Originally Posted by
flyinwilly
Jim:
I appreciate all the help and advice you've given the forum (and me) over the years but I think you're a little off base on the subject of torch modification although I understand your position because of the safety and legal issues.
1. There is no modification needed on the Plasma system itself ( 65 or 85).
2. The torch mods take less than 30 minutes so I doubt if you've made much money in that time.
3. Once the torch mods are made, it works EY like a machine torch with control through the CPC port.
4. Since it is a second torch purchased on a package deal, it stays on the table and the normal hand torch can be plugged in the same as in your setup.
5. If a person has any mechanical ability, it is not that much more difficult to line up a hand torch vs a machine torch.
I've listened to the arguments of hand vs machine torch and basically it comes down to cost. I've worked in engineering, sales, and marketing and the one thing I learned was that the MSRP has very little to do with the cost to produce the product. It has more to do with what the market will bear. If people are willing to pay more, the product will cost more. A good example is the machine torch. I find it hard to believe that the 15 deg hand torch cost less to produce than the machine torch. I would be willing to bet that you sell many more machine torches than the 15 deg hand torch. Also, the 15 deg torch has more parts and more complex parts that the machine torch. Yet, I can buy the 15 deg torch for around $150 in a package while the machine torch costs 3 times that. It's what the market will bear.
All that being said, Hypertherm is still the class of the cutter market and I still look forward to your advice and comments.
Willy