself. This is something I'll use maybe
>once or twice a year and my primary concern is eye protection. Will the less
>expensive ones do the job given that they all say 1/25,000 sec switch time,
>adjustable shade control & ANSI certified.