[TheForge] autodarkening SHIELD! overload

[ironstash at comcast.net]

There are plenty of good auto shields out there today with all kinds of bells and whistles and a wide price range also. 

The Cadillac seems to be the 3M hoods for weight and performance. Their newest hoods are very pricey, up to $500 list price. When using that hood, the clear and crispness of the optics was like looking through a high dollar hunting scope compared to a low end scope. It was a startling difference. 

Miller, Jackson, 3m, Arc One, Sellstrom, and Kemper all have great hoods though. I have been using a Kemper 750 for 10 years. 

I look for reaction time in an auto darkening hood, (at least 20,000ths of a second),the number of sensors, where I am going to be using the hood; Over head, heavy use, tig welding ect..., If I am going to be tig welding, am I going to be doing low amp stuff. Many hoods will not stay dark at low amps like 5 - 25 amps. 
How heavy is the hood and will it take a diopter without modifying the lens holder. 

Do you want the hood to have a shade adjustment from 9 -13? Do you want to have a grinding and cutting mode? If you are going to be welding outside in the bright sun, most auto hoods will be dark on you from the reflective light. Miller has a "X-Mode" that works in the bright daylight an works off of the current present. If you buy a hood from some stores that also sell tractor parts, they have their hoods made at a lower price but the replacement inner and outer cover plates are a bastard size. 

Does that completely confuse you? 

Alfred McClure