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Old 11-27-2007, 02:36 PM   #381 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
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Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
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DAX contributes experience on welding helmets...

Quote:
Are you looking for an autodark? If you're going to do any more welding after this project, I'd recommend getting a good one. I bought a cheapie first time around and after it went "light" on me during welding for about the 10th time, I sucked it up and bought a Miller Elite - haven't been flashed since - even on very low current settings.

I still have my cheapie eBay autodark in my shop - I pull it out when someone else wants to observe me welding.
Yep, I was looking for an autodark kind. I was planning on snatching up one like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=020

Quote:
For what you're doing, I guess that will work. That's like my eBay helmet. The problem with these helmets is that the light sensor is small and there is only one - what happens is that while you're welding, if your hand or something is blocking the light from getting to this sensor, it will flash clear. This also happens on low amp settings (which you probably won't use unless you're tigging something thin). My Miller helmet has four sensors and a larger viewing window. It is also capable of staying dark for inverter machine arcs, and will stay dark down to 5 amps of current. Another difference in the helmets is the material - my eBay one is very thick, stiff plastic and gets uncomfortable rather quickly. My Miller helmet is made of a thinner, softer plastic which is more flexible and comfortable.

In the light of this being a budget project and the small amount of welding you're doing, I think you will be fine with the eBay unit. If you think you'll be welding a lot more in the future, get a good helmet.
Thanks - that's good info. Amount of welding will probably be minimal, and higher current as you guessed. So I'll see if I can snag one of these and I'll report back about how it turns out.

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Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
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