Antra Auto Darkening Welding Helmets? - 2016

[dklawson]

I did use 'search' to look for old threads on the subject of auto darkening welding helmets. Most threads were pretty old.

I have just disposed of a single sensor Arc One helmet I used more than a decade ago since it was no longer working. That only leaves me with (my actually better) Harbor Freight helmet. I would like to have a second and nicer helmet but I don't want to invest hundreds of dollars for something I use so infrequently. Yes, you can get a decent helmet without investing in Miller, Lincoln, Jackson, or Speedglass.

Auto darkening helmet quality is higher today than 15 years ago when I bought my first one. I am considering either the Antra AH6-260 or AH6-660 helmet. They both use 4 sensors, have adjustable sensitivity and 'off' delay settings, have solar cells and replaceable batteries, and two ranges for darkness shades. The shade adjustment knob is accessible on the outside so it can be changed on the fly. I am unclear on the warranty as I have seen it published as both 1 year and 2 years.

The Antra helmets have received high marks on Amazon reviews. However, I'd like to hear from someone who has bought an Antra welding helmet before I commit. Is there anyone here who has bought one? Can you comment on the helmet's performance when making low-Amp TIG welds? Thanks in advance for any comments you can offer and for sharing your experience.

 

[JPSmit]

Can't speak about the Antra specifically but, you are correct they have come a long way. I have an about 5 year old HF one - I took welding lessons about that time and my instructor was amazed that it could handily keep up with the spark on welder. I would buy HF again

 

[PAUL161]

The thing is with the auto helmets, if they are going to set a while on the shelf, turn the sensor off, usually a third setting between weld and grind. The batteries will last a lot longer. Just make sure you turn it back on before welding! The HF helmet is fine for the average user, I would use caution over 200 amps, not sure of the flash capabilities in the 200 amp and above range. PJ

 

[dklawson]

Like John-Peter, my HF helmet is about 5 years old. I bought it to replace the Arc One unit I bought with my inverter TIG welder. I have been much happier with the performance of the 2-sensor HF than with the single sensor Arc One. However, with the HF helmet I am still occasionally flashed when low-Amp TIG welding. The arc is just too small to keep the helmet dark. The other issue with both the HF and Arc One helmets is that the batteries that supplement the solar panel are internal. There are hacks to replace the HF lens batteries but none for the Arc One which turned out to be solidly full of potting compound.

The Antra has 4-sensors and is rated on TIG down to 5 Amps. That suggests it will be a lot more sensitive than I need. I'm just hoping for some first-hand feedback on them before I spend my money.

 

[TomMull]

Doug,
I'm on my third helmet. The fist one came from the Internet, I don't even know the brand, but I used it for several years then replaced it with an Eastwood. I used that for just over two years and then started getting flashed. I called Eastwood to see if the batteries were replaceable and wound up with a new on in the mail the next day at no charge.
You are much more knowledgeable about these thing than I, but it works great and the support from Eastwood was excellent.
Sorry, no help with your actual question.
Tom

 

[dklawson]

Thanks Tom. I have also bought a fair amount of equipment from Eastwood and have been pleased with their product support.

When reviewing welding helmets I worked my way down to (2). The first was the Antra AH6-600 series with the large lens and the second was the equivalent Eastwood helmet (#20189)... which just happens to be on sale. Both helmets have similar features and good reviews. Through the reviews at Eastwood I learned that their helmet is made by Sparc Weld.

What pushed me towards the Antra helmet was the issue of parts availability. Eastwood has no parts for their helmet (their employees stated so in response to questions by several would-be purchasers). Knowing that the Eastwood helmet was made by Sparc Weld I searched in vain for online suppliers of Sparc Weld helmet parts. This was in comparison to the Antra helmet which has readily available parts online.

What peaked my interest in the Eastwood helmet is its extremely high sensitivity. It is rated for TIG welding down to 2 Amps which is extremely good but probably more sensitivity than I should need. The Antra helmet is rated down to 5 Amps which is still better than the lower-end Miller (and equivalent) helmets below $100 that are not suggested for TIG welding below 20 Amps.

 

[dklawson]

This is an update to my questions about the Antra welding helmets.

I decided to buy the larger field of view Antra welding helmet. I have been very pleased with it. I found its sensitivity adjustments and two ranges of darkness worked quite well. I was able to easily use the helmet to carry out low-amp TIG welding without the helmet flashing me. The 4 sensors worked well to keep the helmet dark. I am pleased and would suggest this brand of helmet to anyone looking for an alternative to the Harbor Freight helmets... and as a cost effective alternate to more expensive helmets. Its 4 sensors and adjustments make the helmet very versatile. The best prices as of 12/16 were on Amazon.

Once I had the new Antra helmet I followed the online (YouTube and elsewhere) instructions for how to modify your Harbor Freight helmet to use remotely located batteries to replace of the ones built into the helmet. When carrying out the modifications I found one of the factory batteries was dead and the other quite low. Prior to the battery work I had to charge the helmet in the sun for a long time before use. With the new external batteries the helmet once again switches quickly and responds to reasonably low-amp arcs. I bought some battery enclosures (on eBay) that included an on/off switch so the helmet's batteries should last a long time. If you have an older Harbor Freight helmet that doesn't work as well as it used to, you may breath some new life into the helmet by modifying it to use new external batteries.