Rigid passage. This thing has a 6 foot electrode. This is measured from the front of the machine to the tip of the torch. The cutter is 12 inches long and the connector on the machine is 6 inches. So it's really a 4-1/2" hose minus another 8" strain relief. This cable is so short that I can't weld the part on my welding table if I put the machine on the floor. You can level the machine to the height and orientation you need for each weld, it's useless. That's unfortunate because she actually welds normally.