New Powermax 30

[Eric106]

I just placed the order for my new Powermax 30 and so will be anxiously waiting for the UPS truck this week. As I mentioned before (http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?p=565900#post565900), I decided to go with the 30 because I really need the ability to operate from 120v power at times. I've been eying up scrap steel everywhere I go so I don't cut up too much of my good stock.

As I said in my other post, reading back through all Jim Colt's many posts from the last few years was more than a little influential in my decision to go with Hyperthem. Jim, thanks again for all your support.

-Eric

[WeldingMachine]

Grats, I have one too, & love it!:drinkup:

[welderShane]

I got one in august and its a great little machine! You will love it!

[jimcolt]

Eric,

Thank you for buying the Hypertherm.....from all of the employee-owners of Hypertherm. There are a lot of choices out there....and Hypertherm is not the cheapest.....but we will stand behind the product, and we will guarantee that is will be the best performing, most reliable system in it's class.

Don't cut all your metal up into scrap....post some pics!


Jim Colt Hypertherm


I just placed the order for my new Powermax 30 and so will be anxiously waiting for the UPS truck this week. As I mentioned before (http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?p=565900#post565900), I decided to go with the 30 because I really need the ability to operate from 120v power at times. I've been eying up scrap steel everywhere I go so I don't cut up too much of my good stock.

As I said in my other post, reading back through all Jim Colt's many posts from the last few years was more than a little influential in my decision to go with Hyperthem. Jim, thanks again for all your support.

-Eric

[Eric106]

Thanks everyone, especially Jim. I got the UPS tracking number and I might get it before the weekend but I'm not sure.

I decided to go with the regular Powermax 30 instead of the deluxe package. I was originally planning to get the deluxe model because I wanted the case. However, after reading several peoples' comments and finding some better pictures of the case I decided against it. It appears to suffer from the same design flaw of many power tool cases, there is not enough usable room for the cord. Not to say that the cord or cords in this case won't fit, they obviously will since they came packed in there. The problem is it takes too much time and effort to coil, fold, and/or stuff the cord back in the spot designed for it. Even if you do take the time to put it back in correctly every time the cord ends up with a lot of kinks from getting wound or folded up so tight all the time. Which leads to tangled cords at best or frayed and broken cords at worst.

This seems to be a common problem with almost all power tool cases. My angle grinder, drill, and circular saw are all several I can think of right now that suffer from this problem. I have not seen one personally but I have read several people say the Miller X-Case design works quite well. I'll have to look around for a case or tool box that the Powermax 30 will fit in without kinking the cords up too bad. Let me know if anybody has come across one that works well.

-Eric

[Eric106]

Well, I got my UPS package today and had a chance to at least open it this evening but I probably won't be able to try it out till the weekend. After looking it over for a while though I must admit I have mixed feelings.

Over all it looks pretty good and I do not see any defects in the workmanship. It feels solid, the fold out cord hangers are well thought out and a good designed. I like the way the dual-voltage plug works with a standard NEMA twist lock plug and adapters. The tapered torch head looks like it will make cutting in tight spots much easier than the older style cylindrical heads.

However, I must say I'm really disappointed in the ground clamp and ground lead. The clamp looks and feels like it is for a set of cheap jumper cables. It is not a normal welding ground clamp. The ground lead is made from number 12 stranded house wire. To be fair it is also rated as MTW so I think it is technically acceptable. But, it is not made from welding cable. It is not the nice flexible fine stranded twist free wire with the heavy durable rubber insulation I was expecting. It is plain old 19 strand wire like would be used inside of a piece of equipment.

Everything I've read about the R&D, the product development, the quality and reliability of Hypertherm products as well as the moral and ethical values of the company has been outstanding -- far above most companies. So it actually pains me that I feel like they cut a corner, or at least tried to save a little money, on the ground lead and clamp. I'm actually surprised I have not read any other comments about it.

