Wasted $300 on a "premium" welding hood that couldn't handle shop dust

Bought this fancy auto-darkening hood from a big brand last spring, figured spending more meant less hassle. After about 3 weeks on a boiler retrofit job in Pittsburgh, the sensors got clogged with fine dust and it started flickering like crazy. Called the company and they said it wasn't covered because it's "environmental damage" even though it's a welding hood made for shops. Ended up using my old passive hood and a cheater lens... anyone else had a high-end hood crap out on them faster than a cheap one?

3 comments

3 Comments

annajenkins15d ago

Heard that dust kills the sensors fast.

brianm6615d ago

Dust kills the sensors fast" - so is it basically a sealed unit vs a shop-ready hood?

the_terry14d ago

Read a few reviews from guys who run these in metal shops or woodworking spaces. They said the dust buildup is real and once it gets inside the lens area, you're basically buying a new unit. Some of them put a cheap mesh screen over the intake just to catch the big stuff before it hits the fan. Could be worth trying if you're not ready to drop money on the sealed version.