Used & Industrial Plasma Cutters for Sale

An industrial plasma cutter is built for full-shift production rather than occasional use. That means a high duty cycle, three-phase power and enough amperage to cut thick plate cleanly, typically 100A and above.

It covers machines like the Hypertherm Powermax 105 and 125 and MAX 200, which can be used by hand or mechanised. It also covers HPR and HyDefinition systems, which are built for mechanised cutting on CNC tables.

A well-maintained used plasma cutter or CNC table often has years of working life left, at a fraction of the cost of new. Ours are sold either fully serviced, tested and with a warranty, or sold as seen if you’re looking to save. Enquire, and prices will be sent by return, detailing available sale conditions, as each machine is different. We've specialised in used and refurbished machines for over 50 years, and our team is on hand for any after-sales support.

Start with the bed size against the plate sizes you cut most often, and the power source fitted, since that sets cut thickness and edge quality.

Then check the torch height control, the CNC controller and whether your nesting software is compatible with it, plus the extraction or water table.

Finally, check that your site has the floor space and three-phase supply for it.

We can tell you exactly how each table in stock is configured. Get in touch with your typical work, and we'll match a table to it. You can also browse our used CNC plasma tables.

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Plasma cutters range from around £1,000 for smaller workshop units to £20,000 or more for industrial CNC systems. Price depends on power and cutting capacity, manual or CNC configuration, and brand.

Buying used can significantly reduce the cost. Not every machine shows a price, so make an enquiry for current pricing. We usually try to get back to you within the hour, or give us a call if you'd like a quick answer.

Our used machines are serviced to order, so lead times depend on the machine and our current workload. Smaller units are usually quicker to prepare (usually a matter of days) than large CNC tables, which can be a couple of weeks depending on condition. If you're working to a deadline, let us know when you enquire, and we'll always do what we can to meet it.

The amperage you need depends primarily on the thickness of the material you'll be cutting most often.

As a general guide:

• 30–50 amps — light fabrication and thin sheet metal up to around 6mm
• 60–100 amps — general workshop cutting up to around 20mm
• 100+ amps — heavy-duty industrial cutting of thick plate above 25mm

It's worth choosing a machine that can handle your typical material thickness comfortably, rather than at maximum capacity. Running a plasma cutter at its upper limit consistently will shorten consumable life and affect cut quality.

If your cutting requirements vary significantly, for example, thin stainless one day and thick mild steel the next, a mid-range machine with some headroom is usually the better investment than a unit sized exactly to your minimum needs.

For help matching amperage to your specific application, get in touch with our team — we can advise based on your materials, cut volume and budget. You can also browse our full range of plasma cutters for sale above.

Cutting stainless steel or aluminium? Our guides to plasma cutting stainless steel and plasma cutting aluminium explain how the material affects the amperage and gas you'll need.

Manual plasma cutting is controlled by the operator, while CNC plasma cutting uses computer-controlled systems for precise, automated cutting.

Hand systems are ideal for on-site or flexible work, whereas CNC plasma cutting machines are better suited for repetitive, high-precision cutting in workshop or production environments.

Explore our full range of CNC plasma cutters for sale.

A handheld plasma cutter is operated manually by the user, making it well-suited to on-site work, maintenance cutting, and jobs where flexibility and portability matter more than precision. Most handheld units are compact, single-phase machines suitable for lighter cutting tasks.

A mechanised plasma cutter is designed to be mounted onto a cutting machine; typically, a CNC table, profile cutting gantry, or pipe cutting system, where the torch movement is controlled automatically. This allows for much higher cut quality, repeatability, and productivity, making mechanised systems the preferred choice for production environments, structural fabrication, and any application where consistent cut accuracy is important.

The key differences come down to three things: 

• portability vs precision
• cut volume
• material thickness

Handheld systems are more affordable and flexible; mechanised systems deliver better results at scale.

Most of the plasma power sources we stock, including Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics units, are available in both hand and mechanised torch configurations. If you’re unsure which suits your application, get in touch, and we can advise based on your cutting requirements.

For a full breakdown of handheld and mechanised plasma cutting (including torch configurations, gas selection, and cut quality guidance), visit our plasma cutting guide.

For most models, yes, but it's worth checking availability before you buy, especially for older or discontinued systems. We stock or can source consumables for the major brands we sell, including Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics, and often come across parts and consumables for obsolete machines. 

See our plasma cutter consumables guide for what each part does and when to replace it.

Yes. Our stock is held in the UK, and we deliver worldwide via our trusted logistics partners. We have been exporting equipment for decades and can take care of export packing and documentation requirements.

Yes. We buy used plasma equipment, including complete CNC tables, and accept part exchanges.

Get a valuation of your current equipment by sending us some details.

Plasma cutting is faster and more cost-effective for thicker metals, while laser cutting offers higher precision and is better suited to thinner materials and fine detail work.

Plasma systems are typically used for heavy fabrication and industrial cutting, whereas laser cutting is preferred for intricate designs and high-precision applications.

For a full breakdown of how plasma compares to flame, waterjet, laser and guillotine shearing, see our complete cutting methods comparison.

Plasma cutters use a set of consumable parts inside the torch that wear down during cutting and need to be replaced periodically. The main consumables are the electrode, nozzle, swirl ring, shield and retaining cap, though the exact set varies by brand and torch model.

Consumable life depends on how the machine is used. Frequent starts and stops, cutting at maximum capacity, and incorrect gas pressure all accelerate wear. Using the right consumables for your specific torch and cutting parameters will extend their life and maintain cut quality.

When buying a used plasma cutter, it's worth checking availability and cost for that model before purchasing, particularly for older or discontinued systems. We stock or can source consumables for the major brands we sell, including Hypertherm and Thermal Dynamics. Get in touch if you need advice on consumables for a specific machine, or to learn more about what each torch part does and when to replace it, see our plasma cutter consumables guide.

Yes, plasma cutters can cut any electrically conductive metal, including mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper and brass. This makes them more versatile than oxyfuel cutting, which is largely limited to mild steel.

For stainless steel, nitrogen or a nitrogen/hydrogen mix is often used as the plasma gas to produce cleaner, oxide-free cut edges. For aluminium, compressed air or nitrogen works well for most applications, though higher-specification systems may use argon-hydrogen for the best cut quality on thicker material.

The key consideration is machine power — thicker sections of stainless steel and aluminium require higher amperage than equivalent mild steel, so it's worth factoring your material mix into your choice of machine. For more information on each, read our guides:

• Plasma Cutting Aluminium
• Plasma Cutting Stainless Steel