Replacement plasma torches

[Brian Hoezee]

Hello, I'm new to hobart weld talk and have been reading some of the post and i was wondering if anyone could help me out. I have a miller spectrum 500 it has a apt 5000 torch on it. It shorted out in the head of the torch i cut it apart and found the problem. But the parts to fix it are not available. So i have been looking for replacement torches the cheapest i have found so far is from weldmart online. The torch is a ALFHA-2 air plasma retrofit. What i would like to know is if its any good? Is weldmart a good company to deal with? Has anybody heard of weldmart before? Better yet! Does anybody have any old apt 5000 torches lay around? I have found out recently that life without a plasma cutter REALLY SUCKS!!!

[mwoh419]

A new Miller ICE-55c complete torch with 25' leads is $441.50 + free shipping from cyberweld.com. I think it's a direct replacement, but call Miller to make sure. Wouldn't have to worry about obsolete consumables then. Or you can get just the 55c torch body for about $280. The cheapest I could find the apt torch for was $614. Here's the link for the ICE-55c:

http://store.cyberweld.com/icpltopa3.html

again... call Miller to check retrofit. 1-800-231-9353

Better to put a factory torch back on. If you have trouble, you know who to deal with and you can buy consumables anywhere. Plus it's made here too, and Cyberweld is a reliable company. ---Mike---

[Zrexxer]

The torch is a ALFHA-2 air plasma retrofit. What i would like to know is if its any good? Is weldmart a good company to deal with? Has anybody heard of weldmart before? Better yet! Does anybody have any old apt 5000 torches lay around?

Weldmart is an excellent outfit to deal with, and the owner Larry knows his stuff. That being said, the Alpha torches he sells as retrofits are the same ones that come on Harbor Freight plasma cutters, and I wasn't that impressed with them.

Have your Miller dealer check for retrofits, or call Miller direct and talk to a plasma technician. My Spectrum 300 had an obsolete torch on it, and Miller provided the number for a substitute that was specifically designed as a replacement for that machine.