Plasma cutter options

Bang for the Buck who makes the best? Buggy stuff so 1/4" max prolly mostly 1/8" material and sheet metal . I see Lotus all over Amazon but know nothing about em. Also looked at Eastwood . Lincoln Miller etc. huge price difference between them . Advice ?

I got an Everlast plasma b/c the welder I got from them is awesome sauce.

The plasma.... well sucks basically. It gets the job done but isn't very clean or smooth. The torch has an awkward button on the top instead of a trigger and your hand cramps during the first cut.

The only other plasma I have use was a Hypertherm 30 (I believe it was just the 30 model) and that was the

I have a Lotos 60 amp. I had to get a better ground clamp and a better standoff for the torch but it will cut 1/4 like butter. Fairly new to me so can't testify for any long term durability but so far for the money its great.

I've had a hypertherm plasma for about eleven years and really like it. The guy who sells Lincoln welders actually recommended it to me. He said it was cheaper to buy and the consumables last longer

I have an Eastwood 60 amp. I have cut 7/8" with it. It's a mean mofo for the money. It died once. They sent me a return shipping label, I sent it back and had the new one within a week. Good folks to deal with. If your not looking to spend 1500$ on one its a good option.

Just started looking at Plasma Cutters recently. I could use one and the time it would save me. Came across this and thought......these can't be the best of 16, just a marketing ploy on what they are trying to sell. Any thoughts on this piece of a web article?

http://top5-reviews.com/best-plasma-cutter-reviews/

I think beerj bought the same one I have too. Maybe he can chime in.

That I did. The only issue I've had is the pilot arc is kinda sputtery now. But once you start the cut it runs great. I've cut through several inch thick pieces of cast iron using a gouging technique. Definitely worth the money imo.

The lotus seems dirt cheap but had good reviews . My conscience tells me no but wallet tells me yes! I wouldn't use it a ton. But for instance I just built a stainless fuel cell outta 14 gauge and used a grinder and cut off wheels to cut all the material. A plasma woulda made light work of it.

I've had the Eastwood 60 for a year and a half now and it has always worked great. Make sure to keep the nozzle clean and to keep an eye on it and the electrode for wear and change it out before it ruins the air diffuser and other stuff. The consumables were more expensive than I expected but this is the only plasma cutter I've owned and bought them for so no comparison to the cost of others.

Lotus LTP5000D here. The First unit took a dump on me after a few months. They charged me $100 for a "warranty fee". The new one works pretty good. I've cut up to 1/2" thick with it, but works best on 1/4 and lower. Seems to go through consumables when doing demo, but keeping them clean is key. They are also fairly expensive. If I could do it again, I would buy a quality smaller Miller machine and keep my torch for demo and breaking loose nuts and bolts.

Hypertherm is the leader in plasma cutters.

If your wanting to cut only 1/4" you need a machine that will cut up to 1/2. If not you will not be making the cuts your are expecting to get with a plasma cutter.

wont work said:

Hypertherm is the leader in plasma cutters.

If your wanting to cut only 1/4" you need a machine that will cut up to 1/2. If not you will not be making the cuts your are expecting to get with a plasma cutter.

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^^^ What he said. That's why I went with the 60 amp that's rated to cut 7/8" steel. I knew 1/4 and 3/8" would be the majority of what I would be cutting so I wanted the overkill that would give me clean cuts on the thicknesses I would be cutting.

I originally had a Miller and the main board went out, $900. So, I looked and asked around and now have a Hyprertherm 45. Works great both as a hand held and on my 2x2 Torchmate table.

Hypertherm is best of the best. I was at Lincoln a few months ago and got to use there tomahawk? Series stuff and it was nice running equipment. If your looking at stuff from Amazon etc. Make sure you can get consumables from a local supplier. Nothing like needing new tips and have to order them online.

Love love love my Hypertherm Powermax 65. my only suggestion is buy the biggest one you can afford and go bigger than you think you will ever use. I should have bought a 105.

We have a Northern Plasma 375 that gets used a lot in the body shop, this little unit cuts like nobody's business!! I used it on my buggy build and cuts 1/4 like butter. It also has a 3 year unconditional use return if you run over it they replace it. My first try at a CHEAP tool and it has paid off. You can catch them on sale for under 500. All consumables easy to get. My 2 cents.

Hypertherm 30 had it for 5 years. Never had a problem.

I've had my Hobart for almost 10 years now and still going strong

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Rocking the eastwood 60...good tool for the $ just can't ever combine it to a plasma table..