When I bought my Portgamig 185 I also bought a SifLite auto darkening welding helmet to go with it.
Initially I was only welding the bodywork of my car. As this was done using the pulse method, visibility of the weld was not as important.
However fast forward 10 years and I find myself welding thicker metal and now the visibility of the weld is important. With my current helmet I really struggle to see what I am welding, which in turn leads to the weld wandering of to one side.
So it is time to upgrade my welding helmet. I don’t weld daily but have some bigger projects coming up. (Work bench and a car restoration). When I asked you all for advise on which MIG welder to buy, I was told that the better the welder (machine) the easier it would be to produce a good weld.
I assume that this is also true for welding helmets. From the research I have done on this forum I have narrowed my choice down to two helmets.
1) ESAB Sentinel A50
2) Lincoln Viking 3350.
Unfortunately there is nobody close by that stocks both helmets and where I can try them on. Therefore it will have to be done by internet reviews and recommendations.
The budget is around £200 which should be enough to buy a good quality helmet for regular diy use.
My preference so far goes out to the 3350 and this is due to fact that the lense is protected and not as easily damaged as on the ESAB. Also the clarity seems ever so slightly better 1/1/1/1 to 1/1/1/2 for the ESAB. However it is debatable if a diy’er can spot the difference.
Anything that I have missed? Willing to listen to pro’s and con’s for both helmets.
Thank you all for your time.
Initially I was only welding the bodywork of my car. As this was done using the pulse method, visibility of the weld was not as important.
However fast forward 10 years and I find myself welding thicker metal and now the visibility of the weld is important. With my current helmet I really struggle to see what I am welding, which in turn leads to the weld wandering of to one side.
So it is time to upgrade my welding helmet. I don’t weld daily but have some bigger projects coming up. (Work bench and a car restoration). When I asked you all for advise on which MIG welder to buy, I was told that the better the welder (machine) the easier it would be to produce a good weld.
I assume that this is also true for welding helmets. From the research I have done on this forum I have narrowed my choice down to two helmets.
1) ESAB Sentinel A50
2) Lincoln Viking 3350.
Unfortunately there is nobody close by that stocks both helmets and where I can try them on. Therefore it will have to be done by internet reviews and recommendations.
The budget is around £200 which should be enough to buy a good quality helmet for regular diy use.
My preference so far goes out to the 3350 and this is due to fact that the lense is protected and not as easily damaged as on the ESAB. Also the clarity seems ever so slightly better 1/1/1/1 to 1/1/1/2 for the ESAB. However it is debatable if a diy’er can spot the difference.
Anything that I have missed? Willing to listen to pro’s and con’s for both helmets.
Thank you all for your time.