5+ Best plasma cutters under $500 Review

There is a wide range of plasma cutters that you can get under a very good reasonable range of $500. The cutting power of the plasma cutters is really good and along with that you get them just at a price of $500 and we are doing these best plasma cutters review here.

It is great to know that the plasma cutters provide you such a good variety of plasma cutters at such a good range.

5 Best Plasma cutters

In the recent times, the plasma technologies have gained immense rise in cutting of metal and also in workshops. The companies are refining there processes so that they can produce better and faster cuts with cleaner finishes. The article will help you in knowing some of these better and for this we have collected some of the best ones.

1. Lotos LTP5000D Plasma Cutter

This plasma cutter has gel cushions that have foam in it. These will help you to give more comfort to the knees during kneeling. These also have good quality of leg straps that will help your knee and protect it from slipping. The side walls will also protect you from twisting your knees.

 The knee pads are built in order too distribute pressure and make them comfortable so that you can wear them easily all day long. They have good durability and will surely last long. The issue that you may find with it might be that they might dig in while you are in standing position. Apart from this it is really a very good option.

Pros (What we liked)
  • They are having clean cuts.
  • The arc is non touch.
  • The torch lead is of 13 inches.
  • The cut is of maximum ¾.
  • The design is compact and is of the dimensions 15, 6 and 12 inches.
  • It comes with a warranty of one year. The weight is of about 26 pounds.
  • The application is standoff.
  • It also has an air filter regulator.
  • It needs about 50 amps of current.
Cons (What we didn't like)
  • It has a six foot lead.
  • Might not be the best standoff that is available.

2. Forney Easy Weld 251

This plasma cutter has been made especially for suiting the purpose for which it has been designed. If you are using it for cutting anything that is of ¼ inches or less then you do not require much effort and it will be producing a very clean finish. This plasma cutter can also cut the painted material but it might not cut it so well.

The users require a suitable and sufficient clamp lead and this one has the perfect size that might be needed. If you require any extensions for it you can surely buy them separately and it will create more diverse options for the welder.

This plasma welder might be a little light and may have some of the negative points that might not be liked by the users. This one can be preferred as the second choice as it has the reasonable price and along with that it is lighter. It might require a little struggle of yours to cut anything.

But if you want to cut anything that is of the size ¼ inches or less then it might be the best option for you.

Pros (What we liked)

  • The ground lead is of eight foot.
  • The torch lead is of 13 inches.
  • It can be used for cutting rusty and painted material.
  • It has a drag torch feature.
  • The design is compact.
  • The weight is about 21.5 pounds.
  • It has a warranty of one year.
  • The extension for the torch is also available that is of 25 inches.

Cons (What we didn't like)

  • It requires input of only 110/120 volts.
  • The output is only 20 amps.
  • It can cut a maximum of ¼ inches steel.

3. SUPER DEAL CUT 50 Plasma Cutters

The plasma cutter will offer you a lot in the range in which it comes. But its quality is not that much good as compared to Lotos LTP5000D. it has a dual input for voltage and along with that it also has the strength to cut about ½ inches of steel.

It might take some time to cut the ½ inches steel and it does not leave a clean finish too. The drag of this plasma cutter is not that good. The machine quality has some little amount of variance. The lead of the torch is also available in different lengths. Some customers who have received it have found that the parts are a bit faulty and along with that they also reviewed that the warranty is actually genuine so you don’t need to worry about the damages that occur. They will be repaired or replaced.

If you are looking for an option that is quite affordable and reasonable as per your range then you might surely go for this option.

Pros (What we liked)

  • It can cut rusty or painted material too.
  • The drag feature is also available.
  • The output of the plasma cutter is about 50 amps.
  • It has a weight of about 24.4 pounds.
  • The warranty is one year.

Cons (What we didn't like)

  • The ground lead is of 6 feet’s.
  • The lead length is about six, eight and 11 feet.
  • The quality is low.

4. Prime Weld Ct520d

This is a very useful plasma cutter as you can use it for a number of purposes and along with that it also has a reasonable quality. But if you are only looking for a plasma cutter then there might be a number of options available for you.

It can help you to cut but not with clean finishes. It won’t provide you a very smooth finish when it will cut but it will surely be very suitable. You can use it to cut about ½ inches plate.

The leads that you are buying are also of good reasonable ranges but the quality is not that much good.

