Welding Tips and Tricks

I am a bit slow. (I won't tell you this, but I didn't even know about portable metal-cutting band saws until I saw a thread in this forum about building stands for these animals... Bought one, love it, have some angle grinders and a chop saw sitting almost idle.).

I've longed for a plasma cutter, but there always seemed to be some technical trap that local agents couldn't answer. Now I've seen an ad for a Lincoln Plasma cutter with built-in compressor, a PC210.

Does this eliminate all the issues about "enough air" and "dry air", etc? Anyone use one?

Thanks.

The built in compressor, I imagine, would eliminate your moisture problems....
But, the main drawback is, the largest machine you can get is a 115v 1/4 in max cutting capability....
So, they sound like the greatest thing since sliced butter....
John

what have you guys heard about "oilless pump compressors????

I've never found the PC's with built in compressors to be "big" enough for anything but "lawn art" projects that the wife might make. To me, they're like buying a Nissan Sentra and trying to justify their use as a practical off-road vehicle in Moab, Utah.

1/4" looks slow but definitely do-able
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd1L_9nljdg

We have a Ranger diesel which has always been a good welder & I'm not anti Lincoln - but from what I've seen of that machine I'd avoid it like the plague ! - locally a rep managed to talk big & not too truthfully about that plasma & sold quite a few of them about a year back - I know several people that bought them & have spoken to many others - none of them are happy with it - several have gone back to Lincoln for refund or chopped in against something else - 2 workshops I know if the rep came back he'd not be walking out ! there are all sorts of claims on what it will cut - but real world is 5mm taken slowly & carefully - 3mm it's OK with when working correctly ( & reliability has been a major issue ) but half that on aluminum - also beware the supplied stand off conducts heat badly into the torch head if used on long cuts & destroys the head - this is not explained when buying & is not covered by warranty & has ruined one machine I know of - a replacement torch from Lincoln is more than a Cut 40 delivered to your door - the compressor will blow whatever moisture is in the air so is no different to using a separate one - it is also undersized & has virtually no reserve so when starting a cut you get a long delay between pulling the trigger & getting a proper cut ( you can plug an airline into the machine though if in your shop ) - add to this the consumables supplied in genuine Lincoln packaging is often inferior Chinese crap that does'nt work properly - they obviously know this is happening as if you manage to get Lincoln to send someone to look at your machine he always brings his own nozzles/ tips & changes them out - even if yours are new -& no - they don't even look the same - all in all if you have the budget go Hypertherm or Miller - if things are a bit tight go HTP / Everlast / Thermalarc - in my opinion - if your after a cheap hobby set then the Chinese sets actually work pretty well for the price & you can now get a Cut 40 with integrated compressor if that's your thing.

Thank you.

That's one mishap avoided.

Appreciate your insight.