Hi, I'm finally tired of having to let the air-cooled torch on my Lincoln SW-175 tig cool off. I'll build the radiator/pump for water cooling myself, but which torch are people liking these days? At 175 supposed amps, I don't imagine needing "the best", but some guidelines or features to look for would be very helpful.
Thanks,
--Max
I've got a Weld Craft, they are quite standard. There's a guy who sells all sorts of parts (collets, cups, etc. on eBay REALLY cheap!) His eBay seller name is aglevtech. I got the torch with a Lincoln welder I bought on eBay, and it works very well.
Jon
TecTorch, Weldcraft, WNI, CK-Worldwide, Binzel, Thermadyne, and ESAB all make decent torches.
I prefer CK.
Any standard 200 amp water cooled torch will work. Lincoln and CK both sell the adapters to mount water cooled torches on your machine.
You don't need the radiator thing for yours. Just a 5 gallon bucket of water and a pump.
You do need 50 PSI on the water pressure to get it through the torch head.
Glad to see you're able to type replies, Ernie! Hopefully, you keep healing and get your dexterity back.
Something I've never been able to figure out (probably because all my TIG gear is used and came with no manuals) is which way the water should flow. Should the water supply go to the hose with the electrode cable, or the one without the cable? It seems pretty obvious that the torch head will run a few degrees cooler with the water supply on the non-cable hose, but that may not be desirable.
Thanks in advance for any comments!
Jon
Water goes from the pump to the torch head via the water line. It returns along the power cable and is split off at the power block which connects to the output stud of the TIG, and retrurns to the water tank. Radiators are only needed if you are doing 300 amp welds on 1/2" materiel for long periods.
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