Plasma cutter

[Gruffalo]

Can you recommend me a plasma cutter please. Probably upto 6mm cut. What size compressor is required.
Thanks

 

[Hardweld]

If you have the budget go for a Hypertherm, they are miles a head of the rest in my opinion and experiences , I think their smallest one is the 30 and has a built in compressor

 

[Welderloon]

Contact some of your local machine tool supplier Stores, see what they have, are recommending & what they have offers on, you'll need a supply of consumable spares so its a good starting point for building a rapport & negotiating a discount, discuss with them the type of work you will be performing.-
Hypertherm are probably the Rolls Royce of the plasma cutter brands for professional use though there are many machine variants within their brand
There are also a range of other brands equally as suitable
Your supplier will be able to best match compressor output to machine size.
As always a cheap machine won't be a good one & a good machine won't be a cheap one, know your budget & research consumable & spare parts costs before finally committing as these can fluctuate considerably between brands & also machine sizes.

 

[Phil P]

My R-tech plasma will be 13 years old now and never had an issue, runs on a 13a plug and will cut up to 12mm (I’ve cut 18-20mm but very slowly). Doesn’t need massive amounts of air and if it does it’s usually a sign the nozzle is getting worn.
Currently on offer with 5 year warranty

R-Tech P31C Plasma Cutter 240V (12MM Cutting Kit)

Plasma Cutter R-Tech P31C

www.r-techwelding.co.uk

 

[Bignor Farmer]

I‘ve recently got an R-tech P51 and it’s a fantastic little machine for the money. Didn’t think it would be very capable but it’s my go to machine for anything up to 12mm. Other machine is a 100amp SWP for bigger stuff.

The key to plasma cutters is consistent air flow and dry air. Don’t scrimp on the compressor.

 

[Wurzeetoo]

The only advice I can give is research the consumable parts cost, the one we use admittedly could do with better moisture filtration but the tips cost a fortune! It runs on a little compressor and the buffering time of letting it recharge gives a chance to work out your next cut

 

[Wombat]

I have a hypertherm 30 and really have never been that impressed with it

 

[MF-ANDY]

Have a hypertherm 45. Get on well with it especially gouging. Think it's their biggest single phase machine. Use it with a 13cfm compressor.

 

[Pistonbroke]

Have a hypertherm 45. Get on well with it especially gouging. Think it's their biggest single phase machine. Use it with a 13cfm compressor.

Some say big tank is important in the compressor,mine is only 50litres but twin cylinder pump,I think,14cfm. Would that work?

 

[MF-ANDY]

Some say big tank is important in the compressor,mine is only 50litres but twin cylinder pump,I think,14cfm. Would that work?

Yes mines a v twin with a 50l tank.

 

[Phil P]

Some say big tank is important in the compressor,mine is only 50litres but twin cylinder pump,I think,14cfm. Would that work?

The one I posted above says min 100 L/min which is about 3.5 cfm so very little air consumption. I use to run mine of a little 24l draper compressor when running out the back of a van. Never any problem and I think that was about 7.5 cfm.

 

[box]

Buy one with a built in compressor.

 

[Kj1123]

Really depends on what your doing ie hobby or bussiness, i have a Hypertherm powermax 45 xp excellent machine the cut quality (with good air and consumables) is top notch, but the gouging feature is the best selling point if you do alot of repair work. Don't underestimate how much air u need. For context I have a 250 litre belt driven compressor and to be honest that cant really keep up with the machine in heavy work ie long cuts or lots of gouging you can only go non stop for about 60 seconds then your psi starts to drop and cut quality suffers. Not a big deal if you just doing short runs. Also u need to dry your air somehow or you will just go through consumables like there's no tomorrow. If its a hobby a cheaper setup might be adequate if your doing this professionally be prepared to spend big bucks.