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Got my Plasma cutter today.

JimR

JimR

Charter Member
Miller Spectrum 701 Plasma Cutter heavey duty - $400
Date: 2006-04-27, 7:18PM EDT


Miller Spectrum 701 Plasma Cutter heavey duty.Currently running on 30 amp plug,can be adapted to other voltages.Good condition.Will be going to the flea market on the weekend.Call Jeff 617-290-2519

* this is in or around Salem, MA
* no -- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Copyright © 2006 inc. terms of use privacy policy feedback forum




I picked this up this morning for $350.00 It needs a new front knob. This unit does not have the built in compressor. It will cut 3/4" steel.
 

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JimR

JimR

Charter Member
Ok, hang in there.

Here you go. That was not easy cutting left handed and taking a picture at the same time.:pat: :pat: :pat:

Yes, that is my hand.

I think my oxy/acet cutting torch has just become obsolete for cutting steel.
 

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Doc

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'm green with envy! I don't need one .....but I want one. :(
 
JimR

JimR

Charter Member
Doc said:
I'm green with envy! I don't need one .....but I want one. :(
Click to expand...

Hi Doc,

I have a set of torches for cutting metal. I am tired of smoke floating around from cutting in the garage. I've wanted a plasma cutter for about 6 months now. Or should I say, ever since my friend showed me his. I did play with it a bit today. It is fast and clean. I think any guy that does repairing and welding should add one of these to his tool collection. I'm thinking of maybe a backhoe project in the future. Now that I have this I can cut my own metal. I may need to get a table setup and computer to run it properly for large projects. I'm also thinking of branching out my other work into metal designs. This machine would work out real well for that.
 
XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
I want one too at the same price Jim paid for it! Wow! I troll my Craigslist and all the Plasma Cutters cost thousands.
 
Dargo

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
I can't tell for sure, but in your pic it doesn't look like you have a stand off tip. With a stand off tip you actually just drag the tip along what you're cutting and don't have to worry about keeping any specific distance from the metal you're cutting. If you have one of those, be sure to try it. My cuts with that tip make my cuts look almost like they were stamped or sliced. Also, I'm sure your machine will be like my HyperTherm 1250 in that dry air is mandatory for quality cuts and to increase the life of consumables. I have a Motor Guard M-30 and it works great. You can use the filters that come with it or simply a roll of toilet paper. Here is an example where you can get one really cheap Motor Guard M-30 on eBay This is the exact same filter that Miller had for sale for over $200 when I bought my plasma cutter.
 
JimR

JimR

Charter Member
Dargo said:
I can't tell for sure, but in your pic it doesn't look like you have a stand off tip. With a stand off tip you actually just drag the tip along what you're cutting and don't have to worry about keeping any specific distance from the metal you're cutting. If you have one of those, be sure to try it. My cuts with that tip make my cuts look almost like they were stamped or sliced. Also, I'm sure your machine will be like my HyperTherm 1250 in that dry air is mandatory for quality cuts and to increase the life of consumables. I have a Motor Guard M-30 and it works great. You can use the filters that come with it or simply a roll of toilet paper. Here is an example where you can get one really cheap Motor Guard M-30 on eBay This is the exact same filter that Miller had for sale for over $200 when I bought my plasma cutter.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I'm am totally new to this Plasma thing. I do have a stand
off tip in the parts compartment with a lot of new tips and other parts. This unit has a water seperator on the backside where the air line attaches. I also have another water seperator at my air compressor. I will check out the ones on Ebay also.
 
johnday

johnday

The Crazy Scot, #3
SUPER Site Supporter
Good show Jim. Sure does beat cutting with gas. Now, one of these days,,,,,:tiphat::beer::beer:
 
Dargo

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
Jim, just to show you how SICK you are for getting your plasma cutter for the price you did, here is my plasma cutter and how much it cost HyperTherm 1250 Also, that is the discounted price. List price was arond $3400. :mad: Yes, you got a great deal on yours! Besides that, if I didn't have a 200 amp service in my barn everything would shut off when I'm cutting with the 1250 and my 23cfm compressor kicks in at the same time. Even with 200 amp service, it really makes the lights blink when both hit at once!
 
JimR

JimR

Charter Member
Dargo, Sick is about right. But I think it was the seller that was really sick for selling it so cheap. Or should I say, giving it away so cheap. The Miller 701 has been discontinued. Probably due to the large size of it. Production of these began in 1997. MSRP was $2450.00. I found a sale price of $2205.00 on the net. My friend that has a plasma cutter almost died when he saw this. He just stood there repeating, "You really are an asshole". Then he said, "Man, I wish I saw it first". For some reason this area is ripe with deals lately. I have been upgrading a lot of my tools lately at a very reasonable price. I picked up a fairly new Husqvarna 55 Rancher the other day for $100.00. It's like I am a damn tool magnet or something. Now if I can only find a layout table for the plasma cutter for cheap money I'll be really happy.
 
