Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet Review

Our quest for the best welding headgear ended with the Lincoln Electric Viking 3350. The helmet, with its sleek design, robust build, and fantastic features, is one of Lincoln’s best products.

Quality welds warrant great focus and precision. An excellent solid weld, in addition to a robust and efficient welding unit equipped with the perfect torch and gun, demands quality gear that enables one to focus and improve precision.

All welders, professionals, or amateurs will agree that welding of all categories stresses the body, both physically and mentally. While many will highlight the importance of a solid grip with stable arms and shoulders, all will agree that visual clarity is often the factor that can make or break a project. For, the tainted green glow or the flaring metal is brutal stress to the delicate eyes. This is where the indispensable headgear comes into play.

A welding helmet not only safeguards one’s eyes from the glow and flares but adds to productivity and raises the quality of welds. Thus, finding the helmet that best provides safety, quality, and comfort without interfering with work is vital for any welder. Even though the market has flooded with safety headgears that promise to offer clarity and safety of vision and comfort, most of these products fail to deliver.

Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet Review

Before diving deep into its features, pros, and cons, in this latest review of Lincoln Electric Viking 3350. Let’s take a look at what’s in the box:

• The Helmet
• Outside cover lenses (5 nos.)
• Inside cover lenses (2 nos.)
• Helmet bag
• Bandana
• Sticker sheet

This series perhaps has the most comprehensive range to choose from with fifteen colours and print variants.

Features

This is the perfect blend of style, optics, durability, and comfort.

Versatility: This is designed for amateurs and professionals of all industries, indulging in welding. It is ideal for gouging, grinding, plasma cutting and stick, TIG, pulsed TIG, MIG, pulsed MIG, Flux-Cored welding.

Optical Clarity: It ensures that it secures the perfect scores in all four categories by which it measures the visibility level. This ensures that the helmet is devoid of conventional optical errors and blurry images. The clear lens offers a clear view of the puddle and the arc, which enhances precision while safeguarding one’s eyes against the green glow.

Viewing screen: If the clarity of the display of the helmet is the best in class with an extra-large screen beats most contemporaries. The 3.74″ x 3.34″ screen provides a viewing area of 12.5 sq—inches, which is above average in the category. The full screen offers a large viewing area and compliments the clarity of the lens. Adding to the productivity and versatility of the helmet.

Light adjustments: Equipped with state-of-the-art light sensors it can differentiate between the light emitted by the sun and the welding arc. It safeguards welders against flashes, which can be a great strain to the eyes. The fully adjustable auto-darkening lens can go dark at a speed of 1/25000, eliminating any chance of flash or harmful UV rays.

Control Panel: The feature that makes this stand out from the rest in its category is the analog control panel located inside the hood. The unit does not require a button to switch on or off owing to the non-stop light sensitivity. This also negates the chances of the lens needing any manual adjustments to respond to the arc. There are delays in the lenses’ lightning, or the intensity of darkness can be finely adjusted by just turning the knobs.

Weld and grind controls: The switch between weld and grind can be cumbersome, but not with it. Whether it’s the green glow or the metal flares, it adapts fast with just a tap on the side.

Efficiency: Solar cell batteries power it. Anyone working outdoors or exposed to sunlight for most working hours might go without manually changing the cells for days. The CR2450 batteries are replaceable and are readily available in the market.

Accessories: The list of attachments that supports is quite long. From protective lens covers to lens magnifiers, clients can customize the helmet as per requirements. Accessories like the hard hat, a mandatory requirement while working in a hazardous zone, can be easily fitted to the central unit.

After-sales service: This comes with a 3-year warranty. The gold-rated customer service and readily available replacement parts make it a wise choice.

It is the perfect blend of innovation, technology, and style. We are bringing crystal clear vision, a wide viewing range, and unmatched comfort and safety levels, to welding helmets.

Specifications

It can be effectively used for welding, grinding, and cutting.

