Optrel Helmet Panoramaxx CLT Lens (Honest Review)

We take a look at Optrels welding helmet to see what it’s all about. Is it comfortable and what’s its real viewing range. #welding #weld #stickweldingfabrication #fabrication #metal #metalworking #metalfabricator #tigwelding #migwelding #offroadwheels #jeep #jeeptj #jeeplife #offroadlife #jeepwranglertj #jeeplj #jeepwrangler

[@OptrelUS]

Thanks for the video review! We appreciate it and are always looking for honest reviews & feedback.

[@RubiKidd06]

No, this is not going to become a welding channel. I had to put this up because there is zero reviews or information out there of this hood. After using it a fair amount now I can say I really like it. Super comfortable helmet. Harley’s going to be getting a Lincoln 3350 4c helmet so we will compare once we get that.

[@jeremy8715]

Make welding great again? Welding and Jeeps is like white on rice or PB&J sandwich. They go hand in hand…. Lol

[@jeremy8715]

Can you grind (still see) with that helmet covering your face?

[@S30Build]

did you ever get a chance to compare this helmet to the 3350? if you had to pick one winner, which would it be?

[@ArcOfTheCovenant]

Just picked one up. Those are some nice helmets! The view is 🤌🔥

[@MrCudaguy1]

Thanks for the review, I appreciate all the detail. I just ordered one hoping it'll be the last hood I have to buy for TIG work lol. My take on the charger port is that it's an attempt to keep it clean vs filling with metal debris from grinding. Definitely inconvenient but better than having to clean it out or it not working in my opinion.

[@mexdrago3009]

I used the crystal 2.0 for 3 years. I changed it to Iso fit because my old head gear broke. The stock head gear is better. The Iso fit when I tighten it ends up becoming a Kippah and falls off. lol I tried the original Panoramaxx because I was welding on a latter and in top of machines. You don't want to tilt your head at certain hieghts. You want to use your peripheral vision radther than strain your kneck and throw off your balance. You can't beat the clarity of the crystal. I got into tig Late in my life, and the helmet helped my tig skills improve in no time. I can't wait to try this version.

[@MrCubflyer]

Thanks

[@MrCubflyer]

I have an older optrel and its been a great hood its just not the clearview style one so im looking for a clear view one because I dont see like I use to.

[@keoki9274]

Dude you rock great review!!! There’s not a lot out there about this hood. That said I’ve been using this hood now sense it first came out a little over a year tig welding stainless steel pipe for liquid nitrogen. I have to tell ya I love the hood. After about six months I changed out the headgear NOT because I didn’t like the fit but because the padding didn’t hold up so I purchased the regular style headgear for it. I purchased recently the new 3M G5 02 curved lens and I still think my Optrel CLT is better. The view while welding is just SO CLEAR! I wanted to make a video about it But I don’t have the great video personality such as yourself. Again great video welders need to know how great this hood really is.

[@RubiKidd06]

I can barely stand using another helmet now. Had to do some welding at a family’s shop where they provided everything thing including the helmet. Wow, it was rough at first😀

[@AJays734]

I get bloodshot eyes on shade 12 welding fcaw at 25 amps... i use shade 12 with arcone lenses and its borderline too dark so i go between 11 and 12 with my arc one. But the optrel on 12 makes my eyes look like i wqs staring at a tv 48 hrs in the dark..wtf. do you have this issue too?

[@franciscoro4654]

hello a question for the jeep tj 2000 when you modify tires more than 33 inches and gears can the computer be reprogrammed for better performance

[@RubiKidd06]

I’ve never had much success with programmers on a gas engine. What is your drive train right now? Engine,trans,tire size and gear ratio?

[@johnw4590]

Optrel makes really good hoods. Weld cap works good for low clearance areas.. but they fall apart.. only thing i would change on all Optrel hoos is the sticky grind function switch.. its annoying

[@yanksgomez3477]

I have my for over 2 years im a professional welder that is my go to helmet other than my speed glass my only one complaining it's the helmet doesn't have break posts when is up it keeps going down you have to keep cranking does nob on the side other than that i love CLT technology especially for tig welding

[@RubiKidd06]

I hate that it won’t stay up.

