Last Updated on May 2022
You’ve searched far and wide and still haven’t found the perfect welder. There are plenty of great welding brands, but in most cases, “good” isn’t going to cut it. We’re looking for top-notch, out of the ordinary welders, and the most notable mentions are products by Miller and Hypertherm.
Miller VS Hypertherm Review 2019
Miller and Hypertherm are among the leading brands in the industry, so if you’ve somehow skipped over their products, it’s quite evident that you are missing out on the good stuff. Our Miller VS Hypertherm review 2018 pits these two giants against each other in a combat of performance and value, so let’s see which welder is the best one for the buck.
Similarities
The first similarity between Miller’s Spectrum 625 and Hypertherm’s Powermax 45 XP is that they were both built to last. With solid construction, excellent reliability, and outstanding power, these welders are powerhouses which will get the job done.
What’s more, some people go so far as to claim that the Spectrum 625 dances toe to toe with the Powermax 45 in virtually every aspect – they’re robust, fast, capable of cutting thick and thin metal materials, and they’re not overly hard to use. However, these units aren’t identical, although they look and perform pretty much alike.
Another significant similarity is the price. They’re not entirely the same, however; even though they both belong to the same price point category, Spectrum costs just a bit more.
Size
These machines are both compact arc welders. The Powermax’s dimensions are 17.4 inches by 6.8 inches by 14.1 inches, and it’s safe to say that this unit is petite compared to heavy-duty welders like AHP’s Alphatig, for example.
Miller’s Spectrum 625, on the other hand, appears as a toy when we compare it to Powermax – it’s only 5 inches by 3 inches by 1.7-inches. The Spectrum 625 might be the smallest cutting tool ever made except for regular scissors.
Power
Even though they’re compact welders, both tools excel when it comes to power. The Spectrum 625 packs 40 amps of plasma-cutting power, making it suitable for cutting through mild steel, alloy steel, and stainless steel.
Powermax outperforms Spectrum by a mere five amps, as it packs a punch worth 45 amps per hit. Though both are powerful, but the difference between the two means a lot.
Cutting
The first thing you’ll notice about both cutters is that they share an identical duty cycle of 50%. Another field where they’re pretty much alike is the cutting capacity – both machines can cut their way through 5/8-inch metal materials, which is surprisingly good for hand-cutting systems.
The Powermax 45 does a bit better job when it comes to severance, as it can cut for extended periods of time through harder plates.
Differences Between The Two Units
Weight
Weight is usually not overly important – when you’re looking for a cutter, it’s imperative that it can pierce through metal. However, people who value convenience should never ignore the benefits of small tools and contraptions. The first notable difference between these tools is weight.
The Powermax weighs approximately 37 pounds (without accessories, unloaded), which is low enough to label it as portable. The Spectrum, on the other hand, is in the featherweight category in comparison, as it weighs only 21 pounds.
Efficiency
Hypertherm’s Powermax 45 is more efficient – it can cut twenty inches of steel in a minute, and it burns fewer consumables along the way. Spectrum, on the other hand, isn’t far behind – even though it requires a bit more fumes, it does the job equally well.
Price Point
When weighing all the differences between the two cutting machines, the price isn’t necessarily an issue. Both of these cutting tools belong to the same price range, although Miller is just a tad more expensive.
Cutting Torch Tip
While Miller engineers focused on improving the design of the new Spectrum, Hypertherm’s staff worked long and hard on enhancing the brand-new torch style – it’s more accurate than ever, and precision cuts are as clean as can be.
Again, the Spectrum isn’t too far behind – the torch on the 625 is excellent, and maybe even a bit easier to use than that outfitted to Hypertherm’s Powermax 45.
Consumables
Consumables fed to premium-quality machines are seldom inexpensive, and these cutters aren’t the exceptions. However, there’s a significant difference regarding “feeding” these two machines.
While Spectrum 625 eats a lot of fumes, Hypertherm’s Powermax 45 doesn’t require as many consumables – it’s optimized to work for as long as possible on the lowest consumables stocks.
Warranty
Warranties are supposed to be simple guarantees that let the customer know in plain terms what they can expect should the tool break down. That’s the reason Miller warranties aren’t that helpful – if you visit their site, you’ll be prompted to download PDF warranty files, but there are so many of them that you’ll need a lawyer to decipher them.
Hypertherm warranties, on the other hand, are very simple – you’ll get a three-year warranty for the machine and one year for the torch.
Why We Picked The Hypertherm Powermax 45XP?
Better Precision And Reliability, Newly Designed Torch Tip
Accuracy and reliability are the selling points of every plasma cutter; hence the only logical conclusion was Hypertherm Powermax 45 model [Read our Full Review]. Miller’s Spectrum isn’t bad per se, though; it’s just that Powermax 45 is superior in these fields.
Consumables Are Higher Prices Than The Hypertherm
Costly consumables combined with a higher rate of burning is one way to define the opposite of efficient – that’s what would describe Miller’s Spectrum in comparison to Hypertherm’s Powermax 45 efficiency.
Conclusion
Pitting two great plasma cutters against each other resembles a full-fledged gladiator fight. Once the swords are crossed and the shields clash, there can only be one victor – in this bout, it was Hypertherm’s Powermax 45. It is beautiful, compact, versatile, and supremely powerful plasma cutter – the sheer fact that Miller was able to keep up speaks volumes about the latter’s quality.
