Plasma - Cut vs. Sever = ?

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I want a plamsa cutter tooOf course bigger is better, buy once and cry once....It all comes down to moneyI'm trying to figure out what the specs mean and they refer to material thicknessbut they use the terms "cut" and "sever"which in the real world mean the same thing.I'm guessing that cut is better than sever but who can show me pics of both?Maybe I'd be happy with sever on the high end.I'm interested in fab work, not auto bodyIs there any comments on the Lincoln tomahawk with air included ?My compressor spits water like a pressure washer wand and included air make sense.220 access is no problem.
Reply:Cut is precision and nice square smooth finish. Sever is upper limits of the capability, and can be wavy, crappy, jagged finish. Sever is good enough for scrapping though.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:There I'd no industry standard.   Hypertherm it's a cut at less than 10inch/min per Jim Colt.Tiger 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:I have severed railroad track with my hypertherm pm600. Not pretty cuts, but got the job done. I have made clean cuts on 3/4" even though the unit is rated for cutting up to 5/8" as I recall.  IMHO, add some air pipe, a water separator to dry your air out, install a motorguard at the unit and buy whatever size Hypertherm you need. If you add onboard air to a plasma cutter, you are only making the system more complex, more expensive to fix, and more likely to break down. Keep it as simple as you can. I have owned a TD, and used a miller plasma, and nothing has been as easy, or reliable as my Hypertherm.
Reply:Does not matter the brand, because the sever quality is generally the same in machines that cost similar amounts of money. Lets say dollar for dollar. You can get excellent quality at slower then 10 IPM on most top units. Just end up with more dross, but the cut face/bevel can be still excellent.. The real problem is when cutting by hand, it's hard to maintain a consistent speed when pulling so slow.. I don't care for motor guard filters at all, but probably ok for portable units. These are superior in almost every way for a end filter on a plasma..(point-of-use)http://www.laman.com/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:Originally Posted by Brand XDoes not matter the brand, because the sever quality is generally the same in machines that cost similar amounts of money. Lets say dollar for dollar. You can get excellent quality at slower then 10 IPM on most top units. Just end up with more dross, but the cut face/bevel can be still excellent.. The real problem is when cutting by hand, it's hard to maintain a consistent speed when pulling so slow.. I don't care for motor guard filters at all, but probably ok for portable units. These are superior in almost every way for a end filter on a plasma..(point-of-use)http://www.laman.com/
Reply:The infomercial is all the guys posting thinking the Motor guard is some kind of decent water separator.They are ok for limited water vapor, and better for oil mist I ditched them 35 years ago, and would not own one if it was free. 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:Originally Posted by Brand XThe infomercial is all the guys posting thinking the Motor guard is some kind of decent water separator.They are ok for limited water vapor, and better for oil mist I ditched them 35 years ago, and would not own one if it was free.
Reply:Originally Posted by Brand XDoes not matter the brand, because the sever quality is generally the same in machines that cost similar amounts of money. Lets say dollar for dollar. You can get excellent quality at slower then 10 IPM on most top units. Just end up with more dross, but the cut face/bevel can be still excellent.. The real problem is when cutting by hand, it's hard to maintain a consistent speed when pulling so slow.. I don't care for motor guard filters at all, but probably ok for portable units. These are superior in almost every way for a end filter on a plasma..(point-of-use)http://www.laman.com/
Reply:The bottom line is..The manufacturers try to sell people on how thick their particular machine will cut.  It's ridiculousPlasma is a special purpose machine designed for precision cuts within its range, and the ability to transfer less heat to the material while doing so.To get a truly versatile system when cutting, one that will cut a wide variety of thickness's of material WITH THE SAME TIP, EVEN ON THE SAME CUT, you need the old tried and true OA rig.  I can put a #2 tip (rated somewhere around 3/4") on my Harris, and cut anything from 3/16 material up to 3" material without changing the tip.  It's a matter of technique.  And I'll get a good cut, not some dribbly drooly mess."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammThe bottom line is..The manufacturers try to sell people on how thick their particular machine will cut.  It's ridiculousPlasma is a special purpose machine designed for precision cuts within its range, and the ability to transfer less heat to the material while doing so.To get a truly versatile system when cutting, one that will cut a wide variety of thickness's of material WITH THE SAME TIP, EVEN ON THE SAME CUT, you need the old tried and true OA rig.  I can put a #2 tip (rated somewhere around 3/4") on my Harris, and cut anything from 3/16 material up to 3" material without changing the tip.  It's a matter of technique.  And I'll get a good cut, not some dribbly drooly mess.
Reply:That la Man dryer does look nice, but fairly expensive to buy, and the kits are not cheap either. I just use the motorguard as a final stage filter/dryer. They work well and are cheap. Filters are cheap as well. No fisheyes in my paint jobs since I started using them. Condensate on the inside of them causes them to slowly self destruct, but life is still long. That is not to say I wouldnt use one of the La man dryers, nor do I think the Motorguard is better.
Reply:Originally Posted by 12345678910I want a plamsa cutter tooOf course bigger is better, buy once and cry once....It all comes down to moneyI'm trying to figure out what the specs mean and they refer to material thicknessbut they use the terms "cut" and "sever"which in the real world mean the same thing.I'm guessing that cut is better than sever but who can show me pics of both?Maybe I'd be happy with sever on the high end.I'm interested in fab work, not auto bodyIs there any comments on the Lincoln tomahawk with air included ?My compressor spits water like a pressure washer wand and included air make sense.220 access is no problem.
Reply:Originally Posted by MikeHaugenWhere do you get them and how much do they cost?