I'm starting to wondering if maybe I should have gone with the Miller 625 Extreme. My only two concerns with it are that it uses a lot more air and whether the quality of the torch and consumables are as good. It does look like they just redesigned the torch recently -- actually it looks like a newer Hypertherm torch. The benefits are it has more capacity when run on 240v but is still able to run on 120v when needed, has a better case, a good quality ground lead & clamp, has gouge tips and I would imagine Miller's power supply is probably comparable in terms of quality.

I hope I made the right choice but since I haven't actually used this one yet so I am seriously considering sending it back for the Miller. I really want to like the Powermax 30 but I'm just wondering if I'm going to regret not getting the Miller 625 later.

-Eric

[jimcolt]

Eric,

The work ground clamp and wire as used on the Powermax45 is properly designed...and does not use wire that is used for household wiring...rather it is an industrially rated cbale designed and used for the correct application. Remember that the Powermax30 has a 30 amp output....the clamp itself is rated for 100 amps, and the wire is properly rated for the voltage and current that it carries.

The Powermax 30 has a newer torch design as compared to the Miller torch (which is a Hypertherm designed and manufactured torch). The Powermax30 torch was designed with superior cooling, better front end visibility, as well as about a 40% improvement in consumable life. Hypertherm used a torch smilar to the Miller design on its older Powermax350 and Powermax380 plasma systems.

While the work ground clamp is more than adequate on your Powermax30....there is no reason why you cannot replace it with the cable and clamp of your choice.

I have forwarded your comments to Hypertherm's "voice of the Customer" program for review.


Best regards, Jim Colt

[tpierce]

I've had my Powermax 30 for 1-1/2" years. I've used it primarily to cut out the keel and bad plating on my boat, and cutting new steel to replace everything. I've always run it on 230V and it's done a great job. Last night, I had to cut 45lf of 14 gauge stainless with it in my garage, and I had to use 120V. It did a great job, although I had to watch the duty cycle because the breaker for that circuit was only 15 amp. (I'm rewiring the 230V service in my garage and re-routing the circuit) I was impressed! It's very nice to have a machine with dual voltage capability. You can't go wrong with PM30. Incidentally, I too thought the ground wire was too small and fragile, but I've had no problem with it after hauling it all over that 40' boat, inside and out.

[Eric106]

Jim,

I appreciate your input and I hope I didn't come off as too negative. I have come to have a lot of respect for Hypertherm as a company and for you as one of their best spokesmen.

I took a closer look at the ground lead wire and realized I was a little off. It is number 12 THHW or MTW rated wire. It is tinned stranded copper wire with what looks like 37 or 49 strands. So you are correct it is not house wiring which would have THHN or THWN insulation and is untinned wire normally made from 19 strands. But it is still machine tool wire generally used on the inside of equipment not the outside. I'm sure your engineers (and lawyers) have verified that it fully meets all requirements for this application and your testing and validation has proved it works correctly with no issues.

I still feel it is a bit sub-par for this application. Equipment lead wires that are meant to be routinely handled and repositioned, weather they be thin instrument test leads or heavy welding cables, are usually made from a fine strand wire (30 or 34 AWG typically for welding cable) with up to hundreds or thousands of stands for heavy cables and covered with flexible rubber (EPDM, EPM, EPR) insulation (or nowadays silicone rubber for test instrument leads). This provides the lead much greater flexibility and durability as well as much less tendency to twist or kink. Similarly, I'm sure the ground clamp is perfectly adequate but not what it could be. I don't know what every manufacturer uses but I believe Miller uses at least number 6 welding cable and regular welding ground clamps on all but maybe their very bottom end units. It may be overkill from a technical perspective but from a usability and durability perspective it seems more appropriate. I guess I was expecting the same from Hypertherm and was disappointed when it was less. I had thought that if I keep the Powermax 30 I may upgrade the ground lead and clamp, just as you had said.

Jim, you stated the Powermax 30 has a newer torch design than the Miller but are you sure you are comparing it to the newer XT40 torch on the recently updated Spectrum 625X-TREME? I am curious how the T30v torch on the PM30 compares to the new XT40 torch on the 625X. Does Hypertherm make the XT40 torch for Miller? If so what can you tell me about it? I know Hypertherm generally has the most recent technology in their torch designs but the T30v is about what, 4 or 5 years old now and the XT40 looks like a brand new design. Given the age difference, is it still true that the T30v is a technically superior torch to the XT40? I think my biggest concern about switching to the Miller 625X is it's higher air consumption requirements. I will have to inquire with Miller if they can tell me what the air consumption rate is when using the 30 amp consumables. It should be less then the published spec which is probably for 40 amp tips.

