OT took my plasma cutter in for repair

[Abner]

I press the button and I get air but no arc.
Called around and got a recommendation for a shop 50 miles away. Young man helping me check it in makes the comment
"Wow this is old".
Old? What do you mean old?
"I didn't say that you were old."
No I got that, it's maybe 15 yrs old. You are older than that aren't you?

My wife thinks I'm turning into a cranky old man.

I'm thinking do they only work on new ones? That doesn't sound so good either. I can find more ways to be cranky if that is what it is called.

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

I press the button and I get air but no arc.
Called around and got a recommendation for a shop 50 miles away. Young man helping me check it in makes the comment
"Wow this is old".
Old? What do you mean old?
"I didn't say that you were old."
No I got that, it's maybe 15 yrs old. You are older than that aren't you?

My wife thinks I'm turning into a cranky old man.

I'm thinking do they only work on new ones? That doesn't sound so good either. I can find more ways to be cranky if that is what it is called.

Wow, I bought a Hypertherm 1000 back around 2005 and it still seems like new (to me). It's almost 15 years old too.

[CCWKen]

Wow, I bought a Hypertherm 1000 back around 2005 and it still seems like new (to me). It's almost 15 years old too.

Of course it seems new. I've seen your shop. You probably just found it.

[plastikosmd]

On the subject of a hypertherm 1000, mine was bought from the same era and had minimal use. one day it wouldn’t work, took it to the local Miller dealer That serves as a dropship for hypotherm. They shipped it out to the repair facility who called me promptly. They told me that it looked it had like it had only been used lightly (dust free/clean etc) and that the board was completely cooked. they then said they were were going to replace it all for free and shipped it back for free as it shouldn’t have broke

[Magicniner]

I press the button and I get air but no arc.

Mine did that last week when I dug it out for the first time in months, after thinking "It's Broke" I swapped all the torch consumables for new parts and it worked fine, I assume you have tried swapping out the torch consumables?

- Nick

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

On the subject of a hypertherm 1000, mine was bought from the same era and had minimal use. one day it wouldn’t work, took it to the local Miller dealer That serves as a dropship for hypotherm. They shipped it out to the repair facility who called me promptly. They told me that it looked it had like it had only been used lightly (dust free/clean etc) and that the board was completely cooked. they then said they were were going to replace it all for free and shipped it back for free as it shouldn’t have broke

I haven't fired mine up since 2005. I probably only used mine like 3 or 4 times. I'm planning on getting my welders and the plasma running soon. Hopefully I won't have to get anything fixed.

[barracudajoe]

The company I worked for spent $300,000 on a Esab CNC burning table, 20 ft wide X 27 ft long with one Hi-definition plasma, one standard plasma and 4 oxy-fuel torches and while we can still get consumables for the torches, Esab no longer supports it with parts or service.

[Abner]

Mine did that last week when I dug it out for the first time in months, after thinking "It's Broke" I swapped all the torch consumables for new parts and it worked fine, I assume you have tried swapping out the torch consumables?

- Nick

I haven't used it for months so at the time I remember trying all new parts. I have had that happen to me before as well. I opened the case up before I sent it in and looked. Looked slightly dusty but no obvious burned parts. I didn't do any electrical testing. The shop told me there are 2 issues mainly with mine (Thermal dynamics), one being the main board.

[Abner]

The company I worked for spent $300,000 on a Esab CNC burning table, 20 ft wide X 27 ft long with one Hi-definition plasma, one standard plasma and 4 oxy-fuel torches and while we can still get consumables for the torches, Esab no longer supports it with parts or service.

How old is it? I never considered shop tools to go the way of computers, maybe they have, that would be very disappointing.

[macona]

The company I worked for spent $300,000 on a Esab CNC burning table, 20 ft wide X 27 ft long with one Hi-definition plasma, one standard plasma and 4 oxy-fuel torches and while we can still get consumables for the torches, Esab no longer supports it with parts or service.

That is very unusual. When I worked as a tech I could get support for machines way back into the union carbide/linde era from ESAB without any problems.

[barracudajoe]

The $300,000 Esab is 13 yrs old.

[wierdscience]

What pisses me off are what the parts cost.Our little Miller 375 at work need s a new torch and whip,a replacement is $642.85

https://store.cyberweld.com/mipltoic202.html?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=2530&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=6d69706c746f6963323032&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqsSppv3s1wIVSrnACh1FwA5LEAQYAyABEgJMF_D_BwE

A whole new plasma cutter costs $1419.00

https://store.cyberweld.com/miplcusp375x.html

And of course the newer model torch that is 1/2 the cost won't work on the older model plasma

[danlb]

Over on welderweb.com you often hear of people with good quality commercial welders that need a board (or two) that cost half as much as a new machine.
Some of the pro welders just take it in stride, figuring a $3,000 welder earned them hundreds of thousands of dollars while they were still working.

A few confess that they keep a cheap $1000 import as a backup for when their main machine is in the shop.

Dan

[wierdscience]

Over on welderweb.com you often hear of people with good quality commercial welders that need a board (or two) that cost half as much as a new machine.
Some of the pro welders just take it in stride, figuring a $3,000 welder earned them hundreds of thousands of dollars while they were still working.

A few confess that they keep a cheap $1000 import as a backup for when their main machine is in the shop.

Dan

That is the worst of it now,getting a machine fixed locally is difficult if not impossible.In my area there are probably 100+ full line dealers in the big three brands,but only a couple shops that do any service work and they mostly just shotgun the system until it works.

I wonder if it would be feasible from a business standpoint to have one of the more popular boards copied in China or Taiwan and sold as an aftermarket replacement?

I recently bought an aftermarket control board for an Electrolux refrigerator like that.The dealer wanted $450 for the board,this one was $95 including shipping.If it lasts 18 months it will beat the OEM one.

[Dave C]

My $699 Horror Freight plasma is looking better all the time.