Larger AMP Chinese plasma cutters?

[vpd66]

There is a lot of good info and reviews about the 30-50 amp Chinese plasma cutters, but very little on the 60-90 amp range models. I see on Amazon and Ebay that there are plenty of people purchasing plasma cutters in this size range but not many people talking about them. So does anyone have any experience or words of wisdom on the larger output machines?????

[shovelon]

There is a lot of good info and reviews about the 30-50 amp Chinese plasma cutters, but very little on the 60-90 amp range models. I see on Amazon and Ebay that there are plenty of people purchasing plasma cutters in this size range but not many people talking about them. So does anyone have any experience or words of wisdom on the larger output machines?????

Well probably because larger amp plasma cutters are desired by commercial users. And they don't have the time or inclination to deal with throw away uinits that have little to no support. If you are dependent on cutting for clients on a daily basis you don't mind spending money on more dependable machines. For example my big Hypertherm worked for years until the arc would not start. I called tech support, and they directed me to a few motions and by viewing the lights on the panel they said a relay module had failed out of warranty. They sent me a new one for $150 bucks, sent 2 day air for free, and had a tutorial for relacement. I was up and running by the end of the week and is still operating. I have done quite a few hundred of thousands of dollars cutting with it on my plasma table.

[vpd66]

Well probably because larger amp plasma cutters are desired by commercial users. And they don't have the time or inclination to deal with throw away uinits that have little to no support. If you are dependent on cutting for clients on a daily basis you don't mind spending money on more dependable machines. For example my big Hypertherm worked for years until the arc would not start. I called tech support, and they directed me to a few motions and by viewing the lights on the panel they said a relay module had failed out of warranty. They sent me a new one for $150 bucks, sent 2 day air for free, and had a tutorial for relacement. I was up and running by the end of the week and is still operating. I have done quite a few hundred of thousands of dollars cutting with it on my plasma table.

You make some good points but who wouldn't in a home shop setting want more cutting capacity from a plasma cutter? I have a home shop and a 50 amp plasma cutter and find that if I had the ability to cut up to 1" steel cleanly would be a great asset. I'm not talking about using it on a plasma cutting table just the ability to hand cut up to 1". About once a year I get a project that requires some cutting of 3/4"-1" steel and usually get out the acetylene/oxygen torch to make the cuts. I can usually get some usable cuts this way but always miss the cleaner more precision plasma cuts i get on thinner steel.

[Gamble]

amps x volts = watts (cutting power)

80amps vs 50 amps could both easily have the same power output based on voltage

45amps x 145v = 6525 watts
80amps x 80v = 6400 watts.
You can play with the numbers anyway you want and when people shop based on amperage they think they are getting more power but that may not be true

[Josey]

I think the best buy for an 80 amp plasma would be the Everlast 80i. You can buy one here in Manitoba for
$1375 Canadian plus the 5% gst tax They have the three year warranty And the IPt 80 torch and as Gamble
referred to are stated at 80amp at 112 volts which gives a lot of cutting power They are about half the price of one
of the big name brand 80amps

[vpd66]

amps x volts = watts (cutting power)

80amps vs 50 amps could both easily have the same power output based on voltage

45amps x 145v = 6525 watts
80amps x 80v = 6400 watts.
You can play with the numbers anyway you want and when people shop based on amperage they think they are getting more power but that may not be true

Not to be sarcastic but what is your point?

[Gamble]

Not to be sarcastic but what is your point?

Don’t shop by amperage
A well known 40amp model can put out just as much power as an eBay 80amp model

[vpd66]

Don’t shop by amperage
A well known 40amp model can put out just as much power as an eBay 80amp model

I'm not shopping by amperage, I'm shopping by cutting thickness capacity. Actually I'm not even shopping I just wondering why the "larger cut capacity" Chinese plasma cutters don't get any love? By the way, steer me in the direction of a Chinese plasma cutter that can cut up to 1".

[shovelon]

I'm not shopping by amperage, I'm shopping by cutting thickness capacity. Actually I'm not even shopping I just wondering why the "larger cut capacity" Chinese plasma cutters don't get any love? By the way, steer me in the direction of a Chinese plasma cutter that can cut up to 1".

Try Amazon.

[M J D]

I'm not shopping by amperage, I'm shopping by cutting thickness capacity. Actually I'm not even shopping I just wondering why the "larger cut capacity" Chinese plasma cutters don't get any love? By the way, steer me in the direction of a Chinese plasma cutter that can cut up to 1".

You really have to question cut capacity on plasmas, especially the Chinese ones. As mentioned earlier there is more to it than just amps. In my experience to get anywhere near a quality cut at any kind of reasonable travel speed you need.1 amp per 10 thousands. 50 amps for 1/2", 85 amps for 7/8". On the lower priced ones such as a cut-60 , 5/8" would be about the practical maximum. On heavier material it's still pretty hard to beat oxy-fuel cost wise and cut quality wise.

[FlyFishn]

Back about 15 years ago I toured a fabrication facility as part of a school program. They used a precursor to a CNC cutting table that used a drawing where the input camera would image the difference between the ink and the white paper, then scale that to the electronically driven control. I forget what the name of the machine/technology was, it wasn't CAM or CNC. In any event, they used an O/A torch on it because it was generally used for thick material cutting and with plasma the cut would drift too much through the material. With O/A they kept a more square cut through the thick stuff. Again, that was 15 years ago or so. Maybe plasma technology has improved and there are techniques for minimizing the drift in thick cuts.

