I’ve been pleased with my R-Tech Auto Darkening Speedmaster XXL True Colour Welding Helmet. It’s the same price today as five years ago when I bought it.

I have a half memory of an auto darkening welding mask, with a rechargeable battery, that would charge via a solar cell on the mask. Exposure to sunlight would get it going, then the UV from the welding would charge the battery. Are they a real thing, or have I imagined it?

The battery in my auto mask is usually dead when I go to use it, so a rechargeable one would be handy.

I bought one of the 3M Speedglas 9000 series helmets best part of 20 years ago. £300 odd. Yikes! But I wasn’t taking chances with my eyes.

It really is very good but I’ve occasionally borrowed £50 – £100 (ish) helmets which in my hands and on my work appear to perform just as well. Even the one with the snazzy flame graphics. So you will probably do fine if you don’t cheap out too much and take a chance on “who they” brands.

Concerning the comments about LiDL offerings, LiDL do have a deserved reputation for frequently feeling equipment that, in practice punches well above its price point. I suspect any auto darkening helmet from them would be more than adequate.

My first auto-darkening one was from Machine Mart of all places. Very expensive by machine Mart standards with a 10 year warranty. Maybe mid 1990’s era. Performed well up to par for the vintage and lasted about a week short of 10 years. Negotiating the warranty was “interesting” as Machine Mart didn’t sell auto darkening ones at the time so they had to honour the money back bit of the money back or exchange thing. The branch I got it from refused to believe they’d ever sold them despite me having the receipt.

Clive

Hi Andrew, get one at a modest price, not cheap or very expensive, but if you get a decent one with built in rechargeable batteries, it will probably cost less than buying replacement batteries in the long run. I still have the one I had when I was still working 6 years ago, and although the auto darkening unit gave up about 3 years after I retired, I just bought a new auto darkening unit, which was a lot less than a complete new shield. Auto darkening ones will keep being recharged as you are welding, replacement batteries will just keep draining while you are welding. I sometimes go weeks without doing any welding, and it still works straight away. There’s nothing flashy about mine, it’s just a run of the mill type.

Regards Nick.