Water cooled tig torches

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Hi there Recently purchased a Precision Tig 185 mainly for aluminium.Ive got a hand amp controller it gets a bit of getting used to but I'm finding it great to whack a heap of heat in to start then back off.I'm concerned if I go to a water cooled torch it may be too heavy or awkward with the hand amp.What are the advantages of water cooled torches ? Does anyone out there use one?Thanks in advance.Brett
Reply:I have a hand amp controler , it's the sh*ts . I also use exclusively a water cooled torch. FOR  ME-  it's the only way to fly. Because , it's small (a wp-20)  the size of a#9 torch air cooled , but it handles 250 amps real well. The foot pedal amp control is what i use , but it's only good  sitting down at a welding table , to weld . I find i can only tig decently , when I am sitting  down . ( the #9 air cooled torch is only rated for 125 amps . ) the #20 torch handles like a dream. And never gets hot . The foot control works great too , for giving a lot of heat quick, and then , if you wish , you can back off , how ever you like .
Reply:P.S.    my welding machine is a  MILLER Dial-arc 250 (A C-D C ) tig with hy-freq. built in .
Reply:i got the same machine Roy only i use a foot control water cool is the way to go if you tig a lotChuckASME Pressure Vessel welder
Reply:Though the hand amp is at times akward and I find you tend not to turn it off properly its great for the work I do as I have to move around a lot.I was more interested in the advantages of a water cooled torch over air
Reply:the advantages of a water cooled torch are that the torch do not heat up so you can weld longerChuckASME Pressure Vessel welder
Reply:i use a water cooled  torch with foot control have tryed  waterless and they do get Warm. have learned to use the pedal in many different ways with my knee or back of leg the trickest is under a boat
Reply:all i've ever used was water cooled torches...street water supply and just a hose running outside..however in the winter you need to make sure that the hose dont stay out over night...water freezes and then you get no circulation..the water "boils" in the torch and soon you have a hole in the water tube spraying water everywhere... ...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:One other advantage of the water cooled torch is that the cable is much more flexable than the air cooled torch.  I use the wp20.  The much heavier wp 18 has a cable about the size of the cable on the air cooled torch.  The wp18 is watercooled and I use it on the high range of my miller 330 ab/p.  The only time I used the air cooled torch was on my gas powered welder out in the sticks.
Reply:Thanks allGiven me a bit to think about
Reply:Brett, if you can afford it, go the water cooled version - you'll be much more satisfied and comfortable.  Also, you can get torches with flexible heads - a nice feature when working in tight spaces.
Reply:Give me a watrer cooler or give me death, only away from the shop do i use an air cooled torch anymore, and as soon as i get another cooler for the truck air cooled days are over. the torch that comes with the 185 one pack is the same size as the smaller of the two water cooled torches and also uses the same consumables. the advantage is that you get way more amps out of it, a word of advice unless you want to do battle with dragons avoid the larger (sorry don't know the part #) of the two water cooled torches i have one and save it for intruders. Fire doesn't burn a good Christian !
Reply:I have both an air cooled and a water cooled tig. Let me count how many times I have used the air cooled torch since I bought the water cooled torch...........um......lemme see......... oh yeah, ZERO.I can't see going backwards unless I had to, as in the field or something. But when I am in the field, I usually choose another process if I can. CK Worldwide Tig Torch with flex neck! There is no substitute.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Brett, I have both,I much prefer the water. Check out Weld-Tek.com      I've never used a hand amp control. I have used a button type momentary switch for several years on alum. and chromoly tube. They are a little hard to get use to after using a foot control but after you get use to it they work well.Last edited by alan waters; 05-03-2006 at 02:07 AM.