Plazma cutter recommendations

[72c20customcamper]

I'm looking to get one tired of gas cutting or using cut off wheels . Looked at the Hobart but for my usage I dont need a $1k machine little Leary of HF stuff . Want some real world reviews

So what you got?

[Getter-Done]

I will go look at mine.

I think it is a ____?

I like it.

I get consumables from E bayy

Only had one issue the Ground wire did not have a Good connection from the Factory.

I will be Back after these Messages

[Getter-Done]

I can send pictures if needed.

Mine is a Lotus LTP5000D

It is 110/220

I have had it for several years.

I gave a Couple hundred bucks for it.

I have even went as far as cutting cars up to haul off for scrap with this little jewel.

Mine is the Red one.

I can get the consumables for cheap on E bayy

Just a suggestion,

Vevor seems too have the best deals running currently.

I would check to see what they have.

The consumables is the big deal on these things.

[72c20customcamper]

Funny you should bring up Vevor . I bought a maple syrup evaporator from them got a little nervous as it took four days for them to send a tracking number . They were 1/2the price of other places . Thought they may be a scam

[60case]

I have a Lincoln Pro cut 55 I bought it in 1997 It has work flawlessly I have only replaced the consumables

[tutone]

I "had" a Miller Spectrum 1000 at one time. I bought it non-op from stores at the paper mill where I worked. 300 bucks in repairs and it was good to go.
Here is one thing I found though. It may have just been me, but it cut clean metal like a hot knife through Parkay. Put some scaley rust or paint on an old sheetmetal panel and "oh crap". I finally used it as a tool to make patch panels and found myself using grinders and die grinders almost as much as before. I was repairing a trailer ramp with it one day and a guy showed up to buy an engine block. He made me a stupid offer and we loaded it up. I only miss it sometimes.

[truckster]

I have the Lotos LTP5000D. It cuts well, but I did have a problem with the board after it was a couple of years out of warranty. It cost me $100 to get a new one, so I'm not complaining too much. I run mine on 220v, and I've been able to cut 1/2 mild steel with no problem. Make sure you have very dry air to feed it.

[joedoh]

i have a legitimate 100 torch-on hours on a razorweld cut 45. it has the X45 torch so i can use hypertherm consumables. until i got it I used a hypertherm powermax 600 which had a higher cut capacity (i think 5/8 sever) but the inverter razorweld was 1/3rd the size and i never cut over 1/4", although consumable life is short at 1/4".

some things i can tell you:

do not buy for price, thats the worst way to get the worst equipment. with a plasma cutter it will be all about consumable life. i can get about 35 mins of torch-on with a single set of consumables, owing to the hypertherm style parts. since consumables are about 11 dollars per change, that makes a big difference over the cheap ones that get 4-5 minutes torch-on time. my older hypertherm was maybe 10 min torch on between changes. this was a significant improvement.

your cutting style will also affect the costs. if you are a drag cutter, meaning torch sheild in contact with the material, make sure you have a drag shield installed and always start 90 degrees to surface or off edge. drag cutting will always shorten consumable life, they sell little training wheels that will let you keep a standoff.

DRY AIR. do not count on the little dryer in the machine. you need serious dry air or consumables will get wasted fast. i use two motorguard filter dryers in series. i drain my tank and dry the filters between uses.

razoweld makes a smaller one, a cut 30 that has a built in compressor and dryer. its less expensive. I think mine was 800 but recently i saw the price has increased a lot to almost 1200. the cut 30 should be 7-900. it is only 30 amp so 3/16 or less thickness. if you are doing sheet metal it will be fine.

i am going to buy the next generation of hypertherm 45xp soon.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Funny you should bring up Vevor . I bought a maple syrup evaporator from them got a little nervous as it took four days for them to send a tracking number . They were 1/2the price of other places . Thought they may be a scam

I have been VERY lereee of there deals for a while now.

I purchased a Plashing hammer for cheap.

Great deal.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by truckster

I have the Lotos LTP5000D. It cuts well, but I did have a problem with the board after it was a couple of years out of warranty. It cost me $100 to get a new one, so I'm not complaining too much. I run mine on 220v, and I've been able to cut 1/2 mild steel with no problem. Make sure you have very dry air to feed it.

I had problems with mine at first.
It was like I did not have a good Ground.

The Issue was (The Ring terminal on the ground at the Machine)

I found this out when I use the expensive one at work.

I forgot to attach the Ground

That is when I proceeded to say words about the expensive piece of _-_-_.

Then I Noticed when I flipped the piece over to make the next cut

I negeleted to attach the ground Again

Then I said (To My Self) Hey My Plasma Cutter has a Ground Issue.

