Plasma Cutter Choices

[jimgerken]

Wow, really good plasma discussion thread! New direction: What if I run Oxygen thru my plasma designed for compressed shop air? Damage? Cut quality improvment? Danger?

 

[jimcolt]

Damage and danger. Air plasma torches, leads and gas flow control ciruits are not designed for pure oxygen and use materials that will support combustion in an oxygen rich environment. Usually the fire starts in the torch.....and burns all the way back through the torch leads to the power supply...with a steady stream of oxygen supporting the flames! Only use gases that the system is designed for...refer to the operators manual. Most air plasma's can use either compressed air or nitrogen only.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

 

[mjncad]

What made me think that the Harbor Freight plasma might be worth taking a gamble on is that it seems to be a lot heavier than the other 40 amp Chinese brands, it weighs over 50 lbs, so I figured that there has to be some heavy duty stuff in there.

Maybe they're just adding dead weight to the machine to get people to think it's better than the same thing painted a different color with a different set of brand name decals. My opinion is that the Chinese manufacturers, especially the no name brands no one has ever heard of are real good about lying about what goes into their products.

Wow, really good plasma discussion thread! New direction: What if I run Oxygen thru my plasma designed for compressed shop air? Damage? Cut quality improvment? Danger?

I don't have a plasma cutter, and I wish I did; but I agree with Jim that this sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[crazyal]

Search results for: 'air dryer'

$399.00 from harbor freight. dont need no ice .
Mine takes all air from line. I have never found a drop in the glass separator since installing this unit. Also, my mechanical dryer stays fully dry downline.

WELL worth the $399.00

Careful. That's a Chinese air dryer. It's just a matter of time before the "China only makes junk" crowd jumps all over you. :laughing:

I actually got one free, I think the company is called Hanson. I was helping a friend install a sprinkler system in a warehouse that was being renovated. They were gutting the whole building and since it has freon in it they were happy to give it to me.

 

[grsthegreat]

Careful. That's a Chinese air dryer. It's just a matter of time before the "China only makes junk" crowd jumps all over you. :laughing:

I actually got one free, I think the company is called Hanson. I was helping a friend install a sprinkler system in a warehouse that was being renovated. They were gutting the whole building and since it has freon in it they were happy to give it to me.

cool...free is always better than $399.00 hehe.

hay, if they are going to jump on my air dryer....i better go hide my wood chipper :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:which has worked flawless for many years.

 

[crazyal]

cool...free is always better than $399.00 hehe.

hay, if they are going to jump on my air dryer....i better go hide my wood chipper :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:which has worked flawless for many years.

I probably should have cut the top of my shop press out of that picture for the same reason. :laughing:

 

[BrianR]

I have been using the same Hypertherm MAX 20 unit since I bought it new back in 1992. Hands down, best plasma cutter I have ever owned. Actually....it's the only plasma cutter I have ever owned.

If I had a dollar for every inch of material this thing has cut, I would go buy all new friends, and purchase the Internet from Al Gore.

Long after all my friend's cheapo units bit the dust, this thing still hammers on.

 

[BrianR]

Next to my beer, my Hypertherm is my favorite!!

 

[crazyal]

Next to my beer, my Hypertherm is my favorite!!

But can you open your beer with your plasma cutter (insert Tim the toolman Taylor grunt here)?

 

[jimcolt]

Hypertherm is my favorite...before my beer. But then I've worked for Hypertherm for the last 33-1/2 years....so I guess Hypertherm ha been buying my beer for a long time!

Jim

 

[daz87]

I am pretty sure Kaliburn wasn't on the radar either. Our factory is one of the largest manufacturers in China of CNC for the Chinese market and do a pretty good job of engineering. People think the chinese have no engineering capacity, but they do, and they have a good idea about how to employ unconventional methods and applications, just as our HF start is made in our units isn't the typical way other make theirs. We have been working with our factory on our specs and some features, and I definitely got no feel this was a copied, or inspired design.

Yeah I agree, well said.