Personally, I have a Powcon plasma cutter, but Powcon is out of business, or at least has changed owners. Miller makes fine equipment and I would trust it on brand name alone. I have owned another model of hypertherm and it worked fine. The drag tip is cool, but doesn't work well with the thicker metals. As you get up closer to 7/8' or so, you have to go slow. It cuts 1/2' and below like a hot knife through butter. We have had it about a year and have had no problems. I can't compare it to the Hypertherm as we only have experience with the Miller. We use it almost everyday for something, even if only for a couple of minutes. Some guys have gone to LP because of the cost of acetylene, but the plasma sure looks neat to me. I too am facinated at what a neat job plasma cutters do without the slag and distortion from the regular cutting torches. Man, I'd love to have a plasma cutter I've heard they were the berries.Д«ill, thanks for the tip on the YT web, I checked it out for a few minutes this morning, looks like a ton of experience there I'll take more time later to study it. Have you tried the Yesterday's Tractors tool talk forum? They have a few experienced welders that usually like to answer welding/equipment questions. I also checked Lincoln on their website, but they seemed pretty pricey for like size units. I like to buy localy if possible instead of buying a picture of something on the net. I'm just curious about anyones experience with either brand, and if the dealers have some wiggle room on their prices. The Miller model 2050 was priced to me for 2,175.00 and the other store quoted me a Hypertherm powermax 1000 for 2,057.00. The two major welding supply outlets in town sell Miller and Hypertherm. ItвЂ™s the power of Miller people, working together with customers and distributor partners, to build a bigger, better, brighter world.I've decided to buy a plasma cutter. The management team recognizes that the real Power of Blue isnвЂ™t in the products. They annually donate thousands of personal hours for community improvement projects, and the company also gives them paid time off for these efforts as well. Miller people вЂњbleed blueвЂќ with their dedication, and it shows through their community involvement. As a result, no other welding company matches MillerвЂ™s responsiveness when it comes to fast delivery, product quality or after-sale support. Miller is organized into product-focused business units, focused on a philosophy of continuous improvement. Miller keeps the tradition alive by focusing on its top priority: people. This company began with an innovation that responded to customer needs, growing from a one-man operation in 1929, to the worldвЂ™s largest manufacturer of arc welding products. Our tagline, вЂњThe Power of BlueВ®,вЂќ is inspired by the blue color of Miller equipment. The company maintains its industry leadership by setting the standard for reliability, quality and responsiveness. Co., is headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, and wholly owned by Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW). Our products are designed with our users for manufacturing, fabrication, construction, aviation, motorsports, education, agriculture and marine applications. WeвЂ™re about the partnership and the work. We lead the welding industry in building advanced, solution-focused products and meeting crucial needs for welding safety and health. MillerВ® is about building things that matter.

Miller plasma cutter parts breakdown