# Is Ultra-Flex cable as durable as standard cable ?



## Cr2348455 (May 10, 2021)

Hi everyone,
Does anyone have experience with how Ultra-Flex cable sold at Arc-Zone.com stands the test of time?
Is it as durable as standard 30 gauge welding cable like Excelene ?
I have been given a piece of Ultra-Flex and it is noticeably more flexible. 
The strand count is much higher and the gauge is 34 or 36.
The outer jacket is far softer and a bit thicker than the Excelene. 
Appreciate any feedback 
J


----------



## graham-xrf (May 16, 2021)

Lord - I do hope so!
I also had my doubts. I have, in my work before I retired, used cables and bus-bars, running 200A to 1500A, all very much thicker than the soft floppy triple that is the CK -20 TIG torch product. I had come across a very flexible fine stranded, high twist lay cable for 200A before, and I used it. The inner core was 9mm,  and the whole thing was packed with copper.

Now I look at my new CK-20 water cooled TIG kit (still figuring out connectors), and it seems approximately 9mm is the braided fabric outer dimension. The red lead is supposed to be the water return, as well as the power cable. I can squeeze it, and feel the tube in there. I wonder how much of the cross section is actually copper?

I think it likely that the "super flex" lead is designed to also depend somewhat on the cooling, as well as the torch, even though the returning water is already preheated at the torch. I suspect that if the water flow stopped, the life of torch and lead might conveniently be measured in seconds!

I have other questions about this flexi lead, but in it's own thread.


----------



## MrWhoopee (May 17, 2021)

I can't speak to the specific product you're asking about, but the ultra-flexible power lead that came with my AHP suffered a leak just beyond where it exited the plug body. I assumed I had run into it with a cart or table (the welder is on the floor under a bench) despite being very careful. I patched it by gluing a sleeve over the outside of the braid covering. That lasted for about 6 months before it developed another leak about 2 inches beyond the patch. I ordered a Weldcraft replacement with torch. Not nearly as soft and flexible, but more durable.


----------



## General Zod (May 21, 2021)

graham-xrf said:


> I wonder how much of the cross section is actually copper?



About 14ga conductor.


----------



## Eddyde (May 21, 2021)

General Zod said:


> About 14ga conductor.
> What is the context of your photo?


----------



## General Zod (May 22, 2021)

That was the original 2013-model year tig power cable that I popped when I did my *HTP Invertig 221 duty cycle torture test**.* There was crud that had accumulated on the conductor that let go when the cable got warm and plugged up the line, and thus the conductor just boiled the water until it popped the hose because of the blocked flow. It was 8 years old, so no big deal; I had a spare.


----------

