Low CFM Compressor and Plasma Cutter??

[dieselscout80]

I have a smaller air compressor that only has 4 CFM at 90 psi.

Is there a plasma cutter that I can use that is low cost?

I would like to be able to cut 3/8” steel at times but mostly thinner steel.

 

[Happy in NC]

I use my plasma with a HF compressor that does the same w/out a problem.
Lotos 5000D
And its cheap

I'm happy with it

 

[CliffordK]

A large tank will give you a buffer if you're running a moderate duty cycle plasma cutting. Don't go tankless.

 

[boatmoter]

I have a smaller air compressor that only has 4 CFM at 90 psi.

Is there a plasma cutter that I can use that is low cost?

I would like to be able to cut 3/8” steel at times but mostly thinner steel.

my neighbor owns a harbor freight plasma cutter he bought 10 years ago,it works good & fast and still uses it today. you can't get any cheaper then harbor freight

 

[Fetch_21]

Just a couple of thoughts...

1 - The amount of air needed depends on the pressure setting you choose on the cutter (based on metal thickness, etc) and how hard / often you're using it (duty cycle).
2 - You can use the smaller compressor & add a portable tank in line with it. That'll give you a bigger buffer of air for longer sessions, without necessarily having to buy a compressor. Increasing the regulator pressure will further increase the buffer. The higher the pressure is coming into the cutter, the lower the flow through the system.

I'll also put in a second for the Lotos mentioned earlier. My wife bought me one a few years ago and it's been good. I'm a farm boy and have cut metal a lot of ways. That's been the easiest I've used. It's small, but does the job well. Cuts are clean and parts are available on Amazon for replacement tips, etc. I used it a few weeks ago to cut holes through a 1" plate upright on an old implement. It took some maneuvering, but I was impressed. That's way thicker than what it's supposed to do. It did need a new tip afterwards, but I'm fine with that.

There's still some deburring to do, but not bad. Better than a torch and the burrs aren't sharp like with a cut-off wheel / grinder.

Hope that helps.

 

[TxSteveS]

my neighbor owns a harbor freight plasma cutter he bought 10 years ago,it works good & fast and still uses it today. you can't get any cheaper then harbor freight

Actually, you can.

Look into Bestarc. Reviews are very good. I bought one a couple years ago and it's solid.

Amazon or direct from the website.

 

[Jaygyver]

Be aware tho, there are a couple versions of plasma cutters, one is contactless which means the tip doesn't need to actually touch the metal and the other one the tip needs to actually touch the metal in order for the arc to occur.
I believe the contactless one is a bit better for really rusty metal where a ground would be hard to keep.

Look at any machine online and it should list what min CFM you need, some need more than others. I think mine will cut a little over 1/2" +-. I still have my old gas cutter for anything thicker.

My 10 year old Lotos ("red" old version) and for the few times I use it is great. It just happened to be the contactless one, didn't even know until I recently went looking for tips and what not and found out about it. The one I have can also go 110v OR 220v automatically. Depends on what cord you put on it. I had the 220v cord but it was kinda short and a pain getting to so I got an adapter plug end and can use 110v now. I still swap to 220v for longer thicker cuts.

 

[jwmorris]

I have a smaller air compressor that only has 4 CFM at 90 psi.

Is there a plasma cutter that I can use that is low cost?

I would like to be able to cut 3/8” steel at times but mostly thinner steel.

All of them, if you have a large enough tank.

 

[dieselscout80]

Is it better to get a pilot arc high frequency or non high frequency plasma cutter?

 

[yomax4]

I like Pilot arc. Either High Freaq or Blow Back. Most newer machines use the blowback feature instead of HF.