Eastwood Versa Cut 40 Amp Plasma Cutter

Like others, I was willing to trade off a few issues for the price. But, I must have bought the right one or they have improved the quality. I rec'd mine in November 2013 and not one issue – works 100% as advertised. I am a rookie so some chart/guide for power & air pressure for metal thickness would be nice, but at the end of the day it hasn't taken long to figure out, some quick practice on samples gets me there. I'm using it for mostly sheet metal and some exhaust running at 220V. Within 3 minutes of owning, I had cuts that at quick glance looked like they were snipped. The cut line is clean and thin, much thinner than expected. Since most things I cut get welded back together, the cleanliness of cuts exceeded my expectations. I put price and value at 5 stars because I started looking at these 10-15 years ago when the sub-$1000 mark was unheard of, regardless of where it was built. And still today, there aren't that many options. But Eastwood eventually made me an offer I couldn't refuse – I purchased it on sale, with free freight, and a free plasma cutting guide – which I wanted anyway. So I am ecstatic on price & value. And once I started using it, I realized should have bought one years ago, even though it would have cost more $$$. I've got a growing list of things to use it for. I'm sure I'm going to run into features I'd like to see but currently enjoying the honeymoon.

I bought this to use around my small shop and its been great so far. I havent tried to cut anything thick yet and have been using it on 110 volt. This was just the right combination of price, ability, and portability that I needed. I hope it doesnt let me down in the future.

I used a friend's several time's on a build I was doing. I was very impressed with cutting 1/4" and 5/16". the 120v was fine for the sheet metal, but , the thicker metal cut easier using 220v. I researched several plasma cutter's, and, you can't beat this one for the features,ease of use,and price.

ive used expensive cutters before so i had my doubts on this one being any good for that price let me tell you it works great i cut alot of metal up to around 3/8 mostly thinner stuff but this thing works flawlessly i love it cuts time and blades no more buying blades.but now i see it on sale 40 bucks off i missed out on that one im telling you buy this thing you wont be disappointed.

I was surprised at how small this unit it is but it packs some serious punch. I would run it off 220 volt if at all possible. On the 27 amp setting (it goes to 40 amps) it cut through some 1/4" wall tubing like it was tinfoil. The other thing I really liked is the 20' long torch cable, many other brands only have a 12'-15' cable. Having a 3 year warranty with a company that I know will be around is also a good selling point.

This cutter is a really good cutter for the money. I am using it on a restoration job and have had no problems whatsoever. There is a slight learning curve but not too difficult. I had floor pans removed from my truck in around 15 minutes. I am very pleased with this unit. There are a few "cheap" pieces but for this price there will always be a trade off. Once again, I am very pleased with this unit.

I'm very pleased with the Versa-Cut plasma cutter. I'm an artist. When I first used a plasma cutter, at The Maine College of Art, I found a completely new world of art open up to me. In short order, I knew I had to have a plasma cutter in my studio. When it came time to purchase one I read every review of every plasma cutter that cost up to $1,200. I was prepared to spend about $700 on a cutter. ( My theory is, it's good to read about the more expensive models to know if you need to step up to that level or not. And they often include information about less expensive and less powerful models.) I work primarily with 1/8" and 3/16" steel. I basically use the plasma cutter to etch and cut through steel. I needed a plasma cutter that would be able to cut rather quickly and fluidly. I am so pleased to say that the Versa-Cut is wonderful in that regard. I first opened it and used it with 110 VAC. It cut thin stuff really well, but even 1/8" took some patience. Oh, it would cut it, but not cleanly, nor in one pass. I didn't have 220VAC in my garage yet, so I took it to a friend's house and tried it out, enough to know, YES! This is a great machine. It moved through 3/16" easy, even 1/4". I have since put 220VAC to my garage and am cutting like a mad man. Why did I decide on an Eastwood Versa-Cut, especially since it wasn't one of the ones I initially looked at. I'm not certain if I should mention other brands here, so I won't, but after reading reviews, calling dealers, comparing features, price, and warranties, the Eastwood came out in front. One feature that was very important to me was that the plasma cutter have a pilot arc, as I often cut through rusty metal. I found that the more I looked, the more difficult it came to make a decision on which cutter to purchase. Reviews varied on the lower end models. I'd feel strongly about a model, then read some negative reviews and I'd be back to square one. I finally called dealers around the country about any model I was considering purchasing. They were very helpful in steering me away from several models and companies. A few dealers told me not to purchase the models they'd been dealers for, as they'd had nothing but problems with those models or the companies that made them. (They'd cut their ties with those companies, but the manufacturers websites still showed them as dealers.) The only 2 draw backs to this amazing machine are: 1) I needed to purchase an air compressor that could deliver 5-7 CFM @85PSI. That turned out to cost about as much as the plasma cutter. I ended up purchasing the Makita MAC5200. It's oil lubricated, relatively quiet, and it works really well with this machine. 2) I wish the ground cord was as long as the cord for the cutting gun. Still, I'm happy as can be with this great piece of equipment.

To my knowledge this is one of the cheapest machines on the market that is capable of drag cutting. I bought mine close to a month ago and love it. I believe it is only rated for 3/8" material but I was able to sever 1/2" plate with fresh consumables and it works well on an elcheapo $100 oil less compressor rated for 5cfm at 90psi. I thought I had problems with the torch after using it for a week (pilot arc would not light every time the trigger was squeezed) so I called Eastwood tech support and spoke with them about it, they were very pleasant to deal with and were about to ship me a whole new unit until I figured out my problem was moisture in the air and stopped them from shipping it out. A few droplets of water would blow through the torch and ruin the consumables. This was evident by the discolored swirl marks around the electrode. I put another larger water separator in line with the smaller cheap one that I already had and haven't had the first problem since. This unit takes the same consumables as a hypertherm Max 40 so they are easy to find both locally and online for a reasonable price. Do yourself a favor and buy the extended consumables, they are much easier to work with. I'm glad I purchased this unit, great value for under $600.

I bought the Versa Cut 40 two months ago. It works fine as described. I would recommend this for any one cutting 1/4" or less.. I cut from 20 ga to 1/4". It blows threw the 1/4" like butter. I cut circles with my circle cutter jig I made. I can cut a 3" circle in 1/4" in about 20 seconds. And that's a good cut. 20 ga is a breeze. Can't beat it with a 3 year warranty.

I was concerned about some less than stellar previous reviews, but my unit works perfectly. Easy set up and very portable, read: not too heavy. I kind of wonder why the handpiece has a real long line and the ground cable is relatively short. The instructions are very good for the set up but woefully inadequate for use. There are no suggested settings for different thicknesses of metal vs the duty cycle or ideal standoff. You will have to spend time experimenting on your own. If you've used a gas axe before, you will be pleasantly surprised.