Unpopular opinion: I spent $3,200 on a top-of-the-line welding helmet and it wasn't worth it

My old $150 helmet did the same job for 12 years, and the auto-darkening feature on the expensive one gave out after 18 months in the field - has anyone else found the extra cost just doesn't hold up to dirt and sparks?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_adams15d ago

Spend the extra cash on a good auto-dark lens for your old helmet.

aaron74015d ago

Wait, how long did it take for the warranty to cover that? My buddy Kyle bought one of those $3k Miller helmets last year, swore it was bulletproof. First week on a pipeline job, a hot spark landed right on the sensor and it just stopped working. Dead. He sent it back and they said it wasn't covered because it was "field damage" or something. Meanwhile my old Jackson helmet from 2010 is still kicking, auto-dark and all, and it cost me like $180. Kyle's been using his backup helmet for the last six months and he's pretty salty about it. He says the expensive one felt nice but the second it hit real dirt and sparks it was just a fancy paperweight.

blakestone15d ago

Yeah the "field damage" excuse is such bs. I mean I get it, stuff breaks on a job site but that's literally where you're supposed to use it right? For three grand you'd think they'd at least have some kind of decent warranty. Kyle's Jackson being from 2010 and still working just proves how overpriced some of this stuff is.