I’m comfortable with electrical work as far as running wire and such. But a little confused about the breaker part though. So you installed a 30amp/240v 2 pole breaker? isn’t that a little low for the CUT60 if you wanted to use it at it’s max?
Also, what’s the difference between a 120/240 and just a 240 breaker? I’ll have to check my panel and see what 240 breakers i have.
It all depends how thick of stuff you cut. And how much. If you are really concerned, go to 8 awg and 50 amp… That should pretty much carry the max of your cutter without a problem. I am not an electrician , but I believe amp imput rating for the cutter is listed on the machine and is connected via a 30amp cord set.
One other thing to consider, you are talking a supply power on AC current and DC out on the cutter… Its sort of comparing apples and oranges. Also, you will draw more amps with less voltage. Hence, the issue I had on 120v . and my line may have been closer to 110 than 125. magnifying the problem… but if you are running 230v or more… amp draw will be less
Regarding the difference between a 120/.240 and 240. is the 120/240 carries an extra conductor. Its basically the neutral. to carry ordinary 120v - for appliances that have both a heating element and standard 120v electronic controls.
Thanks for the info. i think the biggest dilemma i have is my panel is on the opposite side of the house to where I’m going to setup my table. trying to run new wire in a 2 story house from one side to the other will be a lil rough.
i might just drop a short line inside the garage behind the panel and run an extension when i use the table.
My box is not far from where I need to be, But since I had planned to share the breakers off my dryer anyway, and the dryer was closer to where I am cutting, I just pulled 2 pulled the 240 out of the 120/240 for the dryer using the actual receptacle for my cordset. I just am not using the 3rd prong and 3rd wire… Perhaps you can pull off of an appliance on that side of the house - that wont be used while cutting.
I received the Xfire about 10 days ago and having a blast with it. I have a harbor freight v2 40a/220 machine and it was working great for 18-14g mild steel. When I tried to cut 16g stainless it cut/paused for 1/3 of the piece and then nothing. Checked wiring all good. Ran 14g mild steel and worked great so I assume it’s the stainless. While I don’t plan on cutting a lot of stainless, I would like to cut at least 1/4" steel. Thinking of upgrading to Primeweld 60 with the straight machine torch (not sure #) and keep the harbor freight unit for freehand work (usually light gauge auto body work). Primarily use inc for sign work and brackets.
I’ve got the black V2 95136 harbor freight machine. It cuts 1/4 wonderfully. It’s been quite the learning curve but what I’ve found is if you run it at 40amps with anything other than a 1mm tip, it’ll eat the tip up in one sitting and give you a terrible cut. I’ve been using .6 tips at 20-25amps, .8tips at 30amps, and 1mm tips at 35-40 and they’ll last forever on dry air.
Where do you buy your tips.
Harbor Freight only has one package. Not sure what size they are but I bought the 5 pack.
I’ve been buying them on Amazon. There’s a guy here that sells them as well. The Razorwelds use a chinese version of the Italian S45 Trafimet torch that our machines use and both use the same consumables. You could buy them from him or Amazon. I’ve had great luck with Amazon as long as you match the amps to the tips. The harbor freight tips they sell in the store are .9 but I’ve blown those out with 40amp cuts. They’re ok at 30-33amps but I feel like the .8 leave a cleaner cut.
Thanks for the info. After posting I looked at harbor freight online and they compared to Klutch. Klutch called for S45 torch and Amazon sells a bunch of tips for the S45 from .6 to 1.0. I did burn up the harbor freight tip (2x) cutting stainless at 40a. I will try Amazon and get some of each.
yeah watch the amps with the tip. I find in general I burn up the smaller ones even at lower amps - and I get a as good of a cut with the larger. So I am using the larger at 30amp I am using an IPT 60 , I am considering trying some shielded ones when get to more cutting.
Harbor Freight 95136/60767 has a Trafimet S45 torch made in Italy. Klutch 375 and 400 also has a Trafimet S45 torch. Harbor Freight 62204 has a Tecmo IPT40 torch made in Italy. The Razorweld 45 also has a Tecmo IPT40 torch.
Trafimet makes 0.6mm, 0.8mm and 0.9mm standard pipe tips and a 1.0mm drag tip for the S45 torch ( actually the 1.0mm drag tip was for the S54 torch ) . If your getting any other tips they are copys made in China. Tecmo makes 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm standard pipe tips and 1.0mm standard flat tips and 0.9mm and 1.0mm shielded tips for the IPT 40 torch. Both the S45 and IPT 40 torch are rated to 50 amps.
So if your buying the IPT consumables from Harbor Freight and trying to use them on a S45 torch they don’t work so well. Also if your using S45 consumables on a IPT torch they won’t work so well and you can’t mix and match them, you can damage your torch.
You also need to use the right original swirl ring. The one for the S45 has bigger holes and a different swirl pitch and does not work well with IPT consumables and the other way around. Then you should also use the right original retaining cup for the S45 and the IPT torch. And if your buying the Chinese copys who knows what your getting, the same with the consumables.
No wander people are having so much trouble with their consumables and their cuts.
In general, so long as using decent consumables, which torch do you think is better the s45 or IPT40? isn’t the s45 more dated?
There is nothing wrong with the S45, but the IPT has a lot more consumables available for it. Also the IPT40 and IPT60 take the same consumables making it a more universal torch unlike the S45 and S65.
great info. I have the IPT torch and will look into the consumables.
Thanks
Good info @mechanic416 thank you. As for the Trafimet 1mm drag tips, are those ok to use on the CNC? Would you still use a .06 standoff?
@nordicack If you buy the correct Trafimet tips for the 95136, match them to the amperage for your cuts, and run an air dryer, they’ll literally last forever and produce great cuts. I’m only a few months into this whole CNC/plasma world but I was ready to dump my 95136 because I’d eat up a tip in a few 16g projects and blow the electrode out in 1 40amp cut lol. It’s a pretty good machine though, I’d only upgrade if you’re moving to the XP45 or if you need to cut 3/8"+ often, maybe one of the larger Everlast, Primeweld, etc.
A drag “tip/nozzle” already has a .045 to .060 off set so how are you going to set it. If you use the .060 shim then your like .105 to .120 off the metal.
Exactly why I asked.
You can use standard feeler gauges. When I used a drag tip I would make sure my material was dead flat and set the height to show just some air/light. Still over the recommended .060 height but not too far off.