Jasic vs Hypertherm quality and value

[Ajh]

Hi guys I am relitavely new to the fabrication scene and looking at getting started out, I am a student so money is pretty tight although id rather buy quality, I couldn't help but notice that a jasic 45 amp machine is considerably cheaper than a hypertherm 30 amp unit ( either of the two 30 amp machines) has anyone got any advice please 💥

[soutthpaw]

See this thread, http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=600701
Razorweld is Jasic brand

There is a whole Hypertherm forum you can read too.
This thread may be of interest as well http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?p=7130331

Sent from mobile. Not responsible for Typos

[BD1]

Welcome, as a NEW member , young, and very little to spend ,I'll be gentle. '' CHEAPER '' and quality do not go hand in hand. You have many years ahead of you to use what you invest in. IF you do a search the '' Hypertherm '' is your best quality, made in USA, and your long term bet in my opinion. It's a proven machine, used by many here , and a Professional go to unit. SAVE longer and you'll be happier. If you decide to go cheap, the only advantage is you'll be able to keep buying different machines as they die.

[DSW]

Bd didn't mention that if you later want to upgrade, you'll get a lot better return from a quality brand like Hypertherm than you will an inexpensive import brand. Good machines hold their value. In general import machines overall can have a track record of poor quality control and limited life spans. People are often wary of buying one of them used, only to find out too late they have bought a machine that someone was starting to have issues with and decided to dump while it still was working and get at least something out of a dieing machine.

[mechanic416]

I think someone is trying to stir the pot

[Ajh]

Great thanks guys help much appreciated!

[Brand X]

I think someone is trying to stir the pot

Doubt it,
Good question in, is a Jasic for $609.00 worth it compared to a $1,200 dollar machine? I would say maybe.. If the Jasic stays working, you would probably loose about the same amount of money when you sold them in three years.. If you only run on 240 volt input, then maybe the Jasic might be all someone might need to get started.. Nobody really knows much about the reliability of the Jasic 45. won't for a while either..

[mad welder 4]

If it doesn't say hypertherm its junk.

It will cost you $1,800 to do it the hard way.
The hard way: Buy the cheap junk, it frys then you buy the hypertherm.
The easy way: Buy the hypertherm, once.
Why roll the dice with $600?

These cheap 40 amps machines are a curse to the consumer plasma cutter market.

[Billyc]

I just went thru this. I ended up buying a used hypertherm 600. I was having a hard time justifying the price of the used 600 when I could get a new machine with warranty for less. I am glad I bought the hypertherm. It is a great machine.

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[Gamble]

Wish it was a dual voltage but for $600 I would love to have this on my cnc table as a back up in case my hypertherm ever dies

[Brand X]

If it doesn't say hypertherm its junk.

I will make this statement, If it says Hypertherm it's junk. Makes just as much sense as your proclamation. .

[yesindeed]

For an opinion of a longtime Hyperthermia owner, see this thread: http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...81#post7016381


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[Jawslandshark]

If it doesn't say hypertherm its junk.

It will cost you $1,800 to do it the hard way.
The hard way: Buy the cheap junk, it frys then you buy the hypertherm.
The easy way: Buy the hypertherm, once.
Why roll the dice with $600?

These cheap 40 amps machines are a curse to the consumer plasma cutter market.

Posts like these just make me wonder if people actually think they know it all, along with everyone's budget and needs.....all I can say is, WOW!

[DSW]

But in many ways what he said is true. This site is filled with posts of people who couldn't afford to buy quality gear to start with, but can find the money to buy it all over again when the cheap stuff fails. I'll admit when I 1st started out almost 30 years ago I fell into that same trap and got burned when the machine broke and there was no one around to fix it despite what I'd been told.

Many of us understand that many don't have a lot of funds to spend, that's it's only a hobby and it will only get used occasionally. However a number of these inexpensive machines are directly marketed towards people who don't know enough to ask the right questions and simply buy the salesman's slick sales talk and put money 1st over all else. Many of these importers of inexpensive machines have a long history of bad units repeatedly shipped to customers, poor customer service, as well as trying to hide and cover up problems and issues and many other questionable at best business tactics like having sales people post up as customers to talk up the products.