[@marcusm.5391]

Thanks for the review! I just picked one up recently, and I'm curious how much variance there is in darkness across the lens when it goes dark? In my case, it seems to get dark directly in front of my eyes, but if I tilt my head down slightly it becomes significantly less dark. There also seems to be some difference from my right to left eyes, almost making it seem a bit blurry. I knew this was a 1/1/1/2 helmet, but it's a bit disappointing for such an expensive helmet...going to have to talk with Baker's / Optrel and see if maybe I just got a dud.

[@RubiKidd06]

I definitely have not experienced that. I would want to address that if it was mine from the stand point of not always being able to look directly at the weld. Such as in a wheel well or welding in confined spaces. I will say the more I use the helmet the more I like it. Very pleased with it. To bad your having problems with yours.

[@marcusm.5391]

@@RubiKidd06 Hopefully Baker's is willing to sort it out...or Optrel is. I've seen some other comments about similar behavior on other Optrel helmets. Maybe I just got a bad one...

[@RubiKidd06]

Appreciate the feedback because I had not heard of this issue.

[@ryanomara5866]

Mine does the same thing. Got it replaced and the new one does the exact same thing

[@weldphd]

Interesting, I just used a new Optrel Vegaview 2.5 and your experience mirrors the issues I was having. I’m going to return it and look for something different.

[@chiathach206]

It's ok, I still prefer the 3m 9100xxi....

[@livesmart9090]

I want one

[@grege2383]

I'm on the fence between this one and the Crystal 2.0. Given you have both - your thoughts?

[@RubiKidd06]

I’ve never tried the Crystal 2.0 but it’s rated pretty good as well.

[@mexdrago3009]

If you're used to flipping your helmet down. The panoramaxx might hit your nose. It saves a lot of neck bending. Your field of view is amazing with clarity like no other. I recommend it only for tig. Im the field you will get smoke and some slag on your helmet. Old school small vewing shield helmets or glass can be bought in bulk and change out in no time. I hope they come out with a Quatro panoramaxx clt. The regular panoramaxx has 4 sensors, but not the clt for reason.

[@ArcOfTheCovenant]

You gotta just use the back of your hand to push the headgear away sorta. That helps.

[@mexdrago3009]

I wish they made a traditional helmet with the small rectangular view. Anything else, but tig will get dirty, and I sometimes accidents happen for slag. It is cheaper and faster to change out the smaller viewing shield. A crystal traditional helmet would be amazing.

[@mikebert413]

👍🏻

[@ericlo4236]

i wonder how does the helmet drop feel for people with glasses. Been looking at this helmet for a while now and im about to pull the trigger. hopefully my glasses wont become a issue.

[@RubiKidd06]

I’m not sure but I’m about to the point I need some glasses so when I get some I’ll try to comeback and respond. I love this helmet and really hope there isn’t an issue.

[@birawaadhipratama2122]

the grinding button on panoramax its more easier to use compare to non panoramax, especially when you use your gloves, others than panoramax often got stuck when press the grind button

[@RubiKidd06]

Appreciate the comment

[@erichargis3349]

I truly think the knobs are a set it and forget it thing. Once you get it set you really do not need to change it again.

[@AJays734]

