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I Forge Iron

Hobart Inventor vs Creator Series


Donal Harris

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My Dad had a Lincoln auto-darkening helmet he used for many years that finally died. It was in just the right spot for a leak in the barn to fill it with water. 
 

His Lincoln was on the lower end of what a professional would use. I wish I knew the model, but don’t. Since I do not, my question is probably impossible to answer, but I will try anyway. Are the Hobart Inventor or Creator series helmets good enough for an old guy puttering about in a barn? I don’t want to buy him something which could fail to darken quickly enough or is just generally unreliable. 

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I bought the Inventor series this morning at Tractor Supply. It didn’t occur to me to check and see if they are ANSI certified. They are. It didn’t occur to me to look for that. It should have since I am accustomed to looking up CLSI, ISO, and OSHA standards for lab quality and safety standards. 
 

I saw they were ANSI Z87.1-2015 certified when Googling to learn the difference between 2, 3, or 4 arc sensors. Evidently when welding with the helmet awkward positions, it is possible for a lens to not darken. It seems 4 arc sensors makes that very unlikely to happen.

I almost waited too long to make a decision. The store I went to had only one Inventor helmet left, likely because it was on the very top shelf sitting behind some other helmets. It was the plain black one, but that actually suits him better then flames, skulls, or other such patterns. 
 

Thanks. 

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Yes, it's too easy to have your hand or something else blocking the arc from the sensor so it doesn't darken. With sensors at every corner of the shield it will darken if the light can hit your eyes. My auto darkening shield has one sensor that's why I tend to weld with my head or stinger hand held sideways.

This is one of those places where more IS better. :)

Frosty The Lucky.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 month later...

I'm not a fan of those heavy auto darkening shields the young guys use now i like a light weight shield with a speed lens i use a miller#10 shade it cost about 100 bucks a few yrs ago the sheild was about 20.I do like the idea of having the sensors in different locations on it whats the price tag ...

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