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I am interested in purchasing a plasma cutter and I thought I would ask for some perspectives from this group.

What Brands would you suggest?
What Brands would you stay away from?
What range would you go for: up to 3/8 max, 1/2 max, or 7/8 max, or what?

Thanks for the perspective.

Mike

I was also thinking about this tool. I was curious if plasma cutters are about the same in terms of precision. Would a super cheapo one with the same abilities as a name brand model work just as well? Pretty soon my garage won't be for working on cars it will be only for storing tools.

Mike

I have a thermal dynamics that cuts 3/8. It is great. When the settings are correct, the cuts look like they were sheared. I bought a circle cutter and its way cool. My wife even did some art work with it. Big thing is if there is moisture in your line the moitusre eats the electrodes.

A buddy bought the same brand but his cuts 5/8 - good if you want to build a battle ship I suppose.

Hard to beat Miller. The other cheaper tools will cost you a small fortune in consumables if you use them much. I would go with something that will cut up to 3/8 and I prefer the internal compressor option.

what's consumable on a plasma cutter? do they use gas or anything?

The tip and cutting electrode are usually the major wear bits. They use compressed air (or nitrogen) when in use. If you have one with a built in compressor then that will eventually wear out but those last a good long time usually.

Take the thickness of material that you will be cutting the most of. Then double the size and the will be the size rating of the plasma cutter that you will want to buy. example cuting 1/4" thick material buy a plasma rated for 1/2" cutting. This will give you faster cleaner cuts and longer comsumable life. I just got a Hypertherm 600 powermax and I love it.....

I own a Hypertherm Powermax 600 plasma cutter and I absolutely love it. Plasma Cutting is scary fun. As an off-road builder once said in an online article somewhere, you can end up at the end of your first evening using a new plasma cutter with twice as many pieces of steel that in total weigh a bit less than when you began. As he put it: "Must use... power... for good..." He was right.

A couple suggestions:

1) Plasma cutters are pretty complex and not cheap, but don't scrimp and get an off-brand. You will not regret getting a top brand. Unlike a welder, you are going to be buying proprietary consumables, so get a reputable name brand that you are sure you can easily get the tips for.

2) You will need VERY dry air for best performance, so you will want to retrofit your air compressor with one or two stages of air drying depending on how humid the climate is where you are. I use a large separator and a desicant cartridge that I recharge by drying it near my wood stove.

I own a Hypertherm Powermax 600 plasma cutter and I absolutely love it. Plasma Cutting is scary fun. As an off-road builder once said in an online article somewhere, you can end up at the end of your first evening using a new plasma cutter with twice as many pieces of steel that in total weigh a bit less than when you began. As he put it: "Must use... power... for good..." He was right.

A couple suggestions:

1) Plasma cutters are pretty complex and not cheap, but don't scrimp and get an off-brand. You will not regret getting a top brand. Unlike a welder, you are going to be buying proprietary consumables, so get a reputable name brand that you are sure you can easily get the tips for.

2) You will need VERY dry air for best performance, so you will want to retrofit your air compressor with one or two stages of air drying depending on how humid the climate is where you are. I use a large separator and a desicant cartridge that I recharge by drying it near my wood stove.

We have a miller plasma and really happy with it and what it can do.
A buddy bought a Ebay special(read made in China)
and while it does work it isn't anyway near as heavy duty as the Miller
and his consumables are going to be really hard to come by
It also have a ceramic cone that wears out
spring for a good brand and keep it a long time

hank

before you choose a brand, look for replacement parts and someone who services them in your area. that way you dont have to ship it out to get it fixed. like Bones said moisture kills them. make room in your closet for it. i use and like the Hobart. my brother in laws work has one that we use. in searching find out how big of an air compressor you will need to work it if you dont get the internal compressor.

I have a Hyptherm Powermax 900 and wouldnt take a million dollars. It is the single most important tool in my shop. I got it as part of a severance package from a business closing along with a 60 gal 5 Hp air compressor.
stay name brand for consumables and repair.