How to Buy a Welding Helmet

When you work in an environment where safety is an issue on a daily basis, you want the best work equipment that you can have for your job. When you are a welder, the type of welding helmet that you use is extremely important. The following are guidelines to help you determine what type of welding helmet would be best for your purchase.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Talk to your supervisor or job chief about what type of welding work you will be doing, so you will know what would be the best type of welding helmet for you to purchase. Often welders are independent workers that purchase their own equipment, so the type of welding job will vary from one work site to another.

2. Determine the type of welding helmet you will need. Some welding helmets that would be fine for a minor welding task do not cost very much. These will usually be on the lower scale of quality in the standards of welding helmets. The lens area is a main concern to the welder and these type of helmets will probably have shade controls that have to be manually adjusted or changed depending upon the arc of the weld. By having to stop and readjust the lens from time to time takes extra time to complete the task.

3. Use a higher quality welding helmet that you would purchase for jobs that are more intense. The higher end welding helmets will have auto shade controls or auto darkening on the lens. Some will even have solar assisted shade control in the lens area. The level of technology used in constructing the lens of the welding helmet greatly affects the consumer cost. The more auto and solar lens controls on a welding helmet, the higher the cost will be.

4. Look for well-known manufacturer's welding helmets for your purchase. The better known manufacturers are usually in compliance with safety regulations. Some of the manufacturers to look for might be Speedglas, Miller, ArcOne or Jackson.

5. Expect to pay according to features and quality. A welding helmet with the basics can start as low as $30. A higher quality welding helmet with many lens features can be as much as $250 and up from there.

6. Ask about the warranty information on the welding helmet you plan to purchase. You need to know what the structural warranties are and also warranties on special features such as auto lens darkening. Ask what the policies are on replacing the lens shields for both inside and outside the helmet. Make sure that the helmet you plan to purchase meets the safety requirements under which you work.

Tips & Warnings

• Protection of your face and particularly your eyes is extremely important when welding, so choose a welding helmet and coordinating lens protection carefully.