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Tungstens, filler & cups

The best TIG consumables for 2026

TIG lives on small parts that cost little and change everything. We cover tungsten types for AC and DC work, how each should be ground, filler rods for steel, stainless and aluminum, and gas lens kits — which improve shielding enough to be visible in the bead.

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What we recommend

  1. STAHLWERK WP-26 consumables set, 36 pieces, product photograph

    STAHLWERK WP-26 consumables set, 36 pieces

    The parts that wear out on a TIG torch, in every size, in one box.

    Fitment
    WP-26 torch
    Contents
    36 pieces — collets, collet bodies, gas nozzles, back caps
    Sizes
    Multiple tungsten diameters
    Amazon reference
    B07L7WM991
    EAN
    4260294083929
    • Every wearing part in one box, in several diameters
    • WP-26 is one of the most common fitments, so parts are easy to replace later
    • A set includes sizes you will never use

    Best for: A new TIG owner who does not yet know which sizes they need

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  2. WELDINGER WL-15 gold Ø 2.4 × 175 mm, 10 pieces, product photograph

    WELDINGER WL-15 gold Ø 2.4 × 175 mm, 10 pieces

    Lanthanated tungsten: the modern all-rounder that works on both AC and DC, unlike the old colors.

    Type
    WL-15, lanthanated (gold)
    Diameter
    2.4 mm (0.09 in)
    Length
    175 mm (6.89 in)
    Quantity
    10 pieces
    Amazon reference
    B08WJ3LPHX
    EAN
    4251314269072
    • Works on both AC and DC, so one box covers steel, stainless and aluminum
    • Not radioactive, unlike the thoriated (red) tungstens it replaces
    • Not sold on the American or British stores at the time of checking

    Best for: One tungsten type for a workshop that welds steel one day and aluminum the next

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  3. STAHLWERK WC20 grey Ø 1.6 × 175 mm, 10 pieces, product photograph

    STAHLWERK WC20 grey Ø 1.6 × 175 mm, 10 pieces

    Ceriated tungsten in 1.6 mm: the combination that strikes reliably at very low current.

    Type
    WC20, ceriated (grey)
    Diameter
    1.6 mm (0.06 in)
    Length
    175 mm (6.89 in)
    Quantity
    10 pieces
    Amazon reference
    B07LCS95JR
    EAN
    4260294084049
    • Ceriated tungsten starts easily at low current, where other types splutter
    • 1.6 mm (0.06 in) is the right diameter for thin stainless and small work
    • 1.6 mm (0.06 in) overheats and balls up if pushed past roughly 120 A

    Best for: Thin stainless, small brackets and any work under 100 A

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  4. STAHLWERK ER4043 (AlSi5) TIG rods Ø 2.4 × 500 mm, 2 kg, product photograph

    STAHLWERK ER4043 (AlSi5) TIG rods Ø 2.4 × 500 mm, 2 kg

    Aluminum filler for TIG: the same alloy family as the MIG wire, in a form you feed by hand.

    Alloy
    ER4043 (AlSi5)
    Diameter
    2.4 mm (0.09 in)
    Length
    500 mm (19.7 in)
    Weight
    2 kg (4.4 lb)
    Amazon reference
    B07YYD1WX7
    EAN
    4260294086517
    • ER4043 flows well and resists cracking — the general-purpose aluminum filler
    • 2.4 mm (0.09 in) matches the tungsten size most AC work uses
    • Aluminum oxidizes in storage: rods need keeping clean and dry

    Best for: Aluminum TIG work on an AC or AC/DC machine

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  5. GYS Steel TIG rods Ø 1.6 × 330 mm, product photograph

    GYS Steel TIG rods Ø 1.6 × 330 mm

    Nine euros of steel filler — the cheapest thing on the European half of this site, and the one that decides how a bead looks.

    Material
    Steel
    Diameter
    1.6 mm (0.06 in)
    Length
    330 mm (13 in)
    Amazon reference
    B00IWO3HY2
    EAN
    3154020087224
    • €9 — the cheapest consumable on the European half of this site
    • 1.6 mm (0.06 in) suits thin steel and stainless work, where most TIG beginners start
    • Steel rods rust: a damp tube is a wasted packet

    Best for: Thin steel and stainless TIG, and for practicing the feed

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  6. Alffun TIG torch kit with back caps, collet bodies and alumina cups

    Alffun 17-piece WP-17/18/26 kit

    The smallest and cheapest kit on this shelf, for the larger WP-17/18/26 torches — on a listing whose own itemization falls three short of its title.

