Plasma cutter recommendations

[California]

I was just reading a thread over on Welding Web that included inexpensive plasma cutters. 'Brand X' says he has bought and compared several plasma cutters over the years and now the market has matured. He found a couple around $100 that are surprisingly good, can cut 1 inch plate.

He started this long, rambling thread to compare cheap stick welders. But his occasional mentions of plasma cutters is worth plowing through all that, to learn what he knows, based on his long experience with pro gear and now cheap stuff that seems to work just as well.

https://weldingweb.com/vbb/threads/708808-How-cheap-can-you-go?p=8776127#post8776127

A quote from another of his posts

I really think the little 120 volt plasma is my favorite low dollar unit. The IGBT models have come a long way in improving on the blow up factor of the Mos-Fet units. Even the consumable life is improved a bunch.. $9 worth of cheap consumables goes a long way.. I pushed this thing trying to blow it up, and it just runs cool, and cuts well.. Tried a test on some older Ebay units, and had no issue blowing 3 of them right up.

You may have to search on his name in each page of the thread to skip over a ton of unrelated stuff.

 

[kellfri]

I was just reading a thread over on Welding Web that included inexpensive plasma cutters. 'Brand X' says he has bought and compared several plasma cutters over the years and now the market has matured. He found a couple around $100 that are surprisingly good, can cut 1 inch plate.

He started this long, rambling thread to compare cheap stick welders. But his occasional mentions of plasma cutters is worth plowing through all that, to learn what he knows, based on his long experience with pro gear and now cheap stuff that seems to work just as well.

https://weldingweb.com/vbb/threads/708808-How-cheap-can-you-go?p=8776127#post8776127

A quote from another of his posts


You may have to search on his name in each page of the thread to skip over a ton of unrelated stuff.

I've been looking for something like this. It was worth plowing through his rambling - gave me a lot of useful advice. Thanks for mentioning, sir!

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Whatever plasma cutter you get, try, I mean really try to get one that uses Hypertherm consumables because

1) Hypertherm consumables tend to work well if not better than others.

2) Hypertherm consumables are ubiquitously available everywhere, including in your father's sock drawer.

3) and finally because Hypertherm consumables tend to be less expensive than other brands.

 

[Big Barn]

Don't forget the proliferation of Hypertherm consumable knockoffs.

Incredible (cosmetic) quality, identical packaging. I dare you to tell the difference.

 

[chim]

Had the Hypertherm 30Air for a few years now and it's been very handy. I'm a hobbyist with minimal equipment - Millermatic 175, the Hypertherm and more recently an Everlast inverter stick machine. Really happy with all of them. The Hypertherm and the Everlast can be run on either 120 or 240V. That makes them handy to use offsite, although the 120V capabilities are more limited.

 

[sd455dan]

I think there are even knock offs of Knock offs butchered a couple cuts today, working on my QA conversion- thought the china cutter finally bit the dust.

But it was defective new consumables. Literally had just put in new ones and they were defective would not cut for anything just half gouging Really thought the cutter was dying, tried a different new set from another china consumable supplier i had in a different box and a great cut. Sure made a mess before I figured it out though.

Future note to self- always do a test cut before cutting the real piece.

 

[Ken45101]

I have no other experience for comparison but I have been very satisfied with my Hypertherm

 

[5030]

I had and sold a Hobart machine a few years ago and replaced it with a Hypertherm. Very satisfied with it, especially the fine cut consumables. Use mine for cutting and gouging welds.

 

[2manyrocks]

I recently bought a Primeweld Cut60. It's amazing to be able to cut through sheet stock like butter. But I find it tricky to make precise cuts and so I'm still cutting tubing and bar stock with my bandsaw. If someone is pretty much cutting tubing and bar stock, I'm not so sure whether the money might be better spent on a cold saw like one of the Evolution saws?

 

[5030]

For bar stock and structural I've always used my horizontal band saw. I agree, a plasma cutter is ill suited for those operations. The 'cold saws' are pretty expensive compared to a horizontal band saw IMO. I use my Hypertherm mostly for gouging off welds. As good as air-arc gouging, less messy too.