Vent: Spent $450 on a new plasma cutter and it was a total waste

Honestly, I bought it for a big tank job last month thinking it would speed things up, but the torch kept clogging with the thicker plate and I ended up using my old oxy-fuel rig anyway. Tbh, I should have just rented a better one for the week or stuck with what I know works. Anyone have a good plasma unit they actually trust for half-inch steel?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesleyburns1mo ago

That Hypertherm 45 is a solid unit, no doubt, but I gotta speak up about the half-inch claim. It'll do it, sure, but you're really pushing its limits on continuous cuts at that thickness. Most Hypertherm specs list 1/2 inch as the "rated" severance cut, but for clean, everyday production work on half-inch steel (the kind you'd trust on a tank job), you'd really want something like a Powermax 65 or 85. The 45 is a half-inch monster for sure but mostly on thinner stuff up to 3/8s where it really shines. Clogging on a cheaper cutter is a tale as old as time though, usually it's the nozzle getting blasted with dross on the thicker plate. Glad you had the oxy-fuel backup, sometimes the old ways just work better for the fat stuff.

sammurray2mo agoMost Upvoted

Feel your pain, that's a classic case of new gear letting you down. Honestly, renting is the move for those one-off big jobs, saves the headache. My Hypertherm 45 has never choked on half-inch, but they're not cheap.

mark7312mo ago

Ever have that happen with a cheaper brand? @sammurray is right about renting for the weird jobs, it just makes sense. I learned the hard way too, now I just borrow a buddy's good cutter.