I've had my Hypertherm 30 for about 4 years, predominantly hobby use.... It went out so I carried it to nextair for repair and the repairman said the board went out. The board was quoted with $770 with $140 labor plus tax which puts the repair cost just under what I paid for it. Does that sound about right?It was a great plasma while it worked. I sure have missed the cutter in the last few weeks. I feel like lost my dog I just need to figure out if it's worth repairing or buying another cutter.
Reply:For about $400 more, you could get the 30xp which is an improved design and 3 yr warranty. I'd be ticked off if a hobby plasma died after 4 yrs of hobby use. If you know the offending board, maybe you can find a place to repair it cheaper. Not sure if innovat Corp fixes those. Maybe Jim Colt will refer you to someone. Or contact Mechanic416. I think he can repair those tooTiger Sales: AHP Distributor www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P, Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma. For Sale: Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun. Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Out of curiosity, I checked Hypertherm's download library, and it doesn't seem to have the repair manual for the 30. The manual for the XP and Air is there, but I couldn't find one for the 30. I'm not sure if the xp one applies, and it seems like some of the repair info is in conjunction with the 45 (which I have). If you can find it (or maybe call Hypertherm and obtain a pdf of it), there's a decent troubleshooting chart in the form of a flow chart, which makes it fairly straightforward.Depending on how handy your are, if you are able to diagnose it (or confirm it's the main board), you can swap it out yourself easy enough, and most of the online sources sell the various boards at a discount as well.
Reply:I agree with you Southpaw, I'll purchase a new one with warranty before paying that repair price. And yeah, I really didn't expect it to go out that quick no more than I use it. Just my luck of the draw I guess.Tak, I wasn't aware that there was repair manuals for the cutter or that I could get parts for it. Guess I was thinking it was dealer/licensed privileged stuff... Since I'm not running production with it, I may give it a stab and see if I can repair it. If all else fails, I can buy a new one.
Reply
ersonally I would take it apart and look over the board and see what on the board went out and if it can be replaced easily. There have been many times I have seen a $0.25 radioshack resistor or diode burn out and shut down a whole electronic part.12v battery, jumper cables, and a 6013.I only have a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/VPT/244788508917829
Reply:zboss86. The "downloads library" link is at the bottom of the main page. When you get there, there are drop down menus where you can select your product. Among the available docs are the service manuals, and within the service manuals are troubleshooting charts arranged in a flow chart. If you look in the service bulletin folders, there are numerous specific information on replacing specific parts (I assume updated versions of what's in the service manual).The only quirky part about it, is that it appears the regular 30 info seemed to be intermixed with the XP/Air info and the 45 info depending on the part, so I don't know what applies to your situation. I assume, for the most part, the XP stuff applies to the power supply, but just call Hypertherm and ask. Maybe there's a regular 30 specific manual that they can email you.As VPT stated, they are easy enough to just pop open, and it may be something so blatant that you don't even need the service manual (and cheaper than replacing the entire board).
Reply:zboss86, if you can't find the PM30 service manual, shoot me a pm with an email address and I'll send it to you. Just an FYI, it's over 6 mb in size.
Reply:The service manual is there. Go to www.hypertherm.com , lick on downloads library at top of page, just to the right of the "product type" selection is (in red writing) "view older products" (this is new and applies to no longer in production products), click that, then choose Powermax30, then manuals, service manual.The manual is pretty good, but will not make you an electronics engineer! I find that in most cases there will be visible signs of damage if the main board is bad (in any plasma cutter)....not always, but usually. If nothing visible unplug and replug every connector on the board and in the unit. Look for loose, corroded connections......of couse do not have the unit connected to any power while doing this. Often a simple loose connector or a little corrosion is enough to stop these units from working.....and in some cases even a tech in a shop will sooner change parts than do component level troubleshooting.If I had some symptoms I may be able to help. LED's, what happens when you power it up, pull the trigger, etc. Failure mode: were you cutting? Did you hear any funny noises? Did it work last time you used it....put it on the shelf and now it doesn't work?Jim Colt Hypertherm
Reply:I to have also had many issues with my powermax 30. After the first 2 years of owning it (light hobby use) problems started with it. Its a great little machine when it works. Mine has been to the service center twice. I have had my main board changed and 6 months later it does a new thing it stops cutting and gives warning lights. Let it sit for awhile (6hrs or so) and it seems like it resets itself back to normal. I just was using it yesterday and the same thing happened again. I guess I'll give hyperthem tech support a call Monday, but now my warranty just came out of date, I guess im out of luck.Ya gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:If I were buying new Id look at one of these Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 42 seen them for some where around $850 multi voltage I think it may carry a 5 year warrantyEsab Multimaster 260Esab Caddy160IEsab 161 STLESAB powercut 650Esab 220i tigLincoln Precision Tig 225Lincoln IdealArc 250INE SKYLINE 1500Klutch 140iMEASURE TWICE IS FOR MORONS
Reply:Make sure when you call tech service that you provide all the details.....what warning lights, when do they occur...incoming air pressure, have you tried new consumables (including swirl ring and retaining cap. Sorry for your issues, however our tech service group is there to help out.Jim Colt Hypertherm Originally Posted by welderShaneI to have also had many issues with my powermax 30. After the first 2 years of owning it (light hobby use) problems started with it. Its a great little machine when it works. Mine has been to the service center twice. I have had my main board changed and 6 months later it does a new thing it stops cutting and gives warning lights. Let it sit for awhile (6hrs or so) and it seems like it resets itself back to normal. I just was using it yesterday and the same thing happened again. I guess I'll give hyperthem tech support a call Monday, but now my warranty just came out of date, I guess im out of luck.
