Nov. 2024
The best plasma cutter for the money is the one that will give you what you want at an affordable price and could also include a welder.
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Best Plasma Cutter for the Money
Hobart Plasma Cutters
TOP 5 COMPARISONAmazon’s choices:
✅Check out our favorite cutter that we have reviewed.
Why Use Plasma?
If you want to cut metal such as aluminum, mild steel, stainless steel, copper and brass in record time, then this is the type of cutter that you should invest in.
In today’s world, time is money and if you are looking for a precision cutting tool with minimal dross left over, then plasma is the way to go.
Oxy acetylene is just not suitable for cutting stainless steel and aluminum, therefore plasma has a clear advantage here.
If the material you want to cut is more than 2 inches thick (only achievable by heavy duty cutters), then plasma will not work.
Oxy acetylene cutters can cut through material up to 24 inches thick, but the cut is not really neat.
The plasma cutters reviewed here can cut through metals that are 1/2″ – 7/8″ thick.
What are Plasma Cutters Used for?
In short, to cut metals such as steel as well as broken or bad welds and if you are looking to save time doing repairs or cutting steel, then a plasma cutter is the answer.
Here are a just few industries that use plasma cutters:
- Artists: They use it to sculpt metal due to the plasma cutter’s ability to cut intricate details while leaving a relatively clean cut behind. There will still be dross (impurities) and spatter left over.
- Plumbers: Used by plumbers to quickly cut pipes and other material where necessary.
- Shop fabricators: They use plasma cutters in combination with CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machines to fabricate precisely manufactured items.
- Car and motor bike builders: Used to repair bad steel or create intricate designs for motor bikes.
- Any job where you have to travel and cut pieces of metal on site. If you don’t have power available, then use an inverter generator and you will still get the job done.
Can Plasma Cutters Cut Aluminum and Other Material?
In order to cut, material has to be conducive to electricity due to the way plasma is generated by using ions.
Therefore, you can cut almost any metal such as aluminum, copper, stainless steel, mild steel, brass and even titanium.
You cannot cut non-conductive materials such as glass, concrete, leather, rubber or wood.
To cut, you also need pressurized gas from an air compressor or gas cylinder.
Video: See a plasma cutter in action using CNC aided design to cut intricate designs through titanium in record time.
What are Plasma Cutter Consumables?
The consumables include the following:
- Contact tip, electrode, shield, nozzle, retaining cap and swirl rings.
Related to consumables are the electricity and gas that gets consumed as well.
The most economical option for gas is by using an air compressor.
What are Plasma Cutters?
Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter (solid, liquid, gas & plasma) and is probably the most abundant material in the universe because this is the stuff that stars are made of.
Lightning is plasma and in effect you are cutting with lightning. Crazy huh?
Now, this gets a bit technical with all sorts of ions and chemistry, but in essence, gas (oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, argon or compressed air) is super-heated by electricity to form an arc that jumps from the nozzle tip (through the air like lightning) to the metal and thereby melting and cutting the metal.
The type of gas you use will depend on the quality you want since oxygen for instance will give a better cut and finish on mild steel (with less dross) than compressed air, which is commonly used due to its cheapness.
While cutting, the cutter nozzle is close to the metal (pilot arc) or touches it (high frequency (HF)) and cuts the metal like a hot knife through butter at an amazing speed.
How does a plasma cutter work? Check out the video below on how it works.
What’s the Best Plasma Cutter Brand? Factors to Consider:
Price: A higher price does not necessarily equate to higher quality or better features and will also depend on your needs such as the thickness of the material you want to cut.
Also consider some of the following factors:
- Duty cycle: This is how long the cutter can cut without overheating in a period of 10 minutes at the maximum amps. So, if the duty factor is 40%, then your cutter can only cut for 4 minutes every 10 minutes. In the comparison table, we have provided the duty cycles at the maximum amps for each machine, although duty cycles can increase to 100% with lower amps.
- Plasma cutter and welder combo? Why not? Some plasma cutters and welder combos are cheaper than just the plasma cutter alone.
- CNC port: Do you plan on using a CNC machine with your cutter? Then you must make sure that your plasma unit also has a CNC port.
