Welders!!!!! a question for you

[tacocat]

what welding hood do you recommend? thanks

[trevinator]

The best you can afford. Your eyes are pretty important.

Go to a welding supply place. Not a box store.

[pro mod steve]

Miller - Welding Helmets & Welder Safety Equipment and Clothing - Auto Darkening Welding Helmets
I have used the Miller Digital Elite for years at work and really like em.

[Slowkrawl]

If you're looking at an auto-tint, even a low quality miller is better than a cheap no-name auto tint.

[edwardpacola]

If your looking for an entry level quality hood check out Jackson there priced right an hold up.

[sdmf]

I have a miller pro hobby digital. I'm not involved in industry anymore, so I really didn't need anything more. I have no complaints about it at all. I got plain black. Our fab guy at work just got the elite digital, I changed the part number, so he the one with a joker instead of flames. I'm quite biased though, for good reason, I have had nothing but good experiences with miller stuff.

[stick-boy-rick]

I am a welder/shop foreman for a living and I use a miller auto darkening. If you want to spend a few dollars more then buy a speedglass. I prefer the miller because the helmet is a little more narrow than the speedglass when you get into tight spaces

[TacoCrawler]

related discussion of 1:1 opinion

I voiced my opinion in that ^ discussion

but for the record...

auto dark / high speed lens

[tacocat]

thanks everyone

[Jonnie Fraz]

I run the Miller Digital Elite and have had it for about three years. Welding is how I make my living so I spent the cash and never missed it. It has some cool bells and whistles...ie adjustable shade, adjustable sensitivity, adjustable delay, multiple sensors...ect. If you don't need all the cool features then you can get away with a few less bucks. Look for fast speed...slower switching speeds can lead to fatigue and in extreme cases flash burn. I have run Jackson with great success. I had a Jackson for ten years before getting my Miller. Some of my friends run the cheaper hoods with great success. I have used one of the cheaper brands for a day, but not my go to hood. Hope this helped.

[Armistice]

I used multiple Harbor Freight hoods for years in welding school and at my work. They work just fine for home/hobby stuff and they're auto darkening

I just bought a Miller Digi Elite about this time last year. Some money right there. Only thing I hate about it is the hood slowly falls down and I have the side knobs cranked down pretty well and it still falls. Didn't have that prob much with the HF hood

The HF hood is like $50. The Millers can run you a few hundred. If it's not something you're going to do everyday, go with Harbor Freight

[Etype R]

I have a northern tool auto darkening helmet, is their higher end unit. I'm happy with it, the response time is very quick. I also had a HF helmet, and it worked fine. But the viewing window was pretty small. And the the lens was a bit dark when it was off.

[Mayhem Eng.]

I just bought a Miller Digital Elite on line for $230.00 and got a $70.00 rebate from miller so my cost ended up being $160.00 Not sure the rebate is still going on but it's worth a call to miller to find out. I did this in late February. I know they had $40.00 and $70.00 rebate at this time.

[maluch]

I use a miller digital elite at home and a 3m speedglass 9100xx at work both are fantastic hoods

[THUNDER PRO]

What are your eyes worth? I weld for a living and I have used both the miller digital elite and the 3M speedglass,both are great helmets. Are you going to spend a lot of time under the helmet or just occasional use? If you are going to spend a significant amount of time welding then spend the money on quality. What are your eyes worth?