Why is my electrode holder and lead getting hot

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I have a small Lincoln cracker box.  In 28 years of sometimes heavy use I have never noticed my electrode holder and the last few feet of my lead getting so hot.  After three or four electrodes it is so hot it is uncomfortable thru my welding gloves.   Is my lead getting worn out?   Is it the holder?  The welder? My ground cable?  Any advise or opinion would be welcome.
Reply:Get new leads, retire the originals. I would increase the wire diameter for good measure, but that would be me. After 28 years, you had a good run with those wires. They get bent enough times to cause cold working and embrittlement, but only after a very long time, oh say... 28 years or so... Besides, corrosion can sneak up inside the jacket unnoticed.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:If you have a tombstone style welder. The welding leads are connected inside the case.an are difficult to change. Most people get a set of tweco style connectors and install them on about 1 foot of the leads, Then weld leads can be changed easy. this only works if the leads are not hot at the welder and the insulation is not cracked. other wise you have to uncase the welder and install all new leads. Ac units are not bad but the AC/DC units are a pain.You might be able to cut back you electrode lead and install a new holder. The holder connection might be loose or corroded. the weld lead might have broken strands.all cause heating.
Reply:cattle guard guy  -  Heat means bad [poor] contacts or corrosion.  Copper cable lugs are inexpensive and easy to replace.  The cheap fix it to cut a couple of feet off of each end and install new lugs.  If the cable still heats, new cables are in order.    OPUS
Reply:Originally Posted by cattle guard guyI have a small Lincoln cracker box.  In 28 years of sometimes heavy use I have never noticed my electrode holder and the last few feet of my lead getting so hot.  After three or four electrodes it is so hot it is uncomfortable thru my welding gloves.   Is my lead getting worn out?   Is it the holder?  The welder? My ground cable?  Any advise or opinion would be welcome.