Bought this hood. There was a black speck by the nose when i videotaped unboxing it. I thought it was a black plastic spur manufacturing defect where they didn't shave it off. My helmet also arrived with some specs of dust under the main peotective lense touching the actual lense. Also... thr protective inner lense was not installed... this could have led to my lense being scratched on the inside because the atore i bought it from online threw a bunch of accessories in the box that could have scratched it. The inner protective lense had a 1 inch scratch across it when i took off the protective film to install it and it came with no extra protective lenses. 2 weeks into ownership that black speck to the right of the nose piece randomly turned into a tiny crater crack around the black dot leading me to believe it was cracked from day 1. My unboxing video proved it arrived like that when contacting optrel regarsing warranty. It took almost 2 weeks for optrel to get back to me regarding my rma file. Then it took 2 weeks for my replacement helmet to arrive. So far no issues with the replacement but after reading more reviews it sounds like the shape of the lense makes it more fragile than other models like perhaps the crystal 2.0 (i wish i got that instead). I got the papr version of the panoramaxx clt. I must say the helmet barely flips back which with the papr version is not an issue but if i bought the one the guy did in this video i would find it annoying. When you tilt your lid back it unadjusts the distance your face is to the lense. So your option is never flip it back and not have to adjuat the forward and back feature or flip it back and have to readjuat everything again. The isofit headgear feels ok but the foam pad for your forehaad is held on my tiny semicircular stickers. The foam pad was already hanging off when it arrived and always falls off. Only solution would be to glue the pad down. Also the isofit headgear makes it impossible to reach the buttons/ settings and a real pain in the ass to charge it. It also prevents the papr shroud from creating a seal on your head. For that reason i complained to weld ready and they sent me the regular headgear if i paid shipping. Regular headgear is closer to the pipeliner ratchet headgear but more padding. I also paid for the halo attachment. Only then did i get a full papr seal on the top of my head. I welded overhead once with this helmet and i notice some metal bb's ended up between the frame of the helmet and the protective lense meaning the foam they place along the petimiter of the protective outer lenses may not prevent all dust and debris from entering your lense. Furthermore... if a Metal bb made its way between the protective lense and the frame and got stuck there it means you will need to scrape these bb's away or the next protective lense you put on will not have a tight seal and possibly alllw steal dust to enter your lense. The only good about this helmet is the lense is amazing. Its an electric blue colour so you see undercut easy. I have noticed however my eyes are bloodshot after a day of welding fcaw with this helmet on shade 12 at 25volts and 380 w/s. Maybe i need to turn my sensitivity up? But the shade 12 on this helmet feels like a 10.5... i dont notice eye strain while welding but at the end of my 10 hr shift my eyes are bloodshot and a bit blurry... so i really dont know how i would review this helmet atm... im also fearful of the longevity of the lense as many people have had issues. I would say go with the crystal 2.0 as i dont trust the longevity of the butterfly shaped lense... i would honestly not recommend this helmet until i see how it lasts over the next 3 years... nothing worse than reading amazing unboxing reviews and first week of welding with it if the produxt doesnt last st this price point. I will update my mini review here in several months.

[@RubiKidd06]

So I’ve had this helmet for sometime now. It’s not perfect. 1st The helmet not rocking back drives me nuts then it slams on your face. Still not use to that. 2nd I have heard a couple issues with the lenses but not of your sort. I ruled them out because I figured when a individual pays a premium for a product they expect perfection. Maybe they were legitimate complaints. 3rd the headgear I was not a fan of at first, I absolutely love it now though. Going back to a tradition mount is uncomfortable for me. Since I’m not a welder by trade I can not attest to its long term durability. 4th let’s get to that lens. Since I primarily bought this for Tig welding the color difference is night and day between a Lincoln, Miller and this. I have the latest Lincoln hanging on my wall which I only use when I’m welding underneath a vehicle beating the crap out of it. I’ve not tried the 2.0 so I can’t tell you one way or the other but Tig welding with this Optrel is fantastic. Now let’s get to that light sensitivity. When I switched over to Mig I noticed that I had to go up to a higher setting. It just seemed bright to me. It’s been along time since I’ve welded 10hrs straight and that was back in my early 20s so I can’t give you honest feedback like what you have. On a different note I know you don’t watch primary what’s in this channel. It’s a Jeep channel, I’m not one to hold back on manufactures that sell garbage that I work hard to pay for. I get it man. That’s for commenting here and look forward to a update review.