- Pilot arc or high frequency (HF)? High frequency cutters will interfere with electronics such as CNC machines and computers. Pilot arcs don’t have to touch the metal surface and work really well on rust and paint. HF cutters are more suited for clean metals. Once you have used a pilot arc, you’ll never want to go back. A pilot arc cutter is more expensive, but gives a much cleaner cut and has other advantages.
- Material thickness: How thick is the material that you want to cut? Better to make sure that you get a cutter that won’t disappoint you.
The Best Plasma Cutter for the Money: Reviews
Updated Nov. 2024When we initially reviewed the top 7 best plasma cutters we found something interesting.
Out of the 7 models we ranked, four of them were actually the same model but sold by different brands.
The model is the CUT 50 and this is definitely the best plasma cutter for the money, since it is also the cheapest plasma machine here.
The only caveat is that the CUT 50 does not use a pilot arc; so if you are planning to cut expanded metal or metal with a lot of paint and rust, this may not be the cutter you want.
You will only see the CUT 50 in our top 7 list once, since it is pointless reviewing the same model four times.
We have compiled a comparison table so that you can quickly see some key features at a glance.
The Best Plasma Cutter for the Money: Comparison Table
| Rating | Brand | Duty Cycle (% @ Max. Amps) | Weight (lbs. / kg) | Max. Cut Size (Inches) | Plasma / Welder / Pilot Arc | Price $ (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 Hobart 500566 Airforce 40i Plasma Cutter Review
|
50 % @ 50 A | 34.3 lbs. / 15.6 kg | 7/8" / 22mm | Plasma & Pilot Arc | See Price |
 |
 Everlast PowerPro 164Si Plasma Cutter Review
|
35 % @ 40 A | 60 lbs. / 27.2 kg | 5/8" / 16 mm | Plasma, Welder & Pilot Arc | See Price |
 |
 Hypertherm 088079 Powermax30 XP Review
|
35 % @ 30 A | 21.6 lbs. / 9.8 kg | 5/8" / 16 mm | Plasma & Pilot Arc | See Price |
 |
 Super Deal CUT 50 Plasma Cutter Review
|
30 % @ 50 A | 24.4 lbs. / 11.1 kg | 1/2" / 12 mm | Plasma & Welder | See Price |
 |
 PrimeWeld Ct520d Plasma Cutter Review
|
60 % @ 50 A | 32 lbs. / 14.5 kg | 1/2" / 12 mm | Plasma & Welder | See Price |
| Best Plasma Cutter Under $1000 | ||||||
 |
 Everlast PowerPlasma 50S Plasma Cutter Review
|
60 % @ 50 A | 42 lbs. / 19.1 kg | 1/2" / 12 mm | Plasma & Pilot Arc | See Price |
| Best Plasma Cutter Under $500 | ||||||
 |
 Lotos LTP5000D Plasma Cutter Review
|
60 % @ 50 A | 26 lbs. / 11.8 kg | 3/4" / 19 mm | Plasma & Pilot Arc | See Price |
Best Plasma Cutter Reviews Comparison Chart
In the comparison chart, the plasma cutters are ranked according to the maximum cut thickness from the largest to the smallest.
We have also compared the weight of each cutter.
TOP 3 Plasma Cutters
We have listed our top 3 choices below: Updated Nov. 2024
✅Hobart 500566 Airforce 40i: The Best Plasma Cutter to Buy
The Hobart is the top rated cutter reviewed here and can cut through steel with a maximum thickness of 7/8″.
Although not the lightest unit here, it is still light enough to carry around and take it anywhere you like.
Hobart plasma cutters like these are suitable for heavy duty production jobs.
Requires a 240 V, 50 A power supply to operate.
Has a duty cycle of 50 % at maximum amps.
If you are going to do a lot of heavy cutting and also want to cut through paint and rust, then this is the cutter for you.
