PLASMA CUTTERS Time for a new toy

[dave295]

I,m looking at buying a plasma cutter.

I like the look of the Rossi ct416 as it can do a few different things. Apparently it can weld and cut.

Has anyone got a plasma cutter they would recommend or a brand to stay clear of.

About six years ago I bought a WIA Mig welder and would recommend this AUSTRALIAN made piece of equipment to anyone.

See additional comment below

[TheExtreme]

Hypertherm. I have the Powermax 30 and love it.

[mickmate]

Industry standard plasma cutters come from up here in the NE of the US. Hypertherm, Thermal Dynamics and ESAB are all brands I have used and recommend. A couple of tips, 1 amp per 10 thou. In other words a 50 Amp machine will cut .5" a 25 Amp will cut .25".
Another tip is get more than you think you'll need if you can. I use a framing square clamped to the plate with the ground clamp as it has a nice flat edge to rest the torch against for straight cuts and I use a trammel for circles. Well that was till I got a CNC table to drive it of course.

[Aussie Mike]

I've had a plasma cutter for years now and love it. The old angle grinder gets used less and less. I find it great for cutting up sheet metal. I clamp a piece of angle iron or strap to the sheet I want to cut and run the torch along the edge. Makes for neat straight cuts.

My machine is an older 40 Amp inverter. It's a contact style and I'm tempted to upgrade to a 50 Amp machine with a pilot arc. The advantage with the pilot arc machine is the torch doesn't have to make contact with the work piece to start the arc. It's better for piercing as you can start the torch and bring it down onto the metal. With the contact start you get a lot of slag and sparks coming back up and messing up the tip when you try to pierce.

I would rather have a dedicated machine than a 3 in one. The plasma on it's own is smaller and much more portable.

[PLDRIVE]

U can not go wrong with a Hypertherm or Thermal Dynamics. Plasma cutters require a very clean air source, so plan on added filters.

[dave295]

Hi everyone and thanks for the comments. The HYPERTHERM and THERMAL D. cutters looked great and I guess are quality bits of kit. Unfortunately my MINISTER FOR WAR AND FINANCE vetoed a spend that big ($1,000 to $1500 plus post to the top of AUSTRALIA). So I bought the Rossi for about $310 brand new off ebay. It is for me only a toy. I'll give a review here in time. The unit is 40 amps (cuts 14mm) and a tig as well as a MMA welder, plus the pilot arc set-up for cutting. And thanks for the advice on water, I'll make sure I fit a good water trap.

[TheExtreme]

"MINISTER FOR WAR AND FINANCE "


Haha. I call mine the "War Department"

[renovationinnov]

the one who must be obeyed
is in our house
on job site im the boss till I arrive then the boot changes