Cheap plasma cutter

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No doubt many of you have seen the cheap HEROCUT 30 amp plasma cutter sold by Amazon reviewed on YouTube. As an occasional hobby welder (I have a cheap AC stick welder and a cheap TIG welder) this piqued my interest. Nowhere in the description did it say how much air it needed and when I asked the vendor I was told 45 liters/minute, which works out to about 12 CFM. Searching the web for plasma cutter air requirements I see "Smaller units (3/8″ steel cutting) commonly have air requirements at about 4-5 SCFM at 90-120 PSI." This 30 amp unit falls into that range, so nowhere near 12 CFM, which would be a big shop compressor. My compressor is 4.3 SCFM @ 40 PSI, 3.3 SCFM @ 90 PSI, so would it be adequate for, say, cutting 1/8" steel. Could it work?Yes, I know most of you are pros with multi thousand dollar equipment but humor me anyway.
Reply:You've probably already searched this, but one guy says it works fine with his 4.1 cfm.... lots of conflicting advice though... https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions...k_ql_ql_al_hzaThe harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:

Originally Posted by whtbaron

You've probably already searched this, but one guy says it works fine with his 4.1 cfm.... lots of conflicting advice though... https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions...k_ql_ql_al_hza
Reply:It's going to depend on air tank size and the cutting duty cycle, If you're making long cuts you could run out of pressure before you finish the cut with a small tank. I used a small Makita pancake (3HP?) with my Miller 375 extreme and had no problem doing 12-16" cuts with some setup time between cuts that allowed the pressure to build back up.
Reply:I was thinking adding an auxiliary tank might help if he was running short. Now you've got me looking at the 50 amp version. I've never bought the one I want because it was over $3k... this one would come in handy for the light stuff.  https://vevor.ca/products/50amp-air-...SABEgJMiPD_BwEThe harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Well, I bit the bullet and ordered the CUT350 30Amp from Amazon, $199CAD total. Just need it where my chop saw or angle grinder is not practical. I'll report my findings.
Reply:Unless the main orifice on the cutting tip + the auxiliary orifices (if there are any) are huge (>1.6mm for the main cutting tip, and >1mm for the auxiliary orifices) it won't need anywhere near 12 CFM.

Originally Posted by oldyellr

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered the CUT350 30Amp from Amazon, $199CAD total. Just need it where my chop saw or angle grinder is not practical. I'll report my findings.
Reply:Just bought a lotos lt 5000 and I've got  a 20 gal air compressor from lowes works beautifully https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-20-G...B&gclsrc=aw.dsSent from my cp3705AS using Tapatalk
Reply:I see that one delivers 6.1 CFM at 40 PSI and 4 CFM at 90 PSI. Mine is a little less and just 5 gallons. But if it runs out of air too quickly, I can always hook up a 5 gallon portable tank I have in tandem.
Reply:

Originally Posted by oldyellr

I see that one delivers 6.1 CFM at 40 PSI and 4 CFM at 90 PSI. Mine is a little less and just 5 gallons. But if it runs out of air too quickly, I can always hook up a 5 gallon portable tank I have in tandem.
Reply:Brand x has done lots of testing with this unit with amazing results even on thick material's, bet he could shed some light ,,,i also have one been great on what i use it for 1/8 and thinnerEsab Multimaster 260Esab Caddy160IESAB powercut 650Esab 220i tigLincoln Precision Tig 225Lincoln IdealArc 250INE SKYLINE 1500Klutch 140iMEASURE TWICE IS FOR MORONS
Reply:

Originally Posted by oldyellr

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered the CUT350 30Amp from Amazon, $199CAD total. Just need it where my chop saw or angle grinder is not practical. I'll report my findings.
Reply:

Originally Posted by whtbaron

Still haven't taken my son's Acklands antique into the shop for repairs... .
Reply:

