Awaiting my new hypertherm pm 30...

[nips049]

After some research i decided on a hypertherm pm30. The portability (20lbs) and the 110/220v option were the key points for me. i have that option on my miller 211 and it rocks! The price tag on the 30 was about as expensive as i wanted to go and since i dont see myself cutting much more than 3/8, the 30 made the cut. Being able to get parts and good customer service isnt to bad either!

Now, with that said....I have never used a plasma cutter. I understand the concept, but still have a few questions.

First is about compressed air. I have a 20 gal vertical compressor that has served me quite well sandblasting, grinding, etc etc. I know dry clean air is key so what filter do i get? A water/oil type seperator like the ones at Lowes in the air tool dept? What setup do you guys have for your cutters? Simple air hose to the filter then to the cutter?
Next is about the 220 hookup. For my welder i made an extension cord to fit my dryer receptacle and a pigtail for my generator. Is it the same concept w/ a cutter? can i do the same thing?
Having writers block right now. Cant think of any other questions at the moment. Thanks in advance for your help. Lurking these forums and researching helped me decide on my miller 211 and boy am i happy! thanks again!
joe

[jimcolt]

A water oil separator as used for painting applications will work good....but also you must be diligent about draining your compressor tank on a daily basis. I see a lot of users put on two or three filters....which ends up causing a flow problem at the plasma....too little is not enough and to many can be too restrictive.

The Powermax30 only draws less than 15 amps on 240 volt input.....so you can make an extension cord to plug in a dryer outlet with either 14 gauge or 12 fauge wire. At 120 volts...the Powermax can draw as much as 28 or 29 amps.....so you need at least a 10 gauge 120 volt cord....plugged into a 30 amp circuit (most are 20 amps) to cut the thickest materials. Generally material thinner than about 1/4" will cut without tripping a 20 amp breaker on a 120 volt circuit....as long as that is all that is running on the circuit.

Hide all your good steel before you cut it into small pieces....read the manual, there are some good operating tips in there! Ask questions as they come up.


And thanks from all of the Hypertherm employee owners that built your Powermax in New Hampshire, USA!


Jim Colt



After some research i decided on a hypertherm pm30. The portability (20lbs) and the 110/220v option were the key points for me. i have that option on my miller 211 and it rocks! The price tag on the 30 was about as expensive as i wanted to go and since i dont see myself cutting much more than 3/8, the 30 made the cut. Being able to get parts and good customer service isnt to bad either!

Now, with that said....I have never used a plasma cutter. I understand the concept, but still have a few questions.

First is about compressed air. I have a 20 gal vertical compressor that has served me quite well sandblasting, grinding, etc etc. I know dry clean air is key so what filter do i get? A water/oil type seperator like the ones at Lowes in the air tool dept? What setup do you guys have for your cutters? Simple air hose to the filter then to the cutter?
Next is about the 220 hookup. For my welder i made an extension cord to fit my dryer receptacle and a pigtail for my generator. Is it the same concept w/ a cutter? can i do the same thing?
Having writers block right now. Cant think of any other questions at the moment. Thanks in advance for your help. Lurking these forums and researching helped me decide on my miller 211 and boy am i happy! thanks again!
joe

[nips049]

Thanks for the detailed reply! Going to the store today to get a filter. Can't wait to try it out!
I already watched the setup video online a few times. Now it's just a matter of hands on practice.

[dstevens]

Hide all your good steel before you cut it into small pieces....



LOL, yep. I just got a 4x8 sheet of 14ga to make coupons for home practice for GTAW class. That give lots of practice for hand cuts.

I use a NEMA L6-30 config on the welding cart outlet with 10/3 SO cable. The cart has the PM30, 180 amp mig and 175 amp tig/stick. Never gets used all at once so only 30 amps isn't an issue. I only did a 3 wire 220 but in hindsight I wish I would have done 4 wire so I could add 15 amp 120 volt edisons for grinders, etc.

Here is the cart but it doesn't show the power hook up. There is a plate on the side where each machine has a single gang with the appropriate connector and 30' or so of SO cord to the twist lock. Voltage drop is minimal. I still need to make a 25' twist lock extension so I can take the stick down to the curb and work on the trailer easier.

Edit: I use a Motorguard M60 as the filter. http://motorguard.com/air_2_2.html

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6617030781_bdedff6a72.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dstevenslv/6617030781/)
Cutting 3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dstevenslv/6617030781/)

[nips049]

Nice setup! Thankfully the cutter was compatible with my current electrical
setup.
Boy am I happy with this purchase. Unbelievable the capabilities of this
little machine! Im always hesitant spending this kind of money but it was
well worth it.
I've cut up to 1/2" and it it doesn't skip a beat. It obviously gets an A+ in
portability. It was even smaller than I imagined and just about ready to
use right out of the box! Very happy to say the least. I can't even imagine
what the more powerful units are capable of...