I used a Multimeter and the plastic bushings on the grounding wire lost connection once they tighten up .
Becauce the ring Inside Diameter was TOO big.

And this Cause A (No) connection deal.

[davischevy]

I know nothing about them. The one I use is one I got out of the tool room when it came in off a county jail project. I assume it's a cheap one but it must be a tough son of a gun. It looks like they dropped it off a scaffold or out of the back of a truck. I straightened some pieces and it works great.

I'll get the brand tomorrow.

[72c20customcamper]

I have four dryers on my setup . One is just a mechanical two are desiccant . And one is a homemade unit . A 10 gallon igloo water cooler with a coil of 1/2 inch copper tubing it’s the first one as the air exits the compressor . Filled with water and ice the mechanical one is next and that one fills up quick under continuous use and has an auto dump . The next two use those little blue beads all the lines are 1/2 inch .

[62c30]

I have a thermal dynamics that I've had for over 10 years. I like it. I would probably buy a hypertherm if I bought another just cause the consumables are cheaper. Although since esab bought thermal dynamics I haven't bought any consumables for mine. I don't use it much but when I do it's the most valuable tool.

[57taskforce]

Hypertherm sync 65. Not a 1K or less machine, but it is really bad ass.

[mongocanfly]

I bought a parker mp40 several yrs back..had a sheetmetal job and some 1/4"plate cutting to do.. didn't want to use torch and cutoff discs wernt a option then either..
It was somewhere around $3-400... it worked great..got the job done... but over the yrs it started having issues..you couldnt make but about a 6in cut and it would overheat..I scrapped it last yr..
Got my money's worth on that one job
Was thinking about getting another...but dont have a real need for one now..but I've heard good things about the titanium line from hf

[LS short box]

Thermal Dynamics for me. Mine has got to be 20 years old and zero issues. I run it on 110 volt 99.9% of the time. Dryer at air compressor.

[Bigdav160]

I bought one of those Eastwood Versa models. Second year of ownership and the nylon hoses, internal to the machine, all rotted away...........

[Palf70Step]

I know a couple folks who have this model from HF,

https://www.harborfreight.com/45-amp...ter-56255.html

So far they are very happy and it has done everything they need,. If I remember right they have only used it on 120V settings. I used it to rebuild a BBQ out of 11 gauge and no issues. I thhink that is about as think as we have gone on them though.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

I can send pictures if needed.

Mine is a Lotus LTP5000D

It is 110/220

I have had it for several years.

I gave a Couple hundred bucks for it.

I have even went as far as cutting cars up to haul off for scrap with this little jewel.

Mine is the Red one.

I can get the consumables for cheap on E bayy

Just a suggestion,

Vevor seems too have the best deals running currently.

I would check to see what they have.

The consumables is the big deal on these things.

The pan came from Vevor . It was an overall good experience so maybe I’ll look at their plasma cutter .

[Steeveedee]

I'm curious about plasma cutters. You guys must cut up a lot of steel! When I cut steel I use my oxyacetylene rig. Get the metal red hot, and turn off the acetylene. But then I don't cut a whole lot of steel. I just finished a fence panel section to attach my gate, but I used a hacksaw for the 8 cuts involved. 2" X 2" X 1/8" angle iron.

[HOGDADDY]

I have an earlier version of this unit. No complaints.

https://usaweld.com/collections/htp-..._plasma_cutter

[LS short box]

If you cutting 1/8" material a 120 volt plasma will cut it like butter.
If I'm cutting a piece in a straight line I clamp another piece steel as guide for a straight line. If I have to cut a round piece or hole I bought a tool that attaches to the "nose" of the torch and then drill a 1/4" hole in the piece I need to cut and the tool guides the torch in a circle. Works well.

[62c30]

Mine thermal dynamics is the multi voltage and I use it almost always on 110v unless a 220v plug is closer. I had a piece of inconel metal I needed to cut. Cutoff wheels would just burn up, my torch wouldn't get hot enough but the plasma cutter cut it like a knife through hot butter. I believe it cut it on 110v turned up.

[truckster]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I'm curious about plasma cutters. You guys must cut up a lot of steel! When I cut steel I use my oxyacetylene rig. Get the metal red hot, and turn off the acetylene. But then I don't cut a whole lot of steel. I just finished a fence panel section to attach my gate, but I used a hacksaw for the 8 cuts involved. 2" X 2" X 1/8" angle iron.

What's a hacksaw?

In reality, though, a plasma cutter has some definite advantages, particularly if you work with metals other than steel.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I'm curious about plasma cutters. You guys must cut up a lot of steel!

i have been through 11 sheets of 3/16 and 1/8 since jan 9.