What hood offers the best optics?

koolkat3551 · Thu Dec 08, 2016 10:52 pm

Lincoln 4C or jackson balder bh3

entity-unknown · Fri Dec 09, 2016 10:44 am

Consider the Optrel e684 as well. I and a couple other users have them and I don't think you can find a bad review for them out there.

C. Livingstone · Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:43 am

I've been a little curious about the Lincoln 4C lid (#3350) too, as there's a horde of positive Amazon reviews from people who've used the Balder ones, the Miller stuff, and just about everything else too. One guy didn't like its outdoor performance in bright sunlight.

Here's a comparison/review of the newer lids, and the 4C is #1. http://weldinghelmetpros.com Interestingly, my own cheaper Antra lid came in 3rd, though I have the one with a slightly larger viewing area and no knob on the outside. One of the things I like about the Antra because is the Auto On and Off, but I repaced the head gear with a Jackson one, since the original would creep down a lot and didn't have the detent at the top. But my Antra apparently lacks the "optical clarity" of the Lincoln 4C and others (75% vs %100), which may cause me to upgrade at some point.

I've also been curious about the somewhat pricey ArcOne IDF81-1523 Speedway Vision Shell with 12.6 square inch 5 by 4 IDF81 Intelligent Auto-Darkening (the four sensor one, not the two sensor one). It supposedly has an "auto-varible" ability and touts TIG sensitivity down to 5 amp arcs.

pgk · Fri Dec 09, 2016 1:58 pm

I bought a Jackson Nexgen awhile back and it has worked flawless.. My eyes are not what they used to be and optic wise the Nexgen at least to me is crystal clear.

John Chamorro · Fri Dec 09, 2016 7:54 pm

pgk wrote:I bought a Jackson Nexgen awhile back and it has worked flawless.. My eyes are not what they used to be and optic wise the Nexgen at least to me is crystal clear.

I also have a Nexgen and I love it. I'm always in search of the better mouse trap and have considered the Lincoln. Now I'm thinking about the Jackson Balder series. I've never seen the Nexgen compared against any other. Does anybody have any input on this?

koolkat3551 · Mon Dec 12, 2016 2:08 pm

I have the optrel 2.5 Vega view and the optrel lite flip autopilot they are both light and have really good optics but I have issues with them both. They have both been flashing back from om dark state to light state when I have not been welding with them. I finish running a weld wait a few seconds and it switches back and fourth constantly until I strike up again. This is frustrating because no other grinding or welding is going on around me to set the lens off. I have contacted optrel multiple times and they have not replied at all about my issues. My sensitivity is at the lowest and does not help. The autopilot is suppose to switch from 4-14 depending on the intensity of the weld but this is hardly true unless I have a setting wrong in the helmet. When I try to use a torch I would like a 4 or 5 lens but it senses it as a weld so it darkens the lens and I cannot even see what is going on.

John Chamorro · Thu Dec 15, 2016 6:33 pm

I just bit the bullet and bought a new Jackson True Sight II wh70. I should get it next week!

LtBadd · Thu Dec 15, 2016 8:57 pm

John Chamorro wrote:I just bit the bullet and bought a new Jackson True Sight II wh70. I should get it next week!

Great, hope to see this in the Product Review forum.

soutthpaw · Fri Dec 16, 2016 12:29 am

John Chamorro wrote:I just bit the bullet and bought a new Jackson True Sight II wh70. I should get it next week!

Look forward to a review. Esp if you have normal color vision. I swear by this hood if the welder is red/green colorblind. You will probably run 1 or 2 shades darker than thou normally do.

Composed with Swype on mobile. not responsible for typos.

John Chamorro · Sun Dec 18, 2016 2:00 am

soutthpaw wrote:
John Chamorro wrote:I just bit the bullet and bought a new Jackson True Sight II wh70. I should get it next week!
Look forward to a review. Esp if you have normal color vision. I swear by this hood if the welder is red/green colorblind. You will probably run 1 or 2 shades darker than thou normally do.

Composed with Swype on mobile. not responsible for typos.

Color vision is far from normal. There was a time not too long ago when I could pick a deer out of the brush at hundreds of yards. Red lights at night didn't exist. The yellow and green were pretty much the same in the daylight and picking out the right color shirt just didn't happen. A few years ago I had cataract surgery in both eyes. Now my color vision is a little less screwed up but I still try to stick to grey Tshirts. It will be interesting how the new hood works out.

C. Livingstone · Sun Dec 18, 2016 7:57 pm

Well,

I'm starting to consider the Optrel e684, for it's non-green tint and auto-dectecting-shade ability, which is still a rare thing.

It's top-rated at 1/1/1/1 in clarity and the other specs. It's Swiss made too, I believe, not that Asian is necessarily inferior.

$322, with no shipping cost and no extortion paid to lazy State bureaucrats is the best price I find, currently.

Olivero · Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:02 pm

C. Livingstone wrote:Well,

It's top-rated at 1/1/1/1 in clarity and the other specs. It's Swiss made too, I believe, not that Asian is necessarily inferior.

$322, with no shipping cost and no extortion paid to lazy State bureaucrats is the best price I find, currently.

I think you will have a hard time finding a helmet without the 1/1/1 rating, Lincoln, Miller, Esab, they all have them. I don't think a whole lot are out there without the triple 1's.

I like the idea of a non green tint hood though... I have a Miller Titanium 9400I and I love it but its heavy and I can't even imagine no green tint... Must be amazing.

Coldman · Mon Dec 19, 2016 6:50 pm

Triple 1 is common. 1/1/1/1 ain't

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John Chamorro · Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:05 am

Coldman wrote:Triple 1 is common. 1/1/1/1 ain't

Sent from my electronic thingy using Tapatalk

Doing my research brought me to the True Sight II. It has the 1/1/1/1 rating and a blue arc instead of the green or amber. It should get here tomorrow and can't wait to compare the Nexgen to it. My buddy has the Optrel and isn't that excited about it but I don't know which series or model. it could be one of the lesser rated hoods.

Olivero · Tue Dec 20, 2016 7:17 pm

Coldman wrote:Triple 1 is common. 1/1/1/1 ain't

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I thought it was a typo, I didn't know 4, 1's existed..

www.thefabricator.com/article/safety/1-1-1-1-clarity

The struggle is real!

C. Livingstone · Tue Dec 20, 2016 8:02 pm

Well,

I just ordered an ArcOne IDF81 unit, since it was sale priced at $214, with free shipping and no State extortion.

It's one I've also considered, as it's the only one beside the Optrel, that I know of, with the variable shade ability. The light state is very low, at 3, too. It's a 4-sensor one, outer knob, etc. The "Dragon" and "Speedway" models are both 4-sensor, but, strangely, some of the IDF81 models are 3-sensor. I believe I got the last "Dragon" model that was in stock from a place called weldersource.com.

Anyway, I'll try to remember to post about how I like it, as I haven't seen any feedback on one besides a Mr. TIG review.

John Chamorro · Thu Dec 22, 2016 8:01 pm

This is my post from the products forum.

I just ran a couple stainless beads with my new True Sight II and with the Nexgen. The True Sight is hands down better than the Nexgen. I keep new lenses in the Nexgen and the shade at 9 and wish I could go lower. I fired up on the TS and had to darken to a 10. Much better clarity and field of vision. I ran an outside corner bead on 1/16 plate and 1/16 filler at soft pedal 80 amps and 1.5 pulse per second with sort of sharp 3/32 Thoriated, using a copper block for heat sink backing. I'm impressed, it's probably the cleanest stainless weld I've ever done.