Are looking for a decent plasma cutter for your hobby? Or you want something high featured for your professional work? Then you have come into just the right place.
Currently, or custom made metal pieces are top accessible to many people. Metal frame, showpieces, stand, wall art, pen/candle holder, there are endless possibilities in here to make.
Many tools are available to make those things, but the plasma cutter is the best machine to cut metal in different shape neatly. It’s a machine that uses air pressure to cut through metal without damaging it. These are portable, compact and easy to use.
In this best plasma cutters for metal art article, we are going to discuss different types of plasma cutter and how to choose them. So keep reading.
Here are our top 3 picks if you are in a hurry:
Last update on 2023-03-09 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Top 4 Best Plasma Cutter Reviews
1. Plasma Cutter, Inverter, Spectrum 375
This best plasma cutter for metal art is a great tool to carry at work. It’s made by Miller one of the most popular brand Miller. This company is widely known for all metal fabrication work. However, this X-Treme series 375 plasma cutter has rated output 30A. The input voltage of it is 208/240V 1PH and the input voltage is 240V-13.6A, 120V (20A) – 25.6A, 120V (15A) – 18.1A. The Spectrum 375 features an XT30 cutting Torch, robust , X-case, MVP plugs (5-15P & 6-506), etc.
Also, you will get a shoulder strap and extra consumables with it. This cutter is specially made for metal cuttings. It’s good for light to medium-heavy works. We cut a stainless steel sheet with the cutter, and all cutwork was elegant and clean.
From sheet metal to truck frames. The good thing is it’s well-made and seems to stay good for a lifetime.
It’s better to buy some extra things with it like an in-line air filter, an additional box of consumables. Furthermore, you should build an extra metal plate to replace the given one. The metal plate of the machine is a bit flimsy.
Overall the cutter offers precise cuts, better power, and durability to the users. Also, the customer service of the company is satisfactory. In case you need any accessories or anything to change, the Miller products are available in electronic shops. shops. However, it is not a , though and often purchased by professionals.
Pros
- Compact size.
- High powered machine.
- Durable product.
- Comes with a cord adapter.
- Tools and accessories are available.
Cons
- Short power cable.
- Need to buy a filter to work correctly.
2. Lotos Non-Touch Pilot Arc Plasma Cutter
Now it’s time to look into shooing light, affordable and accessible. The Lotos LTP5000D is an excellent option for any hobbyist. This is made in China and has a lot of features that many expensive cutters have not. However, the cutter has 10-50A DC output which offers ½-inch clean-cut and ¾-inch max severance cut under 220/240V. In addition, the 10-35DC output is ideal for a 1/3-inch clean-cut and 2/5-inch max severance cut under 110/220 colt.
The machine uses safe compressed air to cut any metal. The electrical cost of the device is relatively cheap. Infect you can cut any metal sheets with it, such as stainless steel, mild steel, alloys steel, copper, aluminium, etc.
This best plasma cutter is easy to set. It has pre-installed NPT ¼-inch type D plug and air filter regulator. That is the reason you could connect it to the air compressor using the stand coupler. Infect the whole process take only one min to finish.
Good news is not only the new metal you can cut the rough, painted or rusty metal sheet with it. Thanks to its pilot arc technology which ley you work without touching the tip to the metal. And this feature has been increased its standard lifetime.
We would suggest this machine to those who are recently started with metal cut and work. You don’t need to break your bank but still get an excellent featured for metal art.
Pros
- Rated to cut ½ inches steel.
- Good with painted and rusty metal surface.
- Automatic dual voltage mode.
- Easy to set up.
- Cheap in price.
Cons
- Not heavy-duty as the top-notch plasma cutter.
- Parts are hard to find.
3. Hypertherm Powermax 30 XP Building America Edition Hand Plasma
Here is another best plasma cutter that is appreciated by many professionals. The Hypertherm 088079 Powermax 30 XP is made to give a better finishing cut even on the roughest surface. In addition, the machine is from one of the best plasma cutter brands in the world Hypertherm. It’s factory-tested and promises always to keep the quality.
This is a mid-range . It comes with regular and fine tip consumables. That allows you to make just the accurate cuts even in low power mode. Additionally, the Duramx LT torch design helps you to hold the thing comfortably.
The machine also comes with a hard carry case, gloves, eye-shield, shoulder straps etc. also it offers standard and some fine cut consumables with the box.
Furthermore, the cutter includes a dual voltage option which allows its user to run in 110 C or 240V. In this price point, you may not find another one which equally durable and workable as the Hypertherm 088079 Powermax30 XP.
Pros
- Comes with fine tip consumable to make price cuttings.
- Voltage change automatically depending on how thin or thick the metal is.
- The LT torch design gives a comfortable grip.
- 5/8-inch and ½-inch .
- Includes glasses gives and cord adapters.
Cons
- No power light included.
