Blew $150 on a cheap welding hood that fogged up every 5 minutes

Bought that Harbor Freight special last month because I figured a hood is a hood. Nope. First real job welding a pressure vessel and I couldn't see squat after 2 minutes. Had to keep stopping to wipe it down. Guy next to me let me borrow his Miller for a pass and it was night and day. Anyone else waste money on a budget hood before buckling for a good one?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kevin20d ago

Buddy of mine bought that same Harbor Freight hood back when we were apprenticing together. He was out in the shop trying to weld up some trailer hitches and the fog was so bad he finally just ripped it off and threw it across the bay. Boss came over, didn't say a word, just handed him his old Jackson and said "pay me back when you get your first check." Never saw him touch a cheap hood again after that. That fogging issue is no joke, it'll make you want to quit welding for the day.

the_morgan20d agoMost Upvoted

Your story took me right back. I did the exact same thing with a Vulcan hood from Harbor Freight a few years back. Got about ten minutes into a job on some rusty trailer frame and the lens was so fogged I couldn't even see the puddle anymore. Just yanked it off and chucked it against the side of the truck. Still got a scar on my arm from where I tried to keep welding without it and caught a hot spark. Never again.

ross.felix20d ago

@the_morgan I mean come on, you chucked it against a truck and kept welding blind? That sounds more like a temper problem than a hood problem. I've used cheap hoods in a pinch and yeah they fog up but it ain't that bad.