Hello, new user here thanks to Black Friday! I have zero experience with CNC of any type but have a decent amount of hand fabrication in my home shop. Mostly auto parts, decorative metal and such.
I just lucked into a used HYpertherm Powermax 85 (not SYNC) that I plan to use with the CrossFire PRO I just ordered.
My questions:
Should I get a machine torch? Is the bang for the buck there? I have a hand torch already and still plan to do more hand cuts than cuts on the CNC. For now anyways…LOL
Should I get the CPC upgrade kit for the 85? If so is there a cable I need? If not, how does the wiring work for the hand torch?
Any advice from other users who have a similar setup already?
YES, YES, YES! But you can get by with the hand torch. The table comes with the hand torch mount and thousands of people use nothing but the hand torch and mount.
If you buy the CPC upgrade you have to open the machine. Since you are opening the machine, you might as well skip the expense of the upgrade and just wire direct. If you decide to go with the CPC upgrade, that will commit you to the machine torch. Langmuir does have a cable specific for Hypertherm.
I have the CPC port with a cable from Langmuir specifically for Hypertherm. My unit is the 45XP. So I do not have your actual set up. Others will be along to chime in.
If I go machine torch and CPC can I just unplug the machine torch and plug in the hand torch and start cutting by hand? Your reply made it sound like that’s not how it works?
Yes, all you need to do is unplug the machine torch and unplug the CPC connection (to be safe) and you are free to plug the hand torch in and ready to go. Once those two connections are pulled, you are totally disconnected from the table.
If you only have the one hand torch and it is mounted on the table, you would need to pull that torch off the table and remount it. I have not had to do that since I have the machine torch.
The machine torch is so much more efficient to work around as you don’t have the handle hanging out in your way. And it is much easier to check and replace your consumables with the machine torch. Everything is unhindered.
Definitely, and in addition to what Jim said above, that’s one big advantage of having both torches.
My metal supplier only carries some gauges in 4’ x 10’ sheets. I cut them down before I even bring them into the shop. I keep my plasma cutter sitting on one of those Harbor Freight moving dollies and just swap the hand torch for the machine torch and roll the cutter to the garage door. It’s great not to need to disconnect the torch from the table to process incoming metal sheets.
Welcome. Since you are new and looking for some advice, I would advice you to buy the machine torch, get the THC on the pro and get the CPC connector. Then buy a cheap harbor freight torch for hand torching stuff.
Leave the table intact especially(or even) if you only use it every so often as you will just want it to work and will not want to put it “back together” to get it to work.
I backed into this situation…I bought a hobart hand torch cutter years before I bought my pro and decided I didn’t want to go back and forth and bought a hypertherm 45 similarly setup to above. It was a great decision in hindsight which you cannot often say.
I use the table often and I am surprised how little I use the hobart now but don’t regret having it especially to break down sheets.
So the short wire goes to DIV Input. There is another simple cable that goes from DIV Output (supplied by Langmuir) that goes to the enclosure box where the THC module is located.
Don’t tell anyone I said this but you will probably purchase barrel connector extension cables to add to both of the cables (adding to the long one on the Hypertherm CPC connection cable and the cable that goes from the DIV Output to the enclosure). But don’t make those modifications until you have your system up and running. Don’t complicate a good start.
Here is an example of the extension cable. Again: Disregard this posting https://a.co/d/3fjIfGw
It is a 24 mB guide. You will find it posted on the opening page of this forum:
I had the same question 3 years ago with my torch. Bought mine from George (@mechanic416 here). Back then, I called him, spoke for a few minutes and he set me up.
Remember, when you start cutting thicker materials and the IPM slows down, and the amps go up, you will have a problem. I have done it myself. It wasn’t lovely and cost me $600/to repair.
