What's new
What's new

Which plasma cutter to buy?

gbent

Diamond
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Location
Kansas
I have been using a plasma unit at a jobsite, and I think one will be very useful for some of the things I do. I had no prior experience with plasma units. I'm thinking about one with 1/2 inch capacity, as I still have a acetylene torch and air arc for heavy stuff. Or should I go one size smaller and use the acetylene for stuff over 1/4 inch?

How does the cost of operation compare between cutting steel with acetylene and plasma?

Which brand is the best, and which models should I stay away from?
 
I'm thinking about one with 1/2 inch capacity, as I still have a acetylene torch and air arc for heavy stuff. Or should I go one size smaller and use the acetylene for stuff over 1/4 inch?
How does the cost of operation compare between cutting steel with acetylene and plasma?
Which brand is the best, and which models should I stay away from?
I bought a HTP plasma cutter several years ago and am very happy with it and the HTP company. Good customer service and they stock all the parts you may need from time to time. Located in Chicago area.

HTPplasmacutter_1.jpg


The model I have is the Microcut 625.
This is a 50 amp machine running on 220V single phase.
It uses inverter technology and weighs 39 lbs. Very portable.
The plasma cutter will cut 5/8 inch steel cleanly and sever 7/8 inch.
I also use the machine to cut a lot of 1/8 inch material which is like cutting by simply drawing a pencil line.

Cost of operation compared to O/A?
Pros:
You will never have to buy gas again.
The cut is free of any slag.
You can cut both ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Cost of operation is low.

Now, the Cons:
The machine is fairly expensive to begin with.
You will need an air compressor, or at least a supply of compressed air or gas (nitrogen is one). And better that this air is dry.
To cut thicker material (above 1/8 inch) will require you to buy a machine that runs on 220V. This will limit the portability of the cutter.

Which brand is best?
That one I cannot answer. I chose the HTP which is made in Italy.
I would pick a cheap machine made in China as a last choice myself.

After using a plasma cutter I will never cut with O/A again......ever!
My rig sits unused except for the occaisional need to heat something up with a rosebud tip...............pg




 
I have been using a plasma unit at a jobsite, and I think one will be very useful for some of the things I do. I had no prior experience with plasma units. I'm thinking about one with 1/2 inch capacity, as I still have a acetylene torch and air arc for heavy stuff. Or should I go one size smaller and use the acetylene for stuff over 1/4 inch?

How does the cost of operation compare between cutting steel with acetylene and plasma?

Which brand is the best, and which models should I stay away from?

With plasma, you use shop air and electricity and consumable tips and nozzles. With O/A you use up oxygen and acetylene (or propane..) as well as consumable torch tips. There is no question that air and electricity are cheaper and much safer to store than oxygen and acetylene, as well as being much less of a target for burglars. Plasma consumables last for quite awhile and one tip/nozzle works for all thicknesses. Torch tips last for quite awhile but you need different sizes for different metal thicknesses. O/A torches won't cut copper, stainless or aluminum, while plasma will. It is much much faster to get out a plasma cutter and set it up for use than to get out and put together and set up for use an O/A setup, unless you leave it all assembled in which case it'd really be a burglary target.

There are actual usage differences too. I find it really easy to clamp on straightedges and, using a drag tip, cut a very straight line with a plasma cutter, and the slag is easy to remove. I have had excellent success using a jigsaw to cut out circular templates and cut small circles with a plasma cutter.

With a good circle cutting attachment, it's doable to cut out usable circles in the 6-24" diameter size using either plasma or O/A.

To cut really thick metal, you either have to have a plasma cutter that costs as much as a car or use O/A with a bigger tip, and perhaps ganging some acetylene cylinders together.

I don't know if I can provide any useful comparative information as to manufacturers. I believe the HTP machines are made in Italy. I personally own a Hypertherm Powermax 1000 with the G3 torch and am satisfied with it. I believe that the general wisdom is to buy either Hypertherm or Thermal Dynamics, based on repairability.

One big downside of a plasma cutter vs. O/A is that the plasma cutter is a complicated piece of electronics. When it breaks, you may need a new mainboard (think $1k) and that mainboard may no longer be available. O/A, being lower tech, won't suddenly fail on you and cost hundreds of dollars to get you going again. You may need to have a little work done on a torch or regulator or replace a piece of hose, but these cost tens of dollars, not hundreds.

Me, I own both. :-)

metalmagpie
 
I have been fabricating some items out of sheetmetal to sell and decided that cutting on my bandsaw was just way too time consuming.