4. PRIMEWELD Premium & Rugged 50A Air Inverter Plasma Cutter
So our final best plasma cutter review is for Primeweld premium & rugged 50A air inverter plasma cutter. This would be an excellent choice for those who want something long-lasting, cheap, but average plasma cutter. Many people use to makes DIY projects occasionally. They need something fast and efficient but don’t want to spend a lot of money.
This easily handles ½ thick metal sheet. You can work with copper, aluminium, stainless steel sheet and other metals with it. From design to construction work, it would handle anything and it is suitable for the .
This PRIMEWELD Premium is and easy to carry with. So, you store it anywhere and shift at the site or your workshop anytime from there.
Now it’s time to cutting performance. This cutter is mostly right on plain metal sheets. Yes, you can use it on painted or rust surface as well. But the comes better out with new sheets.
Besides, the construction of the plasma cutter is pretty solid and bears long term pressure. If not use regularly and maintain a bit, you can keep it workable for many years.
The machine offers diversity between 110V to 220v as like the other top plasma cutters.
Pros
- Best for hobbyists, occasional work.
- High power efficiency.
- Cheap in price.
- Overall durable product.
- Need a few times to set up.
Cons
- The cut is too large and full.
- The product has no country of origin stamp/mark.
- No pilot arch functionality.
Buying the best plasma cutter for metal art
Here are some of the elementary considerations that you should look for while purchasing a plasma cutter. Have a look below
Duty cycle
Plasma cutter should choose considering its high amperage output; because, you will get more duty cycle which will work for a long time without any glitch. Those who need a plasma cutter for a long shift should go for maximum . For occasional usage, the width and duty cycle will take very a little.
Input power
The design of the plasma cutter is apt to use with 220 volts or 110 volts outlets. But most of the plasma cutters need the maximum electric ability to work. Also, all of them have fixed amperage ratings. So, choose the cutter with a minimum amperage requirement with the same power outlet. Additionally, use the separate circuit board for your plasma cutter. If other appliances are plugged into the same outlet will lessen the input power of your plasma cutter.
Cutting speed
Cutting speed will vary on the cutting quality. So, what metal you are going to use and the thickness is a matter to decide what cutting speed you need. Many plasma cutters provide three quality of cutting. Such as,
Rated cut- this one offers high quality and almost flawless cutting. The cutter uses maximum speed to reduce a metal speed. Less thickness is required here. If the metal is thin, the cut will be more smooth and precise.
Quality cut- in this speed plasma cutter can cut thick metal in better quality but need more time to cut.
Severe cut
At this speed, the cutter can cut maximum thick metal but slowly. The cutting quality is deficient and needs post cuttings clean up.
Start
To initiate a pilot arch, all plasma cutter use two different types of springs.
- Contact Start
- High-frequency start
When you use a plasma cutter in high frequency, it can provide instruction while controlling other appliances near it. Like, telephone computer, television etc. however, the contact start is much milder and does not make any interruption. Furthermore, it provides the visible pilot arc and let you see it. You can position the torch more correctly with it. But the high-frequency start is much faster than the other one.
Control panel
The simple control panel is always appreciably on any appliances. If you have a basic control panel with easy to understand features and buttons, it would be much easier to control. So, bargainers should try a simple control panel for primary use. Experts will buy something extra like a control panel with built-in consumable compartments.
Air supply
Two types of plasma cutters are available which use two different air pressures.
One- the handheld plasma cutter which uses healthy air for cutting
Two- the next one use bottled nitrogen. It’s cheap and makes less oxidation than the standard air pressure cutters. Moreover, the nitrogen is dire than the compressed air for stainless steel cutting tasks.
But it’s difficult sometimes to carry bottled gas with the plasma cutter. We suggest you go for a standard air forced cutter if your jobs are to cutting thinner materials and something easy to move. Also, it’s quite affordable.
Fan
Many plasma cutters haves built-in blower or wind tunnel which not only cool down the cutter also provide fresh air. This feature will increase the accuracy and durability of the device. The wind tunnel sucks the air from the environment and flies through the machine. It does not blow over any electrical components, and the dirt/dust does not settle down on the PC board or anywhere.
In addition, there is a fan-on demand design on the plasma cutter. It runs whenever needs so any dust or dirt components from entering inside the device. So if you work mostly in a dirty place, then these features will work best for you.
Built-in inverter
You will found some plasma cutter with built-in inverters. These are good for using remote areas where power availability is limited. So, these cutters can take DC power and can feed the power by a transistor-inverter with high frequency. The frequency could be 10 kHz to 200 kHz. But these are pretty expensive also. It increases portability and let you work in any places you want.
Final words
This is a machine that makes real your imagination into the metal. Making your favourite bird, animal or serene scenery is now more accessible and fast with the plasma cutter.
Most of the cutter is expensive. And that has so many reasons. But as a starter, you should go for something that good for necessary work. You can try one of the best plasma cutters for metal art form our listing or go for more research.
Additionally, the plasma cutter we mentioned here is worked and tested by our expert and high analysis based on real user rating. If you choose wisely making an art piece will be easy as drawing something on paper with a pencil.
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