Customer Reviews for RIDGID 20 Amp Plasma Pro Plasma Cutter 120V Input Cuts up to 1/4 in. Inverter Technology

Small, compact, lightweight and fully capable describes this Plasma cutter from Ridgid. Connect your air hose and plug it in to a standard 110v 15-amp outlet and start cutting. The unit also comes with a plug adapter to accommodate the use of a 20-amp service outlet. The handle fits well in your hand even with heavy weight gloves. Convenient front panel power control and rear power switch along with reinforced cabinet corners and carry handle that doubles as a cord wrap. I had no trouble cutting 1/8” to ¼” plate steel with a nice clean edge.

The RIDGID Plasma Pro 20 (RPL20) is a drag torch based plasma cutter with inverter technology for better control and efficiency and is rated to cut through quarter inch mild steel. The torch cable is 13 feet long, the ground cable and clamp are 8 feet long and the power plug is designed for a 20 amp 120V outlet but also includes and adapter for a 15 amp 120V outlet. The machine is very straightforward with a power switch and air inlet on the back, and amperage dial (10A-20A) on the front and three lights on the front to indicate good power (green), torch malfunction (red) and overheat (yellow). The duty rating is 35% at 20 Amps (i.e.: 3.5 minutes run time then 6.5 minutes cool down), 65% at 15 amps (i.e.: 6.5 minutes run time then 3.5 minutes cool down) and 100% at 12 Amps (constant run time with no cool down). Please note there is no moisture filter built in so make sure your air source has a moisture filter and it is not injecting tool oil into the air as both of these can impact/damage the plasma cutter. The torch has a yellow safety guard you have to lift up before you can place your finger on the trigger. During mt testing I found my glove would catch on the guard making it difficult to get my finger under it but once I did, I was able to use the torch without issues. For my test I cut 1/8 inch square tube that had numerous welds running across the surface. To use the torch you pull the trigger to start the arc then within three seconds your drag tip must make contact with the metal surface you are cutting. If you fail to do so, the arc will stop and air will blow as part of a cool down cycle. I found I could not restart the arc until the cool down airflow stopped. The first issue I experienced was I would begin cutting and the arc would stop. It turned out to be a user error associated to a poor ground. There was a lot of rust on the metal I was using and the ground clamp was not making a good connection. Once I wire brushed the clamp location my problem went away. All further testing went very smoothly. I did need to adjust the amperage dial until I was able to cleanly cut through the metal. Compared to my other brand plasma cutter, the RIDGID produced a thinner cut through the metal which I appreciate. While metal working products appear to be a new product line for RIDGID, I am verry happy with this unit. It just works and that is what most of us want from our tools. It has a three year limited warranty from date of purchase and includes one replacement electrode and one replacement cutting tip. The quick start guide provides the model number for additional electrodes and cutting tips.

If you have never used a plasma cutter it is well worth getting. To test this out I got a piece of 10 gauge mild steel left over from my last roll cage build. I plugged the machine in and was ready to cut in a couple of minutes. The torch fired up immediately and made a fast clean cut in the steel with no skips or issues. After stopping the air continues to run for a bit to cool down the cutting tip, saving wear any tear on your consumables. I rarely cut anything thicker than 3/16 so this will meet the majority of my needs and it ran perfectly on a 20 am 110v circuit. It cuts better than my old 220v plasma cutter which is now officially retired.

This was my first time using a plasma cutter. So take this review for what it is worth for a newbie, which may be the target market for this type of a plasma cutter, someone using it in a household setting. That is my assumption, considering it runs off 120 volt, 20 amp circuit rather than 240. The controls are very basic. There is an on/off switch and an output current knob. Setup was very simple. Attach the air supply, with inline dryer, and connect the grounding clamp and you are pretty much ready to go. Assuming, of course, your work area is ready for the job. If you are a newbie, as I am, I very much suggest you watch several tutorials online and get a good idea of how to work one of these. It is not a toy, sparks fly and there is inherent risks and dangers involved with this type of a tool. Anyway, that is what I did and it certainly helped. The included operating manual seems to assume the operator is familiar with using a plasma cutter, as it does not go into very much detail on how to cut. It does offer some basics, but I needed some video instruction on how this thing works. That said, it really is not very difficult, just be sure your workspace is set up well. Anyway, my first few cuts were pretty rough. But I quickly got the hang of it and was soon producing what I felt were some decent cuts for my first handful of attempts. All in all, this seems like a pretty darn good machine for someone using it around the house and probably pretty useful even in a minor commercial type setting where you need to make the random cut for custom projects or whatever. Rigid has a reputation of making decent products, so I would expect this to perform well for a good length of time, making it a decent investment in your shop setup.