Originally Posted by oldyellr

No doubt many of you have seen the cheap HEROCUT 30 amp plasma cutter sold by Amazon reviewed on YouTube. As an occasional hobby welder (I have a cheap AC stick welder and a cheap TIG welder) this piqued my interest. Nowhere in the description did it say how much air it needed and when I asked the vendor I was told 45 liters/minute, which works out to about 12 CFM. Searching the web for plasma cutter air requirements I see "Smaller units (3/8″ steel cutting) commonly have air requirements at about 4-5 SCFM at 90-120 PSI." This 30 amp unit falls into that range, so nowhere near 12 CFM, which would be a big shop compressor. My compressor is 4.3 SCFM @ 40 PSI, 3.3 SCFM @ 90 PSI, so would it be adequate for, say, cutting 1/8" steel. Could it work?Yes, I know most of you are pros with multi thousand dollar equipment but humour me anyway.
Reply:Just remember most compressor CFM ratings are fairly over inflated. Someone once shared a simple way to check it though by timing how long it takes to fill the tank from flat empty. I forget the exact formula but its here somewhere in an old post.Miller Multimatic 255
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Originally Posted by SweetMK

I had to Google what an Acklands was,, A welder!!The main machine that pops up is the orange Acklands version of my Miller Thunderbolt,,The main power switch went WAY too prematurely in my welder, but, it was a cheap fix,,
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Originally Posted by 12345678910

When I google the conversion45 litres = 1.58916 cubic feet.You converted litres to gallons, not cubic feet. 1 Cubic Feet Per Minute to  = 28.3168  Liters Per Minute
Reply:Haven't read the thread so somebody's probably already said this, but sometimes the "cheapest" tool is the one you only have to buy once, rather than replace when it breaks, or replace when it disappoints you, etc. I've done it many times myself (I'm a sucker for "bargains" and as often as not get stung), so DAMHIKT...Hypertherm is the way to go IMHO...the Powermax 45 is a very nice unit.
Reply:Point taken. But for me this will be a toy, not something I'd need to use every day.  I can afford a $200 toy but can't justify a $2000 one that may get use a couple of times a year.
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Originally Posted by Kelvin

Haven't read the thread so somebody's probably already said this, but sometimes the "cheapest" tool is the one you only have to buy once, rather than replace when it breaks, or replace when it disappoints you, etc. I've done it many times myself (I'm a sucker for "bargains" and as often as not get stung), so DAMHIKT...Hypertherm is the way to go IMHO...the Powermax 45 is a very nice unit.
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Originally Posted by whtbaron

Yea... it was rebranded Miller equipment.... his is an old plasma cutter.
Reply:The Hypertherm is a real nice machine,, I sold my 45 XP to a member here. He is thrilled to have it..Same with my older 65 Hypertherm.. I had so many Thermal Dynamics machines,and many Esab models too..The little arc sonic (lotos too) work well for the price I paid ($92) for my machine, and I am just as happy as the Hypertherm owner..It does not take too much time to get a good return on your investment. Love the 8 lbs carry wait, and cutting usefull thickness on a good 20 amp/ 120 volt line..(correct nozzles, and swirl ringsIf you have the right nozzles, and swirl ring  a 4.2 CFM @ 100 psi emgl compressor keeps up will. The 3.5 cfm @ 100 Senco will fall behind on longer cuts. Still works but you have to watch it a bit..Esab/Lorch ET-220iEsab 160i caddyThermal LM-200/ Lincoln feedersThermal 95sThermal 60i- 3phase /RPC powered Thermal Drag-gun 35CThermal 15cINE 1500 Klutch 140i
Reply:Well, the HEROCUT CUT35i arrived yesterday. I assembled it, all the supplied fittings worked, and I had no air leaks. Today I tried it out on some thin galvanized steel I would normally cut with tin snips and it worked just fine, but obviously not as clean. Next I tried some 1/8" steel and blew the breaker after just cutting one inch. Tried again with lower current, same thing. So here's the problem. The unit has a standard 110V plug, but the specs call for an input current of 25-35 amps at 110 volts. Where do you find a 110 volt outlet greater than 15 amps? The power cord has a standard 110V 15A plug but receptacles for 110V 30A are totally different. What was the manufacturer thinking?
Reply:I've seen 20 amp outlets but that's itSent from my LM-X420 using Tapatalk
Reply:Change the plug and wire an outlet with the appropriate wire gauge and use one of these or whatever other ones there are.https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-...-S10/302480849https://www.homedepot.com/p/Legrand-...CCV3/100178966---Meltedmetal

