What are the best laser cutters for makerspaces?

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ToolsLaser Cutters

What are the best laser cutters for makerspaces?

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Aug 10, 2020

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Best laser cutters for makerspaces	Price	Technology	Cooling type
-- Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter	$3,499.00	Sealed CO2 laser tub	Recirculating water cooling

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score 2 · Answer 1

Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter

Top Pro

Perfect for DIY use

The power and performance of this laser cutter are balanced perfectly for domestic DIY use. It can cut practically any soft material ranging from wood to plastics, to a depth of up to 1/4". Its software and workflow are as straightforward as it can be. See More

Top Con

Can't cut metal

The 40W laser is not powerful enough for metal cutting. See More

Specs

Technology:Sealed CO2 laser tub

Cooling type:Recirculating water cooling

Software:RetinaEngrave software

Power of the beam:40 W

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Top Pro

Very good value for money

Considering this machine's cutting power, build quality, and software, it is very complicated to find a matching laser cutter below the price point of $3500. This is a professional grade machine created for hobby applications. Multiple upgrade options are available. See More

Top Con

Low cutting depth

The maximum suggested cutting depth is only ¼". See More

Top Pro

Upgradable

You can upgrade this laser cutter, thanks to the multiple very useful accessories available. For example, you can get a powerful 45 W laser tube ($250), a water chiller ($600), lens upgrades ($250 a piece), or a fume extractor upgrade ($1100). See More

Top Pro

Safe enclosure protects users from harm

The enclosure of the laser cutter is very well designed. Once the lid is down, the operator is entirely safe. The enclosure of this machine also has plugs for a CO2 tube cooling system and a fume extractor compressor. See More

Top Pro

Prevents accidental starts

This machine will not launch until the kill-switch is released. It prevents the operator from the danger of an accidental laser start. The switch is located on the front panel of the cutter. See More

Top Pro

Easy to use

The graphics import process is straightforward. Just print to a 'Full Spectrum Lasers Engineering Driver' option from an image-editing software of your choice. The image then is auto-loaded into RetinaEngrave. Within the software, you can do all the pre-adjustments before producing the final cut. See More

Top Pro

Honeycomb base plate prevents overheating and reflections

The base plate is made from aluminum and has a honeycomb pattern, which prevents workpiece overheating and laser beam reflections. See More

Top Pro

Decent workspace

This laser cutter has a quite large workspace: 20" x 12", which is larger than a standard A3 paper sheet. See More

Top Pro

No hassle with calibrations

The optical tools of this laser cutter are pre-adjusted. You should be able to run this laser cutter straight out of the box. However, you can still do some micro-adjustments. Additionally, the adjusting process is simple and well documented. See More

Top Pro

Can work with a variety of materials

This laser cutter comes with a pre-installed 40W CO2 laser tube. When properly adjusted, the 40W laser beam is capable of cutting hardwood, plywood, acrylics, and leather. See More

Top Pro

You can tweak the workspace

There is a chance of processing workpieces even larger than 20" x 12". You can simply remove the base plate and produce multiple continuous 20" x 12" cuts on very large and flat surfaces. See More

Top Pro

Versatile software

The RetinaEngrave software can receive design files from any software capable of printing (like CorelDraw, AutoCAD, Solidworks, Adobe Illustrator, PDF, MS Word, etc.). See More

Top Pro

Well built

The body of this laser cutter is made of high-quality steel. The parts are CNC machined. Thus the construction is very solid. See More

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What are the best laser cutters for makerspaces?

Options Considered

Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter

My Recommendation for Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter

My Recommendation for Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter

Perfect for DIY use

Can't cut metal

Very good value for money

Low cutting depth

Upgradable

Safe enclosure protects users from harm

Prevents accidental starts

Easy to use

Honeycomb base plate prevents overheating and reflections

Decent workspace

No hassle with calibrations

Can work with a variety of materials

You can tweak the workspace

Versatile software

Well built

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