The best plasma cutters, compared.
Top pick: SPRIGHOLLY CUT50L plasma cutter – Highest score, 100, from a pilot-arc 50 A listing at about £67.83 with a 10 mm ideal cut. Best value: Reboot 45 A plasma cutter – Score 90 at about £103.67, with the only UK reviews in this set that describe 8–10 mm plate. Updated October 2026.
A plasma cutter is a single-phase inverter and torch that cuts conductive metal with compressed air. Read the clean-cut thickness, the start type, the stated air, and the UK reviews at a named thickness. The largest millimetre in the title is not the everyday cut. The [plasma cutter buying guide](/hub/cutting-tools/plasma-cutter/sub/plasma-cutter-buying-guide) sets clean cut, start type, air and the socket before a score. It cuts conductive metal by forcing compressed air through an arc. The machines are garage units on 230 V or 240 V, in a 40–65 A band. They are not 400 V systems, and none of them carries its own compressor.
A plasma cutter is a single-phase inverter and torch that cuts conductive metal with compressed air. Read the clean-cut thickness, the start type, the stated air, and the UK reviews at a named thickness.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Do you need to start on paint, rust or mesh?
The SPRIGHOLLY CUT50L is a 50 A 240 V inverter at £67.83 that claims a 10 mm ideal cut and a 16 mm maximum, with a high-frequency pilot-arc start and an AG60 torch on a 4 m lead. amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from 2 reviews. One of those two recommends the contactless start for rust, paint and CNC sheet work. The other reviewer’s arithmetic says higher settings can exceed a 13 A plug, and the listing does not print an input current, so that remains a buyer’s warning rather than a measured draw. Air is listed at 90 PSI and 60 L/min through an 8 mm hose, and no compressor is in the box. Item weight is 7.05 kg against a claimed 3.75 kg. Both figures sit on the same page. In this set it is the top pick on score and shelf price, and it is still a two-review listing, so you are buying a start type and a millimetre claim, not a thick UK sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A garage that already has a compressor and a visor, cutting sheet around the 10 mm ideal figure, and willing to buy a two-review listing for the pilot-arc start.
Less suitable: You need UK reviews that describe 8–10 mm plate, a printed input current, or a contact-start torch.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the CUT50L include a compressor?
No. The listing requires an external compressor, with air at 90 PSI, 60 L/min and an 8 mm inner hose. The box is the cutter, AG60 torch, earth clamp, manual, two nozzles and two electrodes.
What start type does this listing use?
High-frequency non-contact pilot arc. One of the two reviews recommends that contactless start for rust, paint and CNC sheet work.
What thickness does it claim, and how many reviews are there?
The listing states an ideal cut of 10 mm and a maximum of 16 mm. amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from 2 reviews. One reviewer says higher settings can exceed a 13 A plug. Those figures are the reviewer's arithmetic, not a listing input current.
The Reboot 45 A is a 230 V inverter at £103.67 with a non-touch pilot-arc start, 10–45 A on the dial, and a clean-cut claim of 8–10 mm (16 mm severance on mild steel). amazon.co.uk shows 4.5 from 5 reviews, the only listing in this set whose UK texts describe 6 mm as easy, 10 mm as smooth, 12 mm still going through, and 8 mm plate as clean with little dross. That is still five reviews, not a lab. Air is a minimum of 6 bar / 90 PSI, with a regulator pre-installed. An 8 L silent compressor managed short runs and a 50 L unit ran longer. 2T/4T and LED readouts for pressure, voltage, current and recommended thickness sit on the listing. No visor is in the box. It is the best value in this set, because the extra money over the cheapest row buys the only cut descriptions at 8–10 mm.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first 8–10 mm garage cut on painted or rusty sheet, if you already own a compressor that can hold 6 bar and a welding visor.
Less suitable: You need a printed 60 A output, a contact torch, or a machine with its own compressor.
Specifications
Common questions
What clean-cut thickness does the Reboot 45 A claim?
The listing states 8–10 mm clean cut, and the title also says 1/2 inch clean cut. Severance is 16 mm on mild steel. Reviews describe 6 mm as easy, 10 mm as smooth, 12 mm still going through, and 8 mm steel plate as clean with little dross.
