When comparing Full Spectrum Lasers Muse vs Full Spectrum Hobby Series 20x12 CO2 Laser Cutter, 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 Full Spectrum Lasers Muse is ranked 5th. 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cons
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.
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.