When comparing Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter vs ZMorph 2.0 SX, the Slant community recommends Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter for most people. In the question“What are the best laser cutters?” Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter is ranked 1st while ZMorph 2.0 SX is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter is:
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.
Specs
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Pros
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pro Decent workspace
This laser cutter has a quite large workspace: 20" x 12", which is larger than a standard A3 paper sheet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cons
Con Low cutting depth
The maximum suggested cutting depth is only ¼".
Con Can't cut metal
The 40W laser is not powerful enough for metal cutting.
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.
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.
Con Unsafe enclosure
The enclosure of this machine does not provide any laser safety, as the laser beam can easily go through its walls.