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View Full Version : Bought a Chinese plasma....



paulkeith
11-05-2008, 05:40 PM
Just tossed in an order for one of the chinese plasma cutters for sale on pirate. I went with longevity-inc / A2Z instead of divtec. Seems divtec has been having pretty consistent customer service issues, stories of the owner being a total jackass, etc.

I got the LC-416D 40amp plasma/stick/tig combo. The tig/stick combo unit was like $100 more than just the plain plasma so I said what the hell. He also threw in a 30 pack of consumables and free shipping.

Not sure if its a mistake or not. I'll get to play with it in about two weeks, so I'll let you know then. Brand name stuff is like twice the price...but wasting half the cost of a good unit doesn't do any good either.

flame away. bitches.
Paul

Pearce
11-05-2008, 07:37 PM
flame away. bitches.
Paul

Thanks for supporting china from the USA. :finga:

CrawlerReady
11-05-2008, 07:37 PM
Well let us know how it works and make sure to throw up some pictures!

ATL ZJ
11-05-2008, 08:29 PM
My friend's Parker/divtec 40 amp machine that I've borrowed stopped working while in my possession, so unfortunately I'm on the hook to make it work again. Hope yours brings better luck.

dp96zj
11-05-2008, 09:11 PM
I looked at the title and automatically assumed that it broke already.

paulkeith
11-05-2008, 10:30 PM
Thanks for supporting china from the USA. :finga:

Fair enough. Find me a company in the US that will make me a cheapo plasma at 1/3 the cost of a brand name unit, and you got a buyer :flipoff2:


Well let us know how it works and make sure to throw up some pictures!

done. should be here next week.


My friend's Parker/divtec 40 amp machine that I've borrowed stopped working while in my possession, so unfortunately I'm on the hook to make it work again. Hope yours brings better luck.

dude...I was going to whore your compressed air to try it out. I changed my mind and had it shipped here instead of SC, so I'll have it in a few days. BUT...if you have bad chinasma mojo, stay away.



I looked at the title and automatically assumed that it broke already.

yeah. dammit. We'll see how she holds up. The warranty from these guys is supposed to cover shipping back and forth if it fails which should cover me for a while at least.

Pearce
11-05-2008, 10:43 PM
Oh I forgot to add,
if you got protable air, I've got power, lets try it out on my YJ. Going to need to do some cutting during the axle swap! ;)


Cam, I was going to ask you about that cutter you used, LOL, I guess nevermind.

paulkeith
11-11-2008, 03:13 PM
Delivered. I'll pick it up tonight, snap some pics when i get it unpacked. Still no compressed air to try it out though.

ATL ZJ
11-11-2008, 03:46 PM
I know of a location that has both 90 psi and free test material. :D

paulkeith
11-26-2008, 11:35 PM
this thing fawking rocks!!! pics to come.

Tommy
11-27-2008, 04:16 AM
You should be happy with that thing. I have a Parker 40A, that has been used a shit ton. Works great, and I have yet to have a problem. I have owned it for almost two years now.

Tommy

froggo27
11-27-2008, 01:36 PM
Personally i like my Panasonic plasma, it works well for me. :D

redline61
11-27-2008, 02:19 PM
Personally i like my Panasonic plasma, it works well for me. :D
I bet your Panasonic helps your Jeep out plenty;)

paulkeith
12-01-2008, 01:32 PM
here's the pics

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/paulkeith/plasma/IMG_2898.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/paulkeith/plasma/IMG_2899.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/paulkeith/plasma/IMG_2900.jpg

my "10-pack" of consumables, with i guess really means "anywhere-from-7-to-12-pack"

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/paulkeith/plasma/IMG_2901.jpg

bitchin zip-tie on-off switch:

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/paulkeith/plasma/IMG_2906.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/paulkeith/plasma/IMG_2908.jpg


all in all, not the highest quality stuff. no owners manual, cheesy parts and switches, but whatever. At 1/3rd the cost of a brand-name 40 amp unit, this one makes metal come apart just the same.

I had never used a plasma before this one, so I can't compare it. Didn't really know what I was doing, but after about 15 minutes of goofing around I got a pretty solid hang of it.

Didn't take any pics of stuff I cut, but with a piece of steel to guide the torch straight, I cut 3/16" like butter in an almost perfectly straight line.

FWIW. I'll try to take some pics of cut stuff over christmas.

Paul

Spr-T-23
12-01-2008, 01:59 PM
Price??

paulkeith
12-01-2008, 02:23 PM
$520 shipped for the 40 amp plasma 160 amp stick/tig combo unit, with the "10 pack" consumables.

in retrospect, probably should've just gone with the 40A plasma plain jane unit and saved a hundie, but oh well.

uplandhawaii
12-13-2008, 07:27 PM
I also bought one of the Longevity plasma's to replace my Parker unit. My Parker Plasma/Tig/Arc ran really nice but the plasma high freq. arc starter died. I used it weekly for 2 years without a problem, mostly on pipe racks and utility trailers.

