Plasma Cutters?

[Avanteone]

So, I think it's time to step up and buy one. My supplier carries Thermal Dynamics or Hypertherm. One any better than the other? Any experience on other brands to consider? I'm thinking of going /w the mid-line 220v unit. It says it will sever up to 5/8". I don't really ever cut anything bigger than 1/4, but sometimes it's "dirty"... undercoating, grease, paint, etc. Any input?

John

 

[pbmcauliffe]

I have a Hyperthem 380 and it works good for 90% of the stuff I use it for. I was recently cutting off some old 1/2" thick brackets and had to go slow, or run over them twice to cut them off, but stuff thinner and it works great. I am considering going to a larger unit just for the "certain" times.
Undercoating does get messy with them, Samurais are a sticky, smelly, burning mess, newer Chevy's runs off like water, everything else falls in between.

 

[bobracing]

Not sure how much your going to use it but, I ended up ordering (should be here 5-3) a Parker Metalworking products, Plasma-Tec40ykDV for home use.

NO, it's not a big name and YES, it's made in China but can't seem to find really any complains about these units.

first found it on PBB:
pirate_board

Then the website:
home_page

Ebay sellers reports:
link

Guess we'll see how it works.

 

[Avanteone]

Thanks for the info. I own a repair shop and doing more and more custom and offroad stuff, so it will get used quite a bit. I plan on buying a name brand unit and probably support my local welding supply shop, they'll help me out more in the long run if there's a problem.

J

Not sure how much your going to use it but, I ended up ordering (should be here 5-3) a Parker Metalworking products, Plasma-Tec40ykDV for home use.

NO, it's not a big name and YES, it's made in China but can't seem to find really any complains about these units.

first found it on PBB:
pirate_board

Then the website:
home_page

Ebay sellers reports:
link

Guess we'll see how it works.

 

[spectra]

I have a thermal dynamics unit. It is a 220 model but not sure what model number it is. For smaller stuff it works great but when you get into 1/2 inch and bigger you need to go slow. I have run the 110 models and they suck in my opinion so if you can swing it go with a 220 model.

 

[Trailtoy1993]

I don't know if you already bought your plasma or not but I have use dboth and prefer the hypertherm, I own a powermax 600 and love it.

 

[uglyfoker]

I have the hypertherm 900. Blew 3 boards out of it 2 months ago, but was fully covered under warranty (2 years old, 3 yr warranty).

Otherwise been good, hoping it blowing up was a fluke as I have not read anything else bad about hypertherm.

 

[GrandZJ]

pak master 38 xl

Thermal dynamic's pak master is one you might look into' mine can be ran 110v or 220v has worked great for everthing I have used it on (only up to 1/4") but it work's better when used with 220v make sure to use clean dry air I run two h20 seperator's on mine but my air compressor is stored outside.(no garage)

 

[mudin]

i have a thermal dynamics 38 and it does a severance cut up to 5/8" i have had no problem with it, and everybody and there grandma borrows it from me.

 

[johnboy1]

i say that if you got the money, buy an esab

 

[pos97TJ]

Hey john, I have a thermal dynamics cutmaster 38 and have been very pleased with it.

Wes, from oly with the krawlers:flipoff:

 

[TB-F]

We had a thermal dynamics cutmaster 50? I think that's it, at Associated and it worked good untill one day it stoped. Completeley. Sent it back to the factory and they couldnt figure it out, ended up sending us a new one... 4 months later. The Hypertherms I,ve used work good but have a funny tip on them that they say is so you can drag it on the material wich is all fine and good except they clog up around the reliefes in the tip, but that might only hapen with stainless cuz' thats all I cut with it. My favorites are the ESAB units (the only product made by ESAB that I like and the only non-Miller product I would buy) you can drag the tip, tips seem to last a long time and I've never had a problem with one.

 

[darius]

Hyptherm is a Plasma torch only company, so that in mind they better have their duck's in a row. As far as I know it is the only company with a true drag torch cable, Other torches you use a special tip if you wanna drag the tip. We have both a Hyptherm 380 and an ESAB(500?) supposed to clean cut 1/2", at the shop. The ESAB is the biggest piece of **** I've ever used, I mean it work's great when it work's but it just went through it's 2nd board in 1 year. I have used a few in the past, but my fav is the little 380. I also really liked the Miller 900 series I used when working at Olympic, clean cut 1 inch, no studdering when striking an arc as with the hyptherm, but you have to hover the tip. My vote is for Hyptherm with Miller 2nd.

