9 TIG Torch

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If you are not 100% sure about what a  9 TIG torch is, this video should help

A # 9 tig torch is an air cooled 125 amp torch. 

It feels pretty much the same in your hand as a water cooled 20 tig torch but its air cooled and will get pretty hot in your hand if you push the amperage limit for very long.

I know this because when I bought my first miller dynasty 200, I got a miller diamond back 9 tig torch with it and I burned it up on short run of aluminum parts.

That 9 tig torch handled a lot of the work I did with no problem but when my machinist friend needed 20 aluminum parts welded, it was too much for the #9 torch.

For custom bike builders or experimental aircraft enthusiasts who work with thin wall 4130 chromoly tubing, an air cooled #9 tig torch can be a great choice. A 9 tig torch will handle the occasional aluminum job too provided its not much thicker than 1/8"

A 17 tig torch is 150 amp torch and while 25 amps might not seem like a lot, it can make a pretty big difference in how hot it gets if you need to weld long runs or lots of parts back to back.

You might notice from the 2 pics above that the threads at the bottom of the torch body are the same.

That's because a 9 tig torch and a 17 tig torch both use the same torch cable.

So if you already have a 17 torch and want to try a #9 tig torch, all you need is the torch body.

Did you know you can swap back and forth from a 9 tig torch to a 17 tig torch by just switch the torch body??

This is actually a hack no one talks about much.

Swapping a torch body only takes a minute or so.

If you love the feel of a 9 tig torch and most of what you weld is 125 amps or less, but occasionally you need to weld some aluminum where the #9 gets too hot, then it might make sense to get a 17 torch body and keep the aluminum setup  ready to go on the 17 torch.

or...

If you like your 17 tig torch but occasionally need to reach some tight areas where a smaller torch body would help, or maybe you already have gas lenses and cups that fit a 9 tig torch , then having a spare 9 tig torch body in the tool box might make sense for you.