Plasma Cutters

[Bigsaint]

Okay, got the mig welder now I need info on PC's. My buddy is going to let me borrow a seldom used Miller 625. Here's my question... would it be safe to assume a larger plasma cutter would produce a cleaner cut in a piece of steel, say 1/2" ? I realize cut speed has alot to do with the cut but I guess my question is will, all things being equal, a more powerful PC provide a cleaner cut on the same steel thickness a smaller PC is rated for. Example... the 625 is rated for 1/2" while the 2050 is rated for 7/8". Will the 2050 provide a cleaner cut on 1/2" ? Hope this makes sense, TIA !

 

[Hoefler]

You probably would not see any real difference between the two. Plasma cutters have 2 ratings; a cut rating and a severe rating. The cut rating is the thickness it will cut clean and neat. The severe rating is just that, the thickness it will allow you to make 2 different pieces, usually a very crude and ugly cut.

 

[Harley152]

In my experience,your better off with a 45 to 50 amp pc and a track burner for anything over say 3/8" material(unless your doing a lot of stainless fabrication). The cost of the consumables on the pc are very high relative to inches of cut, and you can spend $2500 on a 75 amp pc or $500 to $600 on a good track burner. I have a 45 amp pc, sold the 60 amp unit, and bought a rental return track burner for $425. 00---pretty much only use the pc for light gauge and stainless these days.



Jerry

 

[Rebel Ram]

Unless your trying to cut aluminum or stainless thicker than 1/4" you cannot beat the cut quality on carbon steel you will get with an Oxy/Act setup with good tips.

 

[WGray]

The quality of the cut should be comparable between the two machines of differing power, provided that the material is still within its rated range. The only major difference would be the speed of the cut required to achieve the desired quality. For what it is worth, the Miller machine is a pretty good machine, but it is made by Hypertherm. However, the Miller machines use different consumables than the Hypertherm, although they are similar. They will not interchange. If you are in the market to purchase a new unit, check out the Hypertherms. The consumables last a long time, and they typically cut thicker material than competitive machines of equal power.

 

[Bigsaint]

Thanks WGray. I didn't know that the Miller was made by Hypertherm. I'll check them out.

 

[SBall]

I have the Hypertherm Powermax 350 and it works quite well. Living in NJ you are faced with the same humidity I am here in Pa. I have noticed a distinct difference in the life of the consumables and the quality of cut by adding an air filter that absorbs the humidity from the air. The filter element looks like nothing more than a roll of paper towels contained within a threaded cannister. If you buy a PC, consider a humidity filter as well.

 

[Bigsaint]

Thanks SB. A filter was already in my plans. From what I have read it seems most necessary for clean cuts. Appreciate the advice !

 

[Bigsaint]

I ordered the Hypertherm 1000 today. I called weldersource.com and spoke with a rep who basically said what WGrey stated. I added a fine cut consumables to the list and a Filter, should be good to go. Thanks again for the info