Most welders are always on the lookout for the next professional helmet that will make their work a lot easier. It turns out that the ESAB Sentinel A50 is the right helmet for this job.
This review is one of the most comprehensive posts about this new and innovative helmet that you will encounter.
The post aims to unearth every one of the most amazing features that make it worth every penny you invest in buying the helmet.
- 12 x 10.05 x 10 inches; 4.05 Pounds
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ESAB Sentinel A50 Welding Helmet Review
The ESAB Sentinel A50 is a welding helmet that comes in an amber-coloured reflective lens cover.
The helmet comes with an innovative shell design. The shell design of the A50 resembles that of the soldiers from the Halo video game.
This is for both functional and aesthetic purposes.
It has an ADF which ranges in the shade from 5 to 13. It comes with TIG amperage, which is not up to 2 amps.
The Sentinel helmet also comes with an outer button for grind mode. This button quickly switches it from the weld mode to the grind mode.
One great advantage of the ESAB Sentinel helmet is the ease at which the front cover lens can get replaced.
The cover lens can get replaced in ten minutes or less. This replacement can get done while the helmet is still on your head.
The origin of the ESAB Sentinel A50:
Most of the reviews that you would come across often fail to include any information about the manufacturer.
ESAB is the short name for the Electric Welding Limited Company in Swedish. The company is a reliable name in the production of welding tools.
The company got founded by the same man that invented the stick electrode for welding. For a long time, the company has been on the cutting edge of welding innovation.
This is just one of the company’s new innovative products. The Sentinel helmet significantly represents this innovation. With a great form, it also performs pretty well.
Features
Some of the features that you enjoy when you purchase the ESAB Sentinel Helmet Are:
1) Construction
Looking more like an extraterrestrial soldier’s helmet, the Sentinel comes with a flawless helmet style. It checks all the right boxes for what any welder will want in a welding helmet. The design makes wearing the helmet secure. The mask comes with a Halo design – which is trademarked. It promotes the ergonomics and comfortability of the helmet when strapped on the head. The helmet, despite its massive design, is produced to weigh pretty light at 1.4 pounds. The plan also gives the wearer some room to look all around them when flipped up.
The helmet makes the daily life of the welder a lot easier with all its features. Finally, the construction also is done in such a way that you do not get stuck when trying to move through spaces with limited headroom. The helmet comes with a revolutionary shell design, which is composed of high-impact resistance nylon. The Halo-looking headgear has some of the most impressive features for a welding helmet.
It is ergonomically designed to function maximally during use. It has an infinitely adjustable five-point function, which serves to provide extreme balance and comfort. The low-profile construction and central pivot point cater to maximize headroom while the helmet is upward.
2) Performance of Lens
Apart from the comfort which the lens offers, it functions exceptionally. The True Color lens technology enables the auto-darkening feature of the helmet against bright welding lights.
Additionally, the glass is attached to the helmet, but the eyes barely detect it. It seems that you have nothing in front of your eyes. The helmet’s lens comes with an exclusive invisible technology that increases its obscurity. With an Optical Class Rating grade of 1/1/1/2, the Sentinel has an optional clarity of vision. The Sentinel helmet exceptional in most features involving the performance of its lens.
3) View Screen and Shade Selector
The view screen of the Sentinel helmet is pretty much exceptional. It comes with a view screen of the right size, which is close to ten square inches of viewing space. It comes with an auto-darkening feature which has a speed of 1/25,000 of a second.
The helmet can be adjusted from shades 5 to 13 during the welding process. The LCD screen of this helmet is one of its unique features. The LCD screen is pretty easy and quick to adjust. It is also apparent in both light and dark conditions. The helmet has eight memory presets of commonly used settings. Therefore, if you want to change to one of your frequently used settings, you can this with one touch of the button.
For more convenience, the grinding selector for shade four is at the outer part of the helmet. Therefore, you can easily reach the button without haven to take off the helmet to select the function. Click on the button once to begin the grinding task. You can click on it the second time to revert to the previous weld shade that you selected. This way, the helmet is convenient to use and saves lots of time.
4) Available Accessories
If you are looking to get certain accessories for your helmet, there are quite a few available ones. One of the most excellent of these is the hard hat “adapter.” Most job sites need minimally essential PPE. Therefore, you are quite unlucky if your work helmet lacks a tool for clipping to the hard hat. However, some magnification lenses (such as “cheater” lenses and diopters how you like it) are available besides covering lenses for replacement.
The cover lenses of the helmet perform pretty excellently. They get to snap off and back very quickly. This whole process takes close to 20 seconds. Furthermore, the cover lenses come with a curved profile to effectively shed droplets from overhead welds. However, the only disadvantage here is that there is abnormal warping when you are close to a very intense welding operation. If this case pertains to you, you may want to get a heavy-duty polycarbonate helmet to avoid the problem. Furthermore, the Sentinel A50 can get used alongside respirators if they are needed on your job site.
The helmet interior is one of the less common celebrated features of the helmet because it provides comfort and convenience for extended work periods. The helmet is fitted with unique internal cushioning materials to provide a soft contact point between the head and the helmet. Furthermore, the helmet also comes with straps to ensure that this level of comfort is enhanced.
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Specifications:
The following are the specifications:
| It has a full screen for viewing. |
| The screen has a viewing area of 100mm x 60 mm. |
| The helmet is a lightweight material (It weighs just only 1.4 lbs.) |
| It has a standard color range. |
| The auto-darkening feature is pretty standard across all shades. |
| It has a switching time of 0.1 seconds. |
| It comes with a delay control. |
| It is powered by solar cells. |
| It has a warranty period of 3 years. |
Pros
- It is considerably comfortable.
- It has a lightweight of 1.4 lbs.
- It comes with a low profile. This low profile is to prevent frequent “collaring” around tight corners.
- It has a long-lasting 5-point construction.
- It has an LCD screen that can be easily read and used.
- It is capable of switching from the grinding shade (4) and back to the welding shades with just a single button without a haven to remove the helmet.
- It has eight distinct presets for simple shade and settings swaps.
- Its auto-darkening function is speedy.
- Has excellent general specifications for use in various tasks.
- Useful accessories enhance the performance and durability of the helmet, although they are optional.
- The helmet can be used in all typical welding procedures.
Cons
- It has a poor rating when it comes to Optical class rating as it relates to the angle-dependent luminous transmittance category. Although some people may not observe this difference, some other people may find this impactful.
- In some severe conditions, the lenses of the helmet get warped easily by heat.
- Individual users may prefer not to make use of the LCD screens while their gloves are on. While frequent adjustments of the LCD screens may not appeal to experienced welders.
Conclusion:
It is a high-end helmet built to meet the needs of welders. The mask has lots of technical features that make it one of the best out there. The helmet is comfortable, functions pretty well, and has a stylish design. Despite all of these features, the Sentinel still comes at a much lower price than other similar premium helmets.
This low price of the welding helmet is quite a surprising feature of the Sentinel. With the amount of glass and the large LCD screen of the mask, you would expect the price to be higher. The Sentinel is not an average helmet. It is for professional welders looking to upgrade from their simple helmets to something more advanced. The Sentinel A50 makes welding a lot easier and quicker.
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