I asked this same question a little more than a year ago. The problem
with these machines is that you can't find parts for them. Plasma
cutters use consumable parts that wear out with use. Electrodes,
nozzles, etc. cannot be found for many of these machines.
Thermal Dynamics and Hypertherm seem to be the most recommended
machines. I have a firepower fp-18 (made by thermal dynamics, sold as
the drag-gun) and it works great on sheet metal and is 110v (so it's
portable with a built in compressor)
Hobart (Miller) also makes a decent machine that you can get
consumables for readily. If you want a plasma cutter to cut steel
thicker than .125", you will want a 220v machine that you will attach
air to. Either way you're going to be spending $600-$1300. roughly for
something that will work well and have consumables available.
Good luck,
walt

xray wrote:
I've been thinking about buying a Plasma cutter.

Are the cheaper ones on eBay any good. What is the minimum this group
would recommend? Anyone have a good place to suggest to order from
outside of CA? (Don't tell Arnold, but tax hurts.)

If I have re-done a common thread, my apologies. Any comments on the
subject are appreciated.


Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics are the two most recommended here.
They're serious machines, repairable, and easy to find consummables for.

John

I just bought a 220v Thermal Dynamics for $415 on eBay. This is my third
plasma cutter - I sold the other two because I couldn't easily get the
consumables. Hobart, Miller, Hypertherm, Thermal Dynamics are the big
names. Essentially, the number you need to look at is the output amperage.
You do know you need a fairly good compressor as well, right? The very
light 110v ones with the internal compressors are mostly for HVAC work,
cutting very thin ductwork, so unless that is your need, go for the biggest
output amperage from a name brand...


"JohnM" wrote in message
m...
xray wrote:
I've been thinking about buying a Plasma cutter.

Are the cheaper ones on eBay any good. What is the minimum this group
would recommend? Anyone have a good place to suggest to order from
outside of CA? (Don't tell Arnold, but tax hurts.)

If I have re-done a common thread, my apologies. Any comments on the
subject are appreciated.


Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics are the two most recommended here. They're
serious machines, repairable, and easy to find consummables for.

John

JohnM wrote:

xray wrote:

I've been thinking about buying a Plasma cutter.

Are the cheaper ones on eBay any good. What is the minimum this group
would recommend? Anyone have a good place to suggest to order from
outside of CA? (Don't tell Arnold, but tax hurts.)

If I have re-done a common thread, my apologies. Any comments on the
subject are appreciated.


Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics are the two most recommended here.
They're serious machines, repairable, and easy to find consummables for.

John
I agree. I have a Hypertherm Powermax600 and a new 50ft ST60 torch
(added #4 Gnd cable to extend...) Have the fine cut kit and a nice box
of replacements for the new torch. Hypertherm ships upon order - I have
what I want at my local dealer in 3 days.

Pick one that you can get parts either by local or web source. Low price
machines might be the failing - only having parts in the box and nothing else
fits. The sizes and spacing is very specific and there are warnings
not to mix one set with another.

Martin

--
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

Hi am in Australia. School wshop I work in has a 240v basic plasma unit. Our medium size 240v compressor won't drive it too well. Saw local trade school. Plugged it into their mega compressor and it went like a dream!Like chalk and cheese.
Visited a contact at welder repair shop. His comments?1) Clean air ( use medical grade regulators/ filters. 2) Lots of air. He suggested a compressed air bottle from gas supplier as an alternative. For school use he said it would run for months. An auxillary air tank may help with more reserve too.
3) COLD air. He has set plasmas up to run pipes thru a "temprite " ie a beer cooler unit. With cold air he said maximum cutting thickness will increase markedly. Large industrial plasma cutters run refrigerated air.
Hope this is of help guys.

On Sat, 28 May 2005 18:47:08 GMT, "Emmo" wrote:

I just bought a 220v Thermal Dynamics for $415 on eBay. This is my third
plasma cutter - I sold the other two because I couldn't easily get the
consumables. Hobart, Miller, Hypertherm, Thermal Dynamics are the big
names. Essentially, the number you need to look at is the output amperage.
You do know you need a fairly good compressor as well, right? The very
light 110v ones with the internal compressors are mostly for HVAC work,
cutting very thin ductwork, so unless that is your need, go for the biggest
output amperage from a name brand...


A question..cant you simply plumb the cheapies for use with outside
compressed air?

