I finally shelled out for a Vulcan welding hood after years of cheap ones

Spent $450 on a new auto-darkening helmet last month after burning through three $80 specials in two years. The lens clarity is night and day, plus it saved me from a bad flash when I got too close to a guy's arc on a job in Gary. Any of you guys find it's worth paying up for good eye protection, or do you stick with the budget stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabeths517d ago

Tbh that whole thing about "you get what you pay for" with welding hoods is the same as cheap boots or a bargain basement tool bag. I spent years buying the lowest price stuff and wondering why my feet hurt or my zippers broke. It's like people forget their eyes and feet have to last longer than the discount sticker. Ngl, spending real money on safety gear just feels like paying yourself first instead of paying the ER later.

the_tessa7d ago

Yeah I feel you on that. I ran cheap hoods for years and thought I was being smart with my money. Then I got hit with arc flash so bad one morning my eyes felt like they had sand in them for three days straight. Couldn't even look at a lightbulb without tearing up. After that I dropped real cash on a Speedglas and never looked back. The lens clarity alone is worth it when you're trying to see your puddle on thin gauge stuff. Plus I've dropped that thing off a truck bed twice and it still works perfect. Cheap hoods just don't hold up to shop life the same way.

dianahayes7d ago

My buddy Mike used cheap hoods for years working out of a shop in Hammond. He got flashed bad one afternoon and spent the next two days with his face in a dark closet crying from the pain. His eyes were bloodshot for almost a week and he couldn't sleep right. After that he saved up for a Miller auto-darkening and said it was the best money he ever spent on gear. Now he won't even let a new guy borrow his old hood because he sees what happens when you gamble with your eyes.