M

MadReferee

New member
Here is the air input setup I use. I got the idea from one of the welding forums I belong to. Several pros there use this same setup.

Air coming from the compressor first goes thru the normal water seperator near the compressor. The coiled hose on my cart connects into the compressor air piping at a dropdown. Air then flows thru a regulator/filter/seperator (the blue canister) then thru a MotorGuard (the black canister) then to the plasma cutter.

The blue canister/filter/seperator is one I found at HF on sale for $20 and it works real well. In fact, the entire setup works really well and didn't cost all that much.:D
 

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M

MadReferee

New member
The cart is a Craftsman work station that I had laying around unused. It serves as both a plasma cutter cart and tig welder cart. There is plenty of space for cables, consumables and other welding stuff in the drawers too.
 

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Dargo

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
Ah ha! That looks just like my MM251 in the background on the left. Is that what it is? It's nice that it comes with it's own wheels. I have my HyperTherm 1250 on an old stainless steel food service cart that came from a hospital auction. It has a bottom tray where the unit sits, and I coil the lead and power cord on the top tray. I like your setup with drawers better though. The only problem is that the 1250 is a bit big to sit on top of something. I never even checked to see what they offer from the welder supply places for it. I'm still choking over the initial cost. But, if I found deals like Jim...:thumb:

Oh yeah, is that a MotorGuard-30 or 26? I don't know what the difference is, but mine is a 30. I've found the replacement filters online for $5.18 each, but that's as cheap as I've seen them. I'm a little hesitant to use toilet paper because it seems like little bits of paper could get blown into the plasma cutter.
 
M

MadReferee

New member
Yes, that is an MM251 in the background.

I have the M26. Same as the M60 except for the fitting size (1/4" vs 1/2"). The only difference that I can see between the M26 and M30 is the bracket mounting on the M26. All three use the same M723 filters.

Hey Jim, in another few weeks I will have a great deal for you on a Jet bench mill. It's not one of the cheapy HF units but a good solid high end Jet. It will be for sale once my Bridgeport gets here, hopefully by the end of May.
 
JimR

JimR

Charter Member
MadReferee said:
Hey Jim, in another few weeks I will have a great deal for you on a Jet bench mill. It's not one of the cheapy HF units but a good solid high end Jet. It will be for sale once my Bridgeport gets here, hopefully by the end of May.
Click to expand...


I'm tapped out on funds till I sell off some more of my old things. NO more tools for a little while. My garage is full and cannot accommadate another tool on wheels or fixed till I clean it out. Eventually I will pick up a Bridgeport and a lathe.

On the plasma cable issue. I'm going to hang some small brackets off the sides or back to hang the cables on. Maybe I should sell this big beast and find a small one like you have. I don't think I'd be able to pull a good deal on a newer shrunken down sized cutter for quite a few years.
 
Snowtrac Nome

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
not a big miller fan for plasma cutters but if you all buy one make shur it will cut 3/4 inch or better as i have found the smaller 1/2 inch and smaller ones especialy the 110 volt jobs to be junk for any more than body work you want cool crank up the amps try it on aluminum amazing how well it cuts aluminum and brass
 
Dargo

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
I cut railroad track with mine. I think 3/4" would be no problem after doing that.
 
Snowtrac Nome

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
the one i have at the shop is a thermal dynamics rated to 1 1/4 blows right through 1 inch cutting edge the only short comming, is tip life on all plasma cutters they shure go through them like a torch goes through oxygen
 
Dargo

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
dds said:
the one i have at the shop is a thermal dynamics rated to 1 1/4 blows right through 1 inch cutting edge the only short comming, is tip life on all plasma cutters they shure go through them like a torch goes through oxygen
Click to expand...

I don't know if it will always be this way, but I generally get a tip to last me through 3 of the bottles that are about 4' tall (sorry, can't recall their size). Sometimes I go 6 months without cutting anything and then I'll use it 4 hours a day for a month. Lately I've only been using it on stainless making custom parts for a friend's boat and for my pool. I think I need to invest in a mask of some sort though. After cutting much stainless, I get a really bad headache.
 
Snowtrac Nome

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
i've nevercut ss moisture in the air will take ut tips i have 2 airdryers yet we live on the coast so we still have humidity problems. all things considered tips are still easyer and cheaper to ship in than bottles.
 
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