WP9 or water cooled torch

[whensparksfly]

i have a r tec 250 with its standard torch. I want a flexible head have been told i have to buy a WP9 torch and change back to the old torch after 125amps or go water cooled torch.Is the wp9 and water cooled torches different sizes.
i just dunno what to do cant afford water cooler

 

[Shox Dr]

WP9 and WP20s are the same size, although the watercooled flex heads are not as flexible as the Aircooled

 

[whensparksfly]

thanks i do use my welder a good bit but not constantly for hours do i need a water cooler

 

[Shox Dr]

Only if you can't keep hold of the torch, because of heat buildup or you find that a WP26 won't fit in areas a WP20 would.

 

[langy]

WP9 or 20 won't do that many amps really, why can't you fit a W17F ???

 

[whensparksfly]

is the w17f the same size as the wp9

 

[matt1978]

You can get some WP 20 rated at 300 amps!

The torch supplier we use do a dual purpose WP 9/20, if its used on gas cooled its a WP 9 but if its used on a water cooled, machine it becomes WP 20.

 

[FranV8]

I went down a similar route to you, but went for a solid WP20 - built my own cooler out of parts.

Thread here if that helps:

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=35721

 

[derekm]

A plastic pump off ebay with about 7m of head 10 lpm is good enough for 4m hose length. A 5 to 10 litre tank made tall and slim to increase surface area out fof 1 to 1.5mm ally . No radiator. This is good enough to weld at over 140 amp AC for a couple of metres of weld at a time. This is what I use, and it worked for me. I regularly check how hot the neck of the torch is and its never got hot(bare fingers suggest never over 40C).I have recently finished welding 4 large ally tanks, with many metres of weld done as continously as I can manage.

 

[whensparksfly]

derekm you would nt mind putting up a link to the pump on ebay

 

[whensparksfly]

is it true you cant get a wp20 water cooled torch that will weld 200 to 240amps
wp20 is the smallest you can get ?just making sure

 

[FranV8]

I think it is - it's basically the water cooled version of the WP9.

 

[hotrodder]

is it true you cant get a wp20 water cooled torch that will weld 200 to 240amps

As Matt said a few days ago...

You can get some WP 20 rated at 300 amps!

The torch supplier we use do a dual purpose WP 9/20, if its used on gas cooled its a WP 9 but if its used on a water cooled, machine it becomes WP 20.

The lowest rating wp20 sizes have will be 250A DCEN, 180A AC and unless the cooler is knackered/a bit mickey mouse they'll go comfortably beyond that- watercooled torches are typically specced with a 100% duty cycle for one thing (air cooled are often rated @ 60%)... machine duty cycle/stopping to grab a fresh length of wire/repositioning etc

wp20 is the smallest you can get ?just making sure

They go a lot smaller than a wp20 but they're mostly fairly specialised things for getting into stuuuuupidly tight spots rather than general use. WP24 is the next size down from a #20, amperage rating is lower and there is no back cap to keep it compact = ultra short tungstens only. Below that into proper micro torches.

Air & watercooled, regular, micro and other specialist torches with details on ratings etc...
www.weldcraft.com/products/wp-series/http://www.weldcraft.com/products/wp-series/wp-hand-held-water-cooled/
http://www.ckworldwide.com/standard.htm

Picked those two more for their site layout than anything else, everyone else offers pretty much the same range albeit with variations on amperage ratings