Gunner


"JohnM" wrote in message
om...
xray wrote:
I've been thinking about buying a Plasma cutter.

Are the cheaper ones on eBay any good. What is the minimum this group
would recommend? Anyone have a good place to suggest to order from
outside of CA? (Don't tell Arnold, but tax hurts.)

If I have re-done a common thread, my apologies. Any comments on the
subject are appreciated.


Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics are the two most recommended here. They're
serious machines, repairable, and easy to find consummables for.

John


"Considering the events of recent years,
the world has a long way to go to regain
its credibility and reputation with the US."
unknown

On Sun, 29 May 2005 11:34:48 +0100, nick moore
wrote:


lionslair at consolidated dot net Wrote:
JohnM wrote:
-
xray wrote:
-
I've been thinking about buying a Plasma cutter.

Are the cheaper ones on eBay any good. What is the minimum this group
would recommend? Anyone have a good place to suggest to order from
outside of CA? (Don't tell Arnold, but tax hurts.)

If I have re-done a common thread, my apologies. Any comments on the
subject are appreciated.
-

Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics are the two most recommended here.
They're serious machines, repairable, and easy to find consummables
for.

John-
I agree. I have a Hypertherm Powermax600 and a new 50ft ST60 torch
(added #4 Gnd cable to extend...) Have the fine cut kit and a nice
box
of replacements for the new torch. Hypertherm ships upon order - I
have
what I want at my local dealer in 3 days.

Pick one that you can get parts either by local or web source. Low
price
machines might be the failing - only having parts in the box and
nothing else
fits. The sizes and spacing is very specific and there are warnings
not to mix one set with another.

Martin

--
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot
net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption
=----
Hi am in Australia. School wshop I work in has a 240v basic plasma
unit. Our medium size 240v compressor won't drive it too well. Saw
local trade school. Plugged it into their mega compressor and it went
like a dream!Like chalk and cheese.
Visited a contact at welder repair shop. His comments?1) Clean air (
use medical grade regulators/ filters. 2) Lots of air. He suggested a
compressed air bottle from gas supplier as an alternative. For school
use he said it would run for months. An auxillary air tank may help
with more reserve too.
3) COLD air. He has set plasmas up to run pipes thru a "temprite " ie a
beer cooler unit. With cold air he said maximum cutting thickness will
increase markedly. Large industrial plasma cutters run refrigerated
air.
Hope this is of help guys.

Some of the early plasma cutters used nitrogen from tanks. Would this
be a viable solution?

Gunner

"Considering the events of recent years,
the world has a long way to go to regain
its credibility and reputation with the US."
unknown

Gunner wrote:

On Sun, 29 May 2005 11:34:48 +0100, nick moore
wrote:


lionslair at consolidated dot net Wrote:

JohnM wrote:
-
xray wrote:
-
I've been thinking about buying a Plasma cutter.

Are the cheaper ones on eBay any good. What is the minimum this group
would recommend? Anyone have a good place to suggest to order from
outside of CA? (Don't tell Arnold, but tax hurts.)

If I have re-done a common thread, my apologies. Any comments on the
subject are appreciated.
-

Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics are the two most recommended here.
They're serious machines, repairable, and easy to find consummables
for.

John-
I agree. I have a Hypertherm Powermax600 and a new 50ft ST60 torch
(added #4 Gnd cable to extend...) Have the fine cut kit and a nice
box
of replacements for the new torch. Hypertherm ships upon order - I
have
what I want at my local dealer in 3 days.

Pick one that you can get parts either by local or web source. Low
price
machines might be the failing - only having parts in the box and
nothing else
fits. The sizes and spacing is very specific and there are warnings
not to mix one set with another.

Martin

--
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot
net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption
=----

Hi am in Australia. School wshop I work in has a 240v basic plasma
unit. Our medium size 240v compressor won't drive it too well. Saw
local trade school. Plugged it into their mega compressor and it went
like a dream!Like chalk and cheese.
Visited a contact at welder repair shop. His comments?1) Clean air (
use medical grade regulators/ filters. 2) Lots of air. He suggested a
compressed air bottle from gas supplier as an alternative. For school
use he said it would run for months. An auxillary air tank may help
with more reserve too.
3) COLD air. He has set plasmas up to run pipes thru a "temprite " ie a
beer cooler unit. With cold air he said maximum cutting thickness will
increase markedly. Large industrial plasma cutters run refrigerated
air.
Hope this is of help guys.


