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4.7 star rating
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What is the best alternative to CNCShop Laser Engraving Machine 130W?
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Glowforge Pro Plus
All
15
Experiences
Pros
12
Cons
2
Specs
Top
Pro
Ideal for small business needs
Even though this is not an industrial-grade machine, it still has decent production capabilities. Due to its high versatility and proper precision (up to 1/1000"), this device is perfect for repetitive applications in small production runs.
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Top
Con
Can't work without an Internet connection
Due to the fact it uses a cloud-based software, without an Internet connection, this laser cutter is useless.
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Pro
Good cutting capacity
The machine has enough power to cut through ½ inch hardwood.
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Con
Can't cut metal
This laser cutter is not capable of cutting metal.
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Pro
Enclosure protects the operator from harm
The enclosure protects the operator from the harmful laser beam, fumes, and smoke.
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Pro
Durable and sturdy
The body of this machine is made from high-quality metal, glass, and plastic. All the parts are both durable and professional looking. Everything is CNC machined.
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Pro
Cross-platform software
The software is capable of running on almost any iOS, Android, Windows and Linux machines.
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Pro
Build space is large enough for most home/small business needs
The build area of this laser cutter is 11.5" x 20". This is more than enough for regular home needs, as well as small business needs. The pass-through feature allows you to cut or engrave very long sheets of material.
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Pro
Can blow fumes away
The cutter uses an air compressor to blow fumes away from the laser beam. It prevents ignition and accidental damage to the lens.
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Pro
Built-in water cooling
A closed-loop water cooling system is built into the machine. There is no need for an additional external water pump or a water cooler.
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Pro
Efficient, easy-to-use software
The software provided by Glowforge is fantastic. It is entirely cloud-based, meaning that all the work happens on the server side. The user interface is very intuitive and all the features are user-friendly. Additionally, you will not need to track and install the latest software updates manually, which is an important advantage about cloud-based applications.
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Pro
Comes with a custom laser tube
This 45W laser cutter is, in fact, more powerful than the overwhelming majority of 45W CO2 laser cutters available in the market. The thing is that Glowforge developed their own CO2 laser tube. The given tube is extremely efficient due to its 'Mode 0' design (it provides greater power density).
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Pro
No need for manual adjustments
The manufacturer permanently adjusts all the optical equipment. When required, the lenses can be auto-adjusted by the machine itself.
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Pro
Honeycomb base plate ensures good heat transfer
A thick, honeycombed baseplate is a standard feature of this laser cutter. This baseplate design allows for good heat transfer between air and the workpiece.
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Specs
Technology:
CO2 laser tube
Cooling type:
Closed loop self contained internal cooling
Software:
Glowforge native software
Power of the beam:
45 W
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Experiences
$5,995.00
39
21
Full Spectrum Lasers Muse
All
7
Experiences
Pros
5
Cons
1
Specs
Top
Pro
Multiple designs and projects are provided
FSL did a great job when it comes to providing users with countless sample projects for this laser cutter. You can get an entire library of design files for free. There is a whole tutorial section available (you need to be registered) for makers, where you will be able to find all sorts of guides to do with this laser cutter.
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Top
Con
Lacks a proper spec sheet
It is incredibly complicated to find all the technical specifications for this laser cutter. The specifications sheet provided by the manufacturer, which is not even included in the manual, is limited to workspace dimensions and cutting power. Other important parameters, like precision and cutting speed, are simply not there.
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Top
Pro
Free, easy-to-use software
This laser cutter works with the RetinaEngrave software. A copy of the software is provided for free, together with a laser cutter. The software is very intuitive and user-friendly. It requires no tinkering.
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Top
Pro
Can cut various materials
This laser cutter is perfect for cutting soft materials, such as wood, plywood, MDF, plastics, and acrylics. Additionally, its 40 W laser tube is perfectly suitable for engraving metals.
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Pro
Informative, user-friendly touch screen
The built-in LCD touch screen is there to help the user control the machine and give out information regarding its current state. It is used to display the current work progress, edit settings, and launch working routines.
