MACHINE COMPARISON

GoTorch eliminates wasteful markups.

When you buy a machine from another company, you pay for a lot of expensive advertisements, sales people, and dealer markups. In addition, most companies use inefficient, labor-intensive processes to move and support their products. GoTorch eliminates all such overhead by selling and supporting our machines on the Internet, with no additional marketing or staffing costs. As a result you get what you need—a high-quality machine for less than half the price—without having to pay for wasteful junk mail and coercive sales people pushing you into products you don’t need.

GoTorch uses existing, industry-leading technology.

Through a special arrangement with our suppliers, we are able to bring cutting-edge technology to you at minimal cost—without compromising quality or having to pay for its development. All other companies either develop their own technology or use existing technology not designed for plasma cutting. This results in machines that are either very expensive or difficult to use and ineffective for the job. GoTorch avoids these pitfalls by finding and using the best existing technology for plasma cutting. Our machines include PlasmaCAM motion controls and DesignEdge software, both of which are specifically engineered for plasma cutting and well known in the industry for superior performance and ease of use.

GoTorch saves you money on options.

If you buy a machine from another company, you may end up spending a lot more money than you expect on options and other hidden costs. Surprises occur when you discover that you need additional machine components, software packages, or replacement parts. For example, one company sells an optional motorized Z-axis, a component that comes standard on GoTorch machines. The same company also sells a surprisingly crude torch height control for 3 times the price of the GoTorch option. GoTorch minimizes hidden costs and options, saving you considerable money without limiting your choices.

GoTorch works with a wider variety of plasma cutters.

GoTorch saves you money in plasma cutter compatibility, because the machine includes a standard torch holder and interface kit for a hand held plasma cutter. Many other machines require you to buy a more expensive “machine torch option and interface, and you may even have to pay extra for the torch holder. Spending hundreds of dollars on these options gives you no performance advantage due to the fact that such torches use the same cutting components as hand torches. GoTorch allows you to use virtually any plasma cutter as is, such as an existing unit that you want to keep available for hand cutting as well. Other companies may limit which plasma cutters you can use with their machines, sometimes requiring you to buy from them. This often means paying more for a cutter that does not give you the cut quality you need. GoTorch gives you the flexibility to use your own cutter, or if you decide to buy from us, to choose between a very inexpensive unit or a high-end unit with the best possible cut quality.

GoTorch can be easily expanded to larger sizes.

Although GoTorch can cut large items through repositioning, you may want a bigger machine for higher productivity and convenience. The GoTorch machine can be expanded to standard sizes much more easily and economically than other machines due to the availability of many off-the-shelf parts. For example, you could stretch the machine so that it cuts a 4-foot-long area simply by purchasing and installing a longer set of drive rails. You can also add your own custom components, such as a larger frame that supports the material. While other machines lock you into a specific size and design, GoTorch gives you the advantage of a low cost initial purchase with the flexibility to expand to many other sizes and capabilities as needed.

GoTorch ships quickly and is easy to set up.

GoTorch machines are in stock and ready for immediate shipment as soon as you place your order. Other companies often wait for your order before they build or configure your machine, resulting in a lot of waiting. Most other machines ship by freight, which means higher shipping and packaging costs, more delays, and higher risk of freight damage. We ship by UPS and avoid these problems. UPS delivers to more locations with less hassle, and you won’t need a forklift to unload the shipment. Your new GoTorch machine can then be set up in less than an hour. With other companies, this process can take days. Some even require you to purchase and build additional components for the machine before it can be used.

GoTorch is compact and portable.

GoTorch is smaller than most plasma cutting machines, giving you the flexibility to use it at work or at home. It can be used indoors or outdoors, and can even be carried by one person to a remote job site. The machine easily fits in small shops or garages and can be stored out of the way when not in use. It can even be hung up on a wall! And when you’re not using the machine, you can use the plasma torch for hand cutting. Other machines don’t give you this freedom because they require a much more permanent setup with the plasma cutter. They take up valuable floor space and cannot be easily moved due to their larger frames with legs, support surfaces, and water tables.

GoTorch is even better than a kit.

