Landracing Forum
Tech Information => Technical Discussion => Topic started by: Cajun Kid on September 03, 2011, 11:37:24 PM
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I see Eastwood has a Versa-Cut Plasma Cutter for $639.99 and free shipping.
it says easily slices through materials up to 3/8" thick
110v or 220v operation ...40amp output,,, 50% duty cycle at 40amps.
This all seems fine,,, I would be happy if it cuts a clean smooth line in 1/4" steel and aluminum.
Does anyone have any experiance with this machine or welders/cutters from Eastwood ?
Charles
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Miller and Lincoln make machines. The other two big makers are Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics. I'd be tempted to stay with one of those four just because consumables tend to be brand specific and you will go through nozzles and electrodes. Your normal local welding supplier should be able to look after you with one of these brands. My earlier machine was a Thermal Dynamics and I presently have a Hypertherm. I think Hypertherm leads the field at this point in time. Other's opinions may vary but for sure I'd look at sticking with a name brand machine or at least one that uses name brand consumables.
Pete
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Charles,
Short answer to the specific question - no.
I saved a few bucks up front on another brand MIG [new] from another mail order supplier over 20 years ago. I got exactly what I paid for, it's still getting the job done but overall it hasn't given optimum returns on investment with performance, operational costs, and convenience. In making a purchase choice today I would follow PJ's reasoning and advice.
Ed
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I have a Thermal Dynamics for years. Very reasonably priced. I loaned to a friend and his basement flooded leaving it under water. I let it dry out for a month and vola, it worked. That was 3 years ago and it still works strong. At the job we have a couple of Lincolns. They work flawlessly but are much heavier duty and pricier.
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I followed PJ's advice on welders and got a nice Miller Mig so I know he is correct..
I have used the Thermal Dynamics and Miller Plasma cutters and yes they are awesome,,
The prices however are over double the $640 for the Eastwood...
My dilemma is usage... I would not use it very often now,, and not on big jobs,,, just for my little jobs in my home shops... but then again,, I retire on 6/1/2017 and at that time I may be alot busier in the shops...
Oh my!! see my quandary ?
Charles
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I would get a more expensive 1.
it will do a better job and last a lot longer.
and it will be worth
more if I need to sell it.
franey
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Get the best while you still have the cash flow---been there st ill whinning about my DA-CA decision on my tig, that I was not going to use much!!
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There use to be a welding shop in Indiana that sold brand new Miller stuff on ebay for about a third what I could buy it for from my local welding supply. Shipping was free and no state sales tax. Same warranty, etc.
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Listen to PJ. I have had the same experiences as he said. If you can not justify the more expensive machine just rent one when it is needed. Stack up several jobs, rent a machine for the afternoon and have at it!
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I'd rather have a good used name brand machine than a 'no-name' new one.
My Thermal Pak 5 is about 25 yrs old and weighs about 200#. The newer one weighs about 50# and does the same job..better, and uses less juice. A perfect cut usually means perfect tips, cups & electrodes. They're not cheap either.
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Thermal Dynamics has the best consumable support. Not a cheap unit but the best bang for the buck ... you can even dunk them in the pool and when they dry out they still work.
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I have been on this site for about a year and finally feel qualified to respond! I had a Miller and now have a Hyper Therm plaz cutter. Both are great machines, The consumeables on the hyper therm machine seem to last a lot longer. Go with the best machine you can afford. The consumeables and support for repairs are much more inportant than the initial price. A cheap machine that can't be repaired when the inevetable happens will be a source of fruatration.
Marty
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Charles:
I think PJ nailed it. I have had a couple of non-brand name that I bought with the same thing in mind..limited use. With that said, it sits for long periods of time. Mean while Eastwood, Daytona Mig or Lowes decides they will stock a different manufacturer. Now i cant get my consumables locally. I can find consumables for them but they are all mail order which makes me wait if I need something during a project.
I replaced the mig welder with a Miller. The Plasma cutter is next. I will always buy name brand now.
Bill
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One thing to remember is you need DRY air AT THR RIGHT PSI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My boss at the hot rod shop I worked for used to crank up the PSI everytime he used the machine (after I had it set right per the supplier) and burn through consumables. That and a questionable/wet air supply did not help.