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Pro
Can engrave curved items
Due to a rotary attachment feature, you can engrave curved objects. The attachment is optional, and it costs $895. It is perfect for engraving bottles, glasses, and other cylindrical objetcs.
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Specs
Technology:
CO2 laser
Cooling type:
Water cooling
Software:
RetinaEngrave V2 software (free)
Workspace:
20" x 12"
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Experiences
$5,000.00
13
5
Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter
All
16
Experiences
Pros
13
Cons
2
Specs
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.
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Top
Con
Low cutting depth
The maximum suggested cutting depth is only ¼".
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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).
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Top
Con
Can't cut metal
The 40W laser is not powerful enough for metal cutting.
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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.
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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.
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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.).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Top
Pro
Decent workspace
This laser cutter has a quite large workspace: 20" x 12", which is larger than a standard A3 paper sheet.
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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.
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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.
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Specs
Technology:
Sealed CO2 laser tub
Cooling type:
Recirculating water cooling
Software:
RetinaEngrave software
Power of the beam:
40 W
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Experiences
$3,499.00
54
1
MC-Series 5'x10' Flatbed 500W Fiber Laser Metal Cutter
All
7
Experiences
Pros
5
Cons
1
Specs
Top
Pro
Excellent for industries
This laser cutter is an excellent professional, industrial grade machine. It was designed and built for metal mass-production purposes. It's tough and heavy and it was made to run non-stop 24/7 shifts.
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Con
Expensive
This laser cutter is very expensive, costing around $130,000.
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Top
Pro
Can effectively cut a variety of metals
According to the specifications sheet, this machine can cut materials like carbon steel (up to 6 mm), stainless steel (up to 3 mm), galvanized plate (up to 3 mm), aluminum (up to 3 mm) and copper (up to 2 mm).
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Top
Pro
Uses highly efficient fiber laser technology
Compared to the standard CO2 tube laser technology, fiber laser technology has multiple advantages. Firstly, the fiber laser machines have no moving parts or mirrors in the light-generating source, which noticeably reduces maintenance expenses. Secondly, fiber lasers have higher electrical efficiency, making the electrical bills lower. Thirdly, fiber lasers are capable of cutting very reflective metals (copper, brass, and aluminum).
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Top
Pro
You can choose the machine's power that suits you best
Apart from the standard 500 W model, there are many other power options available for this product. You can choose pretty much anything between 200 W and 2 KW.
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Top
Pro
No need to adjust the optics
The laser beam is channeled and amplified through a fiber optic cable. The cable is the only optical tool standing between the laser diodes and the working head. There is a lense in the working head, but it has an auto-adjust feature.
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Specs
Technology:
Solid state CW 1070nm Fiber Laser
Cooling type:
Refrigerated Water Chiller
Software:
RetinaEngrave software (free)
Workspace:
59” x 118”
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Experiences
$130,000.00
6
0
Meterk DK-BL 1500mW
All
7
Experiences
Pros
4
Cons
2
Specs
Top
Pro
Highly affordable
This is the cheapest 1.5 W laser cutter you can get, with a price tag below $150.
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Top
Con
Tiny workspace
The workspace of this laser cutter is only 1.7" x 1.7". This cutters has one of the smallest working areas among devices available in the market today.
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Top
Pro
Good for low-power cutting and engraving
This laser cutter is equipped with a 1.5 W laser head, which is capable of engraving materials like acrylics, wood, MDF, and plastics. However, when it comes to cutting, this machine is only capable of handling paper and cardboard.
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Con
Potentially dangerous due to lack of enclosure
The machine does not have any enclosures surrounding the workspace. This is potentially dangerous as the laser can hit objects outside the workspace. The uncontrolled reflections can also be a severe threat.
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Top
Pro
Can be used wirelessly
This laser cutter uses a very stable and reliable Bluetooth interface to communicate with computers, tablets, and smartphones. Also, the machine can run power itself via its built -in 6.0 Ah battery, which is capable of providing up to 6 hours of machine runtime.
