bestarc Pilot Arc Plasma Cutter Large LED Display Air Sensor 55A Plasma Cutter Machine 110 220V Dual Voltage

So far, it's performing well. I used it to cut 1/4" stainless and it was fast, clean, and as expected. Easy to setup. I just connected the power, air hose, and machine connections, along with the grounding clamp, and I was cutting fast. I had a Hypertherm Powermax 30xp that was DOA, so I picked this up to fill in on my projects while I get a replacement and this Bestarc works extremely well. Read more

Its worked everytime I used it so far. Great value for a budget builder Read more

This plasma cutter is amazing. Very easy to follow the set up instructions. I connected the leads, power and it came with a quick disconnect air fitting installed. Turned on & cut some 1/4” steel pieces and it cut very smoothly. I will need some practice to get proficient, but the first few cuts impressed me. Would buy again and would definitely recommend. Five stars! Read more

Update: New item: If you have dreams of using this unit in some sort of CNC plasma cutter, from what I can tell, it is Not compatible with the most popular and low cost plasma cutters like the Arcdroid and Langmuir. Not an issue for me, but it's worth noting. I've updated the review to 4 stars. Bestarc Customer Service does respond by email and I'm working with them to resolve my questions. According to them, in order to operate at full 110V rated amperage at 35 Amps, you need a 40 Amp breaker. I'm no electrician, but I don't know anyone with a 40 Amp 110 V circuit. I happen to have a 20 Amp circuit in my garage, so I can do 20, or maybe 25 for a very short period of time. I was going to get an extension cord from my dryer to run the unit at 220 V (max 30 Amps I guess?), but I do have a 4000 W generator with 220 output and will try that first. I don't see cutting max thickness metal very often, but the machine gives you the impression you can run 35 Amps at 110 V without being very clear what the machines house breaker requirements are. It appears the arc extinguishing problem has to do with the air pressure supply. I've got a compressor with a 30 gallon tank, so I have plenty of air, but like any air pressure regulator, you need to make sure what the pressure is when air is flowing. I think the problem with arc extinguishing is that the air pressure drops below the minimum required once it starts flowing. I've set it higher and make sure the display stays in the green when cutting, and the extinguishing has practically gone away. I think this is a great unit for the price. But if you expect to cut the maximum metal thickness advertised, you may be disappointed. Original: I was very excited when I saw several YouTube videos about this low cost plasma cutter. It seemed ideal for the home metal working tinkerer like myself. I ordered one and was immediately disappointed when it arrived. I opened the box, and the knob for the air pressure regulator was damaged. I don't think it was a shipping issue as the box was in perfect shape. It looks like it was just slapped I the box with the obviously broken knob. So I returned it and ordered another. This one seemed fine out of the box and I set it up to try cutting some scrap steel I had. First problem I had was the circuit breaker for my 20 amp 110 V line keep popping at the maximum current of 35 Amps. I may not understand how the system works, but I'd think that even if the system is set for 35 Amps, the input from the line would be less than that. In any event, I cut the current to 20 amps and mad my first cut thru some scrap 3/8 steel I have. The first cut went fine, but when I went to cut it again, the arc kept extinguishing after about 5-10 seconds of cutting. The breaker did not pop, the arc just went out. Even when the torch is off the workpiece, the arc keeps popping out. I've sent BestArc support an email since their phone number does not seem to work. There is a very good welding channel on YouTube that just reviewed this welder. I won't post the link because I think Amazon rejects those. But think on fire welding and you should be able to find the review. He liked the Bestarc, but had the same problem I am having at 110 V. It worked fine for him at 220V. I don't have 220 readily available, so I can't try that. I've noticed other amazon reviews of this plasma cutter are having the same issue. If and when I hear from Bestarc product support and get this resolved, I'll revise this review. It would really speak badly of this company if you need to get 2 replacements in order to get one that works. Read more

Fantastic little machine! Never owned a Plasma Cutter in my life, until this one. Have been greatly impressed by this unit! Read more

This is a great non-touch plasma torch. The design makes it easy to set up all cutting parameters. It’s lightweight, with all external connections done without tools. It’s equipped with an air dryer, which should extend the torch expendable parts life. All controls are on the front panel, easily set and read, except for on/off switch. It can be flipped on or off from the front, once you know it’s located. I’ve cut metal with for years but I’m a first time plasma user. I quickly cut various thickness and conditions of steel, and found it intuitive how to set up the pressure and current. There’s a chart with recommendations, but I found thinner metal below 3/8” could be cut cleanly and quickly with the same setting. All you need to do is cut at the best rate, and that’s learned quickly within the first inch of cutting. I did find it more difficult to punch a hole through thicker metal with plasma than Oxy-acetylene (3/8” and thicker), but the thinner metal was as easy as Oxy-acetylene. I’m sure when I developed the proper technique, the thicker gauge metal will punch easily. I felt so confident after 15 minutes of playing with my new torch, I started and finished two projects I’d been waiting to do because my acetylene bottle was empty. With plasma; all you need is an air compressor, and electricity. And this unit will work on 110 or 220, and both have a 50% duty cycle. For my two projects I was cutting with 220, and it cut both 7/16 and 16 gauge quickly and cleanly by only changing air pressure and current. With Oxy-acetylene I would have had to change tips and played with torch settings and pressures as well. Plasma is so much easier, with no expense of gas, and bulk of the torch and hoses. I’ll never go back! If anyone that reads this wants to buy an Oxy-acetylene system lock-stock-and barrel call me;-). Read more