Is a Plasma Cutter really worth having in the home garage?

If you do enough cutting and have the $ to spend they are great.I bought a four post lift for about the same $ as my plasma,I use the lift every time I go into the garage,and never would be without it.The plasma may sit for weeks without being used,but when I need it its worth every cent.I also have MIG and stick welders,they don't get used every day but try and have a shop without them,The lathe sits along the wall and gets used 5 or 6 times a year,but when you need it you need it.My point is every tool has reason,and if you have the plasma, use it,learn about it,and then decide if it's worth having.

 

It's just like any other piece of equipment you put in your shop. You have to get used to using it rather than going back to the old way you did the same process.

I've had my cutting torch for almost 40 years and used it all the time until I got my chopsaw, I used that all the time until I got my horizontal band saw and now the chopsaw hasn't been out from under the bench once since. Not that I won't ever use it again but the bandsaw makes a cleaner cut and doesn't throw crap and sparks all over the work area. In the next two years I could probably get a lot of use out of a plasma and if one pops up at the right time I may jump on it just as I did the bandsaw.

Still it's your habits that dictate what you use. No matter what tools or equipment a guy has he tends to use the ones he is in the habit of using even if he does get something new that might work easier and better for what he is attempting to do.

 

I've had one around me twice in the over 40yrs I've been at this shit. Both time were when I was employed elsewhere, and I have maybe 4hrs of total time in my hand. I seem to prefer a bandsaw, sawzall, cutoff wheel, etc. For sheet metal I prefer electric shears or a stomp shear. I know there's a use for it and some (as said) can't live w/out it. I can...

 

Yeah,I know,,but how TRADITIONAL is a plasma cutter?,especially when you have that old Oxy-Acetylene fire wrench in the corner. HRP

 

I got a big old Victor that is as old as I am and 50 foot of hose. I haven't used it for awhile (no tanks) but if you use it on something light and donot know how to finesse one it is like useing a sledge hammer to kill ants.

 

I bought a 30AMP Hypertherm about three years ago and it is worth every penny. Cuts are clean and it will cut up to 3/8" thick stuff. The unit is not much larger than a big lunchbox and very portable. About the only thing I use a torch for anymore is to heat up frozen bolts.

They are also good for doing artsy stuff like cutting out signs and favors for nieghbors.

 

Hay Jack in responce to the Lotos plasma a buddy got one and has had problems with it and sent it back 3 times but I think he finaly got a good one I have used it and works good now. I dont owne one think I would like to have one. I am not to bad with a torch you know thay make more than one tip for these things.

 

oh Wow! i just went and priced a new one like mine. i only paid around $600.00 years ago, now they are $1900.00. now i can understand the debate if one is worth it. used ones are priced more than what i paid for mine, so i can sell it for a profit if needed.

i see alot of people use their for sheet metal only. i don't use mine for that. I have electric shears for that.

If you don't do nothing else but cars then maybe it isn't worth it to you guys. But i build trailers, work on construction equipment, fabrication, scrapping so it gets used alot but i do have one that cuts 5/8 and a bigger one at dad's business if needed but that one doesn't get used much anymore.

if i had the one that only cuts 1/8 or 3/8, yea it probably would be a waste of money because i have other tools that can handle that.

 

We have two machines, by the time you get them out, hook up the air, wait for the compressor, etc, you can usually use the shear, ironworker or bandsaw, and be done with it. But we keep them around for cutting circles, and specialties.

 

I use my plasma cutter very often. I use my OA torch rig often too. Both have their purpose. Can I live without one of them? Sure, but I don't want to.

 

I have a Lincoln pro cut 60 it works great for I/4" or less but on thick stuff the consumables life is so short it gets expencive fast. I would not buy one that big again.

 

I should probably put plasma cutters into the same category as I do boats. It's nice to have a good friend with one.

The only time I needed one I was able to borrow a buddies. Got me looking for one to sit beside my Lincoln Mig and wait for the need to arise to use it. Just one of those things you like to have just in case.

I have lots of tools and parts like that.

 

I must admit i love my plasma cutter, save loads of time but you can get by without one quite easily.

 

Yes

 

Ok guys i fired my Eastwood Versa cut up tonight at my house. my friend who has experience with one came by with some steel, 1/8 and 1/16

there are a few questions i have. for the most part i think the tool is very cool for making intricate patterns. its super fast. Now on the Eastwood tool you have to place the tip on the metal and wait for the hissing sound to stop before you can cut, to be honest this is a PITA and seems to take forever sometimes. it must be a safety built in. Do other Plasma cutters use this same safety feature?

we experimented with the PSI and with the power, the machine seemed to work best with the power 75% up and the PSI set between 55-70 on the machine

We had two types of steel the cheap nasty crap and one piece if super high quality steel with no residue or rust, that worked the best as far as cut quality

now i was using it at 115 volts since i do not have 230v at my house.

