plasma Vs gas

[Egon]

JD Kidd:
reciprocating saws with metal blades work well for light stuff too.

Egon

 

[TonyC]

For precision cutting nothing beats a metal cutting bandsaw. They're relatively cheap and you get a clean precise cut. Cut-off saws are a close second place. Sometimes you just can't pick up the piece and carry it to a saw so a torch comes in real handy. Plasma does the best job by far but it is expensive and of single purpose. Regular Oxy cutting doesn't do as neat a job but it is much more flexible. Good luck!

 

[Spencer]

I cut metal for my work so I have a variety of tools to do the job. My first tool was a abrasive blade chop saw. Wow what a time saver that was compared to doing the cutting by hand. I also had a metal cutting sabre saw, a recirpocating saw, die grinder, and an angle grinder. I got my first plasma cutter about 5 years ago. If only I would have bought one of these when I first went into business 13 years ago. The plasma cutter I bought then was a self contained unit with a built in air compressor. I had my doubts about the quality of the self contained unit but it is still working great and often it is my first choice for cutting jobs. Early 2001 I bought another plasma cutter for bigger jobs. This one needs a seperate air supply so now I have to carry a small compressor with me also. I have a small Harris Port-A-Torch oxy-acetylene outfit but rarely use it for cutting because most of my work involves stainless steel and oxy-acetylene is not recommended for stainless. For the easiest and cleanest cuts through pipe and box steel I would recommend using a Port-A-Band. I have a Porter Cable model that I just love. Most people have the Milwaukee brand because the Porter Cable has a weird cutting angle, but I prefer it. When you are cutting any metal other than sheet metal using plasma or oxy it is too cumbersome to either rotate the metal or rotate your torch around all of the sides. A cut-off or chop saw works fine but creates a lot of unecessary heat, sprays the metal dust everywhere, and leaves a nasty burr on the underside of the metal that you have to file off. Recirocating saws are my last choice and they rarely leave my van anymore. It is hard to get a straight cut with them and the vibration is unecessary when I know I have my Port-A-Band which has no vibration to it. For the money I would recommend you try a Port-A-Band first, you will find a lot of uses for it anyway. If you can afford it then plasma cutters are real slick. If you have to do any notching or make elongated holes then I don't know of anything faster and easier to use. My self contained model is made by Thermal Arc (A division of ThermalDyne). Its called a Drag-Gun, runs on normal 120 volt power and you should be able to pick one up for around $625. My larger plasma unit is made by Miller. It is a Spectrum Cutmate 375 and it runs on either 120 or 240 volt with the flip of a switch. I got my unit out the door for $1250 but I also had to buy a small Ingersoll Rand air compressor for $275.

Spence

 

[therrien]

JDkid
I have different cutters for different material

plasma-great for sheet stock of any conductive metal
a pain for strucural shapes

torches-good for thick materials can be moved to your work
not good for aluminum or stainless and not clean cuts

portable band saw- portable nice cut
size limited getting sqare cut not accurate

Horizontal bandsaw- the best cut on structural shapes and size limits are increased over the portable.
not portable

A horizontal band saw and a portable band saw sounds like what you need for tubings and shapes in and out of the shop.

 

[JohnInCA]

I have read that plasma cutters will leave a beveled cut when using it on thicker materials. Anyone have any experience/comments regarding this? I've was considering a purchase, but this scared me off.

 

[genelp]

We have acetylene torches and plasma cutters in our shops. We do a lot of fabricating so both come in handy. The plasma cutter I used when I was a mechanic was a fairly large one, (was hooked up to 440). It's been quite some time since I've used one but if you are going to do a lot of fabrication or production work you can't beat a plasma cutter. If you want something for general cutting and heating metal to straighten or bend (something a plasma cutter can't do) I'd go with the acetylene torch.
As for the plasma cutter cutting at an angle I would suspect the way the person was holding the cutter.
Another thing to remember is that the person using a plasma cutter needs a much darker shield than you would need for an acetylene torch. I used to use my welding helmet for the plasma cutter. Also something to remember is that a torch is portable whereas a plasma cutter is limited by the length of the cord and your air supply.
I myself would probably opt for a torch for home use and add a plasma cutter later.
I hope this helps

Gene