The Ridgid Plasma Pro 20 is a powerful yet easy to use plasma cutter. It will cleanly cut steel, stainless and most other metals up to 1/4 inch. They rate aluminum at 3/16 of an inch. However, it will go to 3/8" with reduced cut quality! The machine is easy to move around coming in at around 20 lbs. To set up the Plasma Pro 20 for use you will need a source of compressed air and electrical power. An adapter is provided so that the unit can be connected to a standard household outlet (with 20-amp breaker). Air is supplied by a small compressor at 60 to 100 psi. The unit has built in air filters to remove small amounts of oil and moisture. The ground clamp /cable is 8 ft long and the torch is 13 ft. which I find long enough but still easy to manage. This Plasma Pro 20 uses drag tip technology which means that the tip remains in contact with the surface of the metal being cut. For me this is a real advantage as it allows the use of templates and straight edges to keep cut lines clean. The rear of the machine includes an on/off switch and a male air hose fitting. The front of the plasma pro 20 has a dial allowing for infinite amperage settings between 10 and 20 amps, as well as some power and status / fault condition lights. A spare cutting tip and electrode are supplied along with a small tip wrench. I am guessing this is a new product for Ridgid and I do not see much about it online. Based on my experience with other Ridgid tools, I have no doubt this tool will exceed my expectations. Now I just have to sneak a 250 gal propane tank past my wife!

This Ridgid 20 Amp Plasma Cutter is my first venture into metalworking in thirty years or so. In high-school I took a couple years of metalworking class but this takes it to a new level. I have been wanting to build an aluminum beach cart and needed something to cut quarter inch aluminum plate. This was the perfect tool once I got the hang of it. I lik ed thd safety trigger cover snd the fact that it comes with an extra cutting tip. You do have to have an air compressor with a standard fitting hose to hook up for use. Took a little filing to get my pieces right but overall a great tool.

I ordered this unit because I have been wanting to try out plasma cutting as a quicker and more flexible alternative to sawzall, band saw for a while. In the box is the unit, a quick start guide and a reasonably useful manual, although you will want to watch some YouTube videos on plasma cutting if you have never used one before. They also include a spare electrode and tip along with a wrench to change them which is a nice touch. The unit is quite compact and easy to carry with the chunky handle on top, which also serves as a place to coil the cables. The cutter cable is 13' long and the ground cable is about 7.5' long, both are permanently attached to the front of the unit (ie they do not unplug). The power cable is 6' long with a 20A style plug on the end, but they also include an adapter to allow it to be plugged into a 15A style outlet. . Inconveniently, the power switch is on the back of the unit but there are indicator lights on the front, so you can tell if it is on. It comes with an auto style air hose connector on the back. You will need to supply your own eye protection of shade 4 or higher depending on the current you are using (I used an auto darkening welding mask which seemed to work well), welding gloves (I used some TIG gloves that are quite thin but give good coverage) and a respirator. You will need a compressor with a regulator (I was able to use a pancake compressor though you will want something bigger for longer cuts). I also removed the airline connector from the unit and installed an inline filter and water separator because plasma cutters are sensitive to dust, oil and water. So far I have been impressed with how well it works - despite being a complete novice I cut through 1/8" mild steel cleanly and easily at 15A and managed 1/4", albeit a bit more of a "dirty" cut because I was using it at the 15A setting due to the fact my outlet is only rated at 15A. My circuit is a 20A circuit but with "normal" style outlets that are typically rated at 15A, so I have not run the unit over 15A except very briefly on some 1/4" steel to make sure it could cut it cleanly (which it could). I am very happy with this unit because the tip does not need to be held off the material (ie you can drag it along the surface), which makes it a lot easier to focus on things like keeping the correct angle and the speed at which one moves the cutter, in order to achieve a clean cut.

This Rigid RPL20 single phase 20 Amp 120-Volt plasma cutter is a great compact cutter that is rated to cut 1/4 inch sheet. For me, this will be a great starter plasma cutter but it will also do very well for small jobs. It is very well made and comes with an extra electrode and cutting tip and a tool to replace them when they are worn. The cables are very heavy duty with a 14 AWG power cable. It has warning lights to let you diagnose if there is a problem. Nice big handle on the top to carry even with gloves on.

This is a REALLY nice light duty plasma cutter. I love that it can plug into any standard 120v 15amp outlet if needed. All you need is a compressor capable of delivering 1.5CFM, so it's not consuming a massive amount of air. Running on 20 Amps, or 15 amps (with included adapter) this can handle most metal cutting jobs around the house or a small fab shop. The duty cycle is good enough to cut 1/4" steel, but it excels at cutting much thinner materials where the duty cycle is 100%. You can cut body work and 1/8" steel all day long. A 35% duty cycle at 20amps is not bad at all for a machine this size. You can cut most 1/4" pieces in that time, and then allow it to cool. At 15 amps it's 60%, which is awesome. This is what I run at the most and it has yet to overheat. At 10amps for thin sheet metal it's a 100% duty cycle and lets you cut as long as you want on projects big and small. Ridgid includes a replacement tip and the wrench for it. Ridgid does sell all the consumables through Home Depot. The manual is extensive and covers all aspects of the machine and cutting tips. They even have a direct line to speak to a Ridgid welding hotline if you need help. The cutting handle is comfortable with a gloved hand, has a safety tab to keep it from cutting when you set it down. The cable is 13 feet long, nice and safe so that your machine isn't right next you you and allows for complicated cuts inside car bodies or large benches. I really love this compact cutter and Ridgid has an excellent 3 year warranty on it too! Recommended!

