Plaz cutters

[phat46]

I was getting an argon tank filled at a local welding supply house yesterday and was looking around. I saw a neat little plaz cutter on a display rack. The cutter was about eight inches wide, maybe 16" long and less than a foot high, with a shoulder carrying strap. I'm thinking it's a neat little  plaz cutter for home use. I asked the counter guy what thickness metal it was rated for cutting, thinking it would probably be for sheet metal-1/8" stuff. He told me it's rated for 1/2" but he has seen them cut 1"    The one directly under, just slightly larger was rated at 1" and he said it wll cut up to 1 1/2", still small enough to carry with a shoulder strap.... We has a plaz cutter at work when i was working and it was a big, non portable machine about the size of a big mig welder; they bought it probably 15-16 years ago. I know things change, but, wow, that really schocked me, i guess i gotta get out more! (and it was only $1000)

[moose]

Yep they are smaller and more powerful. My Hypertherm 30 will cut 5/8 slowly 1/4 like butter. about the size you described and got it for less than $800....

[chimp koose]

I bought a small portable plasma for a school I used to teach at about 10yrs ago. It had an appetite for torch parts. Are they more reliable now?

[phat46]

I bought a small portable plasma for a school I used to teach at about 10yrs ago. It had an appetite for torch parts. Are they more reliable now?

That's another thing the guy said, that they are much easier on comsumables now.

[Boyd Who]

That's good info to have. I'll be shopping for a plasma cutter within the next year.

[parklane]

Hey Joe, if you buy one, I'll use it for ya. What are friends for after all.  

[phat46]

Hey Joe, if you buy one, I'll use it for ya. What are friends for after all.  

I see the Hydro (Electric to non-Canadians) is still on over there.  John that's what i tell people too, "Let's go 50/50 on it; you buy it and I'll use it"

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I bought a Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38  plasma cutter  some years back.

I am very pleased with it's performance

[river1]

i bought a Miller 300 many years ago, i am also pleased with the performance.

it is at a friends house right now so i guess we split it 50/50 LOL

later jim

[wayne petty]

just incase you missed it...

but several years ago.. i went to the strawberry festival in oxnard.. there was a guy there selling his plasma cutter art work...

he had worked in an HVAC sheet metal shop.. and had started playing with the plasma cutter on the scrap...   cutting it into shapes.. then bluing it and adding texture with a flap wheel on his 4 inch angle grinder.. then welding the pieces together to make significant works of art...


the pieces are not just a single layer.. they are multiple layers.. and others are quite large...

just thought that i should mention the additional uses...

[Uncle Bob]

This stuff gets more amazing as time goes by.  You didn't mention a brand, but a SEMA the Miller folks had one much like you described.  Even better (?) they have one that's smaller than that, barely larger than a lunch box, 13 1/4 long, 9 high, 5.5 wide.  Came with a nice blow mold carry case, and has their nifty adapter plug (I think they called it MVP for multi voltage plug) that lets you plug it into either 115 or 220.  They were a little pricier at around $1200.  My old Hypertherm still works fine, but this little unit got me to rationalizing for a bit.

[Beck]

I bought a Miller 4 or 5 years ago. It seems that it is already outdated with the new smaller units. It still works great though. At about 1 year old it fried the main board. Miller repaired it at no charge.
All of the plasma cutters require dry air or the consumable parts usage goes up. That is my problem at home, wet air.

[enjenjo]

I have a Solar brand Plasma. It works good, but the outfit that I bought it from went out of business, and I have to order consumables online.

[chimp koose]

The welding shop teacher bought a 8'x4' cnc plasma table for the school. I will be giving him drawings of what brackets I need for the model T suspension. It will be nice to make pieces to bend to shape rather than weld and grind all the time.

[Topsterguy]

A friend bought one of the small ones Miller has out now ( to go with their MillerMagic mig) and he says it'a great!  Does 3/8" easily and some above that if you go slow.  He said it was in the $600 price range,  All you have to do is use a plasma once and you're hooked!!