The Hobart 770286 Flip Front Welding Helmet is a classic beginner’s piece that job really well without being overly complicated. It is designed to protect the user from a variety of welding jobs and is ruggedly constructed so you can ensure that the helmet can withstand your harsh working environment and will be able to provide you with the protection you need.
Features of the Hobart 770286 Flip Front Welding Helmet
- Product dimensions: 14.2 x 12.6 x 9.5 inches
- Weight: 15.2 ounces
- Flip Front. Like most passive models of welding helmets, this traditional Hobart model uses the flip front display mechanism where you manually flip up and down a single shad filter that covers your eyes to shift between standard viewing and shaded viewing.
- Viewing area. The Hobart 770286 has a standard viewing area that has a length of 4 1/2 inches and a height of 2 inches.
- Materials used. This full-face welding helmet is made from textured black plastic with two screws to provide the user some adjustability options while keeping the face shield in an upright position.
- It comes with a dark #10 shade or filter lens that has its own top-mounted hinge that you could manually flip up using your hands or with a flick of the head for some.
- Adjustability options. The helmet has a rotary knob used for making quick adjustments on the headband with regards to the tension of the helmet while you wear it.
- ANSI certified. Although this helmet uses the traditional look and feel for its design, it conforms to modern safety standards. The ANSI standards are set to provide a criteria for work site safety that covers a wide range of specifications to ensure that the user is properly and effectively protected by the gear.
Pros
- The flip front display gives the user full control over how you view your weld zone because you manually decide when you want to protect your eyes. This option is useful when you are doing a welding job in a place that constantly changes its ambient lighting which can sometimes confuse the sensors found in auto-darkening welding helmet models.
- You can easily swing up or down the shaded lens without any resistance.
- Because the helmet is ANSI certified, you are ensured that it complies with safety standards like the shaded lens being able to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays and infrared rays, adequate protection from retinal damage caused by arc flashes as well as ensuring that your whole face is well-covered from metal slags, sparks, molten particles and other debris that can cause physical injury upon contact.
- It offers some adjustability options for a more comfortable fit.
Cons
- Because you must manually protect your eyes, repeatedly opening and closing the lens before and after you weld can be an arduous task.
- A few people who reviewed this product does not like that the plastic screws in the headband responsible for keeping the hat up can get easily unscrewed and needs to be tightened frequently. Screws also wear out fast.
- Quite heavy
Conclusion
The Hobart 770286 Flip Front Welding Helmet is a great choice if you are on a budget and in need of an affordable welding helmet for occasional welding jobs. It adequately provides protection for your eyes, face, and neck, although the process of repeatedly flipping the hood or lens up and down can be time-consuming.
Comparison
The Neiko 53847A Industrial-Grade Welding Helmet is another basic flip front model that offers appropriate protection at a budget-friendly price tag. It features a large, clear glass shield that measures 2 x 4 1/4 inches for normally viewing the weld surface.
To protect your eyes from the harmful effects of directly looking at a welding arc, a flip lens with the #11 shade is provided so you can easily switch from a clear view to a shaded one when required. It weighs 12.8 ounces which is lighter than other flip front models.
You can also customize the fit to suit your head using the two-way flexible headband.
If you are worried about safety features, this basic helmet complies with the ANSI standards by ensuring users that they are shielded against ultraviolet rays and infrared rays when the filter lens is used. It also provides some protection for your head in case you fall or upon impact with some debris common in metal workshops.
Alternatively, another affordable option is the North 110PWE Fibre-Metal Pipeliner Superglass Welding Helmet. This inexpensive welding helmet is great for beginners as well as professional welders because it offers the wearer a lightweight head gear with a weight of 25 ounces as well as versatility through having the option to change your lens.
For its stock shade lens, it uses a standard-size #10. But you can easily replace it with some auto-darkening lends or passive lens with a different shade. The lens it comes with has an orange/amber shade for easier viewing of the welding arc. It is also ANSI compliant and provides protection from UV rays and infrared rays.
Verdict
Among the three, the Neiko 53847A Industrial-Grade Welding Helmet is the best choice with the best value. It is lightweight enough to avoid hassle when working on tight spots, and it complies with ANSI standards.
This means that you can be sure that you are still well-protected even though your helmet was purchased on a budget. The shaded lens it offers is also in the middle range of the ones offered by models with auto-darken features which makes it usable for a variety of welding projects.