✅See full size images here as well as user reviews, ratings and comparisons. This combination plasma cutter and welder will help you finish heavy cutting and welding jobs quickly. This is the best plasma cutter for home use or small businesses that specialize in repair jobs off-site, since it can be easily transported and carried around wherever the job is. Due to an inverter design, the running costs of this unit will be lower due to a lower power consumption. The welder requires clean power and a minimum of 10,000 watts continuous output. Can cut metal up to 3/8″ thick. Consumer reports and reviews are extremely favorable and this is a good cutter / welder combo that will last you for years. Suitable for home and light commercial use. ✅Get more information here as well as consumer reports and reviews. This beautiful lightweight model will cut through any metal including mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, chrome-molybdenum as well as and other metals. This is the lightest of all the plasma cutters reviewed here and comes with a nice carry case for easy transportation when you have to do some cutting elsewhere. The system has two modes of cutting that include cutting thick metals as well cutting thin metals. While this system is suitable for all types of cutting, the fine cut consumables will also help you to cut more detailed designs. In order to cut, only electricity and compressed air is required. There is no need to purchase expensive gasses such as oxygen, argon or nitrogen. This plasma unit is perfect for home use, small businesses, garages and for other commercial cutting work. ✅See more detailed images here as well as a video and consumer reports. If you want the best plasma cutter with built in compressor, have a look at the Powermax 30 AIR. The Cut 50 is a popular model that has been re-branded by at least 4 brands. This is real value for money if you are an artist or even want to use it for jobs where the materials are not too thick. It is the best entry level plasma cutter to get your feet wet and comes with a reasonable price. It is also the best plasma cutter for home use. This Cut 50 is a dual voltage (110 V / 120 V) dual purpose plasma cutter and welder combo that is also lightweight at 24.4 lbs. (11.1 kg). The stated duty cycle of 60% is @ 36 A, but the actual duty cycle at the full Amps of 50 A is 30%. Also includes a shield for welding and goggles for plasma cutting. Suitable for use at home. This is a 3 in 1 plasma torch unit that can quickly switch between a DC TIG welder and a DC STICK welder. It has an impressive duty cycle of 60% at the maximum design amps of 50 A. This is a portable unit that can easily be carried around and taken to where ever it is needed. The limitation with this machine is that you can only cut material up to 1/2″ thick. The cutter is creatively cheap but not the cheapest option reviewed here. Consumer reviews are positive overall and negative reviews are minimal. This unit is mostly used at home. ✅Check out the details here as well as reviews, consumer reports and more.
✅Everlast PowerPro 164Si: Best 110v Plasma Cutter
✅Hypertherm 088079 Powermax30 XP: Best Plasma Cutter for Stainless Steel
✅Super Deal CUT 50: Best Plasma Cutter for the Money
✅PrimeWeld Ct520d: Best Low Cost Plasma Cutter
✅Everlast PowerPlasma 50S: Best Plasma Cutter Under $1000
The cutter has a pilot arc and will therefore not interfere with computer or electronic equipment.
This machine is suitable for precision cutting with a CNC machine as well as normal cutting by hand.
Can sever steel up to almost 1″ thick and the maximum cutting size is 1/2″.
The Italian designed torch is specifically designed to ensure that consumables last longer.
Suitable for home use, commercial work as well as light industrial work.
✅Get more high quality images here as well as consumer reports, more info and reviews.
- Pilot arc.
- Dual voltage 110 V / 220 V
- CNC port for light gauge use.
Lotos LTP5000D: Best Plasma Cutter Under $500
The Lotos lLPT5000D plasma cutter is a popular choice to cut aluminum, alloys, mild, stainless and other types of steel.
Once you know what to do, this machine is quick and easy to set up and cuts metal easily, quickly and cleanly with a minimal amount of effort and dross left over.
The maximum severance thickness is 3/4″ while the maximum cut thickness is 1/2″.
Suitable for home use.
It is a lightweight unit that can easily be transported.
If you need to cut dirty metal, metal that is rusted, metal that is painted or even expanded metal, then this is the cutter to use due to the pilot arc functionality.
See a video of this machine in action as well as user reports and reviews.
- Dual Voltage 110 V / 220 V
- Pilot arc.
- Poor customer service.
- Some units work great in the beginning and then fail.
- Popular with buyers, but a risky buy. Not recommended.
Today’s Best List:
Best Plasma Cutter Reviews And Prices
List updated:
Nov 2024
Conclusion
When choosing the best plasma cutter for the money, it is obvious that the CUT 50 is the best model to go for, especially for home use and if you are not planning to do a lot of cutting; otherwise steer clear and look at one of the top 3 cutters that also has a pilot arc.