What air supply does it need?
Minimum 6 bar / 90 PSI, with a regulator pre-installed. An 8 L silent compressor managed short runs and a 50 L unit ran longer. A compressor is required and is not listed as included.
Is a welding visor in the box?
No visor is listed. Included components are the Reboot RBC4500LPRO, a pilot arc torch and a consumable set. The bullets also say an earth clamp.
The SPRIGHOLLY CUT60L PRO is the 60 A 240 V listing at £159.99, with a 10 mm clean / 16 mm severance claim, an AG-60 torch on 4 m, 2T/4T and a listed post-flow of 2–15 s. The title says pilot-arc non-touch. One bullet also says contact, so those stay as two claims on the same page. amazon.co.uk shows 4.0 from 7 reviews, the largest pool in this set, and those seven do not agree on 8–10 mm plate. One reports 12 mm chequer plate cut with ease and clean cuts around 8 mm mild steel. Another says the arc would not stay on, only three of five cuts on 3 mm held, and 8 mm and 10 mm would not cut. Air is 0.4 MPa and 60 L/min into an 8 mm inlet. The compressor is not included. Item weight is 7.4 kg against a claimed 4.35 kg. Pay the extra amps only if you accept that the review file still argues about 8 mm.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want 60 A, 2T/4T and a printed post-flow time, and you will treat 8–10 mm as unproven until you try your own plate.
Less suitable: You wanted agreed UK reviews at 8–10 mm, or the cheapest pilot-arc box.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the CUT60L PRO a non-touch machine?
The title records a pilot-arc, non-touch start. One bullet line also says contact. Treat those as two claims on the same listing, not as a second start mode that has been tested.
What air figures does the listing print?
0.4 MPa, 60 L/min and an 8 mm inlet, with a built-in air filter regulator claimed. The compressor is not included. Post-flow is listed as 2–15 s.
Do the seven reviews agree on 8–10 mm plate?
No. One review reports 12 mm chequer plate cut with ease and clean cuts around 8 mm mild steel. Another says the arc would not stay on, only 3 of 5 cuts on 3 mm held, and 8 mm and 10 mm would not cut.
The SPRIGHOLLY CUT50 is the contact-start 50 A box at £99.73, with a PT31 torch and a clean-cut claim of up to 10 mm (16 mm maximum). The listing records a contact / direct arc start, while the title also says high frequency. Treat those as two claims on the same listing, not as two proven modes. amazon.co.uk shows 3.2 from 3 reviews. One review describes touch start as easy, including 6 mm plate on the lowest setting. Another says full power tripped a 10 A breaker, after which the reviewer ran 30 A on the dial. A compressor is required, air is listed at 0.4 MPa and 60 L/min, and a regulator sits in the box with six electrodes and six nozzles. It is the wrong buy if you need to start on paint or rust, and it is dearer than the pilot-arc CUT50L in the same set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Bare, clean steel and a contact torch, if you already have a compressor and will stay off full output on a small breaker.
Less suitable: Painted, rusty or mesh work, or anyone who wanted the cheaper non-touch CUT50L.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the CUT50 a contact-start machine?
The listing records a contact / direct arc start. The title also says high frequency. Reviews describe touch start as easy, including 6 mm plate on the lowest setting.
Will it run at full output on a 10 A breaker?
One of the three reviews says full power tripped a 10 A breaker. That reviewer then ran 30 A on the dial. The listing does not print an input current.
What is in the box?
CUT50 cutter, PT31 torch, earth clamp with cable, air pressure regulator, English manual, six electrodes and six nozzles. No visor is listed. A compressor is required and is not included.
Four amazon.co.uk listings kept for this page were scored on 19 October 2026. There is no lab test. A printed millimetre is the claim on that page, not a cut we made. Duty cycle is not stated on any of the four. No OPSS or British Standard pass was identified on these boxes. The four weights below sum to 100.
Listing fit
35%A named start type, a clean-cut figure rather than only a maximum, printed air pressure or flow, a 230 V or 240 V supply, and a torch family score higher. Conflicting start-type wording is deducted. A missing compressor is not deducted, because every listing here needs an external pump. A missing visor is not deducted for the same reason.
