Finally purchased a plasma cutter.

[MikeInOr]

I have been wanting a plasma cutter for more than a few years... more like two decades+ after seeing a friend cut some intricate shapes with his Hypertherm back in the late 90's.

Finally a plasma cutter has come along that checks all my boxes:
Affordable - $405
Powerful - 65 amps
Flexible - 110v / 220v operation
Extendable - Blow back pilot arc start instead of high frequency pilot arc start, in case I ever want to experiment with a CNC plasma cutter some day.

Amazon.com

$405 is really pushing my limits on how much money I am willing to gamble on an unknown company / product. The sparce Amazon reviews are pretty bad but most of the reviews are complaints about not being able to get consumables. The torch is a Chinese clone of an S45 blow back pilot arc torch and the consumables appear to be plentiful. I ordered the YesWelder consumables for this plasma cutter. There are a couple DOA complaints which is concerning but DOA is an easy refund where long term reliability is most concerning and there is no track record here. YesWelder seems to have invested in giving several various internet personalities free units in exchange for reviews. Those are what they are and I know there is a higher than average possibility that I am going to get burned BUT I decided to gamble and give it a try anyway. The amazon 15% off and an Amazon electric coupon for another 10% off makes this a heck of a good deal IF the plasma cutter isn't complete junk. Everywhere else is selling this exact model for $500+.

I remember when both Hobart and Everlast were new brands with no track records and nobody trusted them. But I also remember at least 50 various no name welders and plasma cutters from no name manufactures that have come and gone, never to be seen again.

I am not recommending this deal to anyone BUT thought I would throw it on the board here for members to weigh the risks and make up their own minds. I will post my impressions here when I receive my plasma cutter.

 

[brino]

Mike,

Watching.
Looking forward to your real-world review.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Eddyde]

Wow that sounds like a good deal if it's at least decent quality. Please keep us posted on how it checks out?
I bought an Everest plasma cutter back when they were a bit of a gamble, it was twice that price. So far it has worked well. Yes PC's are pretty awesome, Enjoy!
I think Hobart has been making welders for like a 100 years or so, maybe you are remembering a particular product they introduced?

 

[alloy]

I've been kinda looking for a plasma cutter. Dont really need one, but i never know what ill be doing, so having one would ne nice. I'll be watching this.
Was looking at this one.

JEGS 81545: Plasma Cutter, CUT-40 [20-40 Amp, 110VAC/220VAC] - JEGS

Order a new JEGS plasma cutter online now. The JEGS Cut 40 plasma cutter cuts steel and iron to 3/8-inch. Our 20-40 amp plasma cutter offers professional-grade metal cutting. This JEGS plasma cutter comes with everything you need to start cutting today. Buy your 40 amp plasma cutter for sale...

www.jegs.com

 

[MikeInOr]

I think Hobart has been making welders for like a 100 years or so, maybe you are remembering a particular product they introduced?

Fair enough. 25+ years ago when I purchased my Lincoln MIG the world of my off road buddies was either Miller or Lincoln and Hobart had just brought out a reasonably priced MIG aimed at home users. It was an unknown quantity and said to be a Chinese box not worth buying. I opted to pay more for the tried and proven Lincoln like my buddies had.

My gut feeling is the YesWelder 65DS plasma cutter is discounted to generate some meaningful amazon reviews. Of course it could just be they are going out of business and dumping but that isn't my gut hunch.

My YesWelder welding helmet just came in yesterday and I am VERY impressed with it for the half inch line I ran while testing the helmet. I will post more about it in another thread after I am able to spend some quality welding time with it.

It will be a week before the plasma cutter arrives. I will post about it when it comes in. I am building a mobile base for a big saw and it would be REALLY handy to have a plasma cutter to cut the brackets that the casters will be bolted to. The price, need and features lined up to make me finally jump off the fence and buy a plasma cutter. Other YesWelder boxes are getting good reviews in other forums so I am hoping this box will work well and last. My gut feeling is this price isn't going to last very long.... but all this is just my speculation.

 

[graham-xrf]

Not that I have one (yet!), but when one sees "Non High Frequency arc starting" listed as a feature, in the same title blurb as "Non Touch Pilot Arc", what does all this mean? Why is not having it such a good thing?

