New Guy Plasma or Cutting outfit

[tonylumps]

Of course i am a new guy to welding I just bought a HH -140 After doing a lot of Research And very pleased With it So now i started looking for a cutting outfit and started reading about Plasma The only welding and cutting i will be doing is Home and Hobby After doing the Numbers a good cutting outfit+tanks + cart comes out to what a a Airforce 250 would cost Two questions 1 Plasma or Cutting outfit 2 Is the Airforce 250 to small I know i would like to get both But can not afford it right now Maybe down the road Thanks Tony

[Hotfoot]

You will have to be very honest with yourself about you cutting requirements in terms of steel thickness, because it will be the deciding factor in any plasma cutter decision. I did what many do, I under-bought my first two plasmas, moving up a bit each time. I now have a 40 amp unit, which is what I had to get to cut Oxygen tanks in one pass. I was mislead by the manufactuer's claims, which tend to express obviously optimum results under ideal conditions. If all you are going to cut is sheet metal and thin plate, a low amp unit might do it. One with a self-contained compressor is very handy for portability, but I feel you are only adding to the complexity (as in more parts to fail) and weight if you do not need the "tote-ability". Virtually all shops have an air compressor, and they can be made to provide dry (EXTREMELY important) air.
Save hundreds of dollars in the end.

Do not under-buy a plasma. A cutting torch can do amazingly fine cuts in the hands of a practiced operator.

[tonylumps]

Hotfoot I have a compresser in the garage not a large one but enough CFM for the next size up in Hobart Miller and Thermal D Now can i ask another question Is there a specific size or Another make That i should be looking at. I am 65 years old my Father told me a long time ago a poor man can't afford to buy cheap in cost to much to replace I have been a carpenter for 30 years so far he has been right about tools Thanks Tony

[villemur]

I would go for the oxy-acetylene rig before a plasma cutter. With it you can heat, braze, weld, and cut. You can use it to help remove stuck bolts, and to bend thick metal. Plus, it's a lot of fun to use.

However, there are two situations where an O/A torch is almost useless: 1) cutting sheet metal and 2) cutting non-ferrous metals. Of course, there are other ways to cut these.

O/A rigs seem to show up on Craigslist quite often. Because they can vary in age and quality, it would be good to take someone knowledgable with you to look at used O/A rigs. The old Airco setup that I'm using was rescued from the trash. When I went in to rent tanks at my local welding shop they let me bring my rig in and they gave it a quick safety check. They sold me new hoses (which I badly needed) and then they pronounced me good to go.

If you do decide to go with plasma, make sure that you the biggest unit that you can afford. No one ever seems to downgrade to a smaller unit, they all upgrade...

[tonylumps]

I appreciate all the good advice I have the rest of the week off Maybe i will hit a couple of welding supplies I think if i go for O/A I will most likely buy at LWS Because of the tank issue If i go for Plasma i will Research them and buy online Be cause of the price Thanks Tony

[Jeep07]

If you got OA or any gas torch get somebody to teach you how to use it properly.. Also make sure you use flashback arrestors etc... I love my torch setup but since I got the larger plasma cutter I hardly ever use it anymore for cutting. One thing I hate about a torch is when you use it its a live flame so if your under a car you have a life flame you have to deal with while trying to get to the material to cut.. Not fun...

Plasma you just pull the trigger and go..

Buy the biggest you can afford.. I wouldn't buy anything less than 40 amps.

Also you can look at a vertical bandsaw. They are slower but have super clean cuts with no cleanup.

[tonylumps]

I Took a ride today and went to 4 LWS to price a O/A outfit Just to make sure apples to apples This what i got the prices on Victor performer torch kit,Outright Oxygen 80CF Outright Acetylen 75CF Tanks full and cart 3 prices From 692.00 to 748.00 The forth price was with The smithToughcut kit Medium duty with bonus heating tip same size tanks and cart That price 650.00 Buying the tanks are what brings the prices up I know it is a one time buy on the tanks All prices out door including Taxes I know prices vary in different areas Do these prices sound like they are in the ball park Do you think this outfit would work for me Thanks Tony

[weldgault]

From what I've seen, yes it would be a good outfit for you. John

[Broccoli1]

Tony,

look at Philly's CL

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/497370742.html

[Broccoli1]

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/481526904.html

[villemur]

I would go with a bigger acetylene tank. Bump up to the next size (I think that it's a 145). This is because the amount of acetylene that you can draw out of a tank in a given time period is related to the size of the tank. If you go with a small tank will be limited to using smaller tips. It's a trade-off between portability and tank size, but the 145 is still pretty manageable.

For oxygen I have a 125. With cutting you'll use more oxygen than acetylene, so this works out to be a pretty good tank size (again, it's manageable).

Have you thought about leasing tanks? I spend $80/year to lease the pair of tanks. I think that this is a pretty good deal, and I can swap them out for larger or smaller sizes as needed.

[tonylumps]

I looked on craigs list i did see the one set up from boothwyn I really did not want to get involve with used tanks You take them to get filled and you get a song and dance routine from the LWS And i am using them in my garage that is under the house I felt a little better with new hoses fittings So i feel a little safer with a new outfit. And i did spring for it today As far as larger tanks i think these will be okay I did not want to lease The guy at the LWS said if i do not do any major heating with a rosebud These tanks would be fine for the house So i got Home today set them up And tried to cut some 1/8 inch plate I think if i used a hack saw it would have been faster I guess i have some practice cutting to do Maybe i will need larger tanks Thanks for all your help Tony