water cooled mig guns ?

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Does anyone here have experience with a water cooled mig gun? Are they like the water cooled tig torches, smaller and lighter than a comparable air cooled unit? What are the leads like?Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:I had a few a while back. From what I remember they were heavier and more cumbersome with the added water lines. The leads stuck out of the end of the gun where it goes into the feeder. Basically two lines shooting out of the plastic surround. that is what you connected the water cooler lines to unless the feeder has a solenoid. Then you connect it inline.Millermatic250Miller Spoolmate 200Miller Spoolmatic 1Lincoln tombstone with century DC converter1945 K.O. Lee company stick welder (looks like R2D2)Miller 30E feederHobart AH27 FeederMiller Thunderbolt AC/DC
Reply:big and heavy, but great if you're welding over 300 amps for long time.
Reply:quite the opposite of tig torches.   heavy, and awkward.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:But cool.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:fortyonethirty, the MK Cobramatic has been offered air or watercooled since the 1970's in the exact form factor;  water or air cooled.  The cases are the same, the gun side covers are the same; its a push pull gun system.My newer air cooled Python and water cooled Python push pull guns are both the same (newer MK Products MIG guns sold by both Miller and Lincoln for a while) and both have the same form and shape.In both models of guns the power cable is like a TIG cable that is water jacketed.  A 1/4" water hose is added to the bundle/stretch-out to bring water out from the pump and the power cable uses the gun warmed coolant to keep the power cable cooled.They're mainly used when you weld all day long, especially in aluminum MIG building skiffs and boats as they keep the gun motor and drive rolls cooler and the contact tip 'nose' cooler too.But for size, bulk, reach, wt, and handiness both the Cobra's I've owned and the Pythons seem to be identical between the air cooled and water cooled models.  I do recall a 500 or 600 Amp model called the King Cobra in days gone by, that had a water jacketed gas cup and  T-handle that was much less handy than the Cobramatic models of the late 70's early '80's but that was designed for full on ship building or making 1" thick excavator buckets in a single pass.http://www.mkproducts.com/My experience with (these) water cooled guns is;  if you're welding back to back, full days of burning wire, not fitting, tacking, and then welding a bit, but 35 hours of 40 a week with an arc lit; water cooled is the only way to go.Cheers,Kevin Morin