If you want to build a larger machine or use your machine for a different application, GoTorch makes a much better starting point than other machines or kits. It gives you the freedom and convenience to use the machine as is and to expand its size and capabilities when the time is right. A kit requires you to build many of your own components because only a few parts are included. You are left hoping that everything will work when you put it all together. All the time and money spent messing around with this and the problems encountered prove insurmountable to many well-intentioned kit endeavours. But with GoTorch, you get a fully functional machine that works right out of the box. You don’t have to waste money on a stock frame and other systems that may not fit your needs. You basically pay for just the essential parts needed for maximum performance potential—the drive components, electronics, and controlling software. You can easily build your own frame to support the material and customize the machine later, if desired.

GoTorch provides ready to go art discs.

To help you get started even faster and more profitably, GoTorch offers several optional art discs with high-quality, ready-to-cut images. With most other machines, you are on your own when it comes to starting a business or other endeavor in metal art. Finding and creating good artistic designs and then getting them into the right form for plasma cutting can be challenging and involve a considerable learning curve. Art discs from GoTorch provide a great head start in creative work because you begin making profitable products immediately and later transition into other possibilities. Many customers start with art discs and though they think they lack artistic talent, they soon discover they possess the ability to customize and even design truly impressive items of their own creation. All this is made possible and accelerated by the DesignEdge software, which includes some free sample images from these art discs. And unlike other sources of art that often contain stolen works, our art discscontain only original, licensed art—protecting you from unknown legal and moral problems.

GoTorch uses one integrated software package.

Most other companies use a cumbersome assortment of CNC programs and design software. This means that you will have to learn and use several complex programs, none of which were designed for plasma cutting or to work efficiently with each other. For example, you may have to start with a graphic design program originally intended for printing colorful graphics, then export to a CAM program to reconfigure the design for cutting by a milling machine, and finally create a G-Code program for plasma cutting. To better understand and control the machine, you'll need to learn the cryptic codes of this G-Code language. You’ll find that preserving geometry and placing parts where you want them cut can be extremely difficult, as well as trying to move back and forth between these programs to make changes to what you are cutting.By contrast GoTorch uses the industry-leading DesignEdge software, a single, streamlined program that does everything from drawing art and in usability between this type of system and other alternatives is truly astonishing. In fact, an independent survey of random businesses found that nearly half of those purchasing the next most common brand of machines were never able to figure out how to use them. That's why GoTorch made finding and using the best possible software package a top priority. To see more details on how easily you can create and cut parts with DesignEdge, we recommend that you request and watch a free copy of PlasmaCAM demo video.

GoTorch provides a video instruction manual.

The GoTorch machine includes an interactive, video-based instruction manual that makes using and maintaining the system as easy as possible. Most other machines provide some type of written manual that may lack necessary information. This can delay and complicate the process of setting up, learning to use, and troubleshooting the system. Working with any machine and its software is obviously easier when someone shows you how to do it. That's why GoTorch provides a complete video manual that is easy to use and navigate. It even includes practice exercises to help you get up and running quickly.

GoTorch uses servo motors instead of stepper motors.

The GoTorch machine can cut parts more than twice as fast as other machines with higher accuracy. We use servo motors to move the torch around during cutting, while many other machines use stepper motors. Servo systems are widely known in the CNC industry as the more expensive, higher performance option. The servo control system always knows the true position of moving parts. Stepper systems do not, so there is always the risk of a motor getting stuck or losing steps without the controls knowing. When this happens, the machine cuts bad parts and material is wasted, sometimes unnoticed by the operator. In addition, servos provide smoother motion and are capable of higher power, speed and acceleration when used in conjunction with our unusually lightweight yet sturdy moving parts. A faster moving plasma torch also produces better cut quality because there is less heat buildup leading to less warping, melting and dross.

GoTorch uses one integrated control system.

Most other companies put together a disjointed control system made of off-the-shelf components designed not for plasma cutting but for milling, engraving, and other CNC operations. Piecing random components together like this can be fun as a garage project, but usually results in a poorly functioning item. For example, imagine the difference between a well-engineered motorcycle and one that uses an engine from a lawnmower, wheels from a wagon, a seat from a swing set, and a frame welded together from fence posts.
 