Amazon evidence
30%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then a deduction when the count is under 50, and a further deduction under 25. All four listings sit at two to seven reviews. Review texts from other Amazon marketplaces score nothing as UK opinion.
Review outcome
20%UK reviews that name a thickness, a fuse or breaker trip, a failed start, or a regulator fault. Complaints that the arc did not cut, and trips at full output, are deducted. A five-star line with two reviews does not outrank a 4.5 line that describes 8–10 mm plate.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP in this set, only after start type and the clean-cut claim are right. A low price does not score when the only reviews say the arc failed or a breaker tripped.
Buy the clean-cut figure you will actually use, then the start type that matches the metal in front of you. Air and the socket come next. A maximum millimetre in the title is severance, not the everyday cut. None of these four boxes includes a compressor or a welding visor.
A plasma cutter in this comparison is a single-phase inverter and a torch. It cuts conductive metal by forcing compressed air through an arc. The machines on this page are garage units on 230 V or 240 V, in a 40–65 A band. They are not 400 V systems, and none of them carries its own compressor. The four amazon.co.uk listings kept here run from about £67.83 to about £159.99. Wider notes for the category run from about £68 to £199.
The largest millimetre in the title is not the everyday cut. ESAB UK and R-Tech treat the clean or recommended figure as the one you plan around. Severance is slower and rougher. A 16 mm maximum on these boxes is not scored as a clean cut.
Every listing here needs an external compressor. A tiny receiver only supports short cuts. Water in the airline ruins consumables. The Reboot notes an 8 L silent unit for short runs and a 50 L unit for longer ones.
None of these four prints an input current. One CUT50L review says higher settings can exceed a 13 A plug. One CUT50 review says full power tripped a 10 A breaker. That is not a promise either way. Call an electrician for a new 16 A or 32 A outlet.
Clean cut is the everyday thickness. Severance, often printed as a maximum, is a slower and rougher cut and is not the same number. On these four, clean claims are 10 mm ideal on the CUT50L, 8–10 mm on the Reboot 45 A, 10 mm on the CUT60L PRO, and up to 10 mm on the contact CUT50. Each also prints a 16 mm maximum or severance. UK reviews do not all confirm those clean figures.
None of these inverters includes a compressor. Printed air is 90 PSI and 60 L/min on the CUT50L, 0.4 MPa and 60 L/min on the CUT50 and the CUT60L PRO, and a minimum of 6 bar / 90 PSI on the Reboot, with a regulator fitted. A small receiver only supports short cuts. One Reboot review says an 8 L silent compressor managed short runs and a 50 L unit ran longer. Water in the line ruins electrodes and nozzles.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You already have a compressor and a welding visor, and you are cutting sheet around a 10 mm ideal figure. The CUT50L is the pilot-arc listing at about £67.83. amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from 2 reviews, and one of those says higher settings can exceed a 13 A plug.
You want a non-touch start and UK reviews that name a thickness. The Reboot 45 A at about £103.67 is the only listing here whose reviews describe 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm and 12 mm. That is still five reviews, and the compressor is not in the box.
The start point is clean metal and you will stay off full output on a small breaker. The CUT50 is the contact 50 A box at about £99.73, with a PT31 torch. One review cut 6 mm on the lowest setting. Another says full power tripped a 10 A breaker.
The SPRIGHOLLY CUT50L scores 100. It is a 50 A high-frequency pilot-arc inverter at about £67.83, with a 10 mm ideal cut and a 16 mm maximum. That is the top pick on score and shelf price, and it still has only two amazon.co.uk reviews. The Reboot 45 A scores 90 at about £103.67. That is the best value, because its five UK reviews are the only ones here that describe cuts at 6–12 mm. Neither score is a lab test.
SPRIGHOLLY CUT50L plasma cutter
Highest score, 100, from a pilot-arc 50 A listing at about £67.83 with a 10 mm ideal cut.
Reboot 45 A plasma cutter
Score 90 at about £103.67, with the only UK reviews in this set that describe 8–10 mm plate.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this set, checked on 19 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores use the UK listings and public sources, not a lab test.
