leor86•1h ago

Swapped out my old oxy-fuel setup for a plasma cutter in the shop last fall

I used to drag that oxy-fuel torch out every time I needed to cut heavy plate, and it worked fine but man it took forever. Getting a consistent preheat on 3/4 inch plate in winter was a pain, especially when the wind kicked up in the yard. Then I picked up a Hypertherm 30XP after a job in Gary where the lead man let me use his. The difference in speed is night and day, I cut the same plate in about thirty seconds now versus five minutes with the torch. It also leaves a way cleaner edge, so I spend less time grinding before welding. My only gripe is it chews through consumables faster if I push it too hard on dirty steel. Anyone else switch over and find they use their torch way less or almost never now?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon_carr53m ago

Oh man, I gotta push back on this one hard. Plasma is fine for thin stuff or if you're in a hurry but I still grab the oxy-fuel nine times out of ten. For anything over an inch thick the cut quality on plasma drops off fast and you're left with a bevel you gotta fight. Plus nothing beats oxy-fuel for cutting up rusty scrap or demolition work. I've had plasma cutters choke on rusty beam flanges that my old torch just laughs at. Different tools for different jobs, plasma ain't a replacement it's just another option in the drawer.

fionafoster3m ago

and honestly, @simon_carr you're not wrong on the thick stuff but there's one big reason I still keep a plasma around... its way easier to cut stainless with. Oxy-fuel just doesn't work on stainless at all, you end up with a horrible mess. Plus if you're ever doing any kind of sheet metal work or cutting out patches for body panels, plasma leaves way less heat distortion. You can get right up to an edge without warping the whole panel. Different tools for sure, but plasma fills a hole in the shop that oxy-fuel just can't touch.