The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest plasma cutter?

i was wonedering which plasma cutters are good but not extremly exspencive, i really need to update from the old oxygen and settling, i need cleaner cuts with more precision, i have all the necisary equipment to run one, i just need one! it needs to be a beefy one that can handle some preatty serious cutting

i have one i will sell you. hahahaha, just kidding. i bought a miller spectrum 7/8" cutting capacity and only turned it on one time after i bought it and have had it for over a year. i just keep using the air tools and torch. i didn't think about the low portability, always having to have it grounded, dry air supply and maintainence of that system when i bought it. i am so used to a torch for heavier stuff and can cut better than i can draw with a pencil and the exactness of high speed air tools i don't know if i will ever justify buying this machine. i always wanteded to make a tracing jig and be able to replicate intricate designs but have never got it set up for that. just a thought from someone who plunked down the cash for a good machine but didn't really need it. if you do find out you need one i would buy a brand name but not forign stuff that will crap out soon. if i had it to do over i would buy a smaller capacity one or none at all. not to try to talk you out of it. i may start using mine and you couldn't pry it out of my cold dead hand someday. hr

My experience is similiar to Hoggy. I have a Hypertherm that is rated to cut 5/8". Yes, I have used it for several projects, but no, it is not the end-all perfect cutting tool.

First of all, unless you strap it into a CNC machine and build a cutting table, the human hand (at least mine) cuts squiggly as heck. With some guide like a pattern cut from jigsaw or straight edge, it looks OK. But it is not as clean as a bandsaw, cutting wheel, or chop saw. I wish I had used the money for a really nice band saw.

Are there times the plasma comes in handy? Sure, but it is not the end-all cutting machine you might think. Just my .02 worth.

shure they are not the best but they are dang handy when you want a CLEANER cut, my experiance with the oxy is always a ugly cut, bubbles warps all kinds of things, cutting wheel is definatly the best so far as long straight cuts but plasma can cut precise circles if you take the time to make a special tool that you bolt to the center of your circle there are small holes in it to put the tip of the plasma cutter in to make different sizes of circles, it just using it right.

what i need are prices and sources where to find them, not how much you dont use them... thanks

Before making this kind of purchase you need to know about all the combustable parts involved. My friend has a very nice model and has been running his own custom welding shop for over 20 years. He very seldomly uses his, but its a godsend when he needs it.

The tips get clogged and congested when cutting through dirty or painted metal, and they arent cheap to replace. As mentioned above you need a nice dry air supply to keep the inside of the machine working properly. He takes his apart and really cleans it up, which is why its lasted so long.

Not trying to disuade you from purchasing one, but trying to help you make an informed decision. I plan on purchasing one eventually, but after talking with my friend, that will be put off a little longer. Cant help with the right place to purchase one as most of that stuff I would buy locally.

Look in the phonebook and find a welding supply shop. Stop in at a few welding shops and ask what they prefer. Theyll know better then anyone else, what works and what doesnt.

Good luck, Jeff

Spence,

I purchased a Hypertherm Powermax 30 on eBay a few months ago. It was just under a thousand bucks and is a real workhorse. It will sever up to 1/2" material and cuts 1/4" and 3/8" material with no problem, aluminum and stainless included.

Stuart

At work we have a Miller Spectrum 2050. I use it a lot when I'm fabbing stuff. I've gotten used to grabbing a 1" angle iron to use as a straight edge and various rounds or tubing for doing circular stuff. I've noticed that on the thicker metals it is better to go slower to get less side blow. On the thinner stuff, 1/8" - 1/4", it works wonders. Nice thing is that you control the burn. I've been cutting a lot of booms lately for scrapping. Since the metal is thicker, I use a 4' torch. When the rosebud starts getting dirty, you have to deal with flame blowout, starting and stopping your cut, etc.

The plasma does leave a little extra blow-off on your cut pieces, nothing a little strike from a welding hammer or hit with a sharp piece of metal or screwdriver won't knock off. Otherwise, you're right. It is a pretty clean cut with little work to look smooth.

Years ago I Camaro clipped a '49. The fish plates I cut with a cutting wheel, etc. Took me a long weekend or more to do. A couple of years ago, I Camaro clipped my '52 Suburban. Took a lot less time and was more accurate making the fish plates with the plasma.

