Burned $40 on a cheap welding helmet from the flea market

Picked up a so-called 'auto-darkening' helmet for $40 at a flea market in Knoxville. First real weld with it and the lens stayed light, flashed my eyes good for about an hour. Has anyone else had luck with those budget helmets or is it just a waste?

2 comments

2 Comments

river_fox182d ago

Man I feel your pain. I got flashburned so bad from a pawn shop hood once I looked like a raccoon for a week. @jamiekim has a point about checking the batteries though. My buddy bought the same $40 flea market special and it worked fine after he pulled the plastic tab out of the battery compartment that everybody forgets about. I still say you're better off spending the extra cash on a real helmet unless you enjoy looking like a lobster wearing sunglasses.

jamiekim3d ago

Hold onto that helmet and give it another shot, man. I know a guy who runs a cheapo $30 Amazon special every single day for automotive repairs and it's been fine for years. Half the time a budget helmet fails it's because people don't check the battery cover or leave it sitting in direct sun which messes with the sensors. Pop a fresh set of batteries in there and test it against a bright flashlight before you toss it. Your eyes might thank you later if you get lucky and it's just a dead cell.