    Amazon reference
    B07HV27VV3
    EAN
    0192543200211
    • Names the torch series precisely — WP-17, WP-18, WP-26, and the Lincoln PTA and Miller Diamondback equivalents
    • Covers the three parts that fail: back cap, collet body and ceramic cup
    • The title says 17 pieces; the contents bullet lists 3 back caps, 6 collet bodies and 5 cups, which is 14

    Best for: Topping up a WP-17, 18 or 26 torch with the three parts that actually break

    ≈ $22
    Check price on Amazon
  7. Zinger stubby gas lens kit with glass cups for a TIG torch

    Zinger 53-piece stubby gas lens kit, WP-17/18/26

    The only kit on this shelf built around stubby gas lenses and glass cups — with every piece itemized by part number in the description.

    Amazon reference
    B07K7JC2D1
    EAN
    0782289656498
    • Stubby gas lenses in four tungsten sizes — 0.040 in, 1/16, 3/32 and 1/8 — which no other kit here offers
    • Six #10 glass cups, so the puddle can actually be seen
    • Claims an electrical conductivity "similar with 2% thoriated tungsten electrode" on a kit containing no tungsten

    Best for: Getting into a tight joint on a big torch, where a short back cap and a stubby lens are the only way in

    ≈ $28
    Check price on Amazon
  8. TIANLYLIN TIG kit with transparent glass cups and gas lens collet bodies

    TIANLYLIN 40-piece WP-9/20/25 glass cup kit

    A glass cup kit for the smaller torch family, with the widest cup range on this shelf — and one of two listings here honest enough to name a torch it may not fit.

    Amazon reference
    B08G1G5DDF
    EAN
    0341140847651
    • Cups from #4 to #12, the widest range on this shelf — from a 1/4 in orifice to about 3/4 in
    • Transparent cups, so the tungsten and the puddle are visible through the ceramic
    • No itemization: 40 pieces with no breakdown by type, size or part number

    Best for: A WP-9, 20 or 25 torch where the cup size needs to change with the joint

    ≈ $28
    Check price on Amazon
  9. RX WELD 79-piece TIG torch accessory kit in its box

    RX WELD RXATIG 79-piece kit, WP-17/18/26

    The biggest piece count on this shelf, and the only listing that rules out CK torches in so many words rather than hedging.

    Amazon reference
    B07DN8Y7C1
    EAN
    0653905878917
    • Seventy-nine pieces, the highest count on this shelf
    • States plainly "Do Not Fit CK Torch" rather than leaving it to be discovered
    • No itemization anywhere: 79 pieces with no breakdown, no sizes and no part numbers

    Best for: Stocking a WP-17, 18 or 26 torch for a year in one purchase

    ≈ $30
    Check price on Amazon
  10. Alffun 68-piece TIG consumable kit with collets, bodies and ceramic cups

    Alffun 68-piece WP-17/18/26 kit

    Eight plus twenty plus twenty plus twenty, itemized by 10N part number and matching its own stated total — which on this shelf is not the norm.

    Amazon reference
    B07L8VDGFW
    EAN
    0632230689443
    • The contents add up: 8 back caps, 20 collets, 20 gas lens collet bodies and 20 alumina cups is 68
    • Itemizes every piece by 10N part number and by both metric and imperial size
    • Gas lens bodies only — no plain collet bodies, which use less argon on simple work

    Best for: A WP-17, 18 or 26 torch stocked in three tungsten sizes at once

    ≈ $33
    Check price on Amazon
  11. Yencoly 46-piece TIG torch consumable kit with nozzles and collets

    Yencoly 46-piece WP-9/20/25 kit

    A 46-piece kit for the smaller torch family, on a listing that says its parts are "made of material", calls TIG consumables essential to a cutting project, and carries five empty bullets.

    Amazon reference
    B081QLXCNG
    EAN
    0738585172521
    • Names the three torch series it fits — WP-9, WP-20 and WP-25
    • Forty-six pieces across nozzles and collets, which is a working stock rather than a top-up
    • The material bullet reads that "Nozzles and collets are made of material, and professional technology process"

    Best for: A WP-9, 20 or 25 torch, if the piece breakdown can be established before ordering

    ≈ $35
    Check price on Amazon
  12. RIVERWELD 63-piece TIG gas lens kit laid out with its cups and collets

    RIVERWELD 63-piece WP-9/20/25 gas lens kit

    The most completely specified kit in this hub — five tungsten sizes, thirteen gas lenses and thirty-one cups, each identified by its original part number.

