Comparing it with a Harbor Freight helmet, I think that my HF helmet
(I actually have two, one for me and one for my son) is not really any
worse in any respect. The HF helmet has adjustable shade. Also the
Sellstrom has a funny button that needs to be pressed to activate the
automatic feature, and the HF one "just works".

I have two HF Automatic Helmets. Both "just work" as you put it. The
cheaper one was a gift from a friend for doing multiple repairs on his
boat trailer. He breaks it, and I fix it. The one thing I do not care
for with the more expensive one is it takes a substantial time to go
light again (almost a full second) after the arc shuts off. If I am
doing stacked tac welds on light sheet metal this can be a big pain in
the wazoo.

Anyway, both of my HF autos work so well I can not imagine using
anything else. The plastic lens shield does seem to cludge up with
smoke and spatter more easily than my old helmet, but I can live with
that. My old one is so old the shield is glass I think.


I have a HF helmet but I haven't used it in ages. As usual, when I got
it out the other day to do some welding it wasn't working. So I will be
getting another one. I don't remember if mine was the cheaper one or the
more expensive one. But are you saying that after using both you like
the cheaper one better? I'm going to get another one soon and would like
to know which one to get. No sense paying for the more expensive one if
the cheap one is actually the better of he two. So which HF helmet is
the one to get?

Hawke