Hypertherm is a good unit to have we had one at work. I like the smaller units as they are much more versetal for cutting lighter materials like 16,18,20 gauge sheetmetal. Like one fellow said they can be expencive to use especially if you have never used one before as you can screw up tips like crazy. with light metal you can cut really fast and clean with very little clean up. If you use clean metal they work great on it but dirty stuff that is when you have problems. There are several good machines on the market now days that will cost you around $1000.00 to $25-$3500.00 depending the thickness of metal you want to cut. Personaly for the home hobbiest I would not buy a unit that cuts over 1/4" or 3/16" material. I have a friend that uses a Snap ON unit and he likes it very much cutting tailpipe material off cars and trucks and even makes metal design's every day.
62Blue
Don

me and my dad also run a fairly large farm, so i think that a medium sized unit would work best for us. i have used one before when you use them right its a really fun machine.
im looking at machines under $1000.00 i know my budget will not allow $3500.00 thanks for the info guys im looking at one as we speak

Hypertherm young guns. I also farm and it is a workhorse and very reliable. You won't be disapointed.

thanks you guys have been really helpful

young guns, i'm sorry, i wasn't just trying to just tell you how much i don't use mine to get off topic. i was just relaying my situation it prob doesn't relate to yours, i didn't know. i should have done exactly what your doing and do my research before i bought mine. good luck, sounds like you are going to get what will work for you. hr

Here, nothing but plasma cutter topics:

http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/forumdisplay.php?f=18

Basically, you get what you pay for. Hypertherm and the Thermal Dynamic machines seem to be the market leaders, I believe both to be re-branded as Miller and Snap-on, etc. If you want a quality machine, stay with the known brands. Decide on what thickness you normally cut, get something with clean cut to that capacity, you then have extra capacity to sever the odd thickness you run into. Make sure you have a sustainable supply of consumables (not combustibles)in torch bits. Decide if you want a CNC-capable machine, decide if you want one that can gouge or not. Make sure the have the proper circuit to run the machine, verify the amperage of your circuit breaker AND wiring against the listed specs of the machine. Make sure you have the required dry compressed air per the specs of the machine. Then look at your budget and see the closest fit. There aren't that many decision points on a plasma machines, I think that is about it.

Since you have an acetylene torch, you can get by with that for the really thick cuts you on occasion may need to make, so you are ahead of some people in that regard.

One thing I might add here when cutting thick metal is yiu can get a drag tip and with practice you can cut a good clean low slag cut if you are using black iron. The advantage of a Plasma machine is when using it on Aluminum and Stainless where a oxy-Ace torch does not work. I have found that a good cutting torch is really hard to beat. Just need the proper tips for the work you are doing along with the correct settings on the regulators.
62Blue
Don

I have not used a plasma cutter since I retired,and I have never bought one. I would however look at the Miller line if I was gonna buy one.

We use a plasma cutter a lot for aluminum repairs. We had a couple of cheaper ones and they aggravated us to no end. I finally forked out about $4000 and bought a good Miller and it and the cheaper ones are like difference of day and night. I make sure that the guys use it don't use it on steel because the consumables are too expensive and it is not a toy to be played with. We have a refrigerated air dryer for all of our shop air and we run the plasma cutter through a Desiccant dryer also like we do the paint guns. Plasma cutters just don't work with any moisture in the air.I do most of the tinkering on my jalopies at home, and really don't miss having a plasma cutter here. I just can't imagine what a person would want with a plasma cutter unless they were working aluminum or stainless.

I'm looking at the Ramsond plasma cutter on Ebay. It says they are made in detroit ( I think).. and has all new components. has anyone had any experience with these cutters? I'm looking at the combination cutter, tig welder and arc welder...One of the projects I want it for is to narrow my grain bed on my 42 1 1/2 ton chevy...I would rather the edge of the bed be closer to the outside of the rear wheels...

I have used a lincoln pro cut 25 for about 8 years now and it is expensive for the tips and cups. The do not last anywhere near their advertized duration. It cuts 3/8" but not cleanly and it doesn't gouge well at all but its not suposed to. If I had to buy it again I'd go with a minimum of 50 amps or 80.

It is a good cutter for the punishment I do to it, so for the $1200 I got my money's worth out of it.

I have a snap on one and works good up to 1/2 inch.Depends on the model.Hypotherm are very good as well just get the one that cuts the thickness of steel you need and budget.

We have a ThermalDynamics at work. It's a 60 amp unit........ Plasma's are basically an electric cutting torch.... The process is the same, your just using an electric arc to heat the metal instead of a flame.. Hence the narrower heated area and cleaner cut......