Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Plasma cutter compressor: the air these boxes need

Updated: October 2026

The inverter on the bench is only half the system. A plasma cutter compressor has to hold the pressure and flow printed on the listing, and none of these four amazon.co.uk boxes includes a pump. If you own an 8 L silent unit, or you are about to buy a 50 L receiver, this page is the air numbers. Prices are from 19 October 2026. Peter F., the DIY & tools editor, did not meter these compressors. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The cutters sit on the [plasma cutter comparison](/hub/cutting-tools/plasma-cutter).

The inverter on the bench is only half the system. A plasma cutter compressor has to hold the pressure and flow printed on the listing, and none of these four amazon.co.uk boxes includes a pump.

Our top picks

SPRIGHOLLY SPRIGHOLLY CUT50L plasma cutter

Best overall

SPRIGHOLLY SPRIGHOLLY CUT50L plasma cutter
10.0/10about £67.83
View offer
Reboot Reboot 45 A plasma cutter

Best value

Reboot Reboot 45 A plasma cutter
9.0/10about £103.67
View offer
SPRIGHOLLY SPRIGHOLLY CUT60L PRO plasma cutter

Alternative

SPRIGHOLLY SPRIGHOLLY CUT60L PRO plasma cutter
8.0/10about £159.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.None of these boxes includes a pump
  2. 2.Read the pressure and the flow, not the horsepower
  3. 3.Tank size only stretches a short cut
  4. 4.Dry air is a consumable issue

None of these boxes includes a pump

Every listing here says the compressor is external. The CUT50L, the contact CUT50, the Reboot 45 A and the CUT60L PRO all ship without a pump. A complete-looking photo is still a torch, an earth clamp and nozzles. The SIP WELDMATE 25 A is the usual built-in pump on amazon.co.uk, with 6 mm quality and 8 mm severance. Foster Industrial notes onboard compressors only on smaller machines. That SIP is not in this set. The millimetre side of the choice sits on the plasma cutter buying guide. R-Tech says a pump that is too small starves the arc. That warning is not a rating of these four boxes.

Read the pressure and the flow, not the horsepower

Horsepower on a compressor carton is a sales unit. These listings print pressure, and three print flow. The CUT50L states 90 PSI, 60 L/min and an 8 mm inner hose. The Reboot states a minimum of 6 bar / 90 PSI, regulator pre-installed. The contact CUT50 and the CUT60L PRO state 0.4 MPa, 60 L/min and an 8 mm hose or inlet. 0.4 MPa is 4 bar, not Reboot's 6 bar minimum. Do not average them. Sixty litres a minute is about 2.1 cubic feet a minute, and that conversion is not a purchase rule. A 20–50 CFM hobby table and US notes that want 5–6 CFM at 90 PSI are different demand bands. The compressor has to deliver the printed flow at the printed pressure, at the torch, after the hose. Reboot does not print a hose millimetre. Set the regulator with air flowing, which is R-Tech's advice.
SPRIGHOLLY SPRIGHOLLY CUT50L plasma cutter

Testsieger

SPRIGHOLLY SPRIGHOLLY CUT50L plasma cutter
10.0/10about £67.83
View offer

Tank size only stretches a short cut

A receiver stores a few seconds of air. It does not make more. On the Reboot, an 8 L silent compressor managed short runs and a 50 L unit ran longer. One CUT60L PRO user called a small quiet compressor enough at 60 L/min. A tiny tank is stop-start cutting. A 50 L tank buys longer travel, not a thicker cut. Duty cycle is n/a, so you cannot hide a pause behind a printed 60%. First-cut order stays on how to use a plasma cutter. An 8 L unit is a short-coupon cutter until you try the offcut. A 50 L receiver is not a promise that 16 mm severance will look clean.

Dry air is a consumable issue

Water and oil in the line wreck electrodes and nozzles. ESAB UK treats moisture as the usual quality failure. Drain the tank and fit a filter. Reboot's regulator is pre-installed, and reviewers praised a water trap. The CUT60L PRO claims a built-in filter regulator. The contact CUT50 includes a regulator. The CUT50L arrived with a badly assembled moisture vent. That is a two-review listing, so check it on unboxing. The CUT60L PRO lists 2–15 s of post-flow, and that air still has to come from the tank after the cut. A tiny compressor can dip as soon as you let go. Keep the plasma line off an unfiltered spray-gun branch. A built-in-compressor 25 A is a different product from these 45–60 A boxes.

Common questions

Do any of these four plasma cutters include a compressor?
No. All four require an external compressor. A SIP 25 A with a built-in pump and a 6 mm quality cut is a different product, and it is not in this set.
What pressure do the listings actually print?
CUT50L: 90 PSI. Reboot: minimum 6 bar / 90 PSI. The other two SPRIGHOLLY listings: 0.4 MPa, which is 4 bar. Do not average them. Set the regulator with air flowing.
Is 60 L/min the same as the CFM in US blogs?
It converts to about 2.1 CFM, and that is not a purchase rule. US 5–6 CFM guides are a different demand band. Keep the printed 60 L/min.
Will an 8 L silent compressor be enough?
On the Reboot, an 8 L unit managed short runs and a 50 L unit ran longer. Treat 8 L as stop-start cutting, not as a long kerf on 10 mm plate.
Why does water in the hose wreck nozzles?
Moisture and oil chew electrodes and nozzles. ESAB UK calls that the usual quality failure. Drain the receiver and check the CUT50L moisture vent on unboxing.
What hose size is listed?
8 mm on the three SPRIGHOLLY listings. Reboot does not print a millimetre. A long narrow hose drops pressure before the regulator.

Related pages

Best plasma cutter

Plasma cutter

Plasma cutter buying guide: clean cut, then the plug

How to use a plasma cutter for the first garage cut

Plasma cutter pilot arc: contact start, HF, blowback

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this set, checked on 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE WL15: Welding fume (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE: Cutting metals and similar fume (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE: Noise (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 7 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. OPSS: Vevor plasma cutter CUT-40, 30 June 2023 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. ESAB UK: Tips for buying a manual plasma cutter (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. R-Tech: Plasma cutting FAQs (retrieved 19 October 2026)