Anyone have one?
Ever regret buying one?
Ever have an accident with it?
What is the average operating cost of your machine? (Not how much you charge…)
I have a 380 watt Co2 that can cut mild steel and stainless. I have yet to hook up oxygen to it, as I can’t get anyone to help me with it. Immediately, the uninitiated tell me I’m going to blow my shop up. I’ve been using oxy acetylene for decades, and it’s not a bomb. It’s not like I’m doing Hydrogen assist… lol. You just have to be mindful of what you’re doing, and have fire suppression. oxygen just makes anything that burns burn fiercely. People use Oxygen assist on lasers all the time, and I can buy one from any number of laser companies, but I have yet to find someone willing to assist with the setup. If you’re asking about fiber lasers, I’ve used them many times, and they’re cool as hell… If you can afford a dedicated metal machine, I cannot imagine a scenario in which you’d regret it. I farm my metal out to the laser cutting guy down the road… he has a 1000 watt co2 laser and he can cut about 1/2" mild steel, Stainless and aluminum. I just know that most people go CO2 for hobby, because you can cut a greater range of stuff. It’s my understanding that you can’t do plastic or polycarb on a fiber because of the shorter wavelength. I know you can fudge some wood and / or fabric, but it’s dicey…