It says I need 460 single phase 60hz?

[docjake]

I am very new to wiring, always leave it to the professionals, but I am trying to figure out what would be needed to run this plasma cutter in my garage.
"460 VAC (414 - 506 VAC), Single Phase, 60 Hz"

It says for IEC rating at 100% the current needs to be 45a and the dc voltage at 98v
For TDC rating it says the same ratings 45a and 98v

This is my reference I am looking to purchase a cutmaster 81
http://www.thermadyne.com/IM_Uploads/Literature/lit_473_300X4641.pdf

I suppose my question is what would I need to do to the standard garage to make this work. My last home I had a 220 installed to run my welder would it be the same needs for something like this?

Thank you in advance I apologize for my ignorance but I searched and was unable to find any answers.

 

[Tim Kennedy]

Around here - western PA - I'm not sure that 460 is even available [or feasible] for residential use. Did not check the specs for a 460v plasma - but the one we used at work was 460 & it was capable of cutting 3/4 to 1 inch plate - cannot imagine needing that kind of capacity in a home garage environment. Plus the cost of such a machine would be prohibitive - a good 220v plasma cutter would be more than enough.

 

[docjake]

The price was what encouraged the question, it is a brand new model that they do not make any more. The seller wanted 400 for it and seeing as I can't even get a used POS chinese one for that price I had no problem having someone do some rewiring.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Call an electrician and see what they would charge to setup a transformer.

 

[docjake]

I would but I am deployed right now, hell I don't even have a house to move into when I get back. I am just trying to sort out what would be needed to run this machine, would I need a transformer?

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Well I had a VERY brief look at the manual you posted. It did say that model was offered in 220VAC as well. Maybe shoot an email to Thermaldyne and ask about purchasing the proper internal transformer or sending it back to them for them to convert, that way it would run on 220 volt directly. Otherwise, adding a transformer to your garage to run it is the only option.

 

[mtne]

Unless you live in a light industrial part of a town just forget it. Unless you know you have three phase power available to you, just pretend you don't even see the equipment.

I know it's not a popular take, but........

China doesn't mean ****. Maybe more **** then usual, but generalizing about anything is just BS. Don't go foreign for political/social/personal reasons, great I get it. As for quality it's all about QC and if it's there it's good.

Now for my money I picked up a Longevity ForceCut 50i plasma cutter for $650 shipped last year. It's done everything it's suppose to with no troubles thus far, including sever cuts on 1" steel and 1/2" aluminum just to test it. Fit and finish of the box was just okay, but the internals looked good, clean and solid. I couldn't find a comparable or weaker blue, black or red box used for less than $1200. It's new, has customer support, and uses the same IGBT technology that the big boys use. Given that it's for occasional use and not a money going concern it will and has done fine. If I were a professional, needed to have right now support to keep making money I'd be deep in bed with locals I could count on and whatever brand they handle, but that's just not the case here.

 

[930dreamer]

It's single phase. You would need a transformer to step it up from 240v to 480V.

 

[docjake]

I have an email into them now to see how much it would cost to convert down to the 220 board internally. I will compare that with how much it would cost to do a transformer, how much would that be do you think?

 

[930dreamer]

I have an email into them now to see how much it would cost to convert down to the 220 board internally. I will compare that with how much it would cost to do a transformer, how much would that be do you think?

Used/surplus transformers are plentiful, just need to determine the correct KVA the plasma cutter will need. I'd look on ebay.

 

[Tim Kennedy]

The seller wants $400 - sounds fair enough to at least take a look - I understand - but what does it retail for? A machine that capable - I would guess $2500 --- 3k maybe more + being that that model is not being made anymore? I'm still thinking that in the long run it maybe cheaper to get a brand new unit that will fit your existing set-up & be just as capable as opposed to going thru all the cost & potential hassle of upgrading.

 

[docjake]

If the board is more then it would cost for me to buy a new machine then I will sell this one to someone that can use it. It turns out I know the guy selling it so he is selling it to me for 350, now I just need to get back to the states so I can sort all of this out.

 

[ptschram]

Unless you live in a light industrial part of a town just forget it. Unless you know you have three phase power available to you, just pretend you don't even see the equipment.

I know it's not a popular take, but........

China doesn't mean ****. Maybe more **** then usual, but generalizing about anything is just BS. Don't go foreign for political/social/personal reasons, great I get it. As for quality it's all about QC and if it's there it's good.

Now for my money I picked up a Longevity ForceCut 50i plasma cutter for $650 shipped last year. It's done everything it's suppose to with no troubles thus far, including sever cuts on 1" steel and 1/2" aluminum just to test it. Fit and finish of the box was just okay, but the internals looked good, clean and solid. I couldn't find a comparable or weaker blue, black or red box used for less than $1200. It's new, has customer support, and uses the same IGBT technology that the big boys use. Given that it's for occasional use and not a money going concern it will and has done fine. If I were a professional, needed to have right now support to keep making money I'd be deep in bed with locals I could count on and whatever brand they handle, but that's just not the case here.

I got one of the Longevity three-way machines for $500 almost two years ago. Great machine, better when one considers the price. I also like the five-year warranty. Mine was making money for me as soon as it was out of the box and wired/plumbed.

 

[A_Pmech]

If you don't buy it, please pass the seller's contact info on to me.

 

[Norcal]

It would require a 15 KVA transformer to step up 240 volt to 480V (220 is a ignorant description of a US voltage), the purchase of a X-former could wipe out any saving on the purchase price of the machine, sometimes one can get lucky & find one on the surplus market, but a new X-former will cost more then the purchase price of the plasma cutter, plus installation costs.....

EDIT: Here are the specs from the link posted, 460V, 60Hz., 11.7KVA, 27 Amperes, converting it to run on another voltage will be VERY expensive & due to the high cost of replacement parts, costs would most likely exceed the costs of a new one.

If a 15KVA ****** could be found locally cheap & was a EZ install, it's feasible to do but I am not fond of the idea 480 volt gear in a residential environment.

 

[docjake]

I will be calling them on monday to see what the cost would be to get new internals for the tool. If it will be more then one of the three way machines A_P is first in line.

 

[jcouch1]

Hi, i've wired up a cutmaster A120 at work a while back for my plasma cnc that i run.

It is the same machine you're looking at just 120a instead of 80a.

Inside the machine you can arrange the wiring to accept 220v single phase, 220 3-phase, or 460v. for the different ones you just need to make you a different pigtail for your plug-in.

All that needs to be done is to follow the manual on the connections inside the machine, and then flip a little dial to tell it low voltage or higher voltage range.

hope this helps

 

[jcouch1]

refer to pages 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3 in the .pdf you provided