If you’re new to the world of metal-working, then you might be unsure where to start when looking for a welding helmet. There are many qualities to look for before you buy one, like viewing size, shade settings, and, of course, comfort. An excellent one to start with is the Savage A40 from ESAB. You don’t have to be a beginner to use this welding helmet, as it has a lot of features that hardened experts and diligent hobbyists will find beneficial.
Savage A40 Review
VIEWING AREA
The viewing space of the ESAB Savage A40 is 3.93″ x 1.96″. The size is a little lacking. If you’re someone who works on bigger projects, then having to turn your head and move around to see can be a little inconvenient. However, it is good for smaller projects that require you to focus on just a limited area. The dimensions of the cartridge are 4.33″ x 3.54″ x 0.3″. Though it could be larger, the proportions are still decent enough to where you’re not too blinded to get the job done.
CLARITY
Also known as classification, the clarity of the ESAB Savage A40 is 1/1/1/2. There are little distortion and impurities through the looking glass. Regardless of how small the viewing area is, you can see what you’re doing with near-perfect clarity. The shading is also consistent throughout the transparent display, except when looking at an angle. A slight issue is that the shading is a little inconsistent if you’re not looking directly in front of you. That, in combination with the smaller viewing, can make it a little annoying to use.
Regardless, it still has pretty good clarity. The slight inconvenience would only be noticed by those used to 1/1/1/1 helmets, but beginners might not even bat an eye.
SHADE SETTINGS
The lens can transition to a shade range between 9 and 13. These high numbers fit the standard, meaning it’s not just a cheaply-made helmet. Another significant factor is that the lens makes the transition automatically. This feature is especially useful for novice welders. It takes away the concern of whether you chose the right setting for your particular project. Sometimes the shading has to change as you progress through your work.
There’s also the option to adjust the shade manually, with controls available outside and inside of the helmet.
POWER SUPPLY
The ESAB Savage A40 welding helmet isn’t battery operated but, rather, solar-powered. Whether this is a good thing heavily depends on the types of projects you work on and personal preference. On the one hand, it can save you money on batteries and is a little more environmentally-friendly. However, charging can take time, especially if the current season or the place you live in is lacking sunlight. You probably shouldn’t use this helmet for long periods of working. Smaller, shorter projects are more suitable for this type of power supply.
POWER SUPPLY
The ESAB Savage A40 welding helmet isn’t battery operated but, rather, solar-powered. Whether this is a good thing heavily depends on the types of projects you work on and personal preference. On the one hand, it can save you money on batteries and is a little more environmentally-friendly. However, charging can take time, especially if the current season or the place you live in is lacking sunlight. You probably shouldn’t use this helmet for long periods of working. Smaller, shorter projects are more suitable for this type of power supply.
SENSORS
What the ESAB Savage A40 welding helmet lacks in viewing size makes up for in sensors. There are four, allowing for use in a broader range of environments. Four is more than enough if you regularly do projects in an atmosphere free of intrusive objects. This helmet is excellent for people who work in places where things can obscure one of the sensors in the labor setting. It’s also useful if you happen to work in strange angles that’ll inevitably cover those sensors. As such, it won’t profoundly affect the automatic shading needed for your work.
SWITCHING FROM LIGHT TO DARK
This factor is incredibly important in terms of efficiency. The helmet has a fast switch time ranging between 0.1 and 0.9 seconds. That means you won’t have to wait long until you can start on your project. You’ll be able to work immediately without blinding yourself. This feature could help reduce eye fatigue if you constantly weld for hours. You can work longer, need fewer breaks for your eyes, and get tasks done faster.
CHANGING TIMES AT 23 DEGREES CELSIUS
The switching times for lens tend to slow down the lower the temperature is. Regardless, you probably still have to complete your job in a cold car garage. That’s why, at 23 degrees Celsius, the ESAB Savage A40 welding helmet has a switching time of 0.07 milliseconds. It is faster than the average switching time, but not surprising because of this helmet’s auto-darkening feature. This feature won’t concern most beginner welders. It is, however, handy to experts that need to spend more time focusing on their job in the cold than waiting for the lens to darken.
STANDARDS MET
The ESAB Savage A40 welding helmet meets the necessary guidelines for the American National Standards Institute or ANSI. There are requirements for other places, and this product follows quite a few of them. They include:
- EN379 and EN175, which is the European standards
- CSA, the requirements for Canada
- AS/NZS, Australian code for safety
That means you can travel to other areas with this helmet without needing to buy another one. It can help save on trip expenses.
WEIGHT
This helmet is light, meaning it’s less stress on the neck. It’s another feature that increases efficiency by assisting in reducing overall fatigue. You don’t want to work long hours and end up with a strained neck. The weight of the helmet is 1.1 pounds or 17.6 ounces. Regardless of how light it is, the ESAB Savage A40 is still pretty sturdy and will have little to no issues protecting your face. Choosing this lightweight welding helmet means saving time on having to do neck and core exercises to reduce or eliminate neck pain.
COMFORT
No matter how effective a welding helmet is, or how many features it has, how comfortable the user feels makes one of the most significant differences. That is mostly for long-term use. Comfort does play a role in shorter projects but isn’t as big of a concern. The ESAB Savage A40 welding helmet is not only pleasant in how light it is, but how snug the fit is. This product is built with adjustable headgear to help keep it comfortably sturdy on your head. Regardless of the work you’re doing, it’ll protect you from sparks, heat, and even splatter.
IN SUMMARY
All-in-all, the ESAB Savage A40 welding helmet is an excellent product for those who work on hour-long projects. Such endeavors could either be for hobbyists or professionals who are required to do this kind of labor. Beginner welders can benefit from this helmet, but weathered experts will find use in it as well. As crystal as the viewing area is, it is a little lacking in size and can be troublesome when you’re not looking right in front of you. However, this helmet makes up for that in many of its other features, like being lightweight and having a quick switching time.
We recommend the ESAB Savage A40 welding helmet for those who mostly work on small welding projects, welding students, and hobbyists. If you have a bigger budget, we also recommend checking out ESAB’s extremely popular Sentinel A50 welding helmet.
SAVAGE A40 VIDEO REVIEW
Joe Stephens
Joey has over 20 years of experience working in the welding industry and now works with providing readers with intensive reviews. Joey has also self-published an e-book and has written countless articles regarding welding information and safety.
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