Plasma cutters are often seen as something expensive and are only used for commercial welding. However, the high cost is offset by the efficiency of the cutting tool that professionals can reduce the project completion time—overall, a worthy investment.
But plasma cutters are becoming more and more affordable for any lay welder to acquire. One of these plasma cutters is the Titanium 45 from Harbor Freight. It is a convenient cutting machine that brings the value of efficient and smooth cuts to your personal metal workshop. Check out this quick Titanium 45 plasma cutter review, and let's unpack the awesomeness of this plasma cutting tool.
Unpacked: The Harbor Freight Titanium 45 Plasma Cutter
The Titanium 45 plasma cutter deserves to get noticed because, while it is small, it carries good features that are especially great for welders on the move. Let's explore what the Titanium 45 is capable of.
What's Included
The package of the Harbor Freight Titanium 45 has the following items included. The cost of the plasma cutting machine ranges from 600 to 900 dollars but can still be purchased at a discounted price. Be sure to check out any Titanium 45 plasma cutter coupon offered by an online merchant or visit the physical store so you can save up.
| Qty | Product | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Titanium 45 Plasma Cutter power source | This is the main product that houses and manages the power of the plasma cutter. It holds the air filter, the control and display panel, and the power switch. It has a cooling fan inside to regulate the temperature and prevent it from overheating. |
| 1 | Plasma torch | The cutting torch that produces the plasma arc capable of cutting metals of varying thickness with continuity |
| 2 | Cables | There
are two cables included in the package: One is a 10-foot ground cable that
connects from the power source to the ground clamp that allows one-half of the
electricity flow. The other is the torch cable. This is attached from the power source to the cutting tool and completes the electricity flow from the workpiece to a power source. |
| 1 | Ground clamp | The ground clamp is a piece of metal that clips to the workpiece and is attached to the ground cable. This clamp prevents any short circuit that could be dangerous to the welder. |
| 1 | Copper filter consumable | This copper consumable helps generate the plasma arc that cuts the metal workpiece. |
Features
Trigger safety -The switch of the Titanium 45 has a metal cover that you can flip up or down for safety. This steel prevents you from accidentally pressing the trigger and making unplanned cuts on steel or even causing accidents in the workshop.
Portable and light - Titanium 45 only weighs 21.3lbs, and it's about the size of a small beer cooler. If you can carry your cooler filled with below zero beers anywhere without a sweat, the Titanium 45 would be a lot easier for you to carry.
Air and water filter - The Titanium 45 has an integrated air and water filtration system on its small body, preventing your consumables from wearing off fast by keeping the moisture out of the compressed air. Clean and dry air keeps your plasma torch cutting performance consistently at an optimum level and allows you to maintain good-quality cuts.
Inverter technology - Compared to the transformer type of cutter, the inverter allows your plasma cutter to run without heating too much and allows you to cut metal for a longer period—this means an improved duty cycle and high-quality cuts.
Efficient pane - The front of the machine gives you a quick view of everything you need to know before you press the trigger. It's got the voltage switch, the amperage knob, the digital amperage meter, the light indicating that the power is on, if it's cutting, and if there’s thermal overload.
Dual voltage - The Titanium 45 is capable of 240 and 120 voltages, making it a flexible cutting tool that can accommodate common indoor power outlets. It reduces the headache and hassle of finding a converter to plug into for this cutting tool to work.
Pilot Arc - A pilot arc doesn't rely on the working metal to produce the arc. That means you can continuously cut on metals with complicated patterns such as metal wire fences or chains without having to start and stop tediously. Instead, the pilot arc allows one single run on one start-stop cycle.
Highlights
- Clean and fast cuts. With the right setting, the Harbor Freight titanium plasma cutter 45 makes quick work on the ⅛ inch steel and does so with speed and precision. It has little to no slag on the side of the cut metal.
Lowlights
- Titanium can do better with its cutting capacity. A bump up to ½ inch metal thickness of a clean and fast cut would be a good improvement if Titanium keeps the same price point for this product and remains competitive against other plasma cutting tools.
- The 90-day warranty would be better if extended to at least a year so buyers can have more equipment coverage.
Like Cutting Butter
The Titanium 45 Plasma Cutter definitely offers a clean and smooth cut that's worth its price. In addition, the lightweight and flexible cutting machine makes the Titanium 45 a convenient cutting tool to carry around with you when you're working on different cutting and welding projects in or out of town.
On the other hand, the Titanium 45 could be something you don't want to use on heavy cutting work, especially on metals that are thicker than ⅝ inches. It's also a cutting tool you don't want to push too hard in the long run, especially when the 90-day warranty is out. Don't worry; this plasma cutter is smart enough to warn you if it's being used to its limit, and if you heed the machine, you should be set to cut high-quality pieces of metal for personal or even collaborative projects that use thin metal materials. When it comes to these projects, the Titanium 45 steps up.
July 18, 2022