Hot take: I was dead wrong about digital welding helmets

Back in 2010 I swore I'd never use a battery powered hood. Old timers at the Local 374 hall said it was just another thing to break. Then I borrowed a Jackson NexGen at a Union job in Peoria and my neck pain went away after a week. Has anyone else had a change of heart about something they hated for years?

3 comments

3 Comments

mitchell.thomas1d ago

Man, you hit on something real there. It’s like once you get used to something working good, you start seeing it everywhere. I had the same problem with cordless tools back in the day. Swore up and down batteries were just heavy junk that died when you needed them most. Now I got a whole drawer of Makita batteries and I laugh at myself for being so stubborn. It’s funny how our brains dig in on something just because it’s old or familiar, and then one good experience makes you wonder why you waited so long.

webb.hannah1d ago

Batteries are a perfect example... once they got good they got real good. That first time you don't have to drag a cord around and it actually works, it changes everything. Funny how one tool can flip your whole opinion overnight.

lilyt231d ago

I was about to say the same thing about those NexGen hoods but you got me on one detail. The Jackson NexGen is actually a brand name, you're thinking of the Miller NexGen series or maybe the Jackson Truesight. I remember the first time I used one at a shop in Rockford, the auto-darkening lens was so clear I thought it was broke at first. Took me a solid week to trust it not to flash me.