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Add to SafariWhen comparing Glowforge Pro Plus vs Orion Motor Tech 12"x 8", the Slant community recommends Orion Motor Tech 12"x 8" for most people. In the question“What are the best laser cutters?” Orion Motor Tech 12"x 8" is ranked 3rd while Glowforge Pro Plus is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose Orion Motor Tech 12"x 8" is:
If you need, you can upgrade the standard 40 W laser tube to a 50 W version.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
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.
Pro Good cutting capacity
The machine has enough power to cut through ½ inch hardwood.
Pro Enclosure protects the operator from harm
The enclosure protects the operator from the harmful laser beam, fumes, and smoke.
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.
Pro Cross-platform software
The software is capable of running on almost any iOS, Android, Windows and Linux machines.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pro Comes with accessories
This laser cutter comes with a water pump, which is used for CO2 tube cooling, and a fume extractor.
Cons
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.
Con Can't cut metal
This laser cutter is not capable of cutting metal.
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.
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.
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.
Con Not suitable for metal cutting
It has neither the power nor the precision required for metal cutting.
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.
