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What is up with TIG torches and Parts?
& the Wonky Numbering System?

The TIG torch numbering system (like 9, 17, 20, 26, etc.) seems random to most of us welders because there’s no rhyme or reason...no pattern.

How the TIG Torch Numbering System Started

• The numbers (e.g., 9, 17, 26, 20) were originally assigned by manufacturers like Weldcraft, when they developed new torch models.
• Weldcraft (a brand under Miller Electric) was one of the first to mass-produce air- and water-cooled TIG torches for industrial use.
• Over time, the industry adopted their part numbers as a the standard and torch companies still use them for reference.
• AWS A5.12 (the specification for tungsten arc welding equipment) never defined torch numbers, so the system was left to manufacturers—leading to random numbers and inconsistency.

Simple TIG Torch Number Chart

Why TIG Torches with Different Amperage ratings Use the Same Front End Hardware

• Torch styles share front-end consumables based on size, not cooling.
• For example, 9 and 20 use the same collets, cups, and back caps even though the 9 is an air cooled 125 amp torch and the 20 is a water cooled 250 amp torch.
• 17, 18, and 26 also share front-end parts.
• There are also Stubby Gas lens kits that allow using 9 and 20 torch cups on 17/18/26 tig torches.

 Both TIG torches and parts have legacy product IDs, not a systematic code. Once manufacturers like Weldcraft assigned numbers and those torches and parts became popular, the welding world adopted them—and now it’s the standard, confusing or not.

TIG Torch Parts

The scoop from old timers in the welding supply business is that the "WP" in WP9 OR WP20 stands for "WELDCRAFT PRODUCT" or WELDCRAFT PART.

Now almost every tig torch company still uses "WP" in their torch part number listings because the industry adopted it long ago and people still ask for wp numbers and also search for it online.

 TIG Torch Part Numbering Explained

The TIG torch part numbering system can be confusing at first, but once you understand the pattern, it makes selecting compatible parts a lot easier—especially for torches in the 9/20 and 17/18/26 families.

For torch series: 9, 20, 17, 18, and 26

These parts typically include:

• Collet
• Collet body (or gas lens)
• Ceramic cup (nozzle)
• Back cap
• Torch insulator

Each part is usually identified by a two-digit prefix that makes no sense whatsoever.

9/20 TIG TORCH PARTS

9/20 Tig Torch Collets

Standard Collet Bodies for 9/20 TIG Torches

Gas Lens Collet Bodies for 9/20 style tig torches

Ceramic Cups for Standard Collet bodies 9/20 torches

Ceramic gas lens cups for 9/20 TIG Torches

Back Caps for 9/20 TIG torches

Heatshield insulator for 9/20 Tig torches

17/18/26 style TIG Torch Parts

A - standard collet body for 17, 18, 26 style torches

B - gas lens collet body for 17, 18, 26 style torches

C - large diameter gas lens collet body for 17, 18, 26 style torches

D - standard collet body for 9 & 20 style torches

E - gas lens collet body for 9 & 20 style torches

F - Standard stubby 4CB collet body for  17, 18, 26 style torches

G - Furick Stubby Gas lens for 17, 18, 26 style torches

A 17 is an air cooled tig torch rated for 150 amps and is the most common tig torch included with 225 amp and under tig machiness.

An 18 TIG torch is a water cooled version of the 17 and uses the same cups and hardware as a 17

A 26 torch is a 200 amp tig torch that uses the same cups and hardware a a 17 or 18 but requires a different torch cable than the 17 due to different threads.

Furick stubby gas lens for 17 18 26 torches

17/18/26 TIG torch split collet part numbers

17/18/26 TIG torch standard collet body part numbers

Gas Lens Collet Body part numbers for 17/18/26 torch

Ceramic Cups for Standard Collet body for 17/18/26 torches

Ceramic Cups for Gas Lens Body 17/18/26 torch

Back Caps for 17/18/26 tig torches

Torch Heat Insulator 17/18/26 torches