[@AJays734]

@@RubiKidd06 they sent me another helmet because of my unboxing video showing the damage was already there... still getting red eyes but my eyes dont hurt like they do when i run a shade too low. Might be i am not used to being in a papr that is completely dark for 10 hrs with the papr wind blowing in my eyes. Right after i bought it their prefilters went up 25$ canadian for a pack of 50. Only thing i am skeptical about with optrel is there are less stores that stock their accessories vs lincoln and miller which are readily available and therefore a bit cheaper. I did reqd in the manual the panoramaxx clt is good to 280 amps and i think i am welsing jiat under that so it shoulsnt be making my eyes red. Thanks for the reply.

[@AJays734]

Ok so ive fabbed several months with the panoramaxx clt in a fab shop and would like to update my long paragraph i wrote months ago. The lense is amazing on the helmet but ive noticed some areas they really f'd up on this helmet. My biggest grievance was discovered today changing my first inner lense because i noticed dust that i thought was on it. Turned out it was grinding dust on the actual lense itself. I was able to wipe it away with the included cloth and it didnt scratch the lense. But there was about a dozen metal specs on it i had to remove. Turns out where the inner lense is installed there is an opening at the middle top. Im guessing this is so you can get your finger on the protective lense to remove it. If you press on it you will notice it moves about 1/16 of an inch. That is precisely where the dust got in. The protective inner lense is the dumbest design. Two slots on either side install it and holdbit in place but there is gaps 360 around the protective lense where dust can get in and not just at the top as i mentioned. I tried installing a 2nd inner lense a d it was bowing outwards away from the lense as well leqving gapa for dust. These lenses are 5$ a piece and thry dont even protect the 600$ lense! If you notice the front protective lenses have a rubber gasket built into them. The inside protective lense does not. All they had to do was add a rubber gasket between the lense and the protective inner lense to fix this. Or even better have a clamp that goes along the entire perimiter of the protective lense clamping it in a dust tight seal around a gasket. My 100$ pipeliner hood does exactly that. You drop the lense in, gasket then retaining clip. I have never got dust on my arcone 2 x 4 1/4 lense and when i change out the protective lenses i always change them from the bottom so dust in the shop doesnt land on top of my lense. Then i flip it over to change the other lense. For 800$ canadian they charge for this helmet i dont think i would have purchased it if i could go back in time. The lense is amazing but the execution of everything else sucked. Even their papr only lasts 7 hrs of continuous use on thr middle setting and i work 10 hr days so i end up throwing on my pipeliner hood for end of shift. And that is after blowong out my filter with conpressed air and using the extended battery.

[@AJays734]

​@@RubiKidd06do u notice gaps around the inner protective lense ? The old helmet that arrived with a crack in thr lense and the new one they sent me all have gaps around the inner lense where dust can get behind. So im assuming this is defect with all their helmets. I dont think i will buy optrel again.

[@kell733]

itsssssssssss welding time.

[@westweld]

Haha I knew I wasn't the only one who thought those knobs were in a stupid place 🤣

[@jpooch00]

Just received this helmet. The shell was cracked when I took it out of the box. Returned for refund. If it can't even survive intact till it comes out of the box, then something's seriously wrong! WAY to much money for something that delicate.

[@AJays734]

Mine arrived with dust on the welding lense and no inner protective cover lense installed. When i found the ONLY inner protective lense in the box it was scratched on one side. I got the papr version and within 24 hrs im calling this produxt junk. On high or low sensitivity my house lets activate the lense. So im guessing to make this thing work i would have to have it in grind mode and turn grind mode off everytime i need to strike an arc. Now im parinoid in situations where i need a flashlight to see what i am doing it will activate weld mode so i cant see what i am doing. Already emailed optrek and waitinf for a reply. I am not welding in the shop with it until i get a review as i am willing to return it asap.

[@PeterJvanHaren]

Man. You sure do go on...

[@RubiKidd06]

Well, the fact is Peter most people can’t get their hands on this helmet. So I’m going to take your comment with a grain of salt. There’s no reviews of this helmet and all the concerns that I had we tried to cover. Makes me want to make another one and make it longer.

[@PeterJvanHaren]

@@RubiKidd06 absolutely. It's not my channel.