Welding Tips and Tricks

I am new to TIG welding. I just got a Lincoln Idealarc TIG-300/300 welder and it came with a Heliarc HW-20 torch. The problem is that it is just the torch body and is missing the collet, collet body, cup, and cap. I see two kits available from airgas and they are significantly different in price. What is the difference between the two?

http://airgas.com/product/Welding-Produ ... p/ESAQAK-1

http://airgas.com/product/Welding-Produ ... /ESA999127

Thanks

Justin welcome to the forum.

To me it looks like to more expensive is standard collets with tungsten included. The cheaper looks like gas lens collets but no tungsten included. I could be wrong but all you have to go off of is the picture. You would probably be better off going to your local airgas, or calling them.

dsmabe wrote:To me it looks like to more expensive is standard collets with tungsten included. The cheaper looks like gas lens collets but no tungsten included. I could be wrong but all you have to go off of is the picture. You would probably be better off going to your local airgas, or calling them.

Thanks. I was planning on making a trip over there and talking to them. I need to get some prices on other things as well. Thanks for the quick response.

Even then, the pictures shown are not the actual parts, even the one without the disclaimer.

You'll have to go there to actually look at them.

Regardless if you choose one with or without a gas lens collet body, you need:

Collet body (one for each size tungsten you plan to use)
collets ([at least] one for each size tungsten you plan to use)
Cups (generally from #4-10, unless you buy specialty cups)
Button, medium, or long backcap.

justinh wrote:I am new to TIG welding. I just got a Lincoln Idealarc TIG-300/300 welder and it ...
etc.

Like Mike said,

"Welcome to the forum!"

Glad to meet you! Tell us a little about yourself, then feel free to ask... oh, never mind. You skipped a step.

Steve S