ArtMetal

YOu can do alright with one of the Chinese plasma cutters, provided that you get it from a dealer who will offer real support after the sale, and provided that understand that you are not buying an industrial use machine.

The Chinese plasma cutters are designed for limited duty cycles at their rated power (as most all cutters are), and if you try to exceed that regularly you will be disappointed with the machine. I would also take their cut ratings with a grain of salt - look closely at the rated speed of the cut for a given thickness. Keep in mind that the human hand can't control the torch smoothly at speeds much under 8-12 inches per second. If you plan to do freehand cutting this becomes important.

I have a Chinese inverter TIG unit that has been just dandy - after I got the second one from the dealer, because the first one wouldn't work. This is why I say you want to deal with a vendor who provides after-sale support. With a plasma cutter you'll also need a dependable supply of consumables, and if the machine doesn't use standard consumables such as Miller, Lincoln, Hypertherm or the like, you'll be limited to what you can get from the original vendor. I recommend that you ask the vendor if their machine's torch accepts generic consumables, as this can save you a lot of money down the road.

Lastly, be sure you get a really, really good air filter/dryer for your cutter, whatever brand you go with. The drier and cleaner your air is, the longer your torch consumables last. Wet air kills torches in no time flat!

In addition to GiantTech, you might check out Longevity, Inc. for Chinese welders and cutters. That's who I got my machine from and they have good honest support. I would guess that their machine is likely made by the same factory as most of the Chinese machines - the ones that work well are because the dealer enforces quality control on his end and specifies certain performance criteria. The fly-by-night dealers, and there are many, just buy whatever is in the warehouse in China with no regard to quality, only price and markup potential. Know who you're dealing with!

Best of luck with your search for the right machine for you.

Rich Waugh