I'm still very much on the fence as to what to do. Hypertherm definitely has the best reputation which counts for a lot but the Miller unit is a newer design which seems to have better features. I do realize that comparing the Powermax 30 to the Spectrum 625X-TREME is comparing two different classes of machines. However, the Powermax45 cannot operate on 120v power like the 625X can. If it did I would probably be trying to decide between the PM45 and the 625X. It's a close call and I must say that in the last 36 hours I have probably gone back and forth about three times on which one I was going get/keep.

Thanks again Jim for all your help to me and everyone here. If you would add my slight retraction and clarification to the "voice of the Customer" program to go along with my original comments I would appreciate it.


-Eric


P.S. Pierce, thanks for your input -- I'm glad I'm not the only one that was thinking the ground lead was a little iffy.



Eric,

The work ground clamp and wire as used on the Powermax45 is properly designed...and does not use wire that is used for household wiring...rather it is an industrially rated cbale designed and used for the correct application. Remember that the Powermax30 has a 30 amp output....the clamp itself is rated for 100 amps, and the wire is properly rated for the voltage and current that it carries.

The Powermax 30 has a newer torch design as compared to the Miller torch (which is a Hypertherm designed and manufactured torch). The Powermax30 torch was designed with superior cooling, better front end visibility, as well as about a 40% improvement in consumable life. Hypertherm used a torch smilar to the Miller design on its older Powermax350 and Powermax380 plasma systems.

While the work ground clamp is more than adequate on your Powermax30....there is no reason why you cannot replace it with the cable and clamp of your choice.

I have forwarded your comments to Hypertherm's "voice of the Customer" program for review.


Best regards, Jim Colt

[Thats Hot]

Just buy one each, as they are small. And when goes bad , just fire up the other and keep on cutting. It is like having a TV in each room just do it......

[Eric106]

Just buy one each, as they are small. And when goes bad , just fire up the other and keep on cutting. It is like having a TV in each room just do it......

Nice thought but I don't think so. I wish there was somewhere I could demo them both side by side and actually do some cutting but I don't know where I would find a place like that -- especially with in a reasonable distance.

I guess I could order one of each and look them over before I decided and then send the other one back. I have done that with other products before. But I won't be able to do any test cutting with them that way since they have to be unused to send back.

The more I think about it that might not be a bad idea. I can't afford to keep them both (and certainly don't need two) but if I order the Miller and then can compare them side by side it might make the decision easier. I can send the one I don't keep back with the refund hitting my card before I ever have to actually pay for it.

Now I have something else to ponder... should I try that?

-Eric

[MoonRise]

Although the 'ground' wire and clamp do not seem all that thick and beefy, remember that they are handling:

: higher voltages than welding typically uses and lower amperages than welding typically uses.

So although a big chunk of 2/0 may sure be big and heavy and $$$$, it's really not needed for 30 amps of current (PM30 max output). :D

Besides, as mentioned, you can put whatever ground/work clamp you want on it if that is what you want to do.

[Eric106]

Although the 'ground' wire and clamp do not seem all that thick and beefy, remember that they are handling:

: higher voltages than welding typically uses and lower amperages than welding typically uses.

So although a big chunk of 2/0 may sure be big and heavy and $$$$, it's really not needed for 30 amps of current (PM30 max output). :D

Besides, as mentioned, you can put whatever ground/work clamp you want on it if that is what you want to do.

Agreed, 12 gauge is sufficient for the 30 amp current it is handling and most wire (machine tool wire, welding cable, house wire) is rated for 600 volts so there is not a problem there either. I also agree 2/0 would be ridiculous. However, a cable with fine stranding and rubber insulation for a twist and kink free cable would have been much nicer -- even if it was still just 12 gauge. The factory wire wants to coil up like crazy and will tend to kink if you try to just pull it out straight. My concern was more the usability and durability of the cable not that it was electrically "too small" for the application.

