Spent $340 on a cheap welding hood, got flash burn so bad I missed 5 days

Picked up one of those $340 auto-darkening hoods off a flea market table in Gary last month. Figured I was saving cash over the $900 Lincoln I had my eye on. First big job, 6G pipe weld on a 12-inch line, the lens lagged hard and I got a face full of arc flash by noon. Eyes felt like sandpaper for days, couldn't even look at my phone screen. Ended up borrowing a buddy's old passive hood with a #10 shade and finished the shift half-blind. That cheap lens didn't even have a delay rating on the box, just said 'auto' with no specs. What are you guys paying for a hood that actually keeps up on open root passes? I'd rather spend double than lose another week to burn.

1 comments

1 Comment

simon_chen8h ago

Might be a counterfeit or just a bad batch, flea market gear is always a gamble. That said, $340 is still bottom tier for autos, most guys I know run $500+ for real work and never have lag issues.