Editor’s Rating:
- 45 Amps
- 37 Pounds
- $$$
Browse the Hypertherm Powermax 45 Plasma Cutter Owner Manual here:
Hypertherm Powermax 45 Plasma Cutter Review
For a person looking for a portable plasma cutter solution, you will have several options that you can choose from, however only the Hypertherm Powermax 45 plasma cutter will be what you need to look at and consider. Many professionals will tell you that this is the one and only option for your plasma cutting needs. The question needs to be asked what exactly is it about this particular product that makes it stand out from all of the others on the market? The answer to this is simple, it has the power to handle all types of jobs regardless of how big or small that it is. The market is crowded with tons of these cutters and many of them just won’t get the job done when it needs to be.
Hypertherm Powermax 45 Amps
When looking at the kind of amps that you will get from the plasma cutter, that will depend a lot on the type of cycle that you will be putting it through. The example of this is on a 100% duty cycle, you will get about 32 amps of power. On a 60% duty cycle, you are looking at around 41 amps and on 50% you will get 45 amps. So as you are able to see, there are very few plasma cutters that will be able to deliver the kind of amps that this plasma cutter will even under the toughest of situations. The amperage will be a huge consideration for a lot of guys that will be thinking about this as their next purchase decision. This is one of the reasons why it is a far better product than many of the others in the same price range.
Hypertherm Powermax 45 Portability
There is nothing nearly as frustrating as having to haul around a heavy plasma cutter to get the job done. This is hard especially if you are on your own and do not have someone else to help you carry it. This makes the job a lot harder and slows you down. That is why you need to make sure that you take a look at this cutter for your needs. While the Hypertherm Powermax 45 Plasma cutter does weigh around 37 pounds, you will find it still very easy to carry around as the weight is very well distributed. This makes being able to move it on your own very easy and a lot simpler than with a large number of the other plasma cutters on the market. You will be hard pressed to find one that can do a fraction of what this can and with a lot less of the weight you might otherwise expect.
Hypertherm Powermax 45 Cutting Ability
Ask any person that uses a plasma cutter what one of the most important things that they look for it and they will tell you something that can get a good cut in a fraction of the time it might otherwise take. Equipped with a ½ inch cutting capacity, this makes it one of the better products on the market. This means regardless of if it is a thin metal or a thicker metal, you will be able to slice through it like a hot knife in butter. One thing that will stand out with this as opposed to many other types of products is the fact that it has a severance of around 1 inch. The plasma cutter can handle a large number of metals that are conductive and make quick work of them with little to no trouble.
Hypertherm Powermax 45 Reliability
When you are on a job, you need something that you can rely on and know that it will be ready to use at a moments notice. It is for this reason that this particular plasma cutter will need to be your first choice for getting a device that is reliable and able to handle the toughest of jobs. Many of the plasma cutters on the market will not offer the ability to cool off in a hurry, this in turn leads to them not being 100% effective and as a result leads to you experiencing a lot of downtime while you wait for many of the models to cool off. However this product offers Powercool™ technology to keep it cool and increases the amount of time that you will be productive.
Pros
One of the biggest pros that this has over other models is the fact that even if you have never used a plasma cutter with the drag cut method that this uses, you will find cutting to be extremely easy and will not be difficult at all. Another advantage of this model is the fact that it is light enough to carry around and thus you will not need someone to help you transport it from place to place. This is one of the biggest complaints that people have when it comes to plasma cutters. Less heat on the cutting surface means that you will not have to wait nearly as long to work with the metal as opposed to using another product.
If anything goes wrong, this product has a 3 year warranty (2 years on power supplies and 1 year on torches and leads). That is pretty good compared to other plasma cutters.
Cons
Really, there is only one little drawback and that is the price tag that is associated with this plasma cutter. While it can be argued that if you want a quality plasma cutter, you need to make sure that you pay a little extra for a good product. On the other hand, for a product at this price range, you will not find one that will deliver the level of quality as this one does.
Conclusion
In general, if you are looking for a plasma cutter that will make quick work of the toughest job, then the Hypertherm Powermax 45 for you. Easy to transport, precise cutting along with not needing more than a few minutes to let the metal cool means more work in a lot less time. Big or small, this plasma cutter will be able to handle all types of work that you throw at it. If you still are not sold, then look at it for yourself and see that there simply is no other choice for your plasma cutting needs.