 

[JPTHING]

Not sure how much your going to use it but, I ended up ordering (should be here 5-3) a Parker Metalworking products, Plasma-Tec40ykDV for home use.

NO, it's not a big name and YES, it's made in China but can't seem to find really any complains about these units.

first found it on PBB:
pirate_board

Then the website:
home_page

Ebay sellers reports:
link

Guess we'll see how it works.

I totally agree, I have a Parker Metalworking Plasma, and I love it. Their consumables are way cheap, and last as long as the competition. Also if I run out, I use ESAB consumables. I would recommend my plasma to everyone. I have used my 40 amp to cut through the 3/4" steel radius arm brackets on my D44.

 

[84Toyota4x4]

I was just recently looking at those guys too, and they look like for the amount that I would use it, that it would work just fine.

I figure it like this... I buy one, use it see how it work, see if I like it, see if it has limitations, see if I outgrow it. I bought a little 110 volt Craftsman gassless MIG years ago to learn and see what it would do, eventually I realized I needed a bigger and better one so I upgraded. I still use that little 110 for tacks and stuff on thinner metal, so it gets some use. Im thinking that for that price, I can get it, learn to use it, if I break it somehow, it wasnt a HUGE amount of money, if it breaks, it wasnt a HUGE amount of money (assuming the warranty dicks me or whatever), and if it wont do what I want later, I upgrade and use it for little stuff like the MIG. Hell, I could even buy a second as a replacement and almost be about the same as a big name brand, lol.

It doesnt really matter that much right now since I cant afford one this second anyway, so we will see what I end up with when I go to buy one, but the thought of getting one of these units definitely crossed my mind.

~T.J.

EDIT: I was looking at a lot of these last night and noticed theyre all pretty much the same case, but I just noticed the Parkers have different torches. Interesting. I wonder if in fact they are made differently than the others like the seller claims?

 

[pbmcauliffe]

Personnaly I would stay away from the Parker units.
I sold my Hypetherm 380 awhile back to get a larger plasma cutter, I was going to get another Hyperthem (1000 or 12something) but heard great reviews of the Parker Metalwork units and got the Cut 60 from them.
Contrary to most people I really dislike it, I have spent more time fixing it and making it work than anything.
The torch whip is only 16' and rubberish coated, first time I used it, a piece of slag got too close to it and burned a hole in the line. Field repair was 1/2" airline with hose clamps because I needed to use it that night. second time that night, same thing, as well as inconsistent arc start. Called them the next day, explained the problem and had to pay for a new hose torch assembly since it was my fault the rubber hose melted.
The next few days were multiple calls to Parker about the machine not starting an arc, after talking with them and fixing my own brand new machine, it worked about 50% of trigger pulls. More calls and they decided I had the wrong torch assembly, so they sent a new one, that one worked about 70% of the time but starting to blow out the sides., more calls and give them one more shot, they have sent me another new torch to try, but I haven't even put it on yet since we have been using one of the shop guys Cutmaster (it works every trigger pull).
The Parker unit cuts great, when it works, and cuts aluminum better than other machines (maybe because it is inverter based?), but have had way too many headaches with it, and the consumables last a short time.
I will personally never recommend them to anyone, and am either selling this one to go back to Hyperthem, or using it for a tire chalk.

 

[84Toyota4x4]

Good info, thanks! I hadnt heard of any bad experiences with them yet.

~T.J.

 

[Poopy]

I bought a miller 375, so far I love it, cuts really nice, and rips through 1/4" pretty fast with new consumables.

 

[Rock-N-Ruin]

I am kind of lookin at the Miller 375 extreme, I was on shopfloortalk.com and there was a thread about hypertherm's customerservice, due to that, I am lookin at a blue one myself... J

 

[GRNTACO]

I have a Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 51 and love it. I haven't used any other brand but I did A LOT of research before I bought and the TD seemed to be at the top. Their consumable parts are fair priced and readily available.