What Wire Feed Welder Plasma Cutter

[KCTractors]

Been thinking about a buying wire feed welder and plasma cutter. Probably working with metal up to 3/8 thick at times but mostly 1/4 metal. What welder and plasma cutter would you recommend. I am not looking at the top of the line but not junk stuff either.

 

[wore out]

(quoted from post at 12:18:52 12/20/21) Been thinking about a buying wire feed welder and plasma cutter. Probably working with metal up to 3/8 thick at times but mostly 1/4 metal. What welder and plasma cutter would you recommend. I am not looking at the top of the line but not junk stuff either.

It is unclear to me whether you are looking for a combination machine or two machines.

Either way, it takes more than "entry level" machine(s) to be useful for 3/8" steel.

I have an older plasma cutter rated for 1/2" steel, but you have to cut REALLY slowly in even 3/8" steel to make a NICE clean cut.

A friend has a newer Hypertherm plasma cutter (I don't know the model number, offhand) but it's certainly not their "smallest" model, a while back we cut some "gussets" from 1/2" steel to reinforce a loader, it sure was slow going, and tough to keep the cut perpendicular to the plate.

I guess the point is, I'd recommend trying out what you intend to buy to be sure it will meet your needs.

 

[Patsdeere]

Can't go wrong with Lincoln/Miller and hypertherm. Not the cheapest, but the best quality. Lots of options in regards to size and capacity.

 

[Janicholson]

It will take 50 amps to cut 3/8 steel cleanly. It will also take very dry air at 120PSI to operate without nasty consumable wear. Nozzles and electrode wear is often 10 times worse with air compressor air that is not very dry. We use a chiller (refrigerated dryer to remove all but a trace of water from the system air. Miller and Hypertherm are my choice. Jim

 

[V35B]

Hypertherm for sure on the plasma, I have the biggest one they made in single phase I bought in 2006, it will breeze through 1/2 in a hurry. We have one of the bigger ones at work on the table, and it has been great as well. On the wire machine, a Miller 252 would be a good choice. My son has an Esab 285 that is really good as well.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Stay away from the unknown brands, they can be impossible to find consumable parts.

The 120v models are very limited capacity, and will nuisance trip a standard 20a breaker.

 

[DR. EVIL]

My HYPERTHERM is a 40 amp plasma cutter, I sized everything, plasma, MIG, TIG to cut/weld 1/4 steel. You will need a minimum of 60 amp plasma, and an 80 would be better for much 3/8.
I'm partial to BLUE welders. I bought machined and fabricated parts for 30 years, parts for assembly. Every place that did production welding, burned wire a minimum of 8-10 hours a day used BLUE welders. Company I worked at that made rotary & centrifugal pumps, tanks, space shuttle rocket launcher rocket fuel mixers, and ice cream making machines, not little ones, but HUGE ones for companies that ship fleets of trucks loaded with ice cream every day, companies like Wells Blue Bunny, Ben & Jerry's, Good Humor, they all bought several machines that made 4500 gallons per hour, and they were all welded with Miller 350 Anp Synchrowave TIG welders. MAN, We had some great welders!
30 years of buying parts for manufacturing, and only saw ONE Lincoln welder being used in ANY shop I visited. SON started at a new manufacturing company 1-1/2 yrs ago, they're located 50 miles from Appleton, Wi, Miller's home office, and they use Lincoln welding equipment. SON says if they have a question or a problem Lincoln talks to them. Miller evidently didn't have time to talk once. I know my welding supply shop only carries Miller, and the little cheap Lincolns you can also buy at Farm & Fleet.

 

[JDB]

Don't overlook Hobart. It is owned by Miller. Discontinued Miller models continue for a while as Hobart models