1. Safety Standards: EN379, CSA Z94.3, ANSI Z87.1

DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS:

1. LENS SWITCHING SPEED (SEC)-
2. 1/25,000
3. VARIABLE SHADE/CONTROL- 5-13 (Internal)
4. BATTERY REPLACEMENT TYPE – One CR2450 Replaceable Battery

MAGNIFYING “CHEATER” CAPABLE LENS- Yes

• GRIND MODE SHADE/CONTROL- 3.5 / External & Internal
• LIGHT SENSITIVITY CONTROL- Continuous
• DELAY CONTROL DARK TO LIGHT (SEC)- 0.1 – 1.0 (Fully Adjustable)
• ARC SENSORS- 4
• TIG AMP RATING- DC > 2 Amp AC > 2 Amp
• CARTRIDGE SIZE- 4.5 in x 5.25 in (114 mm x 133 mm)
•  VIEW SIZE- 3.74 in x 3.34 in (95 mm x 85 mm)

Operating temperature range:

Operating	-10°C – +55°C (14°F – 131°F)
Storage	-20°C – +70°C (-4°F – 158°F)
Warranty	3 Years

You can also check out our top 15 best welding helmets for professional work with Auto-Darkening.

Pros and Cons

With advanced features, avant-garde materials, sleek and innovative design, the Lincoln 3350 is undoubtedly a favourite amongst professionals and amateurs. However, the welding helmet has a few areas that need attention.

Here are a few pros of it:

• Unmatched optical clarity:

The patented 4C technology ensures that the helmet scores the perfect ten in all visibility parameters. The advanced and intelligent sensors can easily differentiate between sunlight and the light emitted by the arc. It ensures protection from flashes. The clarity of the lens and the auto-darkening feature provides a clear view of the arch and the puddle. The auto-darkening feature with impressive transition speed and adjustable lightning delay ensure complete protection of the eyes against UV rays and flashes.

• Ergonomic design:

The adjustable foam headbands designed to provide even weight distribution at all contact points make it a great fit. The cushioned backrest, adjustable resting position, and the ability to adjust the distance of the mask from the face make the helmet wearable for long hours. The location of the Hard hat mount and the grind and weld switch is strategic and requires minimum effort to operate.

• Efficient power usage:

The solar cell and rechargeable batteries backed by capable circuits ensure that the battery consumption is optimum. While the continuous light sensitivity does away with power ON and OFF switches, exposure to sunlight provides that the helmet does not require any manual charging for long periods.

• Universal usage:

It supports cutting, grinding, and welding. The super fast light switching and effortless switch between modes makes the helmet universal. The full viewing screen ensures a more comprehensive operational vision making it suitable for most operations.

• Compatibility:

From false lenses to covers and pads, this has a wide range of accessories with a still more extensive range of compatibility. The helmet can be easily customized to match one’s requirements perfectly.

• Warranty and service:

The three-year limited warranty coupled with readily available replacement parts makes it fit for the long run.

The few cons are as follows:

• Splash and humidity:

This is not splash-proof. Thus making it susceptible to splashes and moisture. While the optional ventilation and the headbands provide ample safeguards against sweat, a rainy day or a wet area of operation can easily damage the helmet.

• Weight:

With a weight of 3 lbs, it is heavy. Despite the advanced weight balancing headgear, excessive and prolonged use might stress the neck and shoulder.

• Scratches:

The shiny and decorated exterior needs careful handling. The surface of the helmet can be easily scratched.

it is one of the best in its class despite the few areas that can be improved?

Benefits

Its amazing features provide the following advantages.

• Productivity:

it provides the least interference to enhance productivity. The smooth and hassle-free change from weld to grind warrants no change of lenses. It even does not require one to take off the helmet. A single flip is enough for one to change the mode. It increases productivity by saving time and effort.

• Quality:

The crystal clear view of the arc enables one to be precise without straining the eyes. This allows one to focus well, which in turn improves precision. This improves the weld quality and results in good solid welds.

• Versatility:

it is for almost all welding, cutting, and grinding operations. It is thus enabling its safety and comfort features across industries of all sizes and modes of service.

Conclusion:

Clarity, safety, and comfort are the hot marks of it. The perfect blend of state-of-the-art technology, innovation, and style, this welding helmet can boost performance and productivity.

More Helmets:

• Lincoln Viking 2450 Helmet Review
• Lincoln Electric Viking 1840 Review