It might not be an all rounder machine but it is for sure for the function you are buying it that too be in a good price range.

Pros (What we liked)

  • It is a multipurpose machine.
  • It has a torch lead of about 13 inches.
  • It has a ground lead of about 11 inches.
  • The weight is of 35.7 pounds.
  • The design is compact and is about 6, 16.8, 12.8 inches.

Cons (What we didn't like)

  • The cuts of the plasma cutter might not be as clean.
  • It has thin leads.
  • It can cut up to a maximum of ½ inches.
  • The DC function is not that good.

5. SUNGOLDPOWER 50A

This is a good plasma cutter as per the range of a low quality welder. It can cut very well about the range of other best welders. The cost is less and the results are far better than the other plasma cutters of this range.

It produces a nice finish by using the ¾ inches section of steel and along with that it also has options of producing 110/120 volts or 220/440 volts.

The company will be providing you a good warranty period and that too be trusted. Its among one of the best options that is available in low price range and is a great choice surely. You can have better value of money if you buy this.

Pros (What we liked)

  • It produces an output of 110/220 volts.
  • The weight is about 23.9 pounds.
  • The design is fairly compact.
  • It comes with a warranty of one year.
  • The steel of ¾ inches can be cut at maximum.
  • The display screen is of lcd.

Cons (What we didn't like)

  • The torch lead is of 11 inches.
  • The ground lead is of 6 foot.
  • It is of low quality.
  • It has a touch start.
  • There is no drag technology

6. HITBOX 40A 220V Plasma-Cutter Machine

This plasma cutter has about the minimum price range that you can follow. It might not have the best quality but it but it will be performing super well for the design it has.

It might not be able to cut more than ¼ inches thicker plate and it also produces a very ugly finish.

Pros (What we liked)

  • It gives an input of 220/440 volts.
  • It weighs about 22.1 pounds.
  • It is quite affordable.
  • It has a maximum range of output.

Cons (What we didn't like)

  • The torch lead is of 10 inches.
  • The ground lead is of five foot.
  • It is of low quality.
  • There is no drag feature available.
  • There is no warranty.

Buyers guide for plasma cutters

There are a number of plasma cutters that you can choose from. There are a number of price ranges and is difficult to choose from any of them. It is better if you know what the differences are so that you can easily choose between these.

You need to focus and know about the purposes. You should always go for the most suitable plasma cutter in your range.

Power source

Before you are deciding to buy a plasma cutter you should know what your power source will be. The standard power points are 110/220 volts. So the plasma cutter that you can go for should be with this input capacity.

If you are wishing to cut a heavier gauge then you may require a electrician who could fix the voltage plugs and you can go for a higher voltage. You should first know about the number of options that are available and then you should go for buying the plasma cutter that is the best for you.

Plate gauge

The size of the plate is also a very important factor that you need to consider. More the thickness of the plate more will be the power with which you will be cutting.

The cutter should not be having the cut size as like the metal you want to cut because if it happens you will be having difficulty in cutting.

The maximum gauge should be always a size larger so that the cut is cleaner. You might not require a plasma cutter that might take many efforts to cut your plate. It will take longer and would require more struggle for this purpose.

 If it cuts easily you will b for sure saving a large amount of time and along with that you will also have a finished project. The maximum cut should be around ¾ inches for cutting a plate that is about ½ inches or even less than this.

Types of torches:

Standoff torch

This torch is able to withstand at the end of the nozzle and helps to maintain a good distance between your nozzle and the work piece.

When there is a second arc it sticks and due to this reason there are sliding issues. The standoff might be the excellent choice for you to have smooth and consistent cuts.

Drag technology

This will be eliminating your need for a standoff and will help your nozzles touch the slide smoothly. It might dirty and damage your nozzle as it s not as consistent as it should be.

Touch start

This feature is same as the touch start in the TIG machine. The arc cutting will start with the touch but it might require lifting up of the work piece. It works nicely but it might not be the best as per your expectations. This is because it might not be as easy to use it as it seems to be. And it will not give a clean finish as the others.

Cut finish

Before you purchase a plasma cutter for yourself you should know about the finishes that it will leave and also you should know about the better one. You might need a good quality plasma cutter for having a neater finish and to minimize the cleanup.

Conclusion

There are number of plasma cutters that we have discussed about in the above article and the Lotos LTP5000D has a great and excellent quality. The thickness is good apart from the surface quality.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top