I recently got one but have not had a chance to use it yet since I still need to make a small plasma table for it.
I was able to find quite a few reviews and such on YouTube, and it seems like it should work fine for sheet steel 1/8" or less which is all I intend to use it for.
It says it will cut up to 1/4" but it is getting pretty slow at that point, only 3" / minute, so a little less than 1/3 the speed cutting 1/8". Stainless and aluminum also cut much slower. With a 35% duty cycle it seems quite likely you will hit the duty cycle cutting stuff over 1/8" unless just short sections like bar stock.
Hobart has a refurbished store where you can get refurb machines at a significant discount and still get the full warranty. I picked this one up when they had an additional sale off their normal refurbished price so I got it shipped for less than $600. Other than the reconditioned sticker on the box the unit looks brand new.
As far as the circuit, it runs at 19A so you will need a 20 Amp circuit, not an issue for a newer home, but older homes often have 15 Amp circuits. I have a 120/240v welder, I have put in a 240v circuit for it, but for convenience often use it on a 120v circuit. I've not tripped a breaker with the welder yet. Using a heavy extension cord, with a short run (or no extension cord) can help as well.
I did look at others, but the Hobart seems to stand alone. There are some cheaper ones from no name companies, or much higher end ones. Hypertherm makes a much better unit but it is almost $2000.
No doubt this is a very lightweight plasma cutter and eventually I'd like to get a better one, but that is a lot of money, both for the cutter and the need to upgrade my air compressor. I'm just looking at this little guy to do the stuff too thick for tin snips and too big to fit on the bandsaw, I think it will be fine for that.