Some of the early plasma cutters used nitrogen from tanks. Would this
be a viable solution?

Gunner

"Considering the events of recent years,
the world has a long way to go to regain
its credibility and reputation with the US."
unknown
I got a cart for mine that holds a 9" bottle just in case I go that route.
So far, running a mechanical dryer and a filter - both pick up water in the route.
I'm double checking, I purge the first at the compressor tank through a double valve
set - isolate the tank and back feed pressure from the line/filter to dump the
water out the bottom outlet that has a muffler.
I just bought a much larger mechanical water filter - if that doesn't pull out I'll go
redneck and do a stand pipe with exit near the top (not all the way up) and entrance
1/4 way up - allowing water pool for drainage in a bottom valve.
Normally it is a steel pipe that is welded over top and bottom, holes cut and tapped...

I was thinking of a bronze one - or a brass one - but the cost might be high.
It would be a TIG or brazing would be just fine also.

Gosh, running a beer cooler so close to the plasma cutter - that might be a source
of Aluminum!

Martin

--
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

The seller 'totalcloseout' is a scammer for sure. He advertised a plasma
cutter as working, but it turned out to not have a torch. Although I have
perfect feedback of 105, eBay took his side and now I have a 'strike'
against me. He goes by another name as well, which I forget, but both are
from Lebanon Tn. DO NOT BUY FROM HIM!

My approach does have one secret - I search for 'plazma'. This misspelling
means a lot of searches will miss it. Otherwise I bid on all of the ones I
like, at the maximum I want to pay, and wait. I do not snipe nor do I raise
my bid over what I want to pay. Eventually, I win one. All three of my
plasma cutters were purchased for less than $550 including shipping to
Texas. The one I just got is a keeper. It is only 20 amps, but it is
cutting what I want to cut, tubing mostly, for furniture, rod and 16 gauge
for sculpture.

If I were to go Chinese, I would pay $499 to Harbor Freight, many of the
Chinese ones on eBay are HF units being resold for more. The Smith one you
looked at was a good deal I thought, I assumed Smith was the same Smith that
makes torches, but I don't know.

Again, the important thing is availability of consumables, so just Google
the model and see if the aftermarket suppliers stock the electrodes, tips,
etc. for that model. My personal experience says stick with the brand
names. I do have a lot of patience, it took 8 months of bidding and buying
these three cutters to end up with the one I have. I would say that at $800
you can buy whatever you want pretty quick, at $550 is takes a long time -
is that incremental $250 important to you? It was to me.

Good luck!

"xray" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 May 2005 18:47:08 GMT, "Emmo" wrote:

I just bought a 220v Thermal Dynamics for $415 on eBay. This is my third
plasma cutter - I sold the other two because I couldn't easily get the
consumables. Hobart, Miller, Hypertherm, Thermal Dynamics are the big
names. Essentially, the number you need to look at is the output
amperage.
You do know you need a fairly good compressor as well, right? The very
light 110v ones with the internal compressors are mostly for HVAC work,
cutting very thin ductwork, so unless that is your need, go for the
biggest
output amperage from a name brand...


Ok. Been watching eBay for quite a few days. Think I spotted and
reported one scam in the Plasma Cutter sales so far.

I gotta ask... What sort of Thermal Dynamics cutter did you get for
$415? Assuming it was decent, I must then assume you had great patience
or great luck.

I want some of that. Any secrets?

This guy has a good sales pitch for a non-brand cutter.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0431 026&rd=1

Says he stocks consumable parts. Anybody care to comment on why (or not)
this is a bad idea?

Just passed on a "Smith" cutter that was near-by. Googled and couldn't
figure out who Smith was. A few sites mentioned the product, but I never
found who or where or when Smith was. Hmm, will I be ****ed when I hear
the answer, considering I am thinking of going Chinese?

"Totalcloseout" uses the name "Biddintime" as well - THIS GUY IS A CHEAT!

"Emmo" wrote in message
...
The seller 'totalcloseout' is a scammer for sure. He advertised a plasma
cutter as working, but it turned out to not have a torch. Although I have
perfect feedback of 105, eBay took his side and now I have a 'strike'
against me. He goes by another name as well, which I forget, but both are
from Lebanon Tn. DO NOT BUY FROM HIM!

