Spent $80 on a cheap welding hood, that was a mistake

Picked up a budget auto-darkening hood off Amazon to save cash on a side job in Tacoma. Within two weeks the lens started flickering on a hot pass and I nearly blew a seam on a 3/8 plate. Went back to my old passive hood with a #11 shade and it was night and day. Has anyone else had luck with cheap hoods or am I just throwing money at the wrong brand?

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1 Comment

adamthompson2d ago

Ugh, that sucks. But real talk, the flickering probably isn't the main issue. Cheap hoods often have crappy sensors that don't pick up low amp TIG starts or tight angles, so they react slow. That's what gets you, not just the lens itself. I mean, some guys get lucky with the $60 ones, but it's a gamble every time you buy one. I'd say stick with the passive hood for anything critical and maybe just look for a better sensor on the next sale.