The Rigid RPL20 plasma pro is a very impressive plasma cutter! I can’t recommend this enough! It comes with everything you need to get started except an air compressor. Air compressor requirements are 60-100 psi at minimum 1.5 cFM. I used my Rigid 6 gallon pancake compressor with it and a worked perfectly. My first project with this was building a stand for my welder and plasma cutter. This thing cuts awesome! I didn’t have spatter blowing back at my face and had nice clean cuts without a lot of cleanup required. Rigid supplies an extra cutting tip and replacement electrode. This is a drag tip plasma cutter that really helps make a clean cut with a guide. A 20amp outlet is needed to run this with a recommended 30 amp breaker. This also works on a generator with a minimum of 4,000 continuous watts.

I'm not a metal worker but I have had times I've had to cut metal, being tested with shears, cutoff wheels, etc. This unit, without a lot of whistles & bells, seemed a good entry level choice. It would probably be all a crafty homeowner would require, too. Plasma cutting, a bit intimidating, but a short YouTube video demonstrated the simplicity of it. It is 110vac and comes with the adaptor for common outlets and rated cut of 1/4" steel. I plugged into my garage, connected the compressor, checked my safety precautions, and started cutting. (see pics) Not bad, I think, for the first time, with a little practice, maybe welding is next. I really look forward to its use and how it will make jobs easier.

I have never owned a Plasma Cutter. I have always used an Angle Grinder to cut metal. I liked this used a common 20 Amp / 110V Outlet. I laughed, when Step 1 of the Quick Start Guide is, ‘Read user manual’. Not sure why I need a Quick Guide, if I have to read the Manual first? I was surprised to find out, you need a Compressor to run it. I assume it worked like an Arc Welder. The Manual recommends a 30 Amp Circuit Breaker. I planned on using this in my garage; which has a dedicated 20A Breaker, but my Compressor takes 8 Amps too? It does have an Output Current Knob which allows you to adjust the Amps from 10 to 20 (see pic). Depending the on thickness and speed you want to cut. It is light weight, with a big sturdy handle; making it easy to move. The Power Cord looks Heavy Duty, but is 14AWG 600V. It comes with a 20 Amp to 15 Amp Plug Adapter (see pic).

I choose this in a promotional deal with absolutely not a lot of experience in the art of plasma cutting. I have used one once or twice but it was already set up and I wasn't cutting something to win any awards or anything. Anyway, this Ridgid 20 amp plasma cutter is pretty sweet! It has the 20A cord end (which has a sideways prong on 1 side) but does come with an adapter to plug in to a regular plug. Its nice that it already has the right air compressor adapter so I just attached my regular air hose to it. I've read this takes like 50 to 110lbs of air pressure but I am changing the pressure around to see what the deference is, haven't really noticed anything major yet. I was having problems with it not cutting for more than a quick second but then figured out in my excitement, it was just a bad ground. This plasma cutter is one that you actually touch the tip to your work to cut the metal, I've heard others you don't. So out of the box, it looks great! and with a good ground, works as it should. I was able to store it on the roller cart that holds my welder, for now, but think I'm going to have to make a better cart for them both than what I have. I don't really have any complaints and I think this will be a great addition to my home garage workshop!

RIDGID Pro 20…. 20 AMP, 120-VOLT, PLASMA CUTTER, arrived in perfect condition and was well packaged, Selecting a spot for the cutter and setup was very easy, I have done a little welding but no cutting experience , but a little bit of research including reading the quick start guide and the operating manual I was ready, this plasma cutter is amazing, this 20AMP plasma cutter will easily cut 1/4” or thinner steel, it is simple to use no adjustments to make this cutter does almost everything for you, although I have 220V setup in my Garage/shop I love that it will operate on 120V, the plasma torch cable is 13ft long, the ground cable is 9ft long and the power cable is 7ft long, you will need an air compressor for this unit, this is a great Plasma cutter and I highly recommend it.

I ordered this Ridgid plasma cutter to complement my angle grinder. I often find myself needing to cut metal rebar. Unfortunately, the directions mentioned that it needs to be used in conjunction with an air compressor, so I’m in the process of looking for one of those now. The build quality of this plasma cutter is excellent, which I would expect from the Ridgid brand. I love the orange color of the heavy duty metal casing, which has black hard plastic corner guards, and hard plastic feet. The power cord is very thick and made out of heavy duty hard rubber with a three prong plug. The cutting torch cord is very generous at 14 feet long, and is made out of a heavy duty more flexible rubber. There is a dial on the front to adjust for different types of cutting needs. I like the yellow plastic safety guard over the torch button which prevents you from accidentally pressing it on. Lastly, I appreciate that this was delivered to my front porch in a black plastic type of bag so my neighbors would not know what the product was. Overall, I can already tell by the weight of this plasma cutter, and the materials it’s made out of that it is a quality piece of machinery.