Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi Guys,
Rookie welder here. I am trying to improve my MIG welding skills but a big hurdle I am facing is that I am having a real hard time seeing the joint I am trying to weld when my auto darkening helmet kicks on. I blamed it on a cheap Harbor Freight helmet, so I purchased a new one from Hobart ($99 on Amazon). Same problem at the lowest auto dark setting. I do wear glasses however I am not really visually impaired. As it stands, I am trying to make a good weld, but I am finding myself getting off track. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks. GBR

I'm a rookie too and just bought an Esab Savage A40 to replace a much older Esab autodark.
The difference in clarity is astounding. Search the product reviews for a couple of pics taken through my old and new helmet.

Thanks David for your reply. Did you notice a difference in brightness when welding?

The condition of your clear plastic protective lenses/cover plate is probably the single most important thing for something like this (assuming you have the correct shade in the darkened state), IMO. There is a HUGE difference between smoked, pitted lenses that have been exposed to SMAW or GMAW-S welding, and a brand new clear plastic lens/cover plate.

grob wrote:Thanks David for your reply. Did you notice a difference in brightness when welding?

Pictures speak better than words in this case.
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