Hypertherm 30

That Hypertherm company makes a very nice piece of equipment. I have a Hypertherm 45 and I love it. You shouldn't use a plasma cutter on a lot of the body work as it MIGHT warp your metal but it is great for demolition and working on thicker metal. I have the Hypertherm 30 tips for mine and can cut with finer lines. The 45 has a thicker cutting capability and gouging feature along with a few other minor features. They both are lightweight and dual voltage.

I have done a few projects that I most likely would have walked away from if not having one of these. A plasma cutter does things a torch can't. A cut-off wheel does things a little cleaner than a plasma cutter. A plasma cutter does make a mess on the garage floor or wherever the blast-off is pointing at. A cut line is only as straight as the person holding the torch. I have a lot of wooden yard sticks. They are cheap and easier to slide along. I have ruined a nice metal straightedge. I don't use the plasma cutter very much but I would miss it if I got rid of it.

Edited by jeremy0711 - Oct/24/2013 at 3:58pm

I also have a Hypertherm Powermax 350, dual voltage is handy.  I have had for a bunch of years with great success, great for lots of repairs and fab work.  Make sure you get a "moisture block" filter for the air supply.  Moisture in the air will distroy the tips and make for very poor cutting.

The only place local to me was airgas and that was way more then harris welding supplies online and shipped with extra 2 boxes of tips.

I have a hypotherm as well.   There is an hour meter inside.  Take the cover off.  I cut the back of a 73 dodge van off.  It did not warp the metal whatsoever.  The guy at the junkyard kept looking at the cut when I took the rest of van in.  It was a rust free van from California I rescued and then couldn't give away.  I cut the back off to make an outdoor cabinet. 

I am sure you will like it.  It will cut one layer of a quarterpanel like butter.  There is virtually no metal warpage.  And it will only burn the paint a 1/4" from the cut.  Use it for what it is made for and it will do a lot of work.  If not, I ended up driving 40 miles for a new tip.  I dismantled a whole javelin body.  The areas that have multiple layers (like where the roofline meets the quarter panel) are going to plug your tip up.  You can't cut an 1" away.  Been there and done it.  In the end, the sawsall was the perfect tool for double metal areas.  That is why you have to ever tool.  The right tool for the job. 
  Good luck on your cutting.