First, I was going to buy a Hyperthem 30 or Thermal Dynamics 39 as they are top rated.

Then, with the ebay 30% cash back (dead now) I was able to buy a Everlast cut50d (Chinese) for a little less than $300. Since this 50 amp model was a third of the price of the 30 amp HT or TD plasma cutter I decided to buy it. Now the good, bad and the ugly:

1 - Unit arrived quickly, but was DOA
2 - I had to adjust the HF start gap to get it to work (required removing the cover)
3 - The unit shipped with a 40 amp torch when it was supposed to ship with a 60 amp torch

Also, the torch start button is tie wrapped to the torch head, which I feel is pretty cheesy.

Now that I have it running, it works great. Makes clean and fast cuts. I have cut up to 1/2" already with it with no issues.

I don't think it is a replacement for a bandsaw or chopsaw, the cuts are pretty rough as it is hard to keep the torch perfectly square to the workpiece.

Would I buy it again?

Probably since I am using it in my home shop and have the Oxy/fuel cutting torch as a backup.

Chris
 
That was what was meant by my comment that the last one I would buy would be a cheap made in China plasma cutter. Just wait until you have to buy consumables or other parts for it. Good luck!
This is a case of where you get pretty much what you paid for when you decide to buy.
Not spending much money means you have not bought much of a machine....................pg
 
50A and you've only cut 1/2"?

I have a 60A TD cutmaster 81 (the old version, not the new 80A) with the "1torch."

Pros: cuts like a hot knife...

Cons: cost me $1600.

I've done what I would consider a clean cut through 1" mild. The machine is "sever" rated for 1.125.

You can buy a lot of gas for 1600 bucks. You can't get OA to cut perforated material anywhere near as fast though, since you need to preheat the cut at every new start (like expanded steel). With plasma, you just set the pilot arc to constant and whip right through it. Then there's the having to light and adjust the torch every time you set it down, not happening with plasma.

The torch does have it's place and I still have mine. I use it like PG, in that it pretty much lives to heat with the rosebud, and the occasional brazing job.

Consumable life combined with your acquisition cost is essentially what your cost per inch price is going to come down to. The electrical use is marginal and I would guess something akin to maybe a 300W light bulb in a given hour, unless you're a machine and can keep the thing busy (like with a plasma table). Plasma is expensive due to the machine. Tips and start cartridges are about $5, but they tend to last (me anyway) quite a good while. I'm still on the 5 of each that came with my machine 3 years ago. Granted, I don't use it all that often, but I have cut several hundred feet of 1/8" with it in that time as well. It might be interesting to calculate out how much that much gas would've cost.

I am planning a cnc plasma table, so that's why I went with the unit I chose. It has a computer interface option, and a machine torch available (which is $400).

They're not cheap, but they're worth the money in the long run.
 
I have a TD cutmaster 38 and it is great I have had no problems at all with it and would buy another one in a second. I have an old Smith that will bancrupt you buying tips and drag cups.

Keep clean dry air going to it or you will have issues in the future.
 
i hve been running esab pc750s for over 15 yrs. before that L tec which esab took over. no complants. like any other plasma cutter it will cut anything that conducts electricity. clean dry air is a must consumables will suffer if not. the newwer models have a 3 sec delay from air to arc start which i dont care for, i like the hit and go but newer should be better. take with a grain of salt but i heard hypertherm consumables last longer, i dont know. i run motorgard air filter and feel that im getting reasonable if not outstanding life on my consumables. i only drag cut if i have to the stand off tol seams to buy my tips more time even though i can go up to 40 amps without. just a poor boy with expensive habits.
 
I am running a Miller Spectrum 2050 in my shop and I am more than pleased with it rated cut capacity is 7/8" , quality cut at 1" and sever to 1-1/8" . I plan on having a cnc plasma table in the new shop so it was a good investment at the time as I was working crazy amounts of overtime and had money to burn :smoking: :nutter: :cheers: . One thing get a machine that will cut a little thicker than you normally cut , so you can keep the IPM's up , cutting at the maximum thickness involves the slowest IPM's and is hard to do by hand . Cheap in Plasma Cutters is not a good thing .
Consumables , I am still running on my second drag tip right now and will need to replace it in the new year but I can get them at my LWS , the only tips they do not stock is the gouging tip right now , in other words availability is excellent . Buy a motorgaurd filter and mount it on the unit , I hard piped mine with 3/8" steel tubing would have used SS tube but could not find my my coffee can of Swaglock fittings :angry: .
240v units are bigger and heavier but worth the extra $$$ . Mine weighs in around 78Lbs with the ICE-55 torch and 25' cable . If the unit you decide on offers the 25' lead or a 50' get the 25' , the 50 is too long for general shop use , the 50' is good out in the field but for the normal shop 25' is about right . JMTC . Dan
 
