Torches and guns are the consumable-touching half of the system. A good one transfers heat smoothly, reaches the work, and does not fight you.
TIG torches and MIG guns are different tools with the same job: deliver current and gas exactly where the arc starts. Start with the process, then size the cooling.
150–200 A class, light and maneuverable. The WP-9/WP-17 family standard for most shop TIG work.
250 A and up with a cooler circulating coolant through the torch. Smaller, cooler head at the same amperage.
Adjustable-angle heads for awkward joints and tight corners where a rigid head will not reach.
Standard for up to ~300 A. Lighter and cheaper; duty cycle limited by the heat build-up in the neck.
300 A+ production guns with coolant through the neck. Continuous spray transfer without overheating.
All-metal necks and quick-change consumables for robotic cells and high-duty-cycle stations.
A TIG torch is a stack of small copper parts that all have to fit perfectly. MIG guns add a feed path. Know each part by name — every torch problem is one of them.
Tungsten electrode — the non-consumable electrode that carries the arc. Sized to amperage and ground to the right tip shape.
Collet & collet body — the collet grips the tungsten; the body seats it in the head. Sizes must match the electrode exactly.
Cup / nozzle — directs the shielding gas. Length and bore match joint access and gas coverage needs.
Gas lens — a fine screen that laminarizes the gas flow for a wider, steadier coverage zone. Standard for quality TIG.
Cable / hose assembly — power, gas, and (on water-cooled) coolant lines in one jacket. Flex and cold-weather stiffness matter.
MIG front end — contact tip transfers current to the wire, diffuser spreads gas, nozzle shapes it. Quick-change fronts cut downtime.
The amperage and duty cycle decide which cooling you need. The cost difference is a cooler and a hose — the comfort difference is the whole day.
| Factor | Air-Cooled | Water-Cooled |
|---|---|---|
| Practical range | Up to ~300 A (MIG) / 200 A (TIG) | 300–600 A |
| Duty cycle at max | 20–40%, then the head cooks | 60–100% continuous |
| Weight & size | Lighter, simpler | Heavier, plus a cooler unit |
| Cost | Lowest | Cooler adds 25–50% to the rig |
| Maintenance | None — just consumables | Coolant level, flow check, pump service |
Rule of thumb: if you weld above 200 A for more than a few minutes at a time, water cooling pays for itself in neck life and operator comfort.
Small, cheap, and decisive. A $3 contact tip or a $2 cup controls arc stability and gas coverage — the two things inspectors reject welds for.
Each tungsten diameter needs its own collet — 1/16", 3/32", 1/8". A mismatched collet lets the tungsten wobble and the arc wander.
Bore must match wire diameter exactly. An oversized bore gives a wandering arc and burnback; a worn tip is the cheapest cause of bad welds.
The diffuser distributes gas evenly around the tip; the nozzle shapes the coverage. Spatter-clogged nozzles strangle the gas flow.
2% lanthanated is the all-rounder. Match the alloy to current type — see the full breakdown in Consumables.
Tips and cups wear in hours, not days, in production. Track cost per hour — it is the honest measure of a front end.
Torches die from heat, abuse, and neglect — never from one dramatic failure. Check these before a job, and the torch outlasts the machine behind it.
Symptoms
Porous weld starts, hissing from the head, or a gas smell at the torch.
Causes
Cracked cup, loose collet body, worn O-rings in the torch head, damaged hose jacket.
Fix
Replace the cup and O-rings, hand-tighten the body, and check the hose with soapy water.
Symptoms
The arc wanders or refuses to start cleanly; the tungsten tip glows and dips.
Causes
Contaminated tungsten, wrong collet size, loose head connections, worn cable conductor.
Fix
Regrind the tungsten, match the collet, tighten every connection, replace a frayed cable.
Symptoms
The torch gets too hot to hold, the handle discolors, or the neck softens over time.
Causes
Working past the air-cooled duty cycle, blocked water flow on cooled units, undersized torch for the amperage.
Fix
Size up to water cooling, check the cooler flow and coolant level, respect the duty cycle.
Symptoms
The cable resists bending, kinks at the head, or copper strands poke through the jacket.
Causes
Age, cold shops, and being stood on or coiled tightly for years.
Fix
Hang torches properly, replace cables when strands break, and warm them before bending in winter.
Symptoms
Feeding stutters, spatter climbs, burnback returns even after tip changes.
Causes
Packed liner, wrong liner for the wire, kinked neck, worn quick-change front end.
Fix
Replace the liner, match it to the wire, inspect the neck and front-end seating.
Symptoms
Hot connections at the power-source end, intermittent arc, burning smell at the plug.
Causes
Loose Euro/Tweco connectors, corroded pins, undersized contact area after years of abuse.
Fix
Clean and tighten, replace worn connectors — a hot connection burns duty cycle you paid for.
Start with the process, then the amperage and duty cycle, then the reach the joint demands. A torch that cannot get to the work is a downgrade at any price.
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