Number 6 is about the smallest most manufactures make in welding cable so that is possibly why Miller went with that size even on their 30 and 40 amp machines. They also might have figured that anything smaller than 6 would be to thin and fragile for industrial use.

-Eric

[jimcolt]

Actually I took a look at the Miller 375 today...the gauge of their work cable is the same as the Hypertherm unit, however the outer insulation is beefier (larger diameter) which gives the appearance of a larger cable. The clamp is of a different style, but has a similar amperage rating as compared to the Hypertherm Powermax30.

I agree that I also had the first perception that the cable on my Powermax30 (which I have owned for about 4 years) was small......but with 4 years of use and abuse it is still intact and working as new.

Torch comparison....the newer Miller torches are not made by Hypertherm....they are imported by Miller from Thermacut. I have not had the oportunity to compare this torch to the Hypertherm Powermax30....so I cannot make comments in that area. The Hypertherm torches are all designed, engineered, manufactured at its facilities in Hanover NH, USA.

Jim Colt

[Eric106]

Actually I took a look at the Miller 375 today...the gauge of their work cable is the same as the Hypertherm unit, however the outer insulation is beefier (larger diameter) which gives the appearance of a larger cable.

You are right, I just looked up the parts manual for the Miller 375X and 625X and they both use the same ground clamp and 12 gauge wire. I thought I read somewhere it was number 6 but I guess that was for something else. But as you noted it has a heavier insulation and is probably more flexible and less prone to twisting and kinking.

The clamp is of a different style, but has a similar amperage rating as compared to the Hypertherm Powermax30.

The clamp on the Powermax 30 I have is a 200 amp clamp made by Mueller. I don't have it in front of me but I think it is a model BU-41A-0 Plyer-Type Clip. Mueller is a well known American supplier of clips but this is still a pretty inexpensive clamp.

I agree that I also had the first perception that the cable on my Powermax30 (which I have owned for about 4 years) was small......but with 4 years of use and abuse it is still intact and working as new.

Good to know it has held up so well.

Torch comparison....the newer Miller torches are not made by Hypertherm....they are imported by Miller from Thermacut. I have not had the oportunity to compare this torch to the Hypertherm Powermax30....so I cannot make comments in that area. The Hypertherm torches are all designed, engineered, manufactured at its facilities in Hanover NH, USA.

Jim Colt

I wish I could do a side by side cutting comparison of the two and see the new Miller torch. Part of what made me second guess my decision was that Miller came out with the new torch after I had made my decision to get the Powermax. It wasn't till after I had placed my order that I saw the redesigned Miller units with the new torches.

I think I'm leaning towards staying with the Powermax 30 I have. I think its capacity will cover 99% of anything I will want to do. The smaller torch head and FineCut quality cut edge will probably be more useful in the long run than the few times more capacity would be useful. The air consumption of the Powermax 30 is also much more manageable with a portable compressor and is better matched to the compressor I already have. While the cost difference amortized over the next ten years or more that I expect to have the cutter is not that significant, it is none the less another advantage of the Powermax 30. I can easily put on a ground clamp and lead that I like better and still be way under the cost of the Miller.

-Eric

[SundownIII]

What a freaking crybaby.

All over a dang work lead, that if I didn't like, I could replace for about $10.

Mountain out of a molehill anyone?

[Eric106]

The decision between the Miller and the Hypertherm is about a lot more than just the ground clamp. The ground clamp and lead seemed to me to be a deficiency with the Powermax and that's primarily why I brought it up.

The tradeoffs between the Powermax 30 and the new Miller Spectrum 625X-TREME with the XT40 torch are many. One is a 30 amp machine the other a 40 amp. One is about $1k the other $1.6k. One has the Hypertherm reputation but the other is a newer design. One has much lower air consumption but the other has the capability to gouge. One has a finer cut quality the other has greater cut capacity. One has smaller nimbler torch for tight locations the other has a heaver torch with a better cable and strain relief. One has a single consumable choice the other has multiple shielded/unshielded/gouge tips in 30/40 amp options. One has an optional but finicky case the other has an included and well regarded case. And last and maybe least one has a smallish work lead and clamp the other has a heavy duty one.


