You weren’t even planning to buy a plasma cutter.
You were on Save Barn looking at something else.
Maybe fencing gear.
Maybe a grinder.
Maybe just browsing.
Then you see a plasma cutter.
Price looks sharp.
Specs look decent.
You think:
“Yeah… that’ll make life easier.”
Few days later a big brown box turns up in Waikato, Hawke’s Bay or down in Otago.
You drag it into the shed.
Plug it in.
Pull the trigger.
Sweet — it cuts.
Job done.
Until the consumables start wearing out and now you’re wondering what actually fits the thing.
Save Barn sells container loads of gear.
Not just tools.
Everything.
They import, warehouse and move stock.
They’re not a specialist welding supplier breaking down torch families in detail.
That’s just the reality of how that business model works.
So when it comes to plasma consumables?
You’ve got to figure that part out yourself.
Need plasma torches or consumables?
We stock PT31 / LG40, AG60 and other common plasma torch consumables in NZ and ship nationwide.
Scroll down to view products below.
The Listing Won’t Tell You
If you go back to the Save Barn product page, it’ll likely say:
● 40A or 50A plasma cutter
● Clean cut thickness
● Inverter technology
● Possibly pilot arc All good information.
But it won’t clearly say:
“This machine uses PT31 consumables.”
Because they’re selling a wide range of gear, not specialising in plasma breakdowns.
So if you’re sitting in your shed in Northland or Canterbury searching “Save Barn plasma tips”…
You’re guessing.
And guessing is expensive.
The Markup Reality
Here’s something most people don’t think about.
There’s a big difference between:
● Import pricing
● Retail shelf pricing
I’ve seen the same PT31 consumables move through different hands and end up retailing at three or four times their landed cost.
That’s not drama.
That’s just how retail markup works.
Warehousing, staff, freight, margin — it all stacks up.
If your Save Barn plasma cutter is running a common torch family like PT31 or AG60, it pays to know what you’ve actually got.
Because you don’t want to be paying inflated prices for generic hardware.
Most Save Barn Plasma Cutters Use Common Torch Families
Most 40–60 amp Chinese-built machines coming through large importers tend to use one of two torch families:
● PT31 / LG40 (scratch-start)
● AG60 (pilot-arc)
Not every single one.
But a lot of them.
And the difference matters.
If The Tip Pushes In → PT31 / LG40
Take the front cap off.
If the cutting tip:
● Pushes in
● Doesn’t screw in And the electrode:
● Is double-ended
● Can be flipped around
You’re running a PT31 / LG40 scratch-start torch.
Common.
Simple.
Easy to maintain.
If The Electrode Screws In → AG60
If instead:
● The electrode screws into the torch
● The tip screws in
● The electrode isn’t double-ended
You’ve got an AG60 pilot-arc torch.
Different ignition system.
Different consumables.
Still common in the same amp range.
Scratch vs Pilot – Same Physics Everywhere
Scratch-start means you touch the metal to begin the arc.
Pilot-arc fires internally first, then transfers.
Doesn’t matter if you’re cutting in Tauranga or Timaru.
The ignition type affects how it starts.
The torch family affects what parts fit.
When The Cut Starts Going Ugly
If your Save Barn plasma cutter starts:
● Spitting
● Cutting wide ● Losing arc stability Check the consumables first.
Worn tip.
Pitted electrode.
Dirty air.
I’ve tried stretching consumables longer than I should have.
Fresh set in and it cuts properly again.
Struggling With Thick Steel?
Before blaming the machine, check:
● Steel thickness
● Amperage
● Setup
I covered this properly here:
👉 Why Is My Plasma Cutter Burning tips so fast?
Worth reading before writing it off.
What Consumables Fit?
Push-in tip + double-ended electrode → PT31 / LG40 consumables
Screw-in electrode + screw-in tip → AG60 consumables
That covers the majority of Save Barn plasma cutters in the 40–60 amp range.
We Stock The Common Torch Families
We don’t specialise in proprietary industrial torches.
What we stock properly are the common torch families most imported machines use:
● PT31 / LG40
● AG60
● Other generic torch types
The stuff that keeps NZ sheds cutting without crazy consumable bills.
The Takeaway
Save Barn moves container loads of gear.
They’re not plasma specialists.
That doesn’t make your machine bad.
It just means you need to identify the torch yourself.
Match the family.
Buy the right consumables.
And don’t overpay for generic parts.