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Always buy the best you can afford and hopefully you only have to buy it once.
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If you only need it a few times a year perhaps harming out the work would be the most cost effective. Takes a little more planning.
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I'm with Peter Jack, Hypertherm are at the front of the pack right now. I'm not a welder by trade but i do a lot of welding and fabricating and Ive never had any problems with Hypertherm. In my opinion Hypertherm is the way to go. They have a real strict R&D program they will run it till it breaks, fix the problem and run it again. They'll give it more abuse then anyone in the real life will. Go with the Hypertherm you wont be disappointed.
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Just bought the little Hypertherm (PowerMax 30) unit and am quite happy with it. A few notes.
Thought I would run it on bottled dry nitrogen to avoid any moisture issues. Runs nice, but REALLY used up the nitrogen quickly. Like 20 minutes. Switched over to shop air (with a separate filter/dryer, and haven't noticed any difference in the cut quality.
These cutters make 3 types of cuts. Quality, not so quality, and sever - based on the thickness of the material. This little unit will sever 1/2 steel, but at a speed of 5 inches per minute. So, hold your hand out and then move it one inch while counting 12 seconds - pretty slow. I actually get a little faster than that cut on 1/2, with a finish still better than a torch.
Absolutely walks through 1/4 inch. Quick and clean.
I recommend a guide for any cutting operation. The Kerf is pretty thin, and any wandering of the torch head will show up. (My first few straight cuts wound up looking like a termite track. Putting down a straight edge solved the problem.)
Nice to use. Turn it on and cut away. Much easier than getting out the torch (which I still have and use for any really thick stuff).
FWIW
Thanks,
Jim.
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Thanks Jim,
I was looking at that exact same model... Good info on the sever cut up to 1/2" material,,,, I do not think that I would ever be cutting anything larger than 1/4"... but it is nice to know it can handle thicker material if needed.
Charles
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Charles,
Glad to help. I paid right at $1,100 bucks for it (distributor AirGas). Usual web price I found was around $1,300. You can probably do better if you shop around a bit. I put a secondary pressure regulator just after the filter/dryer (the second one - first is at the compressor) that I mounted right under the unit on a little stand. Has a nice long cord to the torch that reaches almost across my small shop, but unit is light and easy to move. I run mine on 220 'cause that's what I had plumbed for the welder. Comes with an adapter cable for 220. Plug and play.
Uses a lot more air than I expected, compressor runs regularly, I have the secondary regulator set at 75 psi. Cooling air continues to run through the torch for about 30-45 seconds after releasing the trigger. Seems like a long time, but torch will re-fire during this cool-down period. I've made several long cuts (3+ feet) in 3/8 material with no issues. I wear my regular welding goggles.
Thanks,
Jim.
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Surprised Stan din't respond about his close knowledge of an INCREDIBLY inexpensive CNC plasma cutter version soon if not already on the market. YES, CNC! , Yes incredibly inexpensive!
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Surprised Stan din't respond about his close knowledge of an INCREDIBLY inexpensive CNC plasma cutter version soon if not already on the market. YES, CNC! , Yes incredibly inexpensive!
Tell us more..........
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I'm with Rick!!! :-D :-D :-D
Pete
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The electric one?
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The electric one?
Yea tell us about it?
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As the results of this thread I went to my local supplier---they told me about the 80%-20% rule if 80% of my cutting is under 3/8" go with the 30-- if 20% is more than 3/8" buy the 45
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Sparky,,, thanks,,
Charles
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Just when I thought I'd seen everything, along comes a plasma cutter which claim to weld, cut, solder and braze, all in a shoulder pack. And, 120/240 volts. I have to see this.
http://www.multiplaz.com
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Just when I thought I'd seen everything, along comes a plasma cutter which claim to weld, cut, solder and braze, all in a shoulder pack. And, 120/240 volts. I have to see this.
http://www.multiplaz.com
There is a thread on the HAMB about this machine. Chinese. Someone even has one, does not work worth a damn.
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Ahh, the old too good to be true strikes again. I will admit the website had me for a few minutes.