Lincoln ElectricViking 1740 ReCode Welding Helmet - 4C Lens - K3495-3

I am a hobbyist and have been welding regularly on off-road vehicle projects for about 25 years. I used a budget auto darkening Lincoln helmet from Home Depot for years. I decided to upgrade last year and bought several different budget auto darkening helmets from Harbor Freight and Yes Welder. All three of these helmets failed and resulted in the "flashing" effect that could have damaged my eyes. So I purchased this new Lincoln helmet and I am 100% satisfied. I have used it regularly for several months now and it has worked flawlessly. It looks great, works great, is very comfortably, and has inexpensive, easy-to-find consumables (batteries, plastic view screens and cheater lenses). The helmet stays in the "up" position when you need it to and the clarity while welding is amazing. For the price I do not know if you can find a better welding helmet. One final point: Many of the "new" generation helmets advertise heavily regarding the enormous lens/viewing space that their helmets provide. This is a canard--you do not need an 8000 foot viewing angle in front of you to weld. You just need a reasonable amount of viewing space because in reality all you are looking at with the hood in place is your weld and the immediate area around the weld. So, do not be fooled by advertising. You do not need a 6'x6" viewing area in front of you for regular mig welding. You simply will not use it while actually welding. This helmet has a very large viewing area; much larger in fact than was used by professional welders historically. And it is very, very clear. I give this helmet 5 stars based on my experience with other welding helmets and would definitely buy one again.

Super clear and sturdy

The features are basic but they work fine. Grind mode works well however the grind/weld switch is inside the helmet so you have to take off the helmet (and glove) to move the switch back and forth. A green light flashes to let you know you are in grind mode. The head gear is fairly comfortable for DIY work. It might not be the best for hours of work on a job.

Good looking hood. Decent head gear. EXCELLENT LENS. It's the small view, but I own the large one. Works just as well as it's big brother.

From the first arc struck, this hood has operated flawlessly. And more than that, it hasn’t tried to pinch my ears or pull my hair out. It is very light with the smaller lens, which is very important to me and why I bought this particular hood. It is lighter than my Huntsman shop hood with a standard lens in it. I’ve already recommended it to the other guys in the shop.