If you’re looking to seriously take your shop to the next level, a plasma table is going to be a damn good way to do so. This is the Eastwood Elite 4 x 4 CNC Plasma Table with CNC 60 Amp Plasma Cutter and it’s what we’re going to be talking about in this article. So buckle up, because we’re about to go over why you should get yourself one of the coolest products Eastwood has offered in a long time.
Eastwood Elite 4 x 4 CNC Plasma Table with CNC 60 Amp Plasma Cutter.
1) Price
Here’s what you want to know, so let’s address it head-on.
You’re not going to be paying a relatively ridiculous amount, 16, 18, 20 thousand, like you would with some tables out there. Eastwood’s table is going to cost less ½ of that. Prices do fluctuate over time, so here’s the link to the product page with the most up-to-date pricing.
Look, I’m not going to lie to you and say that it’s even remotely budget-friendly. It’s not. It’s a serious piece of equipment that we expect <1% of our customers to purchase. With that said, we took a serious look at the plasma table market. When it comes to the home-gamer, DIY, and enthusiast segment, we found that the options weren’t fantastic. It was a great opportunity for Eastwood to fill that gap. A table like ours is going to punch above its weight class for the reasons you’ll find below.
2) The included goodies
There are a few: The plasma cutter, the controller, and the OS.
Included in the price, you’ll get the Elite CNC Cut 60 Plasma cutter (not all tables even include a cutter.) That’s a $1600 value you’re getting with the Eastwood plasma table. It’ll easily cut through material anywhere from as thin as 18 gauge, up to ⅜” thick. The cutter also includes a hand-torch! You can use this as a standard, free-hand, plasma cutter as well. Pretty good thinking. In that configuration, the Elite CNC Cut 60 Plasma cutter will be able to cut up to ⅞”.
Also included is a CNC Cut Controller with its own integrated OS. The CNC Cut Controller has a 7” color LCD, 45 keys, and all the physical controls you’ll need for your machine. We have some in-depth videos about the OS coming soon. For now, here’s a picture from the instructions with a breakdown of the home screen.
The Main Cut Screen.
The OS includes a built-in library of 50 shapes. Some of which make for perfect brackets, tabs, and gussets. There’s no need to plug in a dedicated laptop or put together a PC to work your table. You can do arrays, you can mirror, and you can scale with the built-in controller. Of course, you can upload your own designs. On the controller’s face there’s a USB port so that you can take a .CNC file from a program like Fusion 360 or SolidWorks and upload it directly to the machine.
The main control interface.
When it comes to competing machines, you’ll see a relatively reasonable price on their website, but where they get you are all the add-ons. Like a several thousand dollar plasma cutter, couple hundred dollar CNC control interface, dedicated laptop, etc. It’s not like that with Eastwood. With us, the price you see is the price you’ll get.
Now of course, with any plasma table, you are going to need other things. You’ll need a compressor, for one. This plasma table will require 5-7CFM at 60 PSI. That’s really nothing crazy, this machine isn’t a heavy breather. We also recommend a good moisture filter, because, like any plasma, you want your air to be as dry as reasonably possible.
An installed Eastwood Air CFS (Complete Filtration System).
You’re also going to need a 240V power outlet. The R&D guys tell me that this machine likes a 50A breaker. We also highly recommend running your table with fluid additive, so you’ll want to grab some of that as well. The waterbed capacity is 60.23 Gallons (228 Liters).
Last but certainly not least, you’ll need software to get your .CNC files onto a flash drive. Fusion 360 (which is what we like to use) is free. SolidWorks is going to cost you some serious dough.
3) Design, Specs, Assembly
Extremely easy to unbox, and a generous design.
You’re getting a table that’s generous on the dimensions, so you can cut in a true 4×4 area. Competing “4’x4’” plasma tables can be a little too tight on the dimensions, which requires trimming standard 4’x8’ or 4’x’10’ sheets. With the Eastwood machine, the gantry travel is a little generous at 4.1’ on both the X & Y-axis. The waterbed is also generous at 4.9’ X & 5.25’ Y, so there’s some extra room in all directions.
For this machine, 4’ x 8’ or 4’ x 10’ sheets are no problem, you just have to support the overhang. The machine is built for this as there are built-in rollers on the edges of the waterbed to make feeding those large sheets a little bit easier. Buy your sheet, throw it in, and get to cutting. No trimming required.
Large sheet rollers on the Elite 4 x 4 CNC Plasma Table.
Overall dimensions for the machine are going to be about 6.5×7’ which is actually nice and slim for a machine with this size cutting area. That measurement includes the controller as well. It’s also worth mentioning the extremely sturdy 4”x4” adjustable legs to make sure this machine stays rock solid while cutting.
Strong 4″x4″ adjustable legs.
Let’s talk about the assembly and any potential leaks. The waterbed is welded together as part of the whole frame, it’s one big piece. There are no bolts to hold the waterbed together and no silicone to seal it. All good to go, right from the start. We perform a leak test before we ship these out.
The fact that the table is pre-welded plays into assembly because there really is not much assembly to do, at all. This will arrive in a very large crate on a flatbed. All you have to do is attach the four legs, get your air, electrical, and plasma connections going. Fill up the waterbed, and you’re ready to cut. The gantry rails are already connected in the crate, and so is the controller. (the controller will need to be flipped 180 degrees) Everything is already wired and ready to go. No crazy assembly before you’re up and running.
Here are the uncrating instructions
How the Eastwood Elite 4 x 4 CNC Plasma Table with CNC 60 Amp Plasma Cutter arrives. (Lid off of crate)
4) Warranty
How will it work if something breaks?
The duration of the warranty is one year from the date of purchase. These units are very stout, we’ve used the prototype CNC plasma plenty of times, for testing, events, car shows, etc. The table is still running just as well as on day one. Also, the X and Y axis have hall effect limit switches so you can’t accidentally overrun the machine.
How’s it going to work if something breaks? Well, the good thing is, we’re not going to have you disassemble the table and ship it back to us. We’re going to send you the replacement parts with an installation guide, for you to fix. Usually, the customers that buy CNC tables are pretty handy, the team decided that this is what that customer would prefer to help limit overall downtime.
Of course, you’re always welcome to give us a ring at 800-343-9353 for more help. You already know that goes for any Eastwood product.
1-year Warranty, 90 Day Returns, and Lifetime Tech Support.
Here’s the video for this topic: 4’x4′ CNC Plasma Table – The BEST Way to Cut Repetitive or Complex Shapes in Metal!
Also, here are some more videos we’ve made about the Eastwood Elite 4×4 CNC Plasma Table. Check those out as well.
Why We Developed the CNC Plasma Cutting Table – How it Works and Why You Need It!
How to Set Up the 4’x4′ CNC Plasma Cutting Table & Prepare for a Cut
How to Adjust the Settings and Make a Cut on the 4’x4′ CNC Plasma Cutting Table
How to Make a Cut From a Template with the 4′ x 4′ CNC Plasma Cutting Table