Welding Tips and Tricks

I’m just wondering what other people’s opinions are. I’ve had a TIG welder for about 4 months now. A Prime Weld 225. I’ve owned other mig welders since I can’t remember when. I mostly just weld for a hobby and occasionally a project that I feel will be enjoyable and practice because I enjoy doing it and learning about it. Currently I’m using the CK 17 torch that came with the machine. It’s not very often that I need to stop because the torch is to hot to hod onto. What I’m wondering is does anyone see a need to spend $500-$700 on another torch and cooler for someone in my situation? Thanks I’m advance


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I use my water cooled torch when I will be welding for a long period of time. But I typically have my air cooled on. Aluminum is the only exception to this.

So unless you are using super high amps, long periods of time, or AL it's completely up to you.

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A bucket of water is much cheaper and works just fine.

I am not a master of the welding arts, but I will suggest that if you don't need one now, but see the possible or likely need in the future, you might consider building a cooler.
With time to scrounge around, you can usually pull the parts together for a fraction of the retail prices for a cooler, saving a large portion of that price tag you quoted.

Personally, I started looking for TIG cooler parts shortly after I started TIG welding, since I am focused mostly on Aluminum. For ~$100 in parts I sourced the motor and pump, and various fittings.
You can also just keep an eye open for a soda machine carbonation pump set, they will occasionally show up cheap or free.

You don't technically need one, but it makes life SO much better. I have a #20 flex neck water cooled torch that is rated for a 250 amp/100% duty cycle, which means it is a higher duty cycle than my Syncrowave 250 can throw at it. It is an extremely small torch, especially with the gas lens collet body. I can weld for hours and the torch handle never ever gets warm, nevermind hot. In the past I used a 17 air cooled torch, and it would get hot enough to burn me through my welding gloves. Its sort of like comparing a Ford Focus to a Mercedes S class sedan. Both will get you from point A to point B, but the Mercedes is a much better experience in getting there. If you look around for a used cooler (or build one of your own) you can reasonably get into a water cooled torch for under $400. I paid ~$120 for my torch from HTP America, and I found a used cooler on CL for $250. YMMV. To me, it is money well spent.

I've melted the back cap of a 17-series torch so maybe I'm not a good example, but I sure prefer water-cooled. The small 20-series torch is really nice...doesn't get in the way, easier to see around, and can handle fairly high amperage for long periods of time. It's nice to be blasting away at 250A and not even have the torch get warm. I have an air-cooled torch on my Everlast and that's what keeps me from using it more...bulkier torch is the #1 thing. I'm piecing together a water cooler for that machine...got a motor/fan and pump for free, so I just have to make the tank, source a radiator and come up with a cover.

Do you need one? Probably not. Will you like one? Almost certainly. As far as dunking the torch in water....yeah, no thanks. I'd just wind up knocking the bucket over, and dripping water all over would get old quickly.

No, you probably don't need one. But technically I don't NEED them either, but wouldn't be without my 20's. They really do make things much more comfortable in terms of both size and temperature. A water cooler (at least a quality one) is mostly just a one-time cost, and the water cooled torches are priced close enough to the air cooled torches that long-term torch costs is not a big deal. And, similar to the coolers, a quality water-cooled torch will last a LONG time if taken care of.

You'll also save money on collets with a water-cooled torch, so perhaps you could even add that into the calculus of cost of ownership over a 10 year period

Thx for all the input. I’ve thought about building a cooler as far as contemplating several different designs from very simple to ridiculously complex. In the end if I were to build my own I’d probably have more in it than I could buy a decent one for. The bucket of water idea would work but like buggy I’d probably kick it over or drop something that would be ruined into it. I was hoping someone would have a solid reason that I shouldn’t join all the cool kids with a water cooled torch but it doesn’t seem that anyone that’s had one will ever go back ( go ahead with the jokes) [emoji1787]. So since I’ll be looking for a cooler are the $300 ones from Amazon or eBay worth a try? Some better known brands are about $200 more. And is automotive ethylene glycol coolant ok to use? I’ve read that people are using it without problems but haven’t read anything that states it’s ok by any manufacturer. My shop is only heated when I’m in it so it’s very possible that I’ll need freeze protection. Or just spring for the real deal stuff at more than double the cost. I’m an auto mechanic and can’t think of a reason green coolant wouldn’t work especially considering it’s the same active ingredient as some of the coolant sold specifically for torch coolant. Or is there something I’m missing?