As to replacing the work lead and clamp, the stock replacement for the Powermax 30 is about $27 and the stock replacement for the Miller is about $50.


-Eric

[gordon stephenson]

I have been delighted with my powermax 45,As for any improvements I would like a removable earth lead, with maybe a small dinse twist on the machine,

[Eric106]

I have been delighted with my powermax 45,As for any improvements I would like a removable earth lead, with maybe a small dinse twist on the machine,

That's a good idea. I don't know if I could find a receptacle that would fit in the case or if I would just have to have a short pigtail hanging out the from with a connector. I'll have keep that in mind if or when I change out the cable and clamp.

-Eric

[Eric106]

For some reason things are just not going my way on this venture.

First, I decided to keep the Powermax 30 so I went on their site to register it. There seems to be some problem with their registration system because I keep getting a "Server Not Found" error. I sent an email to their registration email and webmaster letting them know about the error. It's not really that big of a deal though.

Next, I decided to do what I do with every new piece of equipment I get -- pop the cover off and see how it's put together. Everything looked good until I noticed one little error had occurred during final assembly and a wire had been pinched.

As you can see in the picture below the purple wire was not in the little notch with the red and blue wires where it was supposed to be. When the cover and handle were screwed down the wire was smashed between the plastic frame and the metal case. According to the schematic in the service manual that wire connects to the trigger switch in the torch. Unfortunately to replace that one wire would mean replacing the entire torch lead. Assuming none of the copper strands have been damaged I could just tape it up and stuff it back down in the notch where it goes. Or I could cut out the bad section and solder it back together with some heat shrink over it. I haven't poked at it any yet in case Hypertherm wants to inspect it.

Jim, I assume this would be a valid warranty issue. How should I proceed? Since I haven't even had a chance to use it yet I would really hate to have to ship the whole thing off to get repaired.

-Eric

[jimcolt]

There are a couple of ways to proceeed with warranty...and they are outlined in your operators manual.

1st....contact the dealer that you purchased the system from.....they will repair or replace the unit.

2nd, Call Hyperthem technical service...the toll free phone number is in your manual, they will determine the quickest way to repair or replace your system.

I apologize personally for this issue....glad that you found the defect. It has already been reported to our quality department.

If you can email me directly......so I have your contact information...then I can help you make the best choice for getting this resolved.

It would also help if you could provide me pictures with a bit more detail.....I removed the cover from my Powermax30....and from the picture and looking at mine....I cannot determine where the wire was pinched.....your posted pic is kind of close-up.

I logged onto the Hypertherm site, as well as the registration area a few minutes ago...it seems to work fine from my computer.

Best regards, Jim Colt jim.colt@hypertherm.com

[Eric106]

If you can email me directly......so I have your contact information...then I can help you make the best choice for getting this resolved.

Jim, I sent you an email with the requested info.

It would also help if you could provide me pictures with a bit more detail.....I removed the cover from my Powermax30....and from the picture and looking at mine....I cannot determine where the wire was pinched.....your posted pic is kind of close-up.

I have attached the uncropped original version of the photo to the email I sent you. I had to crop it to upload it on the forum. The wire is top center near the front. The brass threads you can see in the picture are where the front handle screw attaches to the frame.

I logged onto the Hypertherm site, as well as the registration area a few minutes ago...it seems to work fine from my computer.

Best regards, Jim Colt jim.colt@hypertherm.com

I'm not sure what's going on with the registration site. I was trying to register my new plasma cutter but after entering the serial number on the page http://hypertherm.com/en/Service/registration.jsp and then pressing the "Check Serial Number" button the browser is forwarded to http://xweb.hypertherm.com:7777/en/Service/registration.jsp where I receive a server not found error. It could be something affecting my ISP.

Thanks for all your help.

