Throwing this out there, it may have been discussed before but i’m thinking of upgrading my plasma cutter.
Right now i have a HeroCut Cut50I.
It does a reasonable job, most of the time i have to clean up a lot of dross, quality is not the best (I don’t get a really smooth edge) - vertical striations are noticeable on cuts , and inconsistent vertical cut. On some paths, the plasma will cut at an angle that is more noticeable on thicker cuts of course.
thinking of going to a Hypertherm x45.
So, sell me on this:
What should i come to expect?
less dross?
Better / excellent cut quality?
cleaner cuts?
other?
tell me why i should do this!
I see some demos with the X45 online (youtube) where they are getting perfect cuts with next to no cleanup needed at all. Cleaning up dross is a huge timesuck as you all know…
One is made so somebody can work all day and all night and cut up metal super consistently with stable consumable, reliability and repeatability.
The other is a top-tier hobbyist model. (Everlast)
And for most people this may be good enough and is good enough.
I enjoyed my Everlast for quite some time but it ate 5 to 10 times as much consumables and had a constant ON running fan that was is loud.
I think my failure rate went down by a factor of 20 switching to my hypertherm.
1/2 are plate very little almost no bevel on the 3/4-in holes.
Almost zero clean up on the perimeter
. some more cleanup on the holes to get the not beveled sides you have to go slower sometimes.
I’ll see what I can find for more some example pics
I tried to find one after that I hadn’t dressed it out of it I couldn’t.
As posted above the difference in the consumables alone is massive. I have a Eastwood Cut 40 that I have used non-CNC for 6 years. It has been good and not bad on consumables but is HF start. When I ordered the XR table I also ordered the XP45 with CPC port, cable, remote pendant, hand torch, machine torch, water separator, cover, leather sleeve for the hand torch line, and consumable packs for the hand and machine torches. When I unpacked everything I was really impressed with the build quality, cables and accessories.
The Eastwood totally pales. Already sold the Eastwood for $500. Yes the Hypertherm is relatively expensive but it is a professional machine. I don’t have time to mess around trying to get something to work, this table is for my fabrication business. I need a cutter that can do double duty if needed and do it very well. The XP’s marking and spot weld cutting features were a big selling point as well.
People that buy much more expensive tables are using the Hypertherm for a reason, it’s the best out there. They have really dialed in and targeted the CNC market.
On your advice and pictures, i went ahead and pulled the trigger and upgraded two pieces of equipment in my garage:
purchased a Miller 211 welder
purchased a X45P
Here’s what i learned:
On the Welder i went from a 110 volt longevity welder. I found myself pushing the limits of this welder in it’s (weak) capabilities… Honestly i thought i was a crappy welder and no matter how much practice, i just could not get a nice looking weld! When the welder arrived, i instantly became a legend (in my own head!) overnight!
Lesson 1 learned - make the investment it does a lot for your self confidence and pays dividends over time and wow, because it’s a millermatic where it figures out all the settings for you, i now have to weld at a much higher pace than i did - time is money and figure out a weld plan before you start…
On the Hypertherm 45XP - HOLLY COW! remember i went from a herocut cut 50i to a 45XP. first cut - smooth as a baby’s bottom, faster, and next to no cleanup. The dross left from the cut50 was terrible - i spent more time on cleanup than i did cutting the piece! with the 45XP - it flakes off with a paint scraper and i no longer have to grind anything
Lesson #2 learned: refer to lesson 1!
looking back through - i wish i had the $$$ back then - it’s easy to say make the investment now!
Below is an example of my first creation with these two new tools. It’s an RV foot that sits on the end of a hydraulic leveler. Motorhome manufacturers are cutting every cost they can by putting cheap, thin feet under these heavy class A’s. So i got to making them out of 1/4" - not too shabby me thinks!
this is a lesson most of us have learned at one time…the better equipment does help make life easier and better…
but as you stated wish you had the money…which is a vicious circle…we want the best but suy what we can afford and get buy and they buy what we can afford later wishing we had bough the bests in the first place the looking back wishing we knew what we know now…
