• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

Question Table Top Laser Cutters... Any Decent Ones?

CizreK

CizreK

Graphic Designer & Print Production Manager
I know this might be a crazy thing to ask because most people here are operating legit cutters. I've never owned any but operated three at once back in 2016-2019. It seems there is not mid-range for cutters. You see 40W table tops for $300 and then it jumps to $4,000 for 24x36ish cut range. I can't seem to find any of these table tops with a 80W laser on them tho.

Does anyone use these 40W amazon cutters? Can you cut .25 materials with it? Do you have to do 200 passes to cut through materials with a 40W.
Or... does anyone know where I can find a cheapo one with a 80W.

Trying to get one for myself to do small projects with. I would just let it run outside since they do not properly vent at all.
 
Smoke_Jaguar

Smoke_Jaguar

Man who touches printers inappropriately.
Most are going to be based on short wavelength diodes (blue/violet) and your options for cutting will be a bit limited. The diodes are also incredibly damaging to eyes, so safety is a must. That said, a 40W diode array will cut lots of materials up to .25" or more. Just note that clear materials are out, as they let the light right through. Ventilation is good, some diode kits come with enclosures and all that as well, and the price can be shockingly cheap.
 
D

Digital_Kim

New Member
I wouldn't bother with the super-cheap 40W K40-style machines unless you enjoy tinkering. They can definitely engrave well, but cutting 1/4" (6 mm) material is hit or miss depending on the material, optics, air assist, and alignment. On good plywood or acrylic, you might get through in a few passes, but it's not unusual to need several passes and spend time dialing everything in. If the mirrors are slightly out of alignment or the material isn't laser-friendly, performance drops quickly.

The jump from a few hundred dollars to $4,000+ is real, but there are some solid options in the middle now. One I'd look at is the Monport MEGAS 70W, which is currently around $2,999.99. It gives you quite a bit more cutting power than a 40W machine. It is Lighburn compatible and had its own MDH Software.

If your budget tops out around $3k, I'd skip the 40W machines and go straight to something in the 70W range.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top