I have a Lincoln "pro cut 55" I don't remember exactly what I paid but I think it was about 1600.00 It needs 240v, It weighs about 75 lbs, rated to cut 3/4", though the thickest I have cut was 3/8 or so. cut that easy...It seems like it uses too many tips but i have not got a lot of time on any other plasma cutter so I don't know for sure no problems in 3 years of use.
 
Best machine to get right now is the new Hypertherm PowerMax 45. It is the replacment for the PowerMax 600 with a but more power and a smaller package.

I have replaced too many Thermal Dynamics 38 boards to ever recommend one of those.
 
we have a hypertherm powermax 1000 (g3 torch) at work. it is pretty awesome. already it has shown better consumable life than the old lincold procuts I used when in school. at $10/pop for elctrode and nozzle replacement (combined price). they better last a while, or you will be spending more on them than you did on the machine.

go big name, hypertherm, miller, TD you probably can't go wrong. but I would listen to macona when he says one is always in for repairs.
 
That was what was meant by my comment that the last one I would buy would be a cheap made in China plasma cutter. Just wait until you have to buy consumables or other parts for it. Good luck!
This is a case of where you get pretty much what you paid for when you decide to buy.
Not spending much money means you have not bought much of a machine....................pg

You're not the OP, so it really doesn't matter if you would buy a Chinese plasma cutter.

I got an entire plasma cutter that works great for the price of a torch assembly from Hypertherm, if it lasts a year or two I am far ahead of the game!

Jim, I have only cut 1/2" steel, since that is the thickest steel I have around. I am certain it will cut thicker, I just haven't tried.

Like I said earlier, if you are not making your living with the machine, the Chinese machines are worth taking a look at.

Chris
 
There are actually a number of really good quality, cheap, Chinese (gasp!) plasma cutters on the market as of late. I know the Chinese machines get a bad rep, and rightly so, but from my experience the Lotos and Ramsond brands are a cut above the lower-quality Chinese plasma cutters, and at around 1/3 the price of a Hypertherm or Miller Spectrum, they're definitely worth a look.

I mean, if you're getting the cutter as a hobby or you're not going to be using it very often, there's really no reason to spend hundreds (even thousands), on a cutter when a cheaper one will do just as well. For example, the lotos LTP5000D has a severance cut of 3/4" and ideal cutting thickness of 1/2", which seems to be what you're looking for.

Here's a great comparison of plasma cutters from the Chinese brands to the Hypertherm and Miller Spectrum. My suggestion is not to rule them out completely.
 
I would either get a hypertherm or a miller. Go to your local welding supply and see what they stock and have consumables for. I have an older miller spectrum and it has been really good. I still have oxy acetylene too but really the plasma is way nicer to use in every way. Then there is my milwaukee 6370 metal circ saw, newest purchase, which will steal some work from the plasma.
 
There are actually a number of really good quality, cheap, Chinese (gasp!) plasma cutters on the market as of late. I know the Chinese machines get a bad rep, and rightly so, but from my experience the Lotos and Ramsond brands are a cut above the lower-quality Chinese plasma cutters, and at around 1/3 the price of a Hypertherm or Miller Spectrum, they're definitely worth a look.

I mean, if you're getting the cutter as a hobby or you're not going to be using it very often, there's really no reason to spend hundreds (even thousands), on a cutter when a cheaper one will do just as well. For example, the lotos LTP5000D has a severance cut of 3/4" and ideal cutting thickness of 1/2", which seems to be what you're looking for.

Here's a great comparison of plasma cutters from the Chinese brands to the Hypertherm and Miller Spectrum. My suggestion is not to rule them out completely.

Someone is spaming on a 8 year old post.....Plasma pro....1 post .... bet he sells china plasma cutters! spam..spam..spam..spam..
 
My dad, retired mech engineer, built a CNC plasma table using Hypertherm components after owning his handheld for 6 years. Quite nifty, excellent duty cycle, nice clean cuts, reliable. Piddles and makes on off 4WD car stuff with it. He's fixing to put a pipe indexer on it so he can make roll cages easier. He swears by Hypertherm though.

I swear if you give a bored engineer enough time and money there's no way of telling what they'll come up with.
 








 
Back
Top