Plasma cutter
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New User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 13
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Plasma cutter
Hello, I was wondering if anybody had any experience with the Harbor Freight Chicago electric plasma 30 Plasma cutter? I will not be doing a whole lot of cutting just doing some frame boxing on a 31 chev and other stuff.I know some of you will say you get what you pay for but I just wanted to know if anybody ever had one and what the results were.Cutting frame boxing plates with a sawsall or cut off dics takes forever.Tks for all your opinions
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 3
From: NE Texas
I have no experience with one but if you get one let us know how it works out. I would really like to have a plas cutter, but like you I don't need it all the time.
Because I don't use it all the time, my thinking is to get one of the brands for which I can get parts and supplies from my local welding supply. I am old enough to have seen what happens with occasionally used mail order equipment. You don't wear it out real soon like a normal user, so when it does wear out, getting parts for it is somewhere between difficult and impossible.
The cheapest of the brands that the local suppliers carry parts for is Hobart. Hobart is not the best, but they make decent equipment. You can buy Hobart from some of the mail order places or from Indiana Oxygen which is an online discount supplier and then get your parts and consumables from your local guy.
Do a google for Indiana Oxygen. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at their prices and maybe can get a name brand for not much more than the Chinese crap that HF sells.
Good luck and keep us posted,
Doc
Because I don't use it all the time, my thinking is to get one of the brands for which I can get parts and supplies from my local welding supply. I am old enough to have seen what happens with occasionally used mail order equipment. You don't wear it out real soon like a normal user, so when it does wear out, getting parts for it is somewhere between difficult and impossible.
The cheapest of the brands that the local suppliers carry parts for is Hobart. Hobart is not the best, but they make decent equipment. You can buy Hobart from some of the mail order places or from Indiana Oxygen which is an online discount supplier and then get your parts and consumables from your local guy.
Do a google for Indiana Oxygen. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at their prices and maybe can get a name brand for not much more than the Chinese crap that HF sells.
Good luck and keep us posted,
Doc
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
Let us know!!!
we may make it a community tool!!
Actually I have a nice Miller, very large, I have never tried it, It was given to me. Are these supposed to have a pointed probe on the end? I would like to know if its all there, I guess I'll do a search on it and see what I can find.
Actually I have a nice Miller, very large, I have never tried it, It was given to me. Are these supposed to have a pointed probe on the end? I would like to know if its all there, I guess I'll do a search on it and see what I can find.
Tuned
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 283
Likes: 0
From: Monroe NJ
I have one but not from Harbour Frieght and it's a cheapie but it works good on sheet metal and is supposed to cut 3/16" but it's so slow your better off with a sawsall and the metal needs to be pretty clean
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 675
Likes: 0
From: Springfield, OR
I have an ESAB that cuts 1/2 inch. Once you get one you'll start doing stuff you woudnt have considered before. Came in real handy to cut a hole for my tranny swap. I dont use it alot but when you need it it's really sweet. Cuts like a knife through butter. If you go into a welding store they will frequently let you demo it on the spot-most usually buy then. Plasma's have a screw on tip. There is a consumable electrode inside that needs replaced periodically. You need a compressor to supply 80 PSI of filtered dry air to the machine. The term plasma means super heated air. It was plasma that burned a hole in the space shuttle wing on re-entry from space awhile back. My ESAB cost me $1500 but I think their cheaper now. If you can get a good one you'll love it. I used it to remove the 1/2 frame rivets on my 75 Supercab-blasts right through the middle of them without touching the edge of the frame.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,377
Likes: 2
From: Elkhart IN
at school, weve got a nice esab cutter. its a big one, weve done some 3/4 inch dropdown brackets for a ttb with it, the edges are smooth as silk. let us know how it worked for you.
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Katy, Texas
Mostly anthing from harbor freight imho is a pos if u dnt knw what that is ask someone. I wouldnt buy a cheap plasma cutter, youll end up wasting more money then needed. If your not going to use it much and dnt have a problem with cutting time i suggest investing in a good oxy-actylene rig.....not as clean as a plasma but with a little practice you can get pretty close...ALSO A LOT CHEAPER and yah another thing Theyre Portable....you dont have to have electricity to use them unlike the plasma
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