Ordered up Chinese Plasma cutter....

Limited-Time

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
5,820
I could not see parting with $800.00 to a thousand plus dollars for brand name a 50 AMP pilot start plasma cutter. But I did find a Chinese brand, LOTOS LTP5000D and figured for less than $400.00 its worth a gamble. It should be here in a week or so. We'll see then if I scored or just flushed my money down the toilet. But from the reviews it should be a good serviceable home unit..........again we'll see.
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,621
Nice . . . Although, I must admit, I have never had the need to cut plasma :noidea: :D
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
I'm in the process of selling my Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38. Nice machine but never really wound up getting much use out of it. Just make sure you order up a motorguard toilet paper style air dryer for it (put it after your normal water filter) and your consumables will last a lot longer. Wet air is the enemy of plasma cutter consumables.
 

bigdee

Commander
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
2,665
In all honesty I don't think you can buy one that isn't Chinese or at least some of it.
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
In all honesty I don't think you can buy one that isn't Chinese or at least some of it.

If it works it is fine, really the only reason to go "brand name" is that you might be able to get parts for it in 5 years.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
Yes most if not all are probably manufactured in China. However, there are still good China companies and not so good China companies. The good companies do manufacture the true name brand items with real quality control and specifications. The not so good dump them out and hope. Most of the time if you see a ISO900X certification, it is light years better then others without any certification. Of course that doesn't mean you can't get a bad certified unit from any company. And on the flip side of that is you can get a good unit from a non-certified company as well, but not as likely. If you get it and it does what you want, it is a good one.

I wouldn't mind having one, but it would simply be a play toy. I have no real reason for one. But when was that a stopper for buy "toys", I mean tools? :facepalm:
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
I have a Hypertherm plasma cutter. I was considering Chinese but heard of too many issues with them. The Hypertherm is made in the USA.

Finding consumables down the road is a huge reason going with a US brand.

BTW being ISO 9000 certified is a joke. Means pretty much nothing.
 

mjf55

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
462
BTW being ISO 9000 certified is a joke. Means pretty much nothing.
I agree with that. All it really means is that you have a repeatable process, and that the members of the team know their part. It does not mean it is a good process.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
I agree with that. All it really means is that you have a repeatable process, and that the members of the team know their part. It does not mean it is a good process.
It's documentation only. If you make a low quality product before you are ISO9000, you will make a poor quality product after.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
I agree with both bruseb58 and mjf55 about the ISO 9000 series of quality control. But if a company really isn't that good to start out with, why would they pay the huge money to get ISO 9000 certified if they were going to product junk and sell it? It isn't cheap to get and maintain every year. I know our Computer Software office/lab went through that junk for certification because unless you were officially certified, you couldn't bid on any Software Projects. But shortly after that we went to CMMI quality assurance as well. That was even worst. The cost of doing business easily doubled with all the steps and paperwork to trace progress that for the most part was bogus. But you have to do those things to stay in business. :eek:
 

Limited-Time

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
5,820
I agree with both bruseb58 and mjf55 about the ISO 9000 series of quality control. But if a company really isn't that good to start out with, why would they pay the huge money to get ISO 9000 certified if they were going to product junk and sell it? It isn't cheap to get and maintain every year. I know our Computer Software office/lab went through that junk for certification because unless you were officially certified, you couldn't bid on any Software Projects. But shortly after that we went to CMMI quality assurance as well. That was even worst. The cost of doing business easily doubled with all the steps and paperwork to trace progress that for the most part was bogus. But you have to do those things to stay in business. :eek:

Having been directly involved in getting three separate companies ISO certified I can tell you: ISO when properly utilized drives quality improvements throughout an organization. Unfortunately most companies choose to implement it as a sales tool. Where it does nothing but add documentation, pizz off employees and generally increase the cost of business.


As for the plasma cutter I chose. It was based on all the reviews I could find and looking at the ratio of good to bad reviews. That and the fact its available, along with all the required consumables online through Home Depot.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
LT, yesterday I was on a forum called "Instructables". I love that DIYer site. And I was looking at a guy build a new type motor. He was using a Plasma Cutter and it was amazing how quick he cut out the parts in what looked like 3/16" metal. He put a piece of wood on the metal and run the plasma cutter along side of it as a guide and it was an instant cut, like if you drew a pencil line along a rules. It was that quick and straight too. If I only had a legitimate use for one. :whistle:
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
I don't use my plasma cutter often but there are just some jobs that you need them for.
 

MTboatguy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
8,988
LT, yesterday I was on a forum called "Instructables". I love that DIYer site. And I was looking at a guy build a new type motor. He was using a Plasma Cutter and it was amazing how quick he cut out the parts in what looked like 3/16" metal. He put a piece of wood on the metal and run the plasma cutter along side of it as a guide and it was an instant cut, like if you drew a pencil line along a rules. It was that quick and straight too. If I only had a legitimate use for one. :whistle:

I agree, if I only had a use for one!

:)
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
The time where you need it the most is to remove something that was previously welded. I am removing some large square tubing that hold my side bunks on my trailer and the only way to get them off is to plasma cut them off.
 

Limited-Time

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
5,820
LT, yesterday I was on a forum called "Instructables". I love that DIYer site. And I was looking at a guy build a new type motor. He was using a Plasma Cutter and it was amazing how quick he cut out the parts in what looked like 3/16" metal. He put a piece of wood on the metal and run the plasma cutter along side of it as a guide and it was an instant cut, like if you drew a pencil line along a rules. It was that quick and straight too. If I only had a legitimate use for one. :whistle:

Gm/MT If having a "legitimate" reason was a prerequisite for owning one I would have never ordered one.....LOL
 

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
I could not see parting with $800.00 to a thousand plus dollars for brand name a 50 AMP pilot start plasma cutter. But I did find a Chinese brand, LOTOS LTP5000D and figured for less than $400.00 its worth a gamble. It should be here in a week or so. We'll see then if I scored or just flushed my money down the toilet. But from the reviews it should be a good serviceable home unit..........again we'll see.

I bought my Harbor Freight Plasma Cutter 3 or 4 years ago. I don't use it all the time but it always works. If it fails (and I can't fix it myself) AND I cannot findanyone to fix it, I'll probably part it out.

If I were to buy a plasma cutter now though, It would be the $1200 Miller. (the HF one was about $600)
 
Top