If you are thinking about buying your first tig welding machine, you will soon be faced with another decision; whether to buy an air cooled tig torch or water cooled tig torch. First lets clear up a few misconceptions about exactly what an air cooled tig torch is. It is not cooled by forced air but rather it is called an “air cooled tig torch” only to distinguish it from a water cooled tig torch. The air cooled tig torch is also called a “dry rig” because it uses no water for coolant. Heat just dissipates off the torch into the air. A dry rig tig torch is always larger than a water cooled tig torch that has the same amperage rating. The torch cable on an dry rig torch is also much larger. A water cooled torch has a much smaller power cable. It can be small because it is inside a plastic tube through which coolant is pumped. As long as there is coolant flowing over the power cable, it stays cool and will handle a lot of amperage. If the coolant stops, the torch cable will heat up and usually burn right through the tubing.
To help you make the decision here are some pros and cons of water cooled vs dry rig tig torches.
Air dry rig torch pros
o simple with low maintenance
o no cooler recirculation unit required
o cheaper than water cooled
o more portable
Air dry rig torch cons
o Larger than water cooled torches with the same amperage rating
o Get hotter in your hand
o Not available in high amperage ratings
Water cooled torch pros
o smaller torch
o high amperage torches available
o stay cool
Water cooled torch cons
o cooler /recirculation unit required and they are expensive
o more expensive than air cooled torches
o more complicated to hook up
o some maintenance is required on the coolant system
A major factor in your decision should be how much you weld. If you are a hobbyist and only weld occasionally and only for a few minutes at a time, an air cooled torch will be just fine for you.
If you weld frequently, or for a living, you not only don’t want your torch getting too hot to handle, but you want the smallest torch you can get that will handle the amperages you need. Size does matter.