[6pack] Welding Helmet Question

[Robert McBride]

I have a $100+ Auto one from HD that needs to have batteries and you have to 
remember to turn it off or they are dead next time you need it...Harbor 
Freight a few years ago had their cheap auto one on sale for $30.  Picked it 
up when home and tried it out, needs no batteries worked great.. So took it 
off got back in truck and went back and bought another one for use at the 
cottage...  I have been more than happy with them both... I don't use the HD 
one anymore...Bob M


"One of my many problems with welding is I can't see anything until the
sparks start flying at which point I figure I'll set the house on fire
so......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. "