Hello all. Looking at purchasing a CrossFire Pro for my home shop. I prefer to future-proof things as much as possible, so looking at an (affordable) 80-amp plasma cutter. I don’t need to cut 1/2" or thicker plate currently, but would like to have that ability covered from the start. Nobody has ever said “Gee, I wish I bought the less-capable and cheaper tool.”
This machine seems to be compatible. No HF start, CNC ports on the back, etc. The only unknown is what the voltage divider ratio is. The user manual doesn’t state it.
I’d appreciate your thoughts on this plasma cutter’s potential compatibility with the CrossFire Pro. Thanks!
That plasma cutter will work. But I would look into the Everlast 82i CNC package for about the same cost. It has a better machine torch and a 5 year warranty.
Thank you, ds690. I missed that in the item description. So, with a 1:1 output, would I use the CNC ports on the cutter as intended, or would I be doing a “direct wire” from the Crossfire controller to the innards of the cutter? Thanks again.
You would use the 2 pin voltage port on the plasma cutter to connect to the VIM(voltage input module) that comes with the THC. You may have to source a 2 pin connector, if one doesn’t come with the plasma. The wires are provided with the THC. You just need to find out which on is + and which is -. It won’t hurt to connect it wrong, it just won’t read voltage if the polarity is reversed.
As for the CNC port, you’ll only need 2 pins to fire the torch. There are a few Langmuir owners that have done YouTube videos on the BTC800DP, which probably has the same CNC port. @Richarddbeck83 has done a review of a Bestarc machine and may be able to help.
Thanks very much, ds690! Really appreciate the detailed response and recommendations. Now I just need to decide b/t the Bestarc and the Everlast. About a $350 difference b/t the two, but the 5-year warranty is probably going to sway me to the Everlast.
As a soon to be CrossFire owner, it’s great to see such a supportive community forum. Makes purchasing a Langmuir setup that much easier.
Yes it would work with a your table. I’m not sure what the ratio is. I will have to check when I get home. A lot of guys choose to use the raw voltage. From my limited testing it seems to be an ok machine but my gut tells me the Everlast is a better way to go. It has a lot more community support and a warranty. If it where my money I would go with the Everlast just because it has a longer track record.
If you want to see the BTC800XP cutting 1" bar stock here is a video I made. I can’t make long term promises since I only used it a couple times. I do like that the regulator is built in to the front panel. https://youtu.be/32xXfTBBGOI?si=D4Ioi_rrS_LYEB2N
I would be more worried about the company going under than the cutter being junk. Not all of these Chinese companies last. They are a new company and if they don’t sell enough…
If you save enough money, it does have to last forever? It depends what you’re looking for. If you want longest lasting you got to spend that $$$$$
Thank you, Richard. Appreciate the input! You make a very good point about the company being around in the future. That affects warranty and service, availability of consumables, etc.
I went with the Everlast 82i with the machine torch/CNC package. Hopefully, spending a few more bucks up front will pay off with it simply not breaking.l I tend to take very good care of my tools, so hopefully “buy once, cry once” is in play here.
I’m that guy that buys the factory cover for all the machines and uses it when the machine is not in use. My non-climate-controlled garage shop tends to get really dusty very quickly.
This will be a hobby machine for now, but that could change depending on how quickly I get the hang of the machine and designing parts and if I want to add making parts as a side hustle. I like to have options. The cost of shipping things has always been an issue. Used to build speaker boxes and other simple wooden creations, but the cost of shipping ate all my profit. But that’s another thread.
Now I just need to make space for the table. Minor details.
If anyone in the south Texas area is looking for a table saw (Grizzly 0690) hit me up.
Everlast 82i is the way to go, regardless of the extra cash. This is a great machine paired with the PTM80 torch. The Everlast is a Raw voltage only hookup in my opinion. Have one running flawlessly for 5 years now. I also have a 100i that is also great.
Do you need to use a torch cooling delay with those higher amperage Everlasting units? On their website, It looks like it has that same feature as the Best arc. The Best arc requires a min. Of 3 seconds every time I fire the torch regardless of cut time.
Thank you so much for that clarity. I have an email into Bestarc, a few other plasma cutters in my shopping baskets across the web, and I’m exploring some post file edits in fusion that look like this below to automatically add that cooling delay after each cut.
properties = {
// Cooling dwell inserted right after M5:
coolDelay: 0, // seconds (set to 3.0 for your case)
// Traditional pierce dwell relative to torch-on:
pierceDelay: 0.6, // seconds (typical pierce soak after M3)
// …keep existing properties…
};
propertyDefinitions = {
coolDelay: { title:“Cooling delay after M5 (s)”, type:“number”, range:[0, 30], description:“Dwell immediately after torch-off to allow cooling.” },
pierceDelay: { title:“Pierce delay after M3 (s)”, type:“number”, range:[0, 10], description:“Dwell after torch fires before XY motion.” },