    Amazon reference
    B0158NWVGY
    EAN
    0738470709474
    • Covers five tungsten sizes — 0.020, 0.040, 1/16, 3/32 and 1/8 in — in collets and collet bodies both
    • Thirteen gas lenses by part number, including the 45V42 to 45V45 range and the 45V204S, 45V116S, 45V64S and 995795S
    • The highest price on this shelf, by a clear margin

    Best for: A WP-9, 20 or 25 torch that has to cover everything from 0.020 in tungsten upwards

    ≈ $55
    Check price on Amazon

Choosing within TIG consumables, by need

Welding at high current

The tungsten electrode diameter has to match the current used. Too fine, it melts and contaminates the pool.

STAHLWERK ER4043 (AlSi5) TIG rods Ø 2.4 × 500 mm, 2 kg

Working very thin material

A fine electrode concentrates the arc and allows going low in current without the arc wandering.

GYS Steel TIG rods Ø 1.6 × 330 mm

Reaching into tight areas

The length of the electrodes and torch parts decides what you can reach in a corner or a tube.

STAHLWERK ER4043 (AlSi5) TIG rods Ø 2.4 × 500 mm, 2 kg

TIG consumables and who each one is for

Steel and stainless
General-purpose tungstens on DC cover these materials. The diameter follows the current used.
Aluminum
On AC the tungsten tip balls up by itself. That is normal and expected, not a fault.
Visible welds
A gas lens and a wider cup give a far more even gas shield, and therefore a cleaner bead.

The trade-offs of TIG consumables

Diameter against current range
Every diameter covers a range. An oversized electrode makes the arc unstable at low current, an undersized one melts.
Wide cup against access
A large cup shields the pool better and stops you getting into a corner. The gas lens allows a compromise.
OEM consumables against generic
Generic collets and cups are far cheaper and sometimes less well fitted, which creates gas leaks that are hard to diagnose.

What keeps coming up about TIG consumables

What tungsten diameter should I choose?

It follows the current used: too fine it melts and contaminates the pool, too thick the arc turns unstable at low current.

How do I grind tungsten?

To a point, with the grinding marks running lengthways. Transverse marks make the arc wander.

Why does my tip ball up?

On AC it is normal and expected for aluminum. On DC it signals a current too high for the diameter.

What is a gas lens for?

Making the gas flow laminar, which shields the pool better and lets you extend the tungsten further. The bead is markedly cleaner.

What gas flow?

Enough to shield without creating turbulence. Too much flow draws in ambient air and oxidizes the bead, which is counter-intuitive.

My electrode keeps getting contaminated, why?

It is touching the pool or the filler rod. It has to be re-ground each time: a dirty electrode gives an erratic arc.

Is post-flow needed?

Yes: it shields the pool and the electrode while they cool. Too short a post-flow blues the bead and blackens the tungsten.

Do ceramic cups wear out?

They crack and break, particularly on contact with the work. It is a routine consumable.

In short, on TIG consumables

Tungsten diameter follows the current, and grinding marks run lengthways — transverse, they make the arc wander. Too much gas draws in ambient air instead of shielding, and too short a post-flow blues the bead.

TIG consumables at a glance

  • Diameter: 1.6 to 2.4 mm (0.09 in), on 4 of the 12 models.
  • Length: 175 to 500 mm (19.7 in), on 4 of the 12 models.

TIG consumables, side by side

There is no table here, and the reason is in the listings. The figure published most often across these 12 products is diameter, given by 4 of them — short of the four in five a column needs to compare rather than to display gaps. Each product page says what its own maker published.

Where each budget reaches on this shelf

Lower range

$22 – $28

2 models

Alffun 17-piece WP-17/18/26 kit, TIANLYLIN 40-piece WP-9/20/25 glass cup kit

Mid range

$28 – $30

2 models

Zinger 53-piece stubby gas lens kit, WP-17/18/26, RX WELD RXATIG 79-piece kit, WP-17/18/26

Upper range

$33 – $55

3 models

Alffun 68-piece WP-17/18/26 kit, Yencoly 46-piece WP-9/20/25 kit, RIVERWELD 63-piece WP-9/20/25 gas lens kit

Sources, and the ranking

Specifications: manufacturer sheets for welding and metalworking machines and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa.

Most recent revision in this category: October 7, 2026.

How we assess TIG consumables

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.