Many times new guys are cautioned to do their homework and understand that you get what you pay for and that these units are "disposable" when they fail. They seldom seem to bother to do this. When the units do fail, they come back all mad because everything they were told was true, but they didn't believe anyone. At this point they usually go out and buy the machine they probably should have to start with.

[Gamble]

Here is my take on it.
Hypertherms are great, no question about it, but they are expensive. Sure you get what you pay for. Quality, great product, greaty company, good consumable life. And yes it's "cheaper" to buy a hypertherm over the long term but as stated most people are justy hobbyist and don't use the machine that often. I can tell you that I had the longevity 42i and 62i on my cnc table. Some days it burned through consumables twice a day and some days I couldn't remember the last time I changed them out. Same goes with the hypertherm stuff. Got my days where consumable like is noticeably longer and other days where it's not.
However I will say that in my opinion it's not really any cheaper. For a hyperthem electrode and nozzle I think I paid like $11 for the pair. For the s45 it may have been $7 or $8 for the pair of a good brand. So the $3-$4 saving each set of consumables to add up to a $1200 price difference? Come on guys. Even on my cnc I don't think I've spent a difference of $100 in consumables.
My dad is a hobbyist. I bought him a plasma cutter. It probably gets used 3 times a year. Why would I waste money on a hyperthem when a $300-400 unit does him well.
Don't get me wrong, I love my hypertherm. But if it died tomorrow not sure i would go drop $1800 on a new one. If you are running a cnc table all day long every day. Go hypertherm, no question. For the very occasional use and hand cuttting under 1/2" I would go something else and save myself $1200
Look how many people have the harbor freight plasma for $600 and love it. Not everyone NEEDS a hypertherm. Yes of course there is a cut quality difference, but is that little bit of dross or that edge enough to make you spend $1200 more?
I guess it's all going to depend on what you use it for. Seriously I'm half tempted to buy the jasic and slap it on the cnc table to see how it performs

[VPT]

Hypertherm is known to be good. I got one that had problems right out of the box. Got it fixed under warranty just took over two weeks. Then a year and a half later it dies on me. Again fixed under warranty and again over two weeks to get back. But it works and so far has been fixed for free under the warranty. Now my measly 2 year warranty is up and I worry every time I turn the switch on that this time might cost me a $900 board, or some other expensive electronic part.

It is the only machine I have ever bought brand new (besides a miller stick welder years ago) and it is the only machine I have ever had a problem with. But everyone assures me it is a good machine and will be ok now after the bugs have been worked out.

[jimcolt]

As I have said a few hundred times.....if you need a plasma cutter and purchase price is the most important criteria....then shop around for the lowest price...there are a lot of choices. The other possibility is the used market.....there are a lot of used Hypertherm, T-D and Esab units out there....good factory support, parts availability, etc.

Consumable life is a huge factor if you use the system properly...and use it often. A Plasma with excellent consumable life but higher purchase price....will have a lower cost over time....trust me. If you use the plasma once a week for a 10" cut.....then buy the cheapest, get the lowest priced consumables and you may be better off from a total cost point of view.

The thing I run into every day.....are those users that "tried out" a plasma for the first time....and either used a 20 year old one or they used a low cost import. Often they decide that the plasma is not what they expected....and then don't buy one based on that experience. My advice.....try out one of the latest technology major brand units (I, of course suggest trying a Hypertherm), then go cut with a low cost one. Plasma cutters are not a commodity....there are huge differences in ease of use, safety, documentation, factory support, consumable life, reliability (yes, the good ones can break....but on a much lower frequency than the low cost imports).

Specifications. There are many 40 to 50 amp plasma cutters that can only cut as fast and thick as a major brand 30 amp unit. Amperage is not the total answer to thicker / faster cutting. It is a relation ship of Amperage x the rated Load Voltage......which equals wattage (or Kilowatts). As an example when you read the specs on the 45 amp Jasic unit...the load voltage is rated at 96 volts. 45 (amps) x 96 (volts) = 4320 watts. The Powermax45, 132 volts x 45 amps = 5940 watts. Big difference in power....in fact the Jasic is closer to the Powermax30XP in wattage output than it is to the Powermax45. Duty Cycle. Important when cutting thicker materials or in warm climates. Jasic is rated at 30% duty cycle when cutting at 45 amps/96 load volts. Powermax45 is 50% duty cycle when cutting at 45 amps/132 load volts. Big difference. Torch design makes a huge difference as well, the plasma cutters that work best have the torch and power supply designed together in one factory...so the torch specs are complemented by the power supply specs. The import systems all seem to build power supplies in one location...then get torches from a variety of torch producers, often based on the lowest cost.