Will using it at 230 make it more efficient?

one last observation is when we cleaned up my garage floor was very greasy below the area we were cutting, is this normal? is this from oil in the air from my compressor?

Suggestions, thoughts anyone? Il be honest my friend does suggest i get a Miller he said the Miller works much better than this Eastwood cutter.

overall im glad i got to fire it up tonight to see what it is all about. can be fun and also wasteful cutting up material stock ha ha ha.

 

First of all, I would suggest you read the instruction book, THOROUGHLY.....from some of your questions I have to surmise you did not do that. The book will have recommendations for air pressure and voltage/amp settings for metal types and thicknesses.

Secondly, Have you got a dedicated filtration system preceding the plasma cutter? And, do you have a moisture trap in the line from your compressor? All these factors will have a bearing on how well the machine is able to perform. In computers it used to be call "GIGO" Garbage In Garbage Out........still applies to most endeavors.

Ray

 

Ray there is no instruction book with the Eastwood machine, its like 2 pages of just how to plug it in and 2 troubleshooting questions that all lead to loose connections. I was kinda disappointed there wasnt alot of tech info for me to read and understand

my compressor has 2 traps one at the machine and one on the wall, i use my compressor to sandblast often and never have a moisture issue.

just from what my buddy said he thinks the machine is ok but a real pro machine2-3 times the cost will blow it away hands down which im sure it would.

im going to mess around some more and decide if i keep it or not. I am going to ask my Miller rep if he can bring over a Miller Plasma to demonstrate for me so i can at least have a comparison.

 

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Thats the only thing I use more than my welder. I should have bought one years ago!

gold03

 

Hahah! True. Different strokes for different folks.

 

I've got a ten-year-old Miller something-or-another.

I bought it to do something a plasma cutter isn't really suited for, didn't learn the tool very well, and put it on the shelf for a long time.

Then I had to make a batch of crossmember pieces (for a barely-HAMBable vehicle) and the shapes involved would have been a PITA with a bandsaw, Sawzall, angle grinder, etc. not to mention trying to achieve a reasonable standard of repeatability and consistency.

So I made some templates, went through the cutter and made sure everything was right, cleaned out all the moisture traps on the shop air system and added a disposable trap on the inlet, and...

...an hour of fwoosh with the cutter and a little zingzing with the flapper wheel and I was done. Now that I more or less know what I'm doing with it I use it pretty regularly.

I just need to come up with a better cutting table, a chunk of old iron fence laying on a Workmate just doesn't cut (so to speak) it.

 

Worth every penny, saves time, effort and work. I bought an ARC welder/plasma/TIG and use it every chance I get. I made do without one for years and looking back now wish I'd bought it sooner.

 

I use my plasma all the time, given the cost of a good unit I would suggest they are a luxury as a garage tool and there is no point buying a cheap unit!

I get bored easily and find myself doodling with mine, only when there's no proper work to do mind.......

 

^^^^^^^WOW, very cool!!

 

i know is a little like beating a dead horse, but some people's experiences might help others. i bought a 7/8" capacity miller unit several years ago. i wasn't prepared for some of the hassles with it. cleaning of the rust to start, consumables, air hookup, and all. mine go used very little and i ended up selling it. i would always just reach for the torch or cuttoff or something. and i do a lot of metal cutting.
the 3rd time i went to use it a circutboard had gone out, from sitting i guess. maybe i just didn't give it a chance. maybe i'm just a old dog and can't learn new tricks, but i seem to be able to when they save me a lot of money or effort- that machine did neither. i have thought about getting a smaller one for just thin stuff for less warpage so i an not totally opposed to them. for the original poster, 1/2 the time your money might be better spent somewhere else. but about 1/2 the people love them so it's up to you.

 

Mine doesn't hiss until you pull the trigger (miller) I turn it on pull the trigger and away I go.

Higher voltage will make it work much better. Mine was a dual voltage machine as well. I lasted about 10 minutes before I cut the plug off and upgraded night and day difference.

Oil must be coming from your line which is not good need to filter that out.

The other thing I got for mine which extends the life of consumables a LOT is a drag shield it is basically a cup that goes on the end that keeps the tip off the work piece but still allows you to drag the torch on the work piece. Guy replacing consumables all the time must be using the there machines all the time or not using them properly and dragging the tip on the work piece.

Hope this helps.

 

Wow is right is that all free hand!!

 

If you've got one, keep it. If you don't have one and you can afford one - get one. They are quicker and cleaner than most other means of cutting.
JMO

 

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It does that when the settings are wrong. When I first got mine it did that and once I got it dialed in it cuts like butter, this is running it on 110v


http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v312/raidmagic/photobucket-69028-1356032957779.mp4

 

I like mine, its not for every cutting job, but in the right circumstances its a Godsend.

I like rramjet's words, "It's nice to have a good friend with one".
Its a tool you don't always need, and you could possibly live without it, but Iam keeping mine.