Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi,

I’m planning on getting a CK #20 torch and I’m trying to decide whether or not to get a flex head or rigid. I am not looking for the overall merits of each option; I am fine with rigid but I think a flex head may be a handy enhancement. What I am asking is if, and how, they change over time. My experience with gooseneck mechanisms in general is that they loosen and lose the ability to stay where you put them. I don’t think I’d like it if setting my torch head involved a bunch of spring-back, or if it slowly drifted out of position.

Any experiences good or bad with flex heads after lots of use?

Thanks, wells

I've been running two of the CK20 flex heads for going on two years now. I love them and have experienced no issues, changes, or degradation in performance. The heads flex the same today as when they were bought new. If it is slightly looser, it's not enough that I can tell...meaning it's in no way an issue. But it's possible that they have broken in a bit over time. I highly recommend them.

And FWIW, I've noticed a pattern concerning people that complain about their flex heads failing. They all tend to be using no-name junk torch heads from overseas. You get what you pay for.

I've been using one of my CK flex heads for a couple of years and it feels the same now as when I got it. They aren't really like most other flexible neck things out there. They actually take more force to position than you might expect so having them flop around is very unlikely.

What I do know is I can't imagine going back to a rigid head. It's so much easier to get into a comfortable position with the torch angled just right with a flex head. With a rigid head you have to move around more to get the torch where you want it, and that's rarely the most comfortable and stable position, so it can detract from your finished product.

The one thing I would say is that you absolutely don't want to run tap water through a flex head setup (it's bad in any setup) because the water passages are fairly small and any buildup of calcium, iron, etc from tap water will quickly plug the passages and you'll wind up with hoses exploding. At the very least run pure distilled water, or even better, a mix of distilled water and coolant made specifically for TIG coolers mostly because it contains a biocide to kill nasty stuff.

I run a 50/50 mix of distilled water and this stuff from Amazon which puts the freeze point below anything my gear will ever see....it's cheap insurance. They have a less expensive version for higher ambient temps...but it will still have a biocide to prevent sludge from forming in the tank.

https://www.amazon.com/CANTESCO-CF3-1G- ... 384&sr=8-2

I've been running the Radnor flex #20 for a couple years. It's identical to the ck, probably same torch.

It's harder to adjust than one might think. Adjuat it once It's warmed up,, cold adjustment is not as good for them I understand. It doesn't flex as much as I thought it would. It is perfect. The ability to adjust really helps the comfort level resulting in a better finished product..

I run the miller brand coolant, I just figure it's a cost of business. I am not a penny pincher, get the right tools for the job and price accordingly. Good work performed leads to more chances to do work. Penny pinching makes it harder to do good work in the same time frame.

I had a flex head on my old Tig welder then when I got the new dynasty it came with a rigid. I definitely miss the flex head. Used it for probably a year with no issues, don't think it's a CK though.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

I can't speak for the CK but I'm sure it's a long-term quality piece.

In March of 16 I purchased a weldcraft convertible Flex head torch. Now well past the five-year point it is indistinguishable from brand new. I wouldn't own anything else.

Thanks everyone for your feedback, I was leaning towards a flex head anyway and this seals the deal. I have played with one at a welding supply place but it’s been a while, and I’ve yet to weld with one.

I was a photographer for 25 years before my current direction (small custom cabinet/furniture operation) and saw countless attempts by grip mfg companies to produce various positioner-type devices that were able to flex into position and stay there. Even the beefiest of them would eventually develop enough play that they would become a pain to position and slowly droop. I realize a tiny torch head on not much of a moment arm is totally different than hanging a heavy flag out more than a foot, but the scarring remains

Good advice about not using tap water. I was already aware of the issue and am going to use distilled at first, and will probably mix in some coolant eventually. I’m going to start with a DIY water cooler but will prob. get a cooler eventually. I’m aware of the pitfalls of a DIY cooler, but I happen to have a suitable pump and some other things in the gadget pile such that I will be able to cobble one up without much time or money invested. I will be getting a new machine sometime before the end of the year, so I’m going to base my cooler purchase on which machine I end up with.

Thanks all for your useful feedback and advice!

Wells