ESAB Sentinel A50 Welding Helmet Review 2022 – Positives & Negatives

A best welder is trained to know exactly what he needs in his welding hood. He never compromises the protection of his face and eyes. Moreover, he needs a helmet with user-friendly headgear, excellent shade control, and crystal clear wide view area. ESAB mainly targets professional welders in the design of SENTINEL A50. This hood fulfills all the expected requirements of a welder. As a professional welder, this ESAB sentinel A50 review tells you that it has everything that can satisfy you all.

ESAB Sentinel A50 review – Positive and negative points

Sentinel A50 is manufactured by the oldest and most trusted Swedish company ESAB. ESAB is well known for its high-quality products. Sentinel A50 is ESAB high-end product that was built for those who care about their safety and comfort. Its lightweight durable material and LCD control penal make this helmet most comfortable to use. Moreover, its unique features like LCD screen and memory mode are rarely found in any other helmet. This helmet is the ultimate blend of comfort, protection, and best optics.

This ESAB sentinel A50 review helps you to decide, whether this welding helmet meets your selection criteria or not?

 

What makes this A50 unique from all other helmets?

I have used many auto-dark welding helmets but I realized the following unique features in ESAB sentinel A50 as compared to other helmets. A complete ESAB Sentinel A50 Review will help us to have a close look into the key features this amazing helmet possesses.

 1. Full-color touch screen control penal 

The main reason behind the overprice of this helmet is its LCD touch screen control penal. LCD touch screen panel is similar to a smartphone screen. Touch screen technology makes this helmet most easy to control. One of the most important benefits of an LCD touch screen is that you can make adjustments to the sensitivity, delay time, and shade number even in the low light environment. Moreover, you will find an additional button on the LCD screen to add the present setting in the memory of the helmet.

The LCD screen is not easy to operate with a gloved hand. But due to the external grinding button and memory feature of this helmet, there is no need to touch the screen repeatedly during welding.

 2. A50 can memorize 8 different adjustment settings 

Some welder usually beginners get frustrated with the traditional helmet when they have to adjust helmet setting again and again. Sometimes wrong adjustments affect welding quality and welder productivity. But the user of sentinel A50 does not face such an issue. With sentinel A50 you need to make a correct adjustment only once and then memorize this setting.

You can save 8 adjustments setting of ADF. In this way you can easily program your helmet for different welding processes like TIG, MIG, stick welding, cutting, and grinding. Just select the memory number from 1 to 8 on the control penal screen to switch to your preferred setting. This feature saves your time when you need to work on different welding process at a time.

 3. True color display with a large view area 

The true color display makes sure that you are getting a natural coloring view of welding spark instead of getting lime-green coloring. The picture that you view through the lens is pretty much clear and natural. View clarity in natural coloring makes it seems like you are not seeing through the auto-dark filter.

A large view area gives you a great view field in every position. ESAB Sentinel A50 large view area (3.93 in. x 2.36 in) allows the welder to focus more on welding instead of trying to find the right position to see. Moreover, a large view area enables you to cover more areas during the welding process and makes your work easy.

 4. Outstanding optical clarity rating (1 ∕ 1 ∕ 1 ∕ 2) 

ESAB Sentinel A50 cartridge got a high EN379 rating (1∕1∕1 ∕2) after tested in four categories, which are optical clarity, distortion elimination, shade uniformity, and shade consistency in all angle of view. Sentinel A50 got top marks in every category except shade consistency in all angles. It means you might feel occasionally a little change of shade coloring when you see weld out of normal straight angle. But it is not to an unacceptable level.

Its outstanding optical clarity ensures a clear view and a secure welding process. The best welding quality can only be achieved by the crystal-clear view of the helmet. Sentinel A50 helmet offers crystal-clear clarity at all times. Moreover, during the precise welding process, view area clarity plays a significant role to increase welder productivity. So, the high visual clarity of sentinel A50 makes the welding process more convenient.

Viewing your weld through a sentinel A50 quality lens not only protect your eyes but also can allow your eyes to work longer without any eye strain.

 5: Wide shade range from 5-13 

Arc brightness depends on current amperage. If brighter the arc then more darker the shade needed to protect your eyes. So, the given table tells you to require shade range according to amperage, needed for a specific type of welding.

As you note all types of welding and cutting applications require a shade range between 6 to13. ESAB Sentinel A50 offers shades range from 5-13 which makes it suitable for all types of welding and other applications. There is also DIN shade #3 to offer a standard light vision for grinding and welding inspection. Moreover, there is no shade flickering while you’re doing low-amp TIG welds. Hence, it is considered as one of the Best Tig Welding Helmet.

