Compressor Requirements Plasma Cutter

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FREE SHIPPING - Ingersoll-Rand 10.3 CFM @ 135 PSI, 3 HP Vertical Air Compressor, Model# SS3L3 Industrial quality 230 Volt, single phase motor engineered for continuous duty. Maximum 135 PSI. 100% cast iron cylinder. Belt guard shields flywheel and motor sheave. Tank includes drain, relief and discharge valves. Meets OSHA standards. Truck Ship. U.S.A.

Ships From Mfg Delivery Time: 7-14 Business Days Ship Wt. 250.0 lbs Item# 1592027 Discount Price... $549.99

You should be just fine with your compressor. Just insure that your compressor can maintain the required PSI, otherwise your plasma unit will cycle off. My suggestion is to try your current compressor with the Plasma unit. If you are satisfied with the performance of your existing equipment then there is no need to invest more dollars in a new compressor. Of course if you aren't satisfied then you can weigh your options.

Hi Ed,

I have an older Hypertherm 350 that I run as a handheld and also use in my cnc table. I started out with a "5 hp" 30 gal craftsman. It worked OK for short cuts and hand held stuff but it quickly started to lag and suffer from the duty. I was using lots of consumables because of moisture in the air and cut quality suffered too. Since using this compressor with the plasma table was out of the question, I decided to get one that reflects the same level of quality as my plasma cutter and I'm happy I did. I got an IR 5 hp 2 stage with a 60 gal tank. What a difference!! It's quiet, runs a lot less, and produces better quality air (drier). My consumable use want way down, cut quality went up, and now I have extra capacity for the future. Your choices for plasma cutters are both industrial quality machines you should look for the same quality in a compressor Your Coleman is not industrial quality and while it may work in the short term it won't last.

Enjoy

Andrew

Hi Ed,

I have an older Hypertherm 350 that I run as a handheld and also use in my cnc table. I started out with a "5 hp" 30 gal craftsman. It worked OK for short cuts and hand held stuff but it quickly started to lag and suffer from the duty. I was using lots of consumables because of moisture in the air and cut quality suffered too. Since using this compressor with the plasma table was out of the question, I decided to get one that reflects the same level of quality as my plasma cutter and I'm happy I did. I got an IR 5 hp 2 stage with a 60 gal tank. What a difference!! It's quiet, runs a lot less, and produces better quality air (drier). My consumable use want way down, cut quality went up, and now I have extra capacity for the future. Your choices for plasma cutters are both industrial quality machines you should look for the same quality in a compressor Your Coleman is not industrial quality and while it may work in the short term it won't last.

Enjoy

Andrew

In message , Andrew V writes

Make sure you have an adequate air filter in the line at least 15' from the compressor to remove oil and water.Clean ,dry air is required for quality cuts and long consumable life.

Hi Gwyn,

I have a 3 stage desiccant filter dryer 1 particulate/water, 1 oil, and 1 silica gel desiccant at the plasma table, clean dry air makes a world of difference. In addition to filters/dryers setting up your shop using black iron pipe, properly sized and pitched with drip legs ect., also makes a big difference. I did the piping and the filter/dryer after I got the cnc table. Before that I just had hose hooked to the compressor, like everything else its an evolutionary process that depends on the need/want/money balance.

Andrew

============================================== Part of the decision making process is deciding how thick you need to cut. The rule of thumb is buy a little more than you need. The cutmaster needs more air because it is rated a cutting 7/8 and the pakmaster is rated at 3/4. So there is no difference here on performance or efficiency. Reliability and cost of consumables should be your next concern. In my opinion Hypertherm wins hands down.

I bought one of those filters that has an element in it that looks like a roll of toilet paper. Supposedly these take out oil water and particulates.

I talked to the mrgr. and they say I need to rotate the elements out to dry every few days in the summer when it's humid, even when I'm not using the compressor. That seems like a pain. Is that really necessary? I haven't seen water in the system so that part of it won't likely be an issue.