Lotos CT520D Review; Faker Or Realer?

Chances are that you’ve been in the game for a long while as a hobbyist/DIYer cutter/welder operator looking for a better replacement for a faulty machine. Or probably you’re new to the whole thing of cutting and welding and have been advised to kick-start your journey with Lotos CT520D. Either way, you want to escape the lies of the tens of sponsored Lotos CT520D review out there and get an honest overview of the hyped 3-in-1 system. Right? Let me show you what I truly know, on a personal level, about this non-hazardous compressed air cutter so you can decide whether to go for it or not.

Lotos CT520D 50 AMP Air Plasma Cutter, 200 AMP Tig and Stick/MMA/ARC Welder 3 in 1 Combo Welding Machine, ½ Inch Clean Cut, Brown

Application Processes of lotos ct520d

 

  • Air Plasma Cutting; Lotos CT520D is one of the first members of the 50amps plasma cutter series to ever get into the market. As expected, it doesn’t use oxyhydrogen but non-hazardous compressed air to do its job. It is an IGBT inverter-based powered unit delivering a steady plasma cutting current of 50amps on max. Each package comes encasing a plasma cutter torch with a flexible connection cable of 6ft to attach to the power source. Add that length up with the 6ft ground cable for plasma cutting, and you can cut 12ft away from the power source without having to do the heavy lifting.

 

Operating at a lower cutting speed compared to the heavy-duty plasma cutting machines, you can achieve high precision cut through thinner gauges mild steel sheets for your DIY projects. Other applicable metal materials include; alloy steel, copper steel,  and stainless steel. To make a clean cut at a single pass, you should be slicing through ½” thick metal sheets. On the other hand, a single pass through a ¾” metal sheet only severs the workpiece. You will need to make multiple passes for thicker materials.

Special Note; the recommended consumables for the plasma cutting process with this machine are; LCS22 and LCS33. Using a conventional electrode or just wire that comes your way will render your torch useless in no time. Also, drag cutting with this unit or making double-arcing will damage your nozzle faster as this is a standoff. So if you’re looking to trace patterns on metal sheets in the future, this may not be your machine.

 

  • TIG Welding; Lotos CT520D also serves as a dual-voltage DC TIG welder at a single flip of the processing mode switch. You can achieve a precise weld on high-frequency arc start and weld thinner-gauges steel and stainless steel with no burn-through. Ramping down the welding current amperage for low current welds is possible on the TIG torch or a remote pedal control when welding from your welding chair. Also, either on the torch or a remote pedal control, you can ramp current up to 200amps for your high current operations.
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This may be a light-duty system for plasma cutting, but it performs great as a heavy-duty TIG welding machine when used for that. A 6ft TIG torch is included and that length sum the ground cable 6ft length to a toll of 12ft TIG operation. Overall, the TIG functionality shares the same quality and accuracy with most high-end TIG only machines in the 200amps series. The only downside is that you are missing out on a PWM (pulse width modulation).

Special note; a foot pedal control is not included in the package. You’ll have to spend a few bucks on that one or just settle for the hand torch control.

 

  • STICK/MMA Welding; there are three separate gun ports on the power supply inverter. Just plug in your electrode feeder into the STICK port for your STICK/MMA operations. And you can make a hot striking arc current start and ramp down as you reach a thin surface. This is most ideal for when welding uneven base metals. Nevertheless, know that the minimum STICK/MMA current amperage obtainable is 15amps. And the maximum is 200amps. Overall, the STICK/MMA functionality is great to make beautiful welding shapes and strike deep weld pools on thick metals. For a stable welding arc, and an easy arc start needed most especially by STICK/MMA beginners, this is a great unit.

 

Special note; this is a DC-based STICK/MMA functionality. Not for AC STICK/MMA.

Portability/Durability

Every part of the power inverter is built with steel for high durability. The net weight of the entire kit, torch, and other accessories included, sums up to 38.5pounds. At that lightweight, you can tag this unit along with you for distance gigs without incurring a heavy transport charge. Besides, a comfy, firm-grip handle is located at the top of the inverter for easy, comfortable mobility. By the way, having all you need, a dual-purpose welder and a plasma cutter, in one portable place comes with a lot of advantages such as a cost-effective investment.

Safety/Control

Lotos CT520D is a safety-wise 3-in-1 machine for home use, light-duty plasma cutting, hobbyist/beginners TIG/STICK welding. An air-cooling fan is built directly into the inverter to counter overheating and make for a stable welding/plasma cutting power delivery. Likewise, the control panel on the power inverter is quite intuitive, easing configuration for the beginners.

Features of lotos ct520d 

  • Application processes; Plasma cutting/TIG/STICK/MMA welding
  • Ground cable for STICK; 3ft
  • Ground cable for plasma and TIG; 6ft
  • Plasma cutter torch; 6ft
  • TIG gun; 6ft
  • TIG/Plasma ground cable; 6ft
  • STICK holder
  • Inverter type; dual-voltage 110/220V
  • Frequency; 50/60Hz on 110/220V
  • Plasma cutting capacity; ½” and ¾”
  • Applicable metal for plasma cutting; All steel
  • Plasma cutting current on max; 50ft
  • TIG current; 15amps to 200amps
  • STICK current; 15amps to 200amps
  • Recommended plasma consumables; LCS22 and LCS33

Pros of lotos ct520d

  • Multipurpose unit
  • Smooth beads on TIG and deep weld pools on STICK
  • A lightweight unit, easy to carry with comfy handle
  • High-frequency start
  • Clean, plasma cutting
  • Bang for buck

Cons lotos ct520d 

  • Control foot pedal not included
  • Not for aluminum (DC only)
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Conclusion

By avoiding the sponsored Lotos CT520D review out there, you are finally able to make a blameless decision with our honest review here. You may throw any question at us in the comment box.