Spent $300 on a cheap welding hood and regret it big time

Picked up one of those budget auto-darkening hoods off Amazon last spring for a side job in Gary, and the lens went totally foggy after three weeks of real use. I lost $300 because the sensor stopped working during a vertical weld and I had to stop and redo the whole joint. Anyone else had a cheap hood let you down or should I just save up for a Jackson next time?

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2 Comments

the_uma4mo ago

The Jackson is worth every penny. Cheap hoods are a gamble on every job. That foggy lens is probably moisture getting into the seal too. You spend more time fighting the hood than actually welding, right?

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elizabeth_king4mo ago

Were you using it in a shop with lots of overhead light or out in direct sun? I've heard those cheap sensors get thrown off by strong UV and cause flickering like that. What's the brand on the box, some of them are total rebrands of the same junk.

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