My approach does have one secret - I search for 'plazma'. This
misspelling means a lot of searches will miss it. Otherwise I bid on all
of the ones I like, at the maximum I want to pay, and wait. I do not
snipe nor do I raise my bid over what I want to pay. Eventually, I win
one. All three of my plasma cutters were purchased for less than $550
including shipping to Texas. The one I just got is a keeper. It is only
20 amps, but it is cutting what I want to cut, tubing mostly, for
furniture, rod and 16 gauge for sculpture.

If I were to go Chinese, I would pay $499 to Harbor Freight, many of the
Chinese ones on eBay are HF units being resold for more. The Smith one you
looked at was a good deal I thought, I assumed Smith was the same Smith
that makes torches, but I don't know.

Again, the important thing is availability of consumables, so just Google
the model and see if the aftermarket suppliers stock the electrodes, tips,
etc. for that model. My personal experience says stick with the brand
names. I do have a lot of patience, it took 8 months of bidding and
buying these three cutters to end up with the one I have. I would say
that at $800 you can buy whatever you want pretty quick, at $550 is takes
a long time - is that incremental $250 important to you? It was to me.

Good luck!

"xray" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 May 2005 18:47:08 GMT, "Emmo" wrote:

I just bought a 220v Thermal Dynamics for $415 on eBay. This is my third
plasma cutter - I sold the other two because I couldn't easily get the
consumables. Hobart, Miller, Hypertherm, Thermal Dynamics are the big
names. Essentially, the number you need to look at is the output
amperage.
You do know you need a fairly good compressor as well, right? The very
light 110v ones with the internal compressors are mostly for HVAC work,
cutting very thin ductwork, so unless that is your need, go for the
biggest
output amperage from a name brand...


Ok. Been watching eBay for quite a few days. Think I spotted and
reported one scam in the Plasma Cutter sales so far.

I gotta ask... What sort of Thermal Dynamics cutter did you get for
$415? Assuming it was decent, I must then assume you had great patience
or great luck.

I want some of that. Any secrets?

This guy has a good sales pitch for a non-brand cutter.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0431 026&rd=1

Says he stocks consumable parts. Anybody care to comment on why (or not)
this is a bad idea?

Just passed on a "Smith" cutter that was near-by. Googled and couldn't
figure out who Smith was. A few sites mentioned the product, but I never
found who or where or when Smith was. Hmm, will I be ****ed when I hear
the answer, considering I am thinking of going Chinese?

Emmo wrote:
"Totalcloseout" uses the name "Biddintime" as well - THIS GUY IS A CHEAT!

"Emmo" ... wrote ...
The seller 'totalcloseout' is a scammer for sure. He advertised a plasma
cutter as working, but it turned out to not have a torch. Although I have
perfect feedback of 105, eBay took his side and now I have a 'strike'
against me. He goes by another name as well, which I forget, but both are
from Lebanon Tn. DO NOT BUY FROM HIM!
....

Or her. The "Seller's payment instructions" for totalcloseout and
for biddin-time (rather than Biddintime) are the same, with checks
going to Terri Stone in Mount Juliet, TN.

totalcloseout and biddin-time together have 20 negatives in
the past month, and 189 overall, which is a lot, even in the
context of about 19000 feedbacks in the past two years.

Have to blame the buyer in some of the negative cases -- who in
their right mind would bid $61 on a used cheap bandsaw with $90
shipping? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?item=4378555673

Also note the long strings of positive feedbacks from one user with
the same terse comment. Then farter down another long string of
positives from another user with another repeated short comment.
And so on...

-C


James Waldby wrote:
Emmo wrote:

"Totalcloseout" uses the name "Biddintime" as well - THIS GUY IS A CHEAT!

"Emmo" ... wrote ...

The seller 'totalcloseout' is a scammer for sure. He advertised a plasma
cutter as working, but it turned out to not have a torch. Although I have
perfect feedback of 105, eBay took his side and now I have a 'strike'
against me. He goes by another name as well, which I forget, but both are
from Lebanon Tn. DO NOT BUY FROM HIM!

...

Or her. The "Seller's payment instructions" for totalcloseout and
for biddin-time (rather than Biddintime) are the same, with checks
going to Terri Stone in Mount Juliet, TN.

totalcloseout and biddin-time together have 20 negatives in
the past month, and 189 overall, which is a lot, even in the
context of about 19000 feedbacks in the past two years.

