Frequently Asked Questions

GoTorch is an Internet-only company. We purposely structured it this way to provide you with the best possible value on your machine purchase. If you want to save money, buy from us online. If you want to see a demonstration or talk to someone on the phone, call PlasmaCAM. You’ll pay more for the sales and marketing, but you’ll get the same basic type of machine.

The GoTorch machine includes a 1-year limited warranty. It is straightforward and reliable. In the unlikely event that you have a problem, simply ship the defective part(s) back to us and we will either repair or replace them, according to the terms of the warranty. You can also purchase spares or replacements of all critical parts online for reasonable prices.

We ship to any of the lower 48 states in the USA for the flat rate shown when you order your GoTorch machine. For shipping to Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories, we will have to figure the shipping costs. We do not ship internationally, although you can always find your own broker within the USA who can purchase and receive the shipment from us and then export it to your location.

The machine includes a comprehensive video manual with full instructions and tutorials. The manual is very well produced and is the best source of information for most customers. In addition, you get free technical support via an online community where you can seek help any time from support agents as well as thousands of other machine owners.

GoTorch is a complete 2ft by 2ft machine that functions out of the box. It is not some kit that you may never be able to get running. You can start cutting parts immediately without having to build anything. At the same time, GoTorch is the perfect solution if you do want to build your own machine. It gives you just the right starting point, providing all the critical technology. All you have to provide is the custom frame you want.

The machine is only sold as a 2ft x 2ft table but has been engineered for you to easily modify and expand if desired. If you are looking to expand your machine, the cost of additional parts can range from $1400 to $2600 depending on the size you want.

The machine comes with basic software and everything you need to begin cutting parts. It even includes sample art files that you can cut immediately. You only need to provide a personal computer and a plasma cutter. After you use your machine for a while, you may want to expand its size or capabilities. Inexpensive options will be available from the owner’s community such as height control, advanced design software, 3D capability, and parts to build a larger table. However, we recommend that you start with the standard machine.

GoTorch includes a standard torch interface that allows you to use virtually any plasma cutter. We even provide a couple of great choices that you can include with your machine purchase. A standard handheld torch is preferred, so don’t buy any extra machine interface options for your plasma cutter. Some plasma cutters provide better results than others, so we’ve put together a comparison that shows our recommendations. Most any Windows-based PC can be used to run the machine if it has a compatible parallel port or if one is installed. Laptops can be used but may not be ideal due to a lack of good parallel port options. See the plasma cutter and computer requirements.

A plasma cutter can often be purchased with a “machine torch”. Ironically, this more expensive option only gives you inferior performance, due to the heavy, bulky design of such torches and the fact that they use the same cutting components as hand torches. Because we want you to get the best performance, save money, and also have the flexibility to use your torch for hand cutting, we designed the GoTorch machine to hold a handheld torch. But if you are stuck with a machine torch, you can still mount it in your GoTorch machine with an optional bracket.

Since GoTorch is the lowest cost machine available, you would expect it to use cheap stepper motors. Yet the beauty of this machine is that it does not compromise quality or performance. We use only top-of-the-line servo technology developed specifically for plasma cutting, and we keep it affordable by how we sell our machines.

GoTorch doesn’t include a water table because we don’t want to lock you into a design that will likely not be ideal for your application. A water table is a cheap way to reduce smoke generated by a CNC plasma cutting machine used indoors without convenient access to ventilation. But a filthy, rusty mess is soon created as the water splashes everywhere and corrodes the machine and material being cut. While GoTorch gives you the freedom to build and use your own water table, you will probably find that another approach better fits your needs. For example, you could easily take the machine outside to use it. If you want a more permanent configuration for higher production, you may want to set up a downdraft exhaust fan that will do a better job of removing smoke without the problems of a water table.

Most of our customers don’t need automatic height control, so we made it an add-on feature rather than an integral part of the machine. This way you don’t have to pay for and learn to use something that you may not need. By simply pressing buttons on the control panel, you can move the torch up and down to adjust its height above the material. If you find that you need automatic height control later on, you can purchase it for less than $1000

Some customers don’t need our drawing software because they prefer to keep using other software that they are already familiar with, or they may cut designs already drawn from other sources (such as art discs or vector image libraries). Besides, most CNC machines don’t include design software - or if they do - the quality is often not adequate for effective use. Because GoTorch uses the industry-leading DesignEdge® software platform, you can add top-of-the-line drawing and editing capabilities to your system later on.