Originally Posted by Meltedmetal

Change the plug and wire an outlet with the appropriate wire gauge and use one of these or whatever other ones there are.https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-...-S10/302480849https://www.homedepot.com/p/Legrand-...CCV3/100178966
Reply:

Originally Posted by oldyellr

That would require putting a new circuit in. What I don't understand is why the manufacturer provides a standard 110 volt, 16 amp plug when the unit requires 25-35 amps.
Reply:Yep... my 220 came today with the same cord/plugin.... I did see a complaint about that in the comments so it wasn't a complete shock... a little disappointing though. Nothing in the directions except "see a qualified electrician". I'm sure there's a Youtube on it somewhere, but I'd like to know if I need to find a magic switch somewhere inside, or if the machine is able to detect and switch between 110 and 220 automatically... I can't see that cord taking a 50 amp draw either. I've got spare welder plugs around so it's not a big deal for me, I'd just like to know I'm doing it right.The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Hmmm..... looks like this guy just changed the plug and everything else is automatic... " didn't have to do anything inside. The machine is dual voltage and it does everything automatically

You could put a 110 plug on the end and run it that way but I put the 220 plug on it and if I only have 110 power where I'm working, I use one of the 220 to 110 adapters that came with one of my welders and plug it in to that."I'm not the only one that had concerns about that light wire.... Last edited by whtbaron; 03-27-2021 at 03:51 AM.The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:There is something rattling around inside, so I will need to see if it's anything serious before I plug it in... hopefully nothing major came loose in shipping...The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:

Originally Posted by Meltedmetal

Change the plug and wire an outlet with the appropriate wire gauge and use one of these or whatever other ones there are.https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-...-S10/302480849https://www.homedepot.com/p/Legrand-...CCV3/100178966
Reply:

Originally Posted by whtbaron

Hmmm..... looks like this guy just changed the plug and everything else is automatic... " didn't have to do anything inside. The machine is dual voltage and it does everything automatically

You could put a 110 plug on the end and run it that way but I put the 220 plug on it and if I only have 110 power where I'm working, I use one of the 220 to 110 adapters that came with one of my welders and plug it in to that."
Reply:How did y'all find out about this inexpensive plasma cutter?  I follow this guy (Project Farm) on YouTube and he posted an impressive report.He said he got the 220 volt model because it was cheaper and a bit more powerful than the 110 volt version. He said he had some air leak problems with the supplied parts, but I didn't experience that. I actually could have bought the 220 volt one off Ali Express, but didn't want to wait 2 months and thought Amazon was safer. Strangely enough, I can no longer find this video on the Project Farm YouTube channel, so he must have removed it. Also, neither model is shown as available on Amazon.com anymore, just the CUT35i 110 volt model on Amazon.ca, which is the one I bought.
Reply:Yes, I found that half translated manual about as useful as a left hand thread on a boar's ***** as well. It describes the 50 amps as either a 50D or 50F with differing air requirements, but mine is simply labelled as a Cut50. It does dial up to 51 amps so I assume it's the F or better. I got the cover off (had to pry out one stripped screw, one cross threaded one) and found the source of my rattle. It was just a nut roaming around. There are several used that all appeared to be in place with the various mounts, so I think it was just a dropped one at the factory. Nice quality control.


