Opinions: http://www.eastwood.com/large-view-auto-darken-welding-helmet.html
Doesn't look any different than my harbor freight that cost half as much. Like at all. Same settings, same knobs, same limits.
That said, my HF has been great so far. Use it for hours on end with no spots or blinky lights in my vision afterward, but the occasional spark gets around the shield and makes me worry for my beard.
I'm actually looking for one with a much bigger window, like 4x5 or so though.
You can get a Speedglas or a Miller cheap enough if you shop around that I wouldn't consider anything else.
I'd be surprised if most of them didn't all come out of the same factory in China. My H-F cheapie has been fine. I think a welding helmet is one of those products you can pay too much for by falling for the scare tactics used by the purveyors of overpriced helmets that are no better than the cheapies.
I use a nice Miller Digital Elite when I TIG weld, and a $80 Northern Tool helmet when I MIG weld. There is a difference, but it's not enough to really notice unless you weld all day long. Seems like the quality is pretty decent even in the cheapo helmets. The headgear inside the helmet is where I find the most trouble, but new headgear is cheap enough.
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