Powermax45 has an (approx.) 70 page operators manual.....with multiple pages of mechanized cut charts and details about consumables usage, inspection and optimization. The manual has many pages of detailed cut quality advice as well as maintenance, troubleshooting and parts lists. It has a toll free number to call the factory tech support, as well as email addresses for tech support as well. The 45 has a machine interface port and instructions in the manual for connecting to a variety of machines (pipe cutters, track burners, cnc machines, robots, etc., and an available machine torch and specialized consumables for machine cutting. There are extended length HyAccess consumables, gouging consumables, etc. available in about 2500 welding supply stores in the U.S. Also.....the Powermax units are built in NH, USA by employees that own 100% of the company....if that is of any concern!

Hopefully this helps the OP to understand some of the differences. If shopping for a new plasma and purchase price is the deciding factor....then I'm sure you won't be getting a Hypertherm!

Jim Colt Hypertherm

[Brand X]

Crikey, I actually agree with you mate.
Wonders will never cease......

I had a long rebuttal, but then I read your post..

[jimcolt]

There are a lot of "experts" on the internet. I monitor over a dozen sites.....and I see users that bought their first cnc plasma system just a month or so ago.....offering advice to others that is completely off track. The bad thing is that those asking for advice tend to believe much of what anyone posts.......if you read it online, it must be true. Jim Colt

I had a long rebuttal, but then I read your post..

[Brand X]

I understand people like to offer advice.. Just that sometimes like you say, people really don't know what is out there in the real world.. I just think it's a big world, and there some good options other then Hypertherm, Victor, and Esab. Finding what ones is a lot of luck, and sometimes a bit of looking outside the box. The Jasic might be one of those machines. I know that Italy does a nice job with their cutters.Problem is they cost about as much as a major brand..

[Gamble]

There are a lot of "experts" on the internet. I monitor over a dozen sites.....and I see users that bought their first cnc plasma system just a month or so ago.....offering advice to others that is completely off track. The bad thing is that those asking for advice tend to believe much of what anyone posts.......if you read it online, it must be true. Jim Colt

Kind of like the people with 1 week welding experience are on here offering advice

[jimcolt]

I am convinced that if all plasma cutters had the same level of features, the same level of reliability, the same level of support, and the same duty cycle, cut speed, thickness, etc., then the price would all be the same. Take anything away from that list....and it can be cheaper. The nice thing about the Plasma cutter offerings today is that you can buy pretty much what you want and need. The difficulty though is in knowing what the true capabilities are with each system....rather, we have to rely on brochures, word of mouth and internet expertise! The pics of the Jasic unit look nice.....looks like more advanced wiring, components and PC boards as compared to most other low cost imports, which is promising. I suspect it is probably close to the Cutmaster 42 in cutting ability (wattage, cut speed, thickness) and I also suspect that when demand rises for the unit that it will probably be similarly priced to the CM42. Just my thoughts......if it is really a decent system with good support and reliability....then I suspect the manufacturer will price it competitively. Jim Colt Hypertherm

I understand people like to offer advice.. Just that sometimes like you say, people really don't know what is out there in the real world.. I just think it's a big world, and there some good options other then Hypertherm, Victor, and Esab. Finding what ones is a lot of luck, and sometimes a bit of looking outside the box. The Jasic might be one of those machines. I know that Italy does a nice job with their cutters.Problem is they cost about as much as a major brand..

[DSW]

Kind of like the people with 1 week welding experience are on here offering advice

Hey! Carl's up to two weeks of experience as a hobby welder. Or is it three now? I forget, it's been too long.

[norite]

Hypertherm - more expensive to purchase
- lower consumables cost due to longer life
- machine probably lasts longer
- factory and local dealer parts and service availability
- excellent reputation
- Jim Colt's tech support on this forum

Cheap PC - less expensive to purchase
- higher consumable cost due to shorter life
- machine probably fails sooner
- questionable parts and service availability
- questionable reputation
- tech support?

You decide

[BD1]

Hey! Carl's up to two weeks of experience as a hobby welder. Or is it three now? I forget, it's been too long.

Hey Doug, is that including today ???