# Auto darkening welding helmet



## dickm (24 Oct 2013)

Axy have what looks like a pretty good offer on these until 31 October.


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## spinks (25 Oct 2013)

dickm":w46f16y1 said:


> Axy have what looks like a pretty good offer on these until 31 October.




who??


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## marcros (25 Oct 2013)

axminster.


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## Robbo3 (25 Oct 2013)

APTC Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet £34.96
- http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ax ... rod364879/


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## Graham Orm (25 Oct 2013)

£19.50 on Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTO-DARKENIN ... 2c74ad3917


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## hazel (26 Oct 2013)

oh, that's tempting... I need one of my own as most the temping agencies won't take me on without one. 

*goes to investigate more*


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## t8hants (26 Oct 2013)

Always check that a cheap helmet takes a standard size protective lens, some of them take a lens size exclusive to that production batch with no replacement lenses available. So you run the risk of should you unfortunatly scratch a lens withn a few days of ownership you find you have to replace the helmet not just the lens, and then its not so cheap.

G


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## Hitch (26 Oct 2013)

t8hants":it269oxb said:


> Always check that a cheap helmet takes a standard size protective lens, some of them are take a lens size exclusive to that production batch with no replacement lenses available. So you run the risk of should you unfortunatly scratch a lens withn a few days of ownership you find you have to replace the helmet not just the lens, and then its not so cheap.
> 
> G



100% Agreed, always check the availability of replacements.


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## dickm (29 Oct 2013)

Did anyone else order this item? Ordered one on Friday, it arrived Saturday, which was great, BUT, it didn't work properly. Was OK on the TIG setting but would not behave on the MMA setting. Rang Axminster Monday, and they sent me another which arrived today, again great service and delivery. But, with the same fault...............

Just awaiting return labels and refund.


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## graduate_owner (29 Oct 2013)

I bought one of these a few years back - looks the same anyway. It worked great the first two times I used it, then I put it away in it's box for about 3 months - I'm only an occasional welder. Next time it didn't work. I was told it needed to be charged up, and to leave it in the sunlight, but that didn't work. It would react for a second or two then go clear again - not funny when you're welding. So I tried more sunlight, and tried getting information from the web, but it never worked reliably again. Then some helpful visiting moggie was walking over one of my shelves (as they do !!) and knocked something over which landed on the solar panel thingy and cracked it, so that was the end of that.
I've since bought a Sealy helmet which has worked fine so far. I'm sure Axminster would have replaced it if I'd sent it back within the year, but I kept trying to get it to work, and unfortunately let it go out of warranty. So I don't know if mine was defective from the start or went defective after a while, or whether putting it in the dark (cardboard box) caused the problem.

K


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## Phil Pascoe (29 Oct 2013)

How can they fail? The product should do what you bought it for, and no matter what any fine print says - are the manufacturers liable if the welder gets a serious case of arc eye? I've had bad arc eye, and I sure as hell wouldn't wish it on anyone! Having said that , of course I know that you're probably going to know it's not working before you get a flash.


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## dickm (29 Oct 2013)

In a way, it's probably a good thing that the Axy helmet(s) didn't work and they will take them back. The solar recharge thing is fine if the helmet is being used regularly, but does seem likely to give problems if stored out of strong light. Could be frustrating getting it out to weld, finding it was discharged and having to wait for a sunny day . We may not get many of those up here over the next few months.
So what do folk recommend as the best cost/performance compromise for an occasional welder?


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## Spindle (29 Oct 2013)

Hi

I have a Speedglas, bought from BOC at the same time as my mig. It wasn't cheap but has worked faultlessly for about ten years now.

What price your sight?

Regards Mick


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## t8hants (29 Oct 2013)

Winky-blinky hats are fine, but I used a handscreen for most of my work for at least 40 years before I bought one, and still use it for tacking up. A standard welding helmet is also fine, you'll soon learn the welders nod.

Gareth


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## hazel (29 Oct 2013)

t8hants":c6o2tc2h said:


> you'll soon learn the welders nod




and then get so used to it that when you switch to an auto-darkening helmet you find yourself still sub-coniously nodding  


(I do this at work a lot lol)


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## No skills (29 Oct 2013)

Don't suffer from the nod but I do still lift the lid to look at what I've done despite the now clear window in front #-o


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## hazel (29 Oct 2013)

lol, ye I am guilty of that one too... but more of the nod issue


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## n0legs (30 Oct 2013)

:!:


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## Myfordman (30 Oct 2013)

Wave the panel in front of a halogen worklight soon gets them working. Also acts as a test for a new one. you can easily see the filament coils of a 500 watt tube!


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## t8hants (30 Oct 2013)

Arc eye, burning like fire.
Arc eye, when I close there's pain
How can my eyes that sting so badly ever see again?
Arc eye.
(to the tune of Bright eyes)

G


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## dickm (30 Oct 2013)

Like the suggestion of a halogen work light to spark a solar powered mask into life, but the ones I got wouldn't even respond correctly to an uncharacteristically bright Scottish sun! So, with the aid of the Freepost return label from Axy, they are now somewhere in the post between here and the far south.


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## Hitch (3 Nov 2013)

What settings does the Axminster headshield have then?
Normally a sensitivity setting and a shade setting, sometimes a delay, never seen one that said a particular method of welding, odd.

Eye Tech, i had them for about 10 years, got one of these now.... 
http://www.weldability-sif.com/pages/vi ... =FXADF800S and prefer it over the eyetech if i'm honest.

I can't remember which headshield it was, quite possibly a budget Esab one, came with a warning 'Keep away from sources of heat' :lol:


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## hazel (3 Nov 2013)

it has all the details on the axminster one in the "key features" :/ 


the eye tech one has a larger viewing area, but other than that I don't see that much of an advantage. The axminster one has the settings knob on the outside which I like, esspecially when having to switch between several jobs requiring different shades. The axminster one also seems to darken faster. Think on paper I prefer the axminster one, though after looking into it decided against buying it, I need a slightly better one really


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