Today, after lots of tire kicking and thinking things through, I went down to the tool store and plunked down the cash for the new plasma cutter. It arrives tomorrow.
With the advice of folks here and others locally I decided to go with the Miller Spectrum 625 plasma cutter.
It seems to be the right machine for our use and has a good track record from what I could find out. Parts and consumables are locally available as well.
In the end, the actual plasma cutter was only half of the cost equation. These things need a good amount of air, so a new good quality upright shop compressor was the order of the day. On top of that an air dryer seems to be really important for the plasma cutters to funtion well and the consumables to last. With the filters, air dryer, regulators, hoses, fittings, connectors, plasma cutter, and compressor the total bill added up to double what the cutter alone would have cost.
The good news is that we now have a really good compressor to power all the new air tools that are next on the wish list !
Janis is convinced that it is all part of an evil plot on my part. I have no idea where she might have gotten that notion.
-dan
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
Ok ...yer gonna make me ask aren't you?
How much?
I found one here for around $900. but I'm suspect of its worth!
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Monte
I looked at many machines of all sizes and capabilities. And there are many out there, lots of brands and lots of models.
I generally don't shop merely for price alone. Quality is very important to me and I am also loyal to my local distributors based on service. Both dealers I inquired at were helpful and courteous beyond my expectations. They answered my many questions and asked many questions of their own to help me find the machine which was best suited to my specific and specialized needs.
I didn't want a machine which was undersized, nor did I want to spend excess money on a machine with capabilities I would never use. In the end I bought from one dealer instead of the other simply because of availability and delivery schedules they offered on the machine of my choice. Their prices were very similar.
The plasma cutter was $2250 Canadian dollars which is about $1300 US. Equipment is generally more money north of the border, a function of import duties and taxes. The whole works - plasma cutter, compressor, regulators, filters, refrigerated air dryer, hoses, fitting, and misc hardware was $4500 plus taxes. The refridgerated air dryer was almost $900 alone.
I spent a little less than I had budgeted on the plasma cutter, but ended up buying a lot more compressor and related components than I had originally planned on.
It became readily apparent with my research that most problems related to consumables and poor cutting quality was because of poor quality or damp air. With the correct dryers and filters the tips last much longer, saving much grief and considerable money. With my eventual equipping of the shop with more air tools, the added expense would have been inevidable in the long run in any event.
All of the equipment purchased is brand name, quality stuff which should last me years and years. It should also help me to produce many, many hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods without any headaches, which makes it a long term bargain in my book!
In the end, with plasma cutters and compressors(as with most things) you get what you pay for.
As I told my dealers when I was shopping... "I'm not here to save money, but rather to spend it. I don't particularly want a bargain, but instead want excellent value for the money I do spend."
-dan
Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
you may want to construct a water bath for it...it gets pretty knarly when those sparks fly...the water bath will catch all the debri that would otherwise be all over your new shop.
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
thanks Dan
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Dan, that's a smokin deal on that plasma cutter. Despite any import duties and other hidden costs, I think the price you paid is right in line, maybe even a little less, than it costs here in the US.
You should be very happy with that unit.
Are you taking your new tools on the road with you when you work at the site?
Posted by Donna in BC (Member # 130) on :
Congrats on the new toy Dan. Nothing quite like stocking a new shop with new tools!
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Mike
I won't be taking the plasma cutter on the road as it need a whole lot of compressed air. The old standby, the cutting torch is a better option out in the weather and on the dirty and worksites.
Generally, most of the metal fabrication is done in the shop where it is much more efficient.
Since downsizing my truck a while back, I try to keep the tools to a minimum as the trailer gets real heavy in a hurry. Even so the rig easily tops 10,000 lbs when loaded for the road.
Insurance concerns and associated costs also force me to keep the tools to a minimum on the road.
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