Want to buy a plasma cutter

[Bigmanr0y]

I’ve been slowly building up my little welding corner at home, and the next tool on my list is a plasma cutter. I’ve been making do with cutoff wheels and a trusty angle grinder, but after watching my friend that's into this kinda stuff too slice through ¼" steel like it was butter with his machine, I’m convinced it’s time to step up. I’m not running a professional shop, but I do a fair mix of hobby fabrication, equipment repairs, and the occasional project for friends. I want something reliable that gives clean cuts without feeling like I’m constantly fighting the machine. Budget wise, I don’t need the top of the line industrial rigs, but I also don’t want to cheap out and end up regretting it six months later

 

[welman.lo]

Hey @Bigmanr0y , you can refer to other posts here, I think they have talked about plasma cute recos too

 

[welder B0b]

I’ve been slowly building up my little welding corner at home, and the next tool on my list is a plasma cutter. I’ve been making do with cutoff wheels and a trusty angle grinder, but after watching my friend that's into this kinda stuff too slice through ¼" steel like it was butter with his machine, I’m convinced it’s time to step up. I’m not running a professional shop, but I do a fair mix of hobby fabrication, equipment repairs, and the occasional project for friends. I want something reliable that gives clean cuts without feeling like I’m constantly fighting the machine. Budget wise, I don’t need the top of the line industrial rigs, but I also don’t want to cheap out and end up regretting it six months later

there are other posts that talks about this. but I want to tell you about my personal pick.
Based on your post, you should target a 40 to 50 amp inverter based machine.
That amperage is the sweet spot for a serious hobbyist. It will slice through your ¼ inch material at full speed and still handle a quick cut on 3/8 inch material if you need to.
Look for a machine that has a high duty cycle at its rated amperage (like 60% duty cycle at 40A), cause you can cut longer without waiting for the machine to cool down.
Brands like Miller, Hobart, or even higher end imports like Hypertherm are reliable choices that hold their value and won't disappoint six months down the road

 

[Cayle_]

@welder B0b how important is the torch consumable cost on those? I've heard some brands eat through tips way faster than others