Hi,
I worked for a company for seven years fixing welders and plasma machines, so mainly electronics.

Many low and medium priced plasma machines are Chinese made, and are pretty rubbishy. It doesn't matter what colur they paint the outside
or where the 'box' is assembled all the electronics inside is Chinese.

Make no mistake that the price is so low means they are good value for money....its just that they don't last long as a rule. They also have poorly
designed and engineered torches and torch parts. They almost all use high voltage HF to start the arc and that HF gives ANY CNC electronics a hard time.

By far and away the best plasmas I've ever come across is Hypertherm. There is a reason also that they are probably the most expensive, the best does not
come cheap.

Hypertherm design, engineer and build ALL their own torches and torch consumables...and they are top quality. Excepting the big 200A and 400A machines they use
pneumatics as a 'contact break' to start the arc and therefore no troublesome HF.

A Powermax45 will cut 3mm nicely and fairly rapidly and is the largest size that is still single phase (just!!). They have both handheld and machine. torches.

Using an air dryer is highly recommended in humid environments, but is very much secondary to having a good machine in the first place. Dry air helps secure the longest
possible use of torch consumables, but Hypertherm consumables are the industry standard for longevity as is.

Craig


WHOOPS....Sorry double post!!