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walz10 wrote:Thx for all the input. I’ve thought about building a cooler as far as contemplating several different designs from very simple to ridiculously complex. In the end if I were to build my own I’d probably have more in it than I could buy a decent one for. The bucket of water idea would work but like buggy I’d probably kick it over or drop something that would be ruined into it. I was hoping someone would have a solid reason that I shouldn’t join all the cool kids with a water cooled torch but it doesn’t seem that anyone that’s had one will ever go back ( go ahead with the jokes) [emoji1787]. So since I’ll be looking for a cooler are the $300 ones from Amazon or eBay worth a try? Some better known brands are about $200 more. And is automotive ethylene glycol coolant ok to use? I’ve read that people are using it without problems but haven’t read anything that states it’s ok by any manufacturer. My shop is only heated when I’m in it so it’s very possible that I’ll need freeze protection. Or just spring for the real deal stuff at more than double the cost. I’m an auto mechanic and can’t think of a reason green coolant wouldn’t work especially considering it’s the same active ingredient as some of the coolant sold specifically for torch coolant. Or is there something I’m missing?


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It never freezes here, so I use regular ol' green prestone coolant and distilled water. I use very little though, like a 10:1 water:coolant ratio. Just to the point where you can slightly see the greenish tint. I've only had to replace hoses due to wear, but other than that works just fine. Coolers going on 6-9 years like that.

I posted a long reply that disappeared....ack!

Short version....I've tried three of the $250 coolers on eBay and had to send two back. The first one was great, but the next two wouldn't move water...just a trickle. I think they had a bad run where they accidentally used 230V motors with 110V power supplies. I opened the second one up and the motor only said 230V on it, but the back panel was clearly 110V.

As far as coolant goes, I wouldn't risk it with the green stuff. It can interfere with the high frequency arc, and I've taken apart a number of coolers that had been run with it for years and they were nasty. The couple I've taken apart that were being used with the correct coolant were pretty darned clean inside. Maybe the folks with the green stuff let it sit in there for five years or something, but I still don't think it makes sense.

Miller sells their coolant for around $32/gallon last I knew, and it's good down to -37*F. Airgas sells a similar coolant for around $23/gallon that's good for down to -32F. Most coolers take 1-3 gallons. You can easily go 50/50 in places where it doesn't get super cold and then you're only at $45 or so and replacing it every other year should be fine for recreational use levels. Miller says every year, but they're thinking about machines that run 8-24 hours per day, for days on end.

I recently bought a used Miller TIG machine with a cooler, cleaned it out and will use Weldcote coolant I got at my LWS for $22 per gallon.

I have 2 of the HTP Arctic Chill coolers and love them. I think they were $500 or so direct from HTP. Why risk an ebay/amazon no-name/no-support brand that might fail within a year? Spend the extra $200. You won't regret it. I run a 50/50 mix of distilled water and the pink RV antifreeze in them. I think the total cost per gallon comes out to about $1.50 if I remember correctly

If I had to get another cooler, and couldn't find one that I liked on CL, I would build it. You only need 4 parts really: Motor, pump,reservoir tank and a radiator. Buy a cheap soda carbonator with a procon pump and you have 80% of the parts you need (pump, motor, reservoir). You might need to change out the pressure relief valve, but Procon sells those cheap. You can use a heat exchanger used for overclocking computers ($25 on amazon) and a PC case fan. Voila! Heck I have seen cooler builds that use aquarium pumps even. I am not sure I would go that far, but I don't see any real reason to spend tons of money on a cooler. Even what seem to be like old, junky used coolers are easily refurbished. If it has a procon pump, it is a diamond in the rough and can be restored to full glory with little cost.