Have to blame the buyer in some of the negative cases -- who in
their right mind would bid $61 on a used cheap bandsaw with $90
shipping? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?item=4378555673

Emmo

Had a look at 'totalcloseout' looks like he's shill bidding.... you may know
what it it but for those who dont here is ebays definition:

"Shill bidding is the deliberate use of secondary registrations, aliases,
family members, friends, or associates to artificially drive up the bid
price of an item. Shill bidding undermines trust in the community is
strictly forbidden on eBay. eBay members found shill bidding may receive
warnings or indefinite suspensions of their accounts."
If you take a look at this page you can see that this may be the case.... as
each bid by 731225e seems to have clocked the last bid on 39 items exactly
half an hour before the bidding is due to end and all of the bids were
ending at the same time.... now it doesn't take a genius to guess.... but it
looks a bit suspiscious to me!!

Take a look and you decide perhaps it might be another piece of ammo you
could use!!

http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayIS...&iid=-1&de=off

Regards

Craig UK


"Emmo" wrote in message
...
The seller 'totalcloseout' is a scammer for sure. He advertised a plasma
cutter as working, but it turned out to not have a torch. Although I have
perfect feedback of 105, eBay took his side and now I have a 'strike'
against me. He goes by another name as well, which I forget, but both are
from Lebanon Tn. DO NOT BUY FROM HIM!

My approach does have one secret - I search for 'plazma'. This
misspelling
means a lot of searches will miss it. Otherwise I bid on all of the ones
I
like, at the maximum I want to pay, and wait. I do not snipe nor do I
raise
my bid over what I want to pay. Eventually, I win one. All three of my
plasma cutters were purchased for less than $550 including shipping to
Texas. The one I just got is a keeper. It is only 20 amps, but it is
cutting what I want to cut, tubing mostly, for furniture, rod and 16 gauge
for sculpture.

If I were to go Chinese, I would pay $499 to Harbor Freight, many of the
Chinese ones on eBay are HF units being resold for more. The Smith one you
looked at was a good deal I thought, I assumed Smith was the same Smith
that
makes torches, but I don't know.

Again, the important thing is availability of consumables, so just Google
the model and see if the aftermarket suppliers stock the electrodes, tips,
etc. for that model. My personal experience says stick with the brand
names. I do have a lot of patience, it took 8 months of bidding and
buying
these three cutters to end up with the one I have. I would say that at
$800
you can buy whatever you want pretty quick, at $550 is takes a long time -
is that incremental $250 important to you? It was to me.

Good luck!

"xray" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 May 2005 18:47:08 GMT, "Emmo" wrote:

I just bought a 220v Thermal Dynamics for $415 on eBay. This is my
third
plasma cutter - I sold the other two because I couldn't easily get the
consumables. Hobart, Miller, Hypertherm, Thermal Dynamics are the big
names. Essentially, the number you need to look at is the output
amperage.
You do know you need a fairly good compressor as well, right? The very
light 110v ones with the internal compressors are mostly for HVAC work,
cutting very thin ductwork, so unless that is your need, go for the
biggest
output amperage from a name brand...


Ok. Been watching eBay for quite a few days. Think I spotted and
reported one scam in the Plasma Cutter sales so far.

I gotta ask... What sort of Thermal Dynamics cutter did you get for
$415? Assuming it was decent, I must then assume you had great patience
or great luck.

I want some of that. Any secrets?

This guy has a good sales pitch for a non-brand cutter.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0431 026&rd=1

Says he stocks consumable parts. Anybody care to comment on why (or not)
this is a bad idea?

Just passed on a "Smith" cutter that was near-by. Googled and couldn't
figure out who Smith was. A few sites mentioned the product, but I never
found who or where or when Smith was. Hmm, will I be ****ed when I hear
the answer, considering I am thinking of going Chinese?

On Fri, 10 Jun 2005 16:22:51 +0100, Two and a Half wrote:
Emmo

Had a look at 'totalcloseout' looks like he's shill bidding.... you may know
what it it but for those who dont here is ebays definition:

For the sake of the rest of the eBay community, please forward your
suspicions and the evidence for same to eBay's Safe Harbor. They frown
on shilling.

Will do


"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 10 Jun 2005 16:22:51 +0100, Two and a Half
wrote:
Emmo

Had a look at 'totalcloseout' looks like he's shill bidding.... you may
know
what it it but for those who dont here is ebays definition:

For the sake of the rest of the eBay community, please forward your
suspicions and the evidence for same to eBay's Safe Harbor. They frown
on shilling.