-Eric

[jimcolt]

Recieved your email, info has been forwarded to the Powermax team at Hypertherm. In the future...it is much more efficient if warranty claims are made through the authorized distributor that the unit was purchased from.....or by contacting the Hypertherm tech service department. The contact information for Hypertherm is included with the documentaion that came with the Powermax, and also can be easily found on the Hypertherm website www.hypertherm.com .

I work for Hypertherm....but not for the service or warranty department.....if all warranty issues were reported through me via a third party site.....it would cause some pretty serious delays! We like to resolve customer issues as quickly as possible!

Best regards, and keep us posted on how this issue is resolved.


Jim Colt

[Eric106]

Jim,

I understand and I didn't mean to put you on the spot. My local welding supplier does not carry Hypertherm (actually they barely carry anything from what I've seen) so I ordered it from WelderSource.com online. They are nowhere near me so going through them doesn't seem to make much sense. In the future I'll call Hypertherm directly. But unless they man their phones 24 hours a day I don't think they could have beat the "delay" you introduced! But I do understand it's not your job to enter all this stuff and I'm sure their are other things they want you to be working on. Thanks again and I'll keep the post updated with what happens.

-Eric

[jimcolt]

Well.....I have not taken car of your warranty problem....I merely forwarded it to our team which includes the warranty department and the tech service department. Likely, they will contact the dealer you purchased it from, and will have them take care of the issue.

I travel a lot...and am sometimes away from email for days a a time......also, if all 400,000 owners of Hypertherm equipment contacted me....I would not have time to respond! That is why we sell our products through dealers.....as they are the first, and often closest source to support our valued customers.

When you buy online....from a dealer that is not local....the warranty must be processed through that dealer.

Now that I have the serial number....we will ensure that someone contacts you to resolve the issue....and further, we will investigate the pinched wire and ensure that measures are instituted on our production floor to minimize the chance that it will occur again.

Best regards, Jim

[MoonRise]

note: comparing the PM30 to the new Miller 625 X-Treme is comparing two different power-class machines. PM30 at 30 amps output versus the 625 at 40 amps output.

PM45 (20-45 amps output) is a closer 'match' to the 625 (15-40 amps output). Both are 'rated' for gouging.

The PM45 is a 240V input only machine (unless you have the 3-phase variant :D ), the 625 can accept 240V input or 120V input (at reduced output levels) ala the PM30 or 375 machines.

Bummer about the pinched wire there.

Agreed that the work clamp and wire/cable don't seem big and beefy, but they seem to work just fine (remember, only 30 amps running through there at maximum output, so no real need to have a big thick $$$ length of 2/0 on it).

For a 'lunchbox' sized unit, the PM30 has so far impressed me.

[Eric106]

note: comparing the PM30 to the new Miller 625 X-Treme is comparing two different power-class machines. PM30 at 30 amps output versus the 625 at 40 amps output.

Yep, that's what made the comparison so difficult.

PM45 (20-45 amps output) is a closer 'match' to the 625 (15-40 amps output). Both are 'rated' for gouging.

The PM45 is a 240V input only machine (unless you have the 3-phase variant :D ), the 625 can accept 240V input or 120V input (at reduced output levels) ala the PM30 or 375 machines.

Like you said, the PM45 does not work on 120v power which is something I need. If it did, I would have probably been comparing it to the Miller.

Bummer about the pinched wire there.

I haven't heard back from Hypertherm yet on what they want to do about it. I looked closer at the wire and none of the strands appear to be broken. Considering it is just a signal wire from the trigger switch and not carrying any significant power I'll probably just tape it up good. If Hypertherm decides to send me the replacement parts I'll happily swap them out myself. But, it is not going to be worth it to me to ship the whole thing off for a couple weeks, or drive several hours to someplace, to get it repaired. We'll see what they say.

Agreed that the work clamp and wire/cable don't seem big and beefy, but they seem to work just fine (remember, only 30 amps running through there at maximum output, so no real need to have a big thick $$$ length of 2/0 on it).

For a 'lunchbox' sized unit, the PM30 has so far impressed me.

I'm sure I'll like it too once I start to use it.