Normally, as in TIG, being able to invoke an instant little high frequency very high voltage air arc to start the plasma is a feature that is added at some expense. For us folk who just don't know, it would help if someone could explain a bit.

 

[addertooth]

I have the YesWelder MP200. It does Plasma along with a lot of other processes. So far, it has been solid.
Best of luck with your purchase MikeInOr.

 

[TomWS]

Why is not having it such a good thing?

High frequency start will cause RFI interference to any sensitive electronics. That means computers, cell phones, networks. It means that an HF start plasma cutter can not be used in a CNC system.

Non-touch means that you don't have to touch the tip to bare metal to start the arc (I don't think this kind is even sold any more). The arc will start even when the torch is just outside the edge of metal, the metal is painted, or is held in a CNC plasma cutter and lowered into the work as the cut is begun.

In both cases Non is good.

I'll also add, however, that consumables 'not' available is very very bad. That this '65Amp' cutter doesn't even come with a 65A tip would make me very nervous.

 

[Larry$]

I've also been considering a plasma cutter. I have quite a bit of machine frames to cut. 6, 8, 10 & 12mm thick.
The cheap Chinese ones seem like a gamble. How many machines share the same consumables? When they say 65A what is the duty cycle?
I would need to start through paint. Are drag tips commonly available for all machines? What is needed to be able to blow welds out?

 

[graham-xrf]

High frequency start will cause RFI interference to any sensitive electronics. That means computers, cell phones, networks. It means that a plasma cutter can not be used in a CNC system.

Non-touch means that you don't have to touch the tip to bare metal to start the arc (I don't think this kind is even sold any more). The arc will start even when the torch is just outside the edge of metal, the metal is painted, or is held in a CNC plasma cutter and lowered into the work as the cut is begun.

In both cases Non is good.

I'll also add, however, that consumables 'not' available is very very bad. That this '65Amp' cutter doesn't even come with a 65A tip would make me very nervous.

OK - if that be the received wisdom, then I go along with it, though I still be left with some questions in my head.
Not having enought kit to have it good to go on arrival is a bit awkward! Are the consumable bits a relatively expensive thing, enough to make the difference to a discount offer?

Logically, if HF start is so problematic, then TIG, or maybe any other welding kit, should also give a hard time to electronic stuff, computers etc. TIG welding kit HF start is normally something very desirable, that you pay extra for. I have some separate experience with RF pumped plasma, but it was always completely shielded, being confined to the internals of stainless steel chambers and pipes. No RFI could get out and interfere with anything.

The high frequency spark duration (at least for TIG) is only microseconds, sufficient to start the arc without the need to touch. My welder, not being so fancy as having HF start has something called "LIFT TIG", You don't actually have to "scratch" the tip. It has some electronic scheme to detect the tip is touching, and limits the current. I am thinking one would have the very same problems of phone and computer interference from ordinary TIG welding anyway.

If you don't have to touch, and it starts even through paint, and the gap is more than a few thousandths, then the only way I know that happens is a spark arc is persuaded to jump the gap. It takes about 3000 Volts per mm, but normally about half that in high humidity, and from pointy shapes. That would be lethal if anything like DC. It has to be high frequency, and capacitive coupled. Once frequency gets above 500kHz, you can conduct it over the outside of your body, and not feel a thing! Only the local heat from the ionized air can hurt you, which is why, when I tried it, I let the end of a screwdriver in my hand take it. Madmen who play with Tesla coils can show this off, but you might have already come across one of those decorative glass "plasma globe" toys you put your hand on to see the pretty arcs. That is the kind of arc of the sort used to start welding arcs, except the welding is at normal air pressure.



In TIG kit, there is a HF frequency blocking filter in the lead circuits. It is a formidable choke coil construction, to prevent the kilovolts transient of arc (start) voltage from destroying the MOSFET, or IGBT switching semiconductors in the welder, while still permitting high DC current to flow. Just take off the case, and follow the main leads wires to get a look. I guess that's not the same thing as stopping interference.

I still don't know enough of the detail about the electrical mechanism of how a plasma cutting setup works. Allowing one also needs a seriously capable air supply, the speed and ease with which it happens is attractive, but I don't think I will divert my bandsaw savings fund just yet.