[Kelvin]

On heavier material it's still pretty hard to beat oxy-fuel cost wise and cut quality wise.

+1
I use O/A for cutting probably 10X as often as plasma. Plus you can heat, weld and braze with O/A.
Given the choice again, I'd buy O/A rig first, then plasma. Maybe.

[Tillerdemon]

amps x volts = watts (cutting power)

80amps vs 50 amps could both easily have the same power output based on voltage

45amps x 145v = 6525 watts
80amps x 80v = 6400 watts.
You can play with the numbers anyway you want and when people shop based on amperage they think they are getting more power but that may not be true

Gamble is exactly correct. I’d add that the Chinese plasma cutters seem to be measured by their own metric amperage calculation. Arcsonic (HeroCut/Lotos) generously overrate amperage. The “55 amp” machine I tested put out 47.8 amps, and the 45 put out 38’sh. I don’t have the ability to have a controlled source to measure output voltage.

[Oscar]

Gamble is exactly correct. I’d add that the Chinese plasma cutters seem to be measured by their own metric amperage calculation. Arcsonic (HeroCut/Lotos) generously overrate amperage. The “55 amp” machine I tested put out 47.8 amps, and the 45 put out 38’sh. I don’t have the ability to have a controlled source to measure output voltage.

Same as the cheap inverter welders. Just don't put out the welding amperage they advertise. Once you actually start to measure things, then you really start to see the light.

If you open up the case, you can simply probe the main outputs to measure the voltage. Might not be exact, but it will give you an idea.

[Freebirdwelds]

Plasma works great on sheet metal up tp 5/16 - 3/8ths. But in my opinion over 3/8ths nothing beats OA.

[Oscar]

Plasma works great on sheet metal up tp 5/16 - 3/8ths. But in my opinion over 3/8ths nothing beats OA.

Depends just how much plasma cutting power you actually have.

[Freebirdwelds]

Depends just how much plasma cutting power you actually have.

I've seen some of the biggest in the world.....for me I just don't need it. I've cut up to 6 inches thick by hand and enjoy it. Enough so that I keep 5 acet and 6 oxy tanks on hand. But to each there own as long as the job gets done I do care how the person doing it gets it done.

[smithdoor]

I have only used a torch for all my cutting.
But I worked with plate 3/4"-4" .
Plasma great if just doing gauge material

Dave

There is a lot of good info and reviews about the 30-50 amp Chinese plasma cutters, but very little on the 60-90 amp range models. I see on Amazon and Ebay that there are plenty of people purchasing plasma cutters in this size range but not many people talking about them. So does anyone have any experience or words of wisdom on the larger output machines?????

[ToolFanGeoff]

There is a lot of good info and reviews about the 30-50 amp Chinese plasma cutters, but very little on the 60-90 amp range models. I see on Amazon and Ebay that there are plenty of people purchasing plasma cutters in this size range but not many people talking about them. So does anyone have any experience or words of wisdom on the larger output machines?????

VPD66, I have a Miller 375 and a Lotos 80 (LTP8000). The Miller has been a great tool, and I run it on a dedicated 20 amp 120 volt circuit. It struggles on cuts over 1/2" thick steel.
I bought the Lotos 80 on a whim, just to try a higher amp plasma cutter. I run it on a 240 volt 50 amp welder circuit. I have cut 1018 up to 1" thick with it, with a reasonable finish, but it is a slow cut. The Lotos gives great, fast cuts up to and past 5/8" thick steel. Both tools seem to perform better, and consumables seem to last longer when supplied with clean dry air.
Consumables for the Miller are more common, and easier to find. Consumables for the Lotos are less common and I have resorted to ordering them on ebay. I have had no mechanical issues with either machine.

[vpd66]

VPD66, I have a Miller 375 and a Lotos 80 (LTP8000). The Miller has been a great tool, and I run it on a dedicated 20 amp 120 volt circuit. It struggles on cuts over 1/2" thick steel.
I bought the Lotos 80 on a whim, just to try a higher amp plasma cutter. I run it on a 240 volt 50 amp welder circuit. I have cut 1018 up to 1" thick with it, with a reasonable finish, but it is a slow cut. The Lotos gives great, fast cuts up to and past 5/8" thick steel. Both tools seem to perform better, and consumables seem to last longer when supplied with clean dry air.
Consumables for the Miller are more common, and easier to find. Consumables for the Lotos are less common and I have resorted to ordering them on ebay. I have had no mechanical issues with either machine.

Thanks for the info. Your one of the first people that have gave a legit review of a larger amp Chinese plasma cutter. I still can't believe more people wouldn't be interested in a larger cut capacity plasma cutter? I know it takes a 240 volt 50 amp minimum electrical circuit for those plasma cutters, but most people that would have a need to cut large capacity metal would have a larger welder so they should have the electrical circuit already. I see where some people claim that the 50 amp cheap plasma cutters can cut larger then 1/2" but I kind of question it. I have an older Hypertherm (Powermax 800) plasma cutter and it is rated at 50 amps and it is really only good for cutting 1/4". It will do 3/8" but its slow and not very pretty.