plasma cutter

[bugrunner1]

looking for comparison on plasma cutters inexpensive models

[ProctorSilex]

I have one of these: HD-300 or equivalent. Mine is orange, I got it used as part of a garage clean out, and it is not labeled well, but I am pretty certain it is the same unit. I think the seller said he bought it new during a trip to Canada, but I think you can get them in the states too. It welds well, but I have yet to do any cutting. At $350, it is worth a look.

[Dale M.]

Want cheap, go Harbor Fight... Want quality go Hobart or Esab or other brand name... You get what you pay for....

http://www.hobartweldshop.com/servlet/t ... ler/Detail

This is their "smallest unit"...

Dale

[Piledriver]

My son and I just went halvsies on a Thermadyne Pak Master 100XL, seller seems to have thought it was 3 phase only and took an offer for 650 delivered UPS. It's actually single OR 3 phase 208/240 or 440/460v.
( flip a plate over for the power jumper connections, only fits 2 ways)

It's a fairly badass plasma cutter, 70A, 1" cut, 1.25" sever, also has a gouging tip available if you want to slowly slice an anvil or something in half for bookends.

I figure for $325 I could have a piece of new junk or a 1/2 time share on something rated to go through 1" steel...
... or slice up 1/4" stainless plate ~like a scalpel through Jello.

Even has the computer interface port for CNC use.... hv non contact start though, bit electrically noisier than modern moving contact (~lift) start units, but not as bad as HF start setups on the CNC gear...
(...that exists only in the amusement park of my mind. Yet.)

Also turns down far enough to slice up sheetmetal without blowing holes.

Like (Sideshow?) said, you cannot have too much overkill.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Like with a welder, make sure that you can get parts and service for it locally and in quick time. As with MIG (for sure) not all parts are not always interchangeable between brands of machines.

Things always go wrong just when you need them most.

FWIIW.

Lee

[Piledriver]

Everyone and their dog makes/sells consumables for it, including Tweco, which is what Thermadyne calls itself these days.

There are ~3 top brands of plasma cutters: Thermadyne/tweco, ESAB, and Hypertherm, and then everything else trails badly.
Thermadyne has been making plasma cutters for over 40 years.