I also have some air leakage issues with the POS shark bite style fitting on the small black line going to the gauge. It's annoying but not a deal breaker. Some day I'll have to find a brass barbed fitting that works on the Chinese metric threads and change it. I laughed when they said the filter/regulator was optional if you had a regulator at the compressor. Anything I have ever read on plasmas said to put a filter at the machine regardless of how clean your air was. I put the big plug on ( the 50 amp is also dual voltage) mine to run off the 50 amp welder circuit in the shop. The small 14 gauge wire had to be folded once to get enough meat into the fittings. Black wire on the fat side, white wire on the thin side, and green to ground. The guy in the video I posted didn't seem to think it would be easy to upsize that wire, but I disagree. It's not that tight up front where it connects with blade connectors... biggest issue would be getting the larger wire in the back of the machine, and that just means a little drilling or a different style nut.



The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:I did get it fired up and managed to play with it a little tonite. First cut was a round hole in some 1/4"... I ground the area for the ground clamp and where I was cutting clean. I think I did this with 35 amps and 65 lbs. of air. Not pretty but I'm just getting it going.

If a little bit is good, then too much should be better, right? It's rated for cutting at 3/8" and severing for 1/2" so I tried a straight (don't laugh, I'm still fidgeting around trying to figure where I can see what's going on)  slice on rusty but ground off piece of 7/16" spring steel. Aside from a little operator error, it went as well as could be expected. Not real fast, but if I read that label right, it only has a 35% duty cycle at full amps anyway. Definitely not industrial quality and I'm sure pushing it hard would fry things quickly, but for light stuff and occasional use, it seems to do the job... for now anyway. With the small handle you will definitely want good gloves (pretty much a given for any plasma anyway) and I'm still looking for a way to keep steady and be able to see around my hand. Might need a rest or more beer for my shaky hands...  


The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:

Originally Posted by oldyellr

I've also seen videos of plasma cutters with just an adapter to change the plug from 220 to 110 (or vice versa, can't remember) and the Amazon description for the one I bought says "Dual voltage input design: Plasma cutter can be plugged into 110[/FONT]（[/FONT]120[/FONT]）[/FONT]V / 220(230)V dual voltage using(Automatic fitting)." But I see nothing about that in the owner's manual. I've contacted the vendor to ask about this, but have not heard back. Meanwhile I'm going ahead and adding a dedicated 110 volt, 30 amp source for it.I notice that this unit has no CSA or UL certification markings, just one CE mark, which resembles the European certification, but probably just means  China Export; therefore, nothing. That must be how they claim 110 volt supply using a standard North American 15 amp plug when it needs 30 amps.
Reply:The tag on the back appears to say 110 V ~1 (single phase AC), so that's that. Not sure what the other stuff means.

This is the front with the "CE" symbol.

I tried to find a manual for this unit on line with no luck, so I scanned the one that came with it before I lose it.
Reply:Yep... looks like you did the right thing making a dedicated 110 v line... if you ever get a 110 volt MIG it will come in handy. That CE is on the front of the blue ones too... I assumed it was a company logo for whoever was building them. No serial number on your tag... interesting. I think I saw something inside but I didn't look to see if it had a serial number on it. I'm beginning to think that light input line to the plugin might be handy... if it starts to feel warm, it's time to back off, but the internal fusing will likely kick out before that. I was thinking about swapping it out for 10 gauge, but if you look at the wires coming off of it inside, they'll be the next weakest link anyway. I wonder how many guys have smoked the ones like yours by plugging them into 220?Last edited by whtbaron; 03-28-2021 at 12:06 PM.The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:The "CE" marking tells "The CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that the product meets EU standards for health, safety, and environmental protection"....Wiki description below:.
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Originally Posted by shortfuse

The "CE" marking tells "The CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that the product meets EU standards for health, safety, and environmental protection"....Wiki description below:.
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Originally Posted by whtbaron

