Hi,
After reading here and talking to friends, I was just about to go for a Thermal Dynamics pakmaster75 xl + but then I looked at the Hypertherm Powermax 1000.
They are about the same $, but the powermax literature claims a faster cutting speed. For example, ½" mild steel is 42 ipm with the powermax and maybe 25 ipm (eyeballing their chart) with the pakmaster.
I can see this being an advantage, but then what if you *want* to go slow with thinner material? The pakmaster is adjustable from 15 to 60 amps while the powermax only goes down to 20. If the powermax can actually cut thicker material with the same 60 amps then does the pakmaster have an advantage at the low end with it's lower capacity and lower amp setting? I will cut a fair amount of 16ga. mild.
The thing I like the best about the powermax is that it seems well suited for a do-it-yourself CNC plasma table. It does not use high-freq start and has a CNC interface. I'd like to leave that option open down the road.
Thermal Dynamics is coming out with a Cutmaster type line that does not use the high-freq start either (supposed to be this year). I dunno if I want to wait and see.
I'd appreciate any advice or filling of the gaps in my judgment here.
Thanks,
Ed