 6. Easy control of sensitivity and delay setting 

ESAB sentinel comes with adequate and adjustable sensitivity and delay control. You can easily adjust the sensitivity according to the indoor or outdoor lighting situation. Sensitivity determines the amount of light required to the active auto-dark filter of the helmet. So, make adjustments in such a way that the lens gives a response with the change in light but the lens should not be adjusted too sensitively that it gives shade change for a small change in light.

And dark to light shade shifting speed (delay time) can be within 0.1-1 sec. Delay time prevents you from being flashed when blockage of sensors occurs for a moment. So, when you work in an excessive obstructed area then set a slow delay time speed.

 7. Highly adjustable HALO headgear 

ESAB Sentinel A50 Review is incomplete without mentioning the unique feature it posses, the HALO headgear. The Head retention system of every welding helmet plays an important role in the comfort level of the user. Lack of comfort level affect the welder efficiency and results in a poor quality of the weld. ESAB takes care of that by adding HALO headgear in sentinel A50. The comfort level of the HALO headgear is more than fascinating.

If we come to adjustability then HALO headgear has 5 adjustable head strips. So, you can make countless combinations of adjustments in this headgear to fit properly on your head.

The pivot point of this headgear also helps to maximum head clearance by balancing the helmet in an up position. As a result, helmet’s lightweight (1.4lb) with highly adjustable headgear minimizes neck strain and make ESAB sentinel A50 very comfortable to wear for long working hours.

 8. Outside grinding button 

Grinding is the most necessary part of the welding process. Mostly grinding is required during pre & post-weld treatment. So, a good welding helmet must offer a grind mode. You don’t need dark shade 9-13 during grinding. So, grinding mode allows you to do work with standard light shade 3. In this way, the same welding helmet can ensure your safety during grinding.

The outside grinding button is easy to operate without removing your gloves. You have to hold it down for a few seconds to activate. So, it isn’t likely to activate accidentally. Moreover, the internal LED light flashes briefly every few seconds to remind you that grinding mode is activated. These LED flash do not divert your attention but just right to maintain your awareness.

 9. Magnifying lens adaptable 

2 cheater lenses (magnifying lenses) are available in accessories as part of the added equipment package. You can easily change the cheater lens when you need it.

By using the magnifying lens you have the ability to use the zoom feature. And you can focus accurately on the welding area during precise welding. Magnify or cheater lens helps you to continue better workflow and save time needed for double-checking and inspection.

 10. Lightweight and durable shell 

ESAB Sentinel A50 shell is made of lightweight, durable and elastic nylon material. Its shell shape is able to deflect weld spatter and also easily adaptable by the hard safety hat.

Its shell material and spherical shape are able to deflect welding spatter which makes it suitable for overhead welding. A narrow shape shield with a curve corner also helps you to approach confined space. Furthermore, this welding shield material can stand against high temperatures.

If your workplace has the hazard of falling objects then you can integrate this shell with a hard safety hat. This feature is very supportive when you have to do a welding job on the construction site.

 11. Accessories included 

These accessories are given as incentives with ESAB sentinel A50 that make a difference between a premium and standard product.

• The helmet bag makes ESAB sentinel A50 easy to carry by keeping it safe.
• There is also a headscarf in accessories to protect your hair from rain, wind, and cold. It also absorbs sweat in hot work environment.
• 4 outside cover lenses (2 clear lenses and 2 yellow lenses) which are quickly and easily replaceable. These cover lenses meet all the safety standards and offer protection from spatter and harmful radiation during the welding process. Moreover, you can easily change the lens in 10 seconds when you need it.
• 2 inside cheater lenses are also available in accessories to use the zoom feature.

 12: 100 days money-back guarantee 

ESAB also gives you a 3-year conditional warranty which shows ESAB confidence in this model.

 13. Safety Standards 

What is bad in ESAB sentinel A50?

A comprehensive ESAB sentinel A50 review cannot be complete without highlighting some flaws about which users have usually complained.

• A50 lens comes at a higher price. You need literally $179 to replace it.
• Touch/LCD screen penal can break easily.
• There is some pinch point in the headgear that pulls my hair. If you have long hair must use a headscarf.
• There is a battery drainage issue due to the touch screen control panel. In A50 you have to replace more batteries per year than any other helmet
• 4 arc sensors are of good quality but can occasionally block by the view area corner of the shell when you see out of a normal straight angle. So, you might get flash when working in a highly obstructive area.