Getting into TIG welding and I also need a plasma cutter for floor board cut outs and replacements in the old truck. I have been doing some research trying to stay away from the high priced miller and lincolns. I have come across a company called LONGEVITY that has better pricing and warranty than miller and lincoln. What do you guys think? Has anyone ever used a LONGEVITY machine before? check them out and let me know what you guys think. for the buck, it is very tempting + the machine comes with a 5 year warranty and a 30 day satisfaction guarantee!

Here is there site:

www.longevity-inc.com

Here is the machine that I have been staring at the last couple of days (plasma cutter, TIG welder and stick welder, all in 1!):

http://www.longevity-inc.com/product...dAll-200PI.php

Let me know what you guys think. Thanks in advance.

 

Not familiar with the specific brand, but looks to be Asian (ROC) built..

I use a HyperTherm plasma in my home shop and bought a Parker Metal Working http://www.parkermetalworking.com/ plasma dual voltage to tote around for smaller/thinner jobs and a smaller investment should it walk!. How good can they be for the price!

Well,, they ARE lighter quality builds for sure, but surprisingly good at cutting some substantial metal.. The inverter plasma I bought can rough shear a ¾ piece of plate (slow and rough but does the job), and does a very nice job on plate up to 1/2 “ thick at a decent speed.. Anything thinner it cuts clean like a knife.. Most of these machines use a ‘drag type’ tip (looks to be in the video) that doesn’t ‘stand off’ or away as good as a high end machine especially on the thicker materials.. The thin pieces, or sheet metal it does a fantastic job even pulling the tip back.. Much easier to see your cut lines that way.. The drag style tips/torches aren’t as easy to get into tight or sharp corners as well, but usually isn’t a huge deal....

Parker has good service/parts and consumables always available and always is something to consider if an import machine.. Someone always there should you need to call for questions. The machines with the drag tips tend to use consumables at a higher rate, more so on the thick cuts or until your familiar with the machine and material cuts.. The consumables are not all interchangeable even though they may look the same on other machines/sites..

As a low budget machine, they do what they offer up (or at least mine does) but like with most import machines they tend to be cheesy.. I have separate Tig and stick machines so I can’t offer any input of the combo machines, but my bet is it will do as advertised. When you buy the best you can rarely be disappointed, but these machines do have their place for the hobbyist and home shops.. Mine has cut a boat load of metal to date, and still works great after about 5 years without any issues..

Here’s a few pictures of my car trailer I built from scratch using the Parker machine..

 

You did a fantastic job on that trailer! Looks like it was purchased new!
I wound up buying the machine from Longevity. The company offers a 5 year parts and labor warranty and a 30 day satisfaction guarantee to boot. I checked out parker for kicks. They seem to offer some equipment similar in specs and also pretty low in price. There prices are a little higher than longevity plus they offer a lesser warranty. The machine that I ordered has constant arc technology for the plasma cutter which means that it will hold a constant arc in air for non contact start. It also has an AC function for the plasma cutter which means that I can cut aluminum as well. The machine has AC or DC function in every mode for welding or cutting anything!

I will post some pics of the machines capabilities once i get it. I am very excited to see what it can do!

Thanks again!