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Top
Pro
No need to get software separately
A free copy of the NEJE software is provided along with the machine, either on a USB drive or a CD. This software is capable of performing basic cutting and engraving actions, being specially good for vector engraving.
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Specs
Technology:
Laser toolhead
Cooling type:
No cooling
Software:
NEJE software
Power of the beam:
1.5 W
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Experiences
$103.99
5
0
ZMorph 2.0 SX
All
6
Experiences
Pros
2
Cons
3
Specs
Top
Pro
Included multi-functional software is easy to use
All the primary functions of this machine are implemented within a single software - Voxelizer. It is used for 3D printing, laser cutting, laser engraving, and CNC milling. The software gives you access to 9 unique workflows designed to take the full advantage of the ZMorph. Each of them includes special presets and detailed editable settings for 3D printing, 3D milling, 2D milling and laser cutting. Voxelizer is a very straightforward and easy to use piece of software.
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Con
Laser power is limited
Do not expect a lot of cutting power from this machine. The 2.8 W laser head is capable of engraving wood, MDF, plastics, acrylics, and some metals. Material cutting, on the other hand, requires substantially more power. The only materials this machine can cut are acrylics, paper, and cardboard.
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Top
Pro
Excellent multi-functionality
The ZMorph is a highly capable laser cutter, but its functionalities are not limited to this. It can also do CNC routing and 3D printing. In fact, this is an excellent 3D printer, being capable of printing filaments like PLA, ABS, HIPS, Ninjaflex, Nylon, etc. Its precision is also quite stunning: 14 microns for X and Y axes, 0.6 microns for Z axis.
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Top
Con
Laser cutter datasheet is not provided
It's impossible to find any valid datasheet with information about speed and precision of the laser cutter/engraver workhead. Only its power is available.
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Top
Con
Unsafe enclosure
The enclosure of this machine does not provide any laser safety, as the laser beam can easily go through its walls.
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Specs
Technology:
Laser toolhead
Cooling type:
No cooling
Software:
Voxelizer software
Power of the beam:
2.8 W
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$3,890.00
5
0
Orion Motor Tech 12"x 8"
All
11
Experiences
Pros
5
Cons
5
Specs
Top
Con
Requires a lot of tinkering
It will take a certain amount of skills and experience to run this laser cutter. Knowledge of CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) processes and concepts is essential. Besides, skills and expertise in electrical engineering will come in handy, as all the electrical schematics are unavailable. It is possible to receive high cutting/engraving quality from this machine, but plan to invest a lot of time and effort into tinkering with it.
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Top
Pro
Laser tube can be upgraded to a more powerful one
If you need, you can upgrade the standard 40 W laser tube to a 50 W version.
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Top
Con
Focal length needs manual adjustments
It is very hard to reach the full potential (40W of cutting power) of this laser cutter, as the optimum focal length of the lens must be found experimentally/manually.
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Top
Pro
Affordable
This is one of the cheapest CO2 tube lasers out on the market. It was created as a cost-effective alternative to multiple thousand dollar machines.
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Con
Workspace is small
Visually, the machine might look big, but the work area is only 12" x 8". That's less than an A4 sheet. This is an essential thing to consider before going for this laser cutter.
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Pro
Software and manual are included
The unit is shipped together with a free copy of its dedicated software Shenzhouyi. The software's manual is also included.
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Con
Not suitable for metal cutting
It has neither the power nor the precision required for metal cutting.
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Pro
Works very well when mastered
This laser cutter can do very fine cutting/engraving if you manage to fully unleash its potential. However, this will require you to invest a lot of your time into this machine to explore and upgrade it.
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Top
Con
The software is very basic
The software is not as advanced as the software provided by brands like FSL and Glowforge. It is suitable only for basic cutting and engraving applications.
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Pro
Comes with accessories
This laser cutter comes with a water pump, which is used for CO2 tube cooling, and a fume extractor.
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Specs
Technology:
CO2 laser tube
Cooling type:
Water cooling
Software:
Shenzhouyi software, compatible with CorelDraw
Workspace:
12" x 8"
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Experiences
$479.99
21
6
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