I just bought a new 375 extreme plasma cutter after the salesman told me it was able to cut half inch pretty easy. After I got the plasma home I tried it out on some 1/4" 3/8" and 1/2" material and I really think this plasma is good for about 1/4" and that is it.

Do you think I will be happy with this for mainly vehicle type work or should I just go ahead and take it back and get the 625?

I do have a torch for the thicker stuff. I was just hoping it would at least cut 1/2" for making tabs and such.

I had the miller cutmate 375 about 5 years ago. The thing would never cut it's rated 3/8" capacity. It was a struggle to even get a good cut in .25". I sold it and bought a Hypertherm Powermax 1000G, same deal there, doesn't come close to being able to cut its full rated capacity, but anything up to .5" or so, it will cut as fast as you can move the torch, so I am happy with it.

If I were you, I would get a bigger machine.

Later,
Jason

Millers "Rated Cut" is based on travel speeds of 10 ipm so using a Miller 375 to cut a 3.5" dia circle out of 3/8" would take ~ 1 minute.

I do not have the patience for that so I have a 80A machine, I would suggest a 50A machine for doing fast and consistent quality cuts in 1/2".

Any opinions on the 625?

Any opinions on the 625?

Even though I am a Miller guy I would be looking at the 50A Parker models (http://parkermp.mygisol.com/parkermp_002.htm) for a hobby application before a brand name one at 3 times the price.

I ordered the 625 today. I hope I dont get it here and wish I had ordered the 2050.

The 625 has the abilty to gouge does anyone use this feature much?

My 80amp Hypertherm 1100 starts bogging down over 1" material... :D

When I was looking at them, the three numbers are "rated," "quality," and "sever" in some form or another. It basically breaks down as the first is how much you can cut at decent speed, the second is how much you can cut if you really take your time, and the third is the uppermost limit of what it can cut and it ain't exactly going to be pretty...

After buying mine (used), I was in at my local welding supply and talking to the guys there while I was ordering some parts that I needed for it. One mentioned that the Hypertherm rep was going to be in to the shop in the near future and said he'd give me a call when he came by. I went in and the rep went over my machine, set it up, and then gave me about twenty minutes of instruction with it. By the time we were done I was cutting a lot cleaner than I ever had been before. I actually found that I was moving a bit too slowly when cutting when I thought I was going too fast, for one thing. The shop and the rep definitely had a loyal customer after that.