The Longevity LP 40 looks similar but according to Jerry its superior in Chinese quality.:D Both units cut the same, internals look the same but I like the Parker's Plasma torch better. They look interchangeable although I haven't tried it yet.
Jerry at Longevity cut me a sweet deal on the 40 amp, I hope I get more than 2 years use from it.
But by then I will have made enough from my side business to buy a quality name brand machine and the chinese stuff will have paid for it.

I don't think you'll be disappointed in the LP.

Pearce
03-13-2009, 06:38 PM
So I got one to, should be cutting with it tomorrow.........
LP-40 with Pilot Arch

paulkeith
03-14-2009, 12:46 AM
verynice. crank down on those air reg. hose clamps. mine leaked everywhere when i first hooked it up.

Pearce
03-15-2009, 09:05 PM
Yup I had to make the air connections tighter, like you said. But then it worked awsome! Here is a cut through 3/8", the tab on the right. This thing rocks.

paulkeith
03-16-2009, 01:04 AM
oh, by the way. thanks for supporting china from the US. :flipoff2:

Pearce
03-16-2009, 08:42 AM
:smt068 Yeah I know.....

And guess where my new Swampers are also made. :( No wonder it took 3 months to get them. They were on a boat!

slim616
03-16-2009, 11:10 AM
These almost look like the harbor freight ones. Do you know if there made by the same people? I was thinking about getting one myself for lite use because I cant justify the $1200 + one that will be used maybe once a month tops.

speedmontzj
03-26-2009, 11:33 AM
so Pearce, have you used that thing anymore? i am about to buy one of those imported cutters and was trying to pick which one.

Pearce
03-26-2009, 12:05 PM
Yup, I've iused it a bunch. The thickest I've been cutting is 3/8". Which is the same in the above pic. Except I cut a full 6" tall bracket out with it. I think the Pilot Arc is the way to go and be sure to have a 30 amp breaker for it if your running 220. I tried it on my 20 amp welding outlet and blew the breaker a couple times. I've also got it on double filtered air. The cutter comes with a regulator/filter, but I added another air drop on my system with an Ingersoll Rand combo filter/regulator. My first drop was oiled air so I needed the second anyway for dry air. The only thing I replaced from what was provided is the 1/4" air line that goes from the regulator to the back of the unit. The provided line is cheap and leaked easy past the hose clamps. So I got a good 1/4" rubber line to replace it with. Just replaced it last night so haven't tested it for leaks yet.

speedmontzj
04-23-2009, 05:39 PM
well i went over board and ordered one of these http://longevity-inc.com/product_details.php?id=33 . the weldall ls 200p. i will post some pics when i get it. should be here end of next week.

speedmontzj
05-06-2009, 01:11 PM
so pearce, couple ?s. did yours come with the tip guard or a manual or a packing invoice? what is the second striped wire on the plasma?

Pearce
05-06-2009, 04:56 PM
Yes I got the tip guard thing. But when I looked at the pictures of your it didnt have the same gun as mine. They e-mailed an instruction sheet to me. I think I got an invoice. And my plasma had one stripped wire.



edit:
If you look at the pics i posted in this thread you can see what gun I have and the guard. Also the stripped wire goes in the Pilot location, you can also see that in the pics. There are 3 other connections at the front besides that, 4 total.

speedmontzj
05-06-2009, 05:48 PM
okay i figured out what the wire was. i got a pilot arc torch but after i did not get the tip guard i called and they said it was an extra cost. its not a big deal, just was wondering.

ZJ TINS
05-07-2013, 09:25 AM
As an avid buy American I have to say some US company is missing a market. All the US welders are built like a pro will use them, no one makes a low cost simple limited use one for weekenders. The exception is the tombstone AC box. From the guts of one of these things the parts price is in the $75 range add another $100 for housing, cables, packing, etc. Labor on a US production line $50, overhead 60%. That means they could make a 25% profit selling for $450 (plus shipping). Put it on a website and let word of mouth get the customer base. Manage their overhead and they could make even greater margins.
That said I don't know how they expect a weekender to but a piece of equipment for $1200 he uses occasionally. Even then in the long run probably cheaper to rent one a few times if you only have a project or two.

ATL ZJ
05-07-2013, 10:08 AM
Digging up four year old threads again,
are we?

BigClay
05-07-2013, 10:52 AM
Cool story Bro :)

ZJ TINS
08-15-2013, 09:05 AM
Digging up four year old threads again,
are we?
It already too hard to find information with the weak search engine on these boards, better to put related material in a old thread than start new ones. So yes I do it alot.