Welding helmet running down batteries

[Jim mcgrath]

I bought Lincoln Viking 3350 welding helmet in may 2023. It has begun to run down batteries both when it is being used and when it is not being used. I put a new battery in to weld something and it ran out of power in a couple of minutes. I’am hoping someone might have an idea why it is doing this.
I tried to contact Lincoln who make the mask but have been unable to speak to anyone. I emailed but have received no reply. I even sent them a letter, but again no reply. I wanted to ask if the helmet would be covered by warranty.
If anyone has had any dealings with Lincoln, I would be interested in hearing what your experience was like.
Thanks.

 

[MetalMonkey]

My Esab suffers from this - I think it is a combination of a parasitic drain from the electronics always being on, and if the helmet is sitting somewhere and getting the sun or lights passing across it and activating it.
I now remove the batteries if I’m not using it for any length of time as they aren't exactly cheap.

I intend to modify it and add a manual switch to cut the power from the batteries, but that's on a very long list of round-to-its.

 

[Smouser]

What a frustrating problem to have.

Are you using good quality batteries? I know some of the cheap ones are horrible and not even worth buying because they last no time at all.

A saw a post on reddit where another Lincoln 3350 user also had problems with his batteries running down quickly.

Allegedly, it is a common problem with a 2x4 lens

if the small batteries don't last, you could try to install a 'battery box' which holds 2xAAA or 2xAA batteries which will give you a bit more capacity.

Something like this

*Edit*

On my Warrior Esab (which did not have a replacebale battery) I installed a battery holder with a on/off switch.

 

[JOEPRO]

My Esab suffers from this - I think it is a combination of a parasitic drain from the electronics always being on, and if the helmet is sitting somewhere and getting the sun or lights passing across it and activating it.
I now remove the batteries if I’m not using it for any length of time as they aren't exactly cheap.

I intend to modify it and add a manual switch to cut the power from the batteries, but that's on a very long list of round-to-its.

I have a true colour parkside that runs its batteries down too. Maybe I'll try leaving it covered with a towel the next time and failing that a small switch would work. Just have to remember to turn it on each time and not get arc eye!

My Mercedes car key has IR, it's handy to test masks are working safely.

 

[Turbo]

You need to leave it somewhere sunny for the internal battery to get charged. It normally gets charged when you are welding via the inbuilt solar panel but if you don't weld much the battery goes flat and that will also run down the replaceable battery too.

My mask used to live in a drawer to keep it clean but now it hangs on the welder gas bottle!

 

[MetalMonkey]

You need to leave it somewhere sunny for the internal battery to get charged. It normally gets charged when you are welding via the inbuilt solar panel but if you don't weld much the battery goes flat and that will also run down the replaceable battery too.

My mask used to live in a drawer to keep it clean but now it hangs on the welder gas bottle!

Happy to be corrected, but I'm fairly certain the viking 3350, like my sentinal, only has replaceable non rechargeable coin cell batteries.
So if you leave it in the sun all that will happen is it will keep activating, and go flat.

 

[dave h 2]

Firstly you wont get arc eye with a flat battery, the UV filter is the coating on the lens. Flashed yes arc eye no.
On my cheap and nasty SIP £40 (uses 2032 coin cells) hat turning the sensitivity down to the lowest or grinding setting turns the battery off. Leaving the welding setting on killed the first battery in weeks, since using the grinding setting it still works after 2 years.
I tend to use my Parkside Drag Plasma on grinding setting as 90% of the dross exits underneath the work when it doesn't the screen goes full dark.

For warranty claims your first call is to where you bought it from this link tells traders what they must do I'm not surprised Lincoln have ignored you.

 

[Prajna]

I have a flap of cloth attached to the back of the hood and when I put it away I flip the flap over the screen to protect the screen and stop it activating. That might help. I have an Esab Savage A41 and so far had no probs with the battery.

 

[Turbo]

Happy to be corrected, but I'm fairly certain the viking 3350, like my sentinal, only has replaceable non rechargeable coin cell batteries.
So if you leave it in the sun all that will happen is it will keep activating, and go flat.

If you look at the front of your mask there is a small reddish brown strip below the viewing window. That is the solar panel that charges the internal battery as you weld.

Take out the main batteries before letting the sun recharge it. It has been covered many times before on this forum.