While a functioning motorcycle could be built this way, it’s never going to work as well as one with all its components engineered for the right purpose.That’s why GoTorch uses industry-leading, patented PlasmaCAM controls, providing a fully integrated system developed specifically for plasma cutting. It works seamlessly with the DesignEdge software, allowing all designing and cutting to be done from one program. Every component was engineered from the ground up to work together for maximum efficiency, reliability, and ease of use. This level of design is apparent when you closely compare GoTorch to other designs. It makes a big difference especially n the software and controls.

GoTorch uses DesignEdge software.

The DesignEdge software is flexible and gives you access to everything you need for effective plasma cutting. This industry-leading, patented software package easily outperforms any other system we’ve seen. Labor-intensive steps that take hours with other systems are literally done in seconds!
 
The DesignEdge software included with GoTorch machines easily imports and cuts designs from external drawing files and machine programs. It can be upgraded with more advanced options for drawing, editing and machine control. You can bring in photos and scanned drawings, converting them to shapes that can be cut. You can draw text from numerous fonts with automatic stenciling. You can draw various shapes from simple geometry to built-in parts like flanges, gears, flowers and scrolls. You can use part of a shape or combine multiple shapes together. When you are ready to cut your designs, you can automatically create cut paths for all the holes and perimeter that compensate for the kerf width of the plasma torch and include lead-ins that pierce off the part. This makes all the features of your parts come out to the right size and minimizes marks where cuts start. You can even add bend line cuts or marks automatically to parts, making them much easier to bend. Many complex parts cn be nested tightly together on a sheet for optimum material utilization.

GoTorch provides Digital Height Control options.

GoTorch includes a motorized Z-axis that can position the torch at any desired height. It can be expanded with superior Digital Height Control options for more automated cutting and better cut quality. This automatically raises and lowers the torch between cuts and hover a precise distance over the material during cutting (using arc voltage feedback). It can also sense the material before each cut for exact pierce heights. It can even avoid collisions and diving into the material when crossing a previous kerf or when the cut speed slows down. All this helps keep the torch positioned at the right height when cutting larger areas or material that is not flat, such as thin, warped, or diamond plate material. By contrast, other machines offer height controls that are very expensive, crude, not integrated with the rest of the system, and only do a fraction of what really needs to be done.

GoTorch offers better plasma cutters.

GoTorch offers and supports the use of top-of-the-line plasma cutters in our machines, giving you the highest cut quality and performance. Other companies may only allow you to use a unit they sell or support, preventing you from choosing the best available cutter. For example, one company packages its own expensive brand of cutters with its machines even though the cut quality of these cutters is noticeably substandard. Many other companies also require you to use expensive machine torches that only give you inferior performance, due to the bulky design of such torches and the fact that they use the same cutting components as hand torches. While GoTorch gives you the option to use machine torches too, we don’t recommend it. Hand torches are lighter and more compact, so they work best in the machine.

GoTorch does not limit the size of what you can cut.

The GoTorch machine can cut any size of part or material because it is designed to be able to sit on top of the material. Large shapes can be cut in sections with the machine pausing between them for repositioning. By contrast, other machines can only cut material that fits within their frames. Consequently, standard material must be cut down to smaller sizes by another method, such as shearing, before other small machines can work with it. This takes time, costs money, limits the size of parts you can make, and even wastes material. It also prevents you from cutting objects that are too thick or deep to fit into the machine, such as large beams or metal assemblies. Only GoTorch gives you the flexibility to cut such a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

GoTorch can be easily upgraded and adapted to other applications.

Compared to other machines, GoTorch offers more superior options that can expand the machine’s capabilities for either plasma cutting or other applications. Advanced software, machine, and height control features are available. You can adapt the machine for other applications by mounting other tools or using different materials. For example, you can cut pipe with an optional pipe cutting attachment. You can cut wood or plastic with a router and optionally even carve 3D images. Vinyl, cardboard and foam cutters as well as water jets, mig welders, glue guns, and markers are some of the many other possible tools that we’ve seen customers use in their machines.