Yep... looks like you did the right thing making a dedicated 110 v line... if you ever get a 110 volt MIG it will come in handy.
Reply:UL FM CSA TUV CE .... so many initials/agencies.  https://www.weldingweb.com/images/smilies/dizzy.gif

https://www.weldingweb.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gifAirco 250 ac/dc Heliwelder Square waveMiller Synchrowave 180 sdMiller Econo Twin HFLincoln 210 MPDayton 225 ac/dcVictor torchesSnap-On YA-212Lotos Cut60DPrimeweld 225 ac/dcPrimeweld mig180Miller AEAD-200
Reply:At one point in my manual, the machine is described as an Everlast... that's the only place I see reference to that name. A little copyright infringement?The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:I  have one of those cheap amazon plasma cutters called the CUT50.As a 50 amp plasma cutter it's able to sever 3/4" steel plate and cut 1/2" in my experience. One thing to mention is that you do eat consumables for breakfast when you're running it on 50 amps but on the upside the consumables cost less than $1 each set for the electrode, cup, nozzle so you can buy them in bulk and have a fresh one for every new project.
Reply:So do you ever dial it back just to save on consumables?  Have you put many hours on it?The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
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Originally Posted by SweetMK

I ran a plasma on a kind of production basis,, the compressor was too small.I added a 30 gallon tank, also, the extra tank was 100 feet from the compressor.The 100 feet of hose, then the 30 gallon extra tank did two things, 1) I had plenty of air, the compressor could "catch up" between cuts,2) The 100 foot hose, and 30 gallon tank insured that moisture NEVER got to the torch, the air was always cooled to room temperature.My tip life was amazing,, like I could get 16 to 25 hours of torch-on time out of a set of consumables.When cutting 3/16 inch or less, literally the consumables lasted forever.Add a tank, just to cool the air, even if you have plenty of compressor.
Reply:Well, I finally got the  HEROCUT CUT35i working as it should after putting in a dedicated 115 volt 30 amp line with a twistlock receptacle and a twistlock to 115 female plug adapter to use the existing 115 volt 15 amp plug on the unit. A few days to get the necessary supplies in and a couple of afternoons wiring. No fun trying to cram 12 gauge wires into a 230 volt box I was adding to. And then when I went to try it I had no power! After another couple of afternoons pulling stuff apart and troubleshooting, I found the 30 amp fuse I had just bought was a dud! Good thing I bought 2 of them.One more thing, I had contacted the manufacturer, SHENZHEN ARCSONIC TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD. to clarify if the description on Amazon claiming dual voltage was true and was told no. I see the description has now changed and air requirement has been added as 40 L/min.So how does it work? I guess it works as advertised, but I only tried cutting 1/8" steel I had on hand.
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Originally Posted by John Koch

This is really really good advice, thanks so much for this, feel like an idiot for not figuring this out myself!!!! Thanks!
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I like our chicom unit. I bought this one for two reasons. The gauge and pressure adjustment is on the front with the amperage control. And the separator is behind a little plate on the side instead of hanging off the back like some of the others. And if there is one thing I know, the stuff that hangs off gets knocked off around our place. It has the 120v/240v adapter and works way better on 240v. We run it off a little 20 gallon craftsman compressor. Some times I have to stop and wait for it to catch up but usually the cuts aren't that long. I think the little thing works great. I bought a bunch of "less expensive" consumables off ebay so I'd have them on hand. And I bought some nicer ones that probably came from china off a welding site but I haven't tried them out yet to see if there is a difference. I have a little black plastic tool box I picked up at dollar tree so keep the consumables and a back up torch I bought off ebay in and handy.Rich


Reply:How did it work out ?http://www.PlasmaMetalCutter.comGiantTech Cut40DGiantTech Cut50DGiantTech CT520DGiantTech Tig200sGiantTech Arc200GiantTech Tig200PACDCMiller MM210No Brand Chinese Chop SawNo Brand Chinese 4" Angle Grinder