Reply:The Chinese built Cutmaster 42 is not a bad little machine, although you may want to recheck the warranty. The issue with most users is the consumable usage.....the Hypertherm Powermax30 will have nearly 4x the consumable life and even though the Hypertherm is 30 amps output vs the 42's advertised 40 Amps, the output Wattage (true cutting power is very close between the two units.....so similar speeds and thicknesses. Did I mention that when you get a Powermax30 your dollars stay in the U.S. and pay wages here?Jim Colt Hypertherm Originally Posted by jim cafarelliIf I were buying new Id look at one of these Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 42 seen them for some where around $850 multi voltage I think it may carry a 5 year warranty
Reply:Originally Posted by jim cafarelliIf I were buying new Id look at one of these Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 42 seen them for some where around $850 multi voltage I think it may carry a 5 year warranty
Reply:weldershane,If you can supply me the serial number and model number of your Powermax30 I'll have our tech service people look up the warranty history....when warranty work is done there will be notes in our system, sometimes the notes will indicate what the repair station thought caused the issue, sometimes they are not so clear. When units need warranty work they do not go back to Hypertherm, rather, they go to independent regional repair stations that have technicians that are trained to service these units. These are not component level repair shops, rather they determine the module (circuit board, transformer, torch, etc.) and replace the bad module.Most likely (from my 37+ years) the issue you have now is not the same issue that caused the board to be replaced a year or more ago. From the symptoms posted....I don't have enough info to speculate. Error lights could indicate a torch problem, a consumable problem, a loose connection or a board. If it was here in my shop I likely could tell you what was wrong in less than 20 minutes....they are not too complicated.To answer Brandx, Hypertherm works with its customers as well as any company, in the majority of cases better than other companies. We do not return every failed machine or component to our labs in NH for evaluation. We would if our records showed some sort of excessive failure numbers related to a component, and we have had recall programs in the past, but that is not the case here. There are over 40,000 Powermax30's in the field and we have an extremely good understanding of the MTBF (mean time before failure) of every component.For weldershane, best bet is to contact Hypertherm tech service, fill them in with the details as well as your concerns with the previous issues, and they will help you plan the next course of action to get it resolved. If the same failure has occurred as the first time, then I'm sure the warranty status will be reviewed.Best regards, Jim Colt
Reply:Originally Posted by jimcoltweldershane,To answer Brandx, Hypertherm works with its customers as well as any company, in the majority of cases better than other companies. Best regards, Jim Colt
Reply:Thanks BrandX for that story.....on the Hypertherm thread no less! Not sure the exact point you are making, however I could respond with stories for days of our above and beyond...and years beyond the expiration of the warranty stories, but that is not the intent of this thread....rather, it is for discussion of Hypertherm products and any type of discussion about them good and bad.Now, did I ever tell you about the time I flew from NH to Brazil back in '87 to help a customer get his HT400 running....12 years out of warranty, never charging a penny, it is a true story, but I won't waste everyones time with it because these things occur periodically.The bottom line is that every company has some sort of warranty or guarantee for their products. There have to be guidelines on the length of the warranty and what exactly is covered. Without this the vast majority of customers would expect a company rep to show up every time a consumable part seemed to wear faster than the brochure stated. These are fairly complex machines that clearly can have dozens of different types of failures......we always do our best to ensure our customers are satisfied and that is often reflected in repeat products sales. There are hundreds of cases where Hypertherm has covered repairs above and beyond, and there always will be. Everyone likely has their favorite brand and story...Jim Colt Hypertherm Jim Colt Hypertherm
Reply:Just replying to something you said. fit perfect here.. (Better then most everybody else). Just hope Welder Shane gets a decent machine out of it. It sucks to be holding the bag on a problem machine. China made low cost imports or even top of the line USA companies. Guess we get to see how it plays out for Shane..Esab/Lorch ET-220iEsab 160i caddyThermal LM-200 Lincoln feedersThermal Pee-Wee 85sThermal 60i- 3phase /RPC powered (Beast)Thermal Drag-gun 35CINE 1500 Klutch 140i
Reply:Well, thanks for clarifying the warranty period for the CM42, and then using that to lead on to how much you like (believe it...we know!)the SL60, the SL40, and that you have an A120....and wonder if Hypertherm is in the same class. Doesn't really help us help the original poster (and another poster with a Powermax30 issue) get to the bottom of their issues....at least I don't see how it does!Regardless, If I hear from Weldershane about the model number and serial number....I will respond with what info I can get from previous warranty service, if not He is certainly free to post what he hears from Hypertherm tech service. weldershane if you want to get in touch directly I am at
[email protected]. I have no say in warranty, but am always happy to help determine what issues your machine is having, and steer the repairs in the right direction.Jim Colt Hypertherm Originally Posted by Brand XJust replying to something you said. fit perfect here.. (Better then most everybody else). Just hope Welder Shane gets a decent machine out of it. It sucks to be holding the bag on a problem machine. China made low cost imports or even top of the line USA companies. Guess we get to see how it plays out for Shane..
Reply:Jimcolt,Message was sent to your email concerning my serial# and such.Ya gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:zboss86: What was the final outcome of this issue?Thanks!MondoMember, AWSLincoln ProMIG 140Lincoln AC TombstoneCraftsman Lathe 12 x 24 c1935Atlas MFC Horizontal MillCraftsman Commercial Lathe 12 x 36 c1970- - - I'll just keep on keepin' on.
