- Thread starter Richard.
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Richard.
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It's not a nice thing to hold IMO. I tried it and the offset nature of the head isn't my cup of tea. No need for it either. I get into every tight spot and position just fine without the need for gimmicky wobbly torches.
Richard.
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Tig torches have hardly changed In years. Tbh the biggest changes made to them are done on the oem supplied ones with units. Fronius and lorch have digital displays on them with up to 4 buttons for recalling jobs and changing conditions. The ihead thing I actually quite like the idea of simply swapping heads over pre built up with your different set ups. That's a good idea. If it was available on a standard fixed head torch I may be tempted by that too (later on). Flexloc has been out a little while now and it's got it's limited uses but I say that I mean limited. It's not a day to day at all for me. The natural straight angle is all wrong and rotating the head to get the natural straight angle means it sits awfully to one side of your hand. There would maybe be the odd case where I would find it useful but that rare odd case wouldn't justify a purchase when a 20 with a tiny cap suffices 95% of the tight spots I come across.
wheresmejumper
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Wobbly and needless it aint
Richard.
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Wobbly no that's flex heads. Needless it certainly is. I've spent the biggest part of my life tig welding on intricate parts shapes and joints. I have never needed one.
wheresmejumper
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In your opinion of course
wheresmejumper
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Even though youve never welded with one
Richard.
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I've held badgerbears so it's been in my hand. and trust me that's enough for me to know if it's for me or not. It's like any torch you pick up and position your self with. You know right away. I don't like them, it's not difficult.
wheresmejumper
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My last post,ill say no more.no matter what something feels like doing a 5 second dry run,i would always,always take the time to arc up,before categorically judging it.
nor would i judge the way a car drives from the passenger seat.
peace
nor would i judge the way a car drives from the passenger seat.
peace
Richard.
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You don't need to strike an arc to take note how a torch feels John. It makes no difference. A car on the other hand ideally dose need driving to get a feel.
Mask up or down mate it doesn't matter. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean your always right. I couldn't care less what you like and don't. Not everything is for everyone. C ya.
Mask up or down mate it doesn't matter. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean your always right. I couldn't care less what you like and don't. Not everything is for everyone. C ya.
Jim Davey
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I guess that's why there's as many torches out there as there are. We are all different and one mans must have widget will be another mans most loathed frippery. Horses for courses and wouldn't it be a dull place if it wasn't for all the choice.
Piero
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I had almost forgotten about my Lorch I torch that I ordered with my new tig set.
As I was new to tig. I had desided to get a cheap wp20 to learn on.
Reading this thread I desided to get it out of its box and have a feel .
To look at it looks a tad bulky.
In the hand. Well let's just say lorch did a fabulous job.
It sits so well between fingers.
It's super flexible.
Only down side is it is a ridged head
As I was new to tig. I had desided to get a cheap wp20 to learn on.
Reading this thread I desided to get it out of its box and have a feel .
To look at it looks a tad bulky.
In the hand. Well let's just say lorch did a fabulous job.
It sits so well between fingers.
It's super flexible.
Only down side is it is a ridged head
Richard.
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Wow it does look bulky but I suppose with a display and all those buttons it needs to be to fit all the gubbins in there. Bet they cost a fortune to order separately.
It's difficult to see but the water pipes look like over braided flex which is a rare thing on OE torches and a nice touch. The Kemppi torch although looks a little less cumbersome on the handle was fitted with quite stiff cables. Not sure which way Id go if I could only chose one. Flex cables or smaller handgrip
matt1978
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Wow it does look bulky but I suppose with a display and all those buttons it needs to be to fit all the gubbins in there. Bet they cost a fortune to order separately.
It's difficult to see but the water pipes look like over braided flex which is a rare thing on OE torches and a nice touch. The Kemppi torch although looks a little less cumbersome on the handle was fitted with quite stiff cables. Not sure which way Id go if I could only chose one. Flex cables or smaller handgrip
Hi Richard,
We have are two sized handles, Size 1 and Size 2.
Size 1 for WP 9-17 and 20 type heads
Size 2 for WP 26-18-45 type heads
BUT, the handle doesn't get bigger or smaller if you have The PowerMaster version as Piero has or the standard double push button (DD) or the Up/Down (UD) variant.
The Black cartridge insert is identical for PM-UD-DD and also fits in both Size 1 & 2 handle.
Regarding servicing, the Black cartridge can be replaced easily with 2 screws and ribbon cable and the torch can be upgraded or downgraded such as Piero now has a PM, but he could swap it out for a DD or UD cartridge to suit.
Richard.
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It seems to be a trend (not a popular one from what I hear) for welder manufacturers to try and cram as much as they can onto that handle. I know a lot of the time the remote handles are sold as optional extras but in order for the torch to take those options it needs to be big and bulky. If I was to buy a welder new now a days I'd go power source only every time in the hope the saving on cost would cover a decent torch of my choice. My mls was only 8 months old when I got it and so it wasn't an option to try and break it down hens I stuck it out with the oe torch. I think the only advantage to getting the oe torches is resale value is probably better if its all original. The old magicwave I had was a pain in the arris regarding this though as it was essential to have a double switch on the torch to change vital conditions in the menus. This made it difficult to step away from cumbersome handles. In the end I made a seperate up down switch for it and kept it off the torch so I could run my crafter on it without having to swap back every time I wanted to change something.
matt1978
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I think the main difference is that a lot of welders prefer or atleast seem to go for a pencil/barrel type handle if they are buying a torch for themselves outside of the welding machine.
I am not sure if this is the reason, but most manufacturers would shy away from that style of handle as it is too generic and from a commercial point of view, why would a welder buy say a pencil style torch from Lorch as apposed to a genuine weldcraft or CK etc. I guess some of it comes from a need to be different rather than just the same as what can be purchased from the higher end stand alone torch manufacturers.
For every bit as good as the Fronius tig machines undoubtedly are, I have to say their Tig torch offering was pretty dire and not very ergonomic, atleast that's how it used to be, maybe its changed.
I am not sure if this is the reason, but most manufacturers would shy away from that style of handle as it is too generic and from a commercial point of view, why would a welder buy say a pencil style torch from Lorch as apposed to a genuine weldcraft or CK etc. I guess some of it comes from a need to be different rather than just the same as what can be purchased from the higher end stand alone torch manufacturers.
For every bit as good as the Fronius tig machines undoubtedly are, I have to say their Tig torch offering was pretty dire and not very ergonomic, atleast that's how it used to be, maybe its changed.
Richard.
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I can only speak from my own PoV but if my lorch 220T was supplied with a weldcraft style torch of which I would know been lorch would be a good quality one I'd definitely buy it as a complete package with no reason to change it for another one the same type under a different brand. Check out all the welding vids. It's nearly always a CK, WC, SW on the unit. Promoting and marketing plays a part in this I know but it's food for thought. On the fronius torch front they are horrendous things or at least we're. I too don't know about the newer stuff.