-Eric

[Eric106]

I finally got to use my Powermax 30 for the first time this morning. I had a lot of other things to get done today so I only spent a little time trying it out. I mainly just cut up an old bed frame into salvageable lengths and played with the scrap pieces.

Having never used a plasma cutter before, my first impression is that it was like using a torch with a very narrow cut that does not require preheating. The material was just under an 1/8" thick and so cut pretty quickly but I did have to be careful not to try to go too fast. There seems to be a small difference in speed between where the sparks start to angle back and where it stops cutting clear through. I would imagine this affect is more pronounced on thinner material. When going through some thicker sections I could look down into the cut and see how much the bottom of the cut was lagging the top to control my speed. I was also impressed with how quickly and cleanly it could pierce straight through the metal without even angling the torch.

For a small project on my Jeep I need to put a couple 3/4" holes in some 1/4" steel. The location where the holes need to be placed is nearly in a corner and it would be very hard to get a drill in there. Since precision is not imperative in this application I think the plasma cutter should take care of it easily. I'll make up a circular template so I get the holes nice and round. I figure something between 1/4" and 5/15" should be about right but what's a good material to use for the template? Would particleboard work okay for this? It would be nice to use something easier to cut than another piece of steel. I also need to figure out which is the straighter edge to know if I should cut clockwise or counterclockwise.

I'm glad I ended up going with the Powermax 30 already for at least one big reason and that is air consumption. Even though my compressor is rated 5.0 cfm @ 90 psi it only has a 4.5 gal tank and with the Powermax 30 spec'ed to use 4.0 cfm @ 80 psi the compressor cycled quite frequently. With as long as the post-flow cooling air runs the compressor cycled after every decent cut. If I had gone with a bigger cutter requiring more air I think my compressor would be severely stressed. Out of curiosity, does anyone know if the post-flow air runs for a fixed time or if it runs longer after longer cuts? I didn't try timing it.

Overall I am very happy with the Powermax 30 but I need to use it a bit more to get a better feel for its capabilities.


-Eric

[jimcolt]

Post flow is a fixed time.

Jim

[Nevada Al]

Get an assortment of big washers... tack whatever size on, pierce, and follow the center hole of the washer around...then blow your tack off and your done... I tried this with my PM45 the other day and its about as fast as it gets for bolt holes..

[Eric106]

Get an assortment of big washers... tack whatever size on, pierce, and follow the center hole of the washer around...then blow your tack off and your done... I tried this with my PM45 the other day and its about as fast as it gets for bolt holes..

That's a good idea. I can see where that would be a great way to layout multiple holes and ensure nothing moves after you do your alignment before you cut. It would also be useful when you can't get to the back side or otherwise easily clamp a template in place. I'll have to be on the lookout for really big washers.

In this case though the area is already painted and I don't want to mess up a bigger spot than I have too. So I wouldn't want to tack them on this time but clamping them in place won't be hard here.

-Eric

[Eric106]

I found what I think is going to make a good case for my Powermax 30. I had a hard time finding a case that was deep enough for the Powermax 30 when it was standing up. Eventually I found a toolbox by Dewalt that seems to fit really well. It is the DWST08204 (http://www.dewalt.com/tools/hand-tools-storage-and-work-support-mobile-work-shop-storage-dwst08204.aspx) which is the extra-large case from their "ToughSystem" of lock together cases and carrier. They don't seem to be available from too many places yet but I found the best price on-line at Toolbarn.com (http://www.toolbarn.com/dewalt-dwst08204.html) with no tax and free shipping. Sadly the one I received has a crack on the one corner so I'm waiting to see how they resolve the issue. My bad luck seems to be continuing.

The case has a tool tray that hangs in the top. With the Powermax 30 sitting in the bottom pushed up against one side the tray will wedge down in beside the Powermax's handle. The tray doesn't sit quite level but the case lid closes without interference. The tray actually helps hold the Powermax 30 in place and keeps it from moving around in the case. If you don't want to use the tray you can set the Powermax 30 down in to the case with all the cords coiled and hanging on the hangers built in to its handle.

Below are some pictures. I took these with a cell phone camera so their not the best but should help you get an idea of how it fits. Let me know if anyone has any questions.

-Eric