 

[MetalMonkey]

If you look at the front of your mask there is a small reddish brown strip below the viewing window. That is the solar panel that charges the internal battery as you weld.

Take out the main batteries before letting the sun recharge it. It has been covered many times before on this forum.

Certainly doesn't on mine, but I'm fairly sure it doesn't on the Viking either.

The solar cell just keeps the ADF in a darkened state when it has already been activated, there is no internal charging that I'm aware of, and the lithium cells are non-rechargeable.
It may have been different on older designs, but I think newer ones rely on the battery for reaction time.

Quick google found this which explains it better than I have:
https://proweldinghelmets.com/esab-sentinel-a50-battery/

 

[Turbo]

Certainly doesn't on mine, but I'm fairly sure it doesn't on the Viking either.

The solar cell just keeps the ADF in a darkened state when it has already been activated, there is no internal charging that I'm aware of, and the lithium cells are non-rechargeable.
It may have been different on older designs, but I think newer ones rely on the battery for reaction time.

Quick google found this which explains it better than I have:
https://proweldinghelmets.com/esab-sentinel-a50-battery/

Thats a new one on me.

I have revived several helmets that no longer work by leaving them in sunlight and others on the forum have too.

Come to think of it I have a Miller elite helmet that uses those expensive CR2450 cells and it runs them flat if you don't use the helmet. Doesn't matter if it's hidden or in sunlight. So I guess it's the same as your Lincoln helmet.

 

[minimutly]

Yep, coin cells don't take charging well, so agree the "solar panels, if you have one does not charge the batteries.
I have a cheap (£80 plus) helmet that drains coin cells in weeks, but other than that works well. I remove the batteries and take it in the house in between welding sessions. If I welded every day I would have stamped on it long ago - bit far for me to throw it in the Thames. I have a Kimberly Clarke (over£100) one that killed it's coin cells just inside the warranty period, the supplier sent it back and they fitted a new lense pack. It lasted another year and a half. This time I took a knife to the lense and unsoldered the cells, bought some replacements from CPC and these lasted another year or so.
Long story long - these things are a pain in the bum, never buy one you can't change batteries, and always keep a spare helmet.

 

[Jim mcgrath]

I bought the welding helmet from welding supplies direct and I called them straight after I was unable to contact Lincoln. The man at welding supplies phoned me back a couple of hours later and told me he coundn’t get through to Lincoln either. I think he might have been trying to pass the buck. I’ill give welding supplies direct another call tomorrow.
I didn’t know the batteries are not charged by the solar panels. The batteries I have been using are Duracell, which worked ok when the helmet was new.

 

[minimutly]

You always go back to your supplier, if it's in warranty, their issue to sort

 

[trigger3]

i think it pays off just getting a good one like speedglas in the beginning. save yourself the hassle later on. my xx mask bateries last nearly 3yr with daily use.

 

[northwest]

I have an Optrel Crystal and shortly after I bought it I found the battery had failed so I sent it back. Two weeks later it was returned to me, then after five or six months the battery failed again so I looked into it this time around. I discovered that it actually has a USB charging port for the on board rechargeable battery, now all I do is stick it on charge every once in a while. It doesn't address the OP issue but this might help someone. My other advice would be to read the bloody manual!

 

[aesmith]

My ESAB "Warrior" lasted nearly 10 years before the single lithium battery ran flat. Why do these other helmets run theirs down so quick?

(The battery in the Warrior was supposed to be non-replaceable but that's a different matter)

 

[hypertherm69]

I bought a brand new Lincoln Viking to replace my old one in January was getting through batteries every other day in February so I had to send it back to Engweld who then sent it to Lincoln. It’s been 2 months and had nothing back or any information on it really ****** off. My old still works so I have been using that one but it’s gone that dusty and dirty and the head gear is starting to break I thought I would get a new one, wish I hadn’t

 

[Melvyn Best]

Been having problems with batteries on 2 of my helmets lately going flat quickly , maybe I will take them out when not in use in the future? On a similar problem the batteries in my tv remote in the motorhome were flat about 7.45 Saturday evening when we were away, fortunately Screwfix had a branch 2 minutes walk away from the campsite. The old batteries were Duracell with what I presume was the production date , March 2014

 

[Keithmac]

I'm sure my SpeedGlass has only had one battery replacement in 20 years.

Sits around for long periods mind.

I always thought without the battery you are always in dark (safe) mode?.