I’m considering purchasing a Thunder Nova 51 100w. I have also thought about galvos/fiber lasers.
I would like to engrave on all materials with one machine. I know thats not possibe and ultimately will most likely need two machines to make this possible. I am currently studying light burn until I make my decision. I want to know lightburn inside and out before I pull the trigger. Any suggestion are appreciated. Thanks!
There aren’t many choices. Co2 for natural and fiber for man made materials. Co2 is very effective at cutting acrylic, not what you’d call a natural material…
If you want 100W co2 what are you going to use that power for, other than cutting? Usually the larger the machine the higher your lowest wattage will be. Mine will lase at about 10% some won’t lase until 20% is applied to them.
I use mine for up to ~8mm acrylic… and it’s 40W… mostly used for engraving.
The fiber is for metals, they are more expensive and come in q-switch or mopa types. Mopa are more expensive but have a larger adjustment range.
Make sense?
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You need to figure out what your main objective is. Cutting parts out for sale. Photo engraving. Business or hobby.
When considering machines for organic materials like wood always consider the smoke produced. They always show photos of open machines but never show how much smoke is produced. You burn wood and it will smoke. So I think it’s impractical to cut all materials with one machine, especially without modifications.
These are excellent points. @Dskall hit the nail on the head
You are purchasing a robotic “tool”.
When purchasing a tool it is because you need a solution to a problem.
Examples :
plunger 
= drain problems
Wrench = turn nuts and bolts 
( BIG WRENCH 
. = BIG nuts and bolts small wrench small nuts and bolts
Needle 
= thread 
and sewing
So basically you need the right tool for the job.
Same concepts apply to buying a
Laser.
What problem are you trying to solve by investing in a large laser?
Engraving- what… photos , SVGs? How Big
Cutting - what… leather, wood, acrylic How Big?
Are you going to earn a living by using this machine?
Or is this nice to have and hope that some day it will be your retirement? Only you can answer these questions. However in my humble opinion make sure you do ask yourself these questions truthfully and not from the big kid in all of us point of view.
Not trying to talk you out of it just saying that maybe you have other options you have not considered yet.
Here is another example
If you are moving
Do you need to buy a brand new truck 
or can you rent a truck or u-haul to help you move once.
Same with laser machines. Are you going to make production cuts from 4x8 pieces of material or are you wanting to make 4” Christmas ornaments for friends and family.
Cheers and good luck 
Sas
My fiance wants to make small jewelry and signs. I want to make boxes, tumblers, furniture, and portraits along with the ability to cut 3/4" material"
This is the reason Im thinking 100w co2. Im sure my portraits will suffer. I get it. There’s no magic wand.
I can see why so many people in the laser community have more than one machine. Between the two of us, we’re all over the map!
Most people wanting this thick of a cut seem to prefer a 150W machine…
Good luck
not to make you jealous,but…
My Reci W6 tube starts marking paper at 3% with a 2.5" lens. 
You just signed up for a 4x8 foot laser. Hope you have an empty garage 
I think 100 watts might be a lil too hot for small jewelry .
Cheers
Sas
Sure, that’s what you say… even thought you are 
I hear about some of these, I wish I knew how it was working… I don’t think the mounted lens has anything to do with it. I’m also wondering if it’s really lasing at such low levels…
Glad yours is working at that level, but it’s not the norm…
What do you think max wattage for Jewelry would be?
A co2 is not the right tool for jewelry, unless it’s made out of wood…
A 20W fiber works well on metal jewelry…
Wood jewelry can be quite beautiful and it has a great selling point. It’s very light
The metal jewelry made with a fiber laser is second to none it stands apart from the wood jewelry.
@Hillme9 What type of jewelry is your fiancé interested in making?
Cheers
Sas
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I dunno my wife absolutely loves the acrylic jewelry look, especially with all the fancy patterns you can get nowadays.
I beg your pardon… I stand corrected… add acrylic.
My fiance loves the wood jewelry and has seen some very beautiful pieces locally. She is not opposed to possibly doing both eventually but really would like to start with wood first.
At the incredibly low price of LightBurn, quit wasting time. It does a LOT and the help is fabulous. Start learning with their generous free trial.
You can spend all day deciding - or learning, with exceptional results.
Hillme9, I have a Nova 51 100w and I love my machine. I can even cut & score copy paper (just for fun) with it although I have been told it is not possible with the 100W. I can mark on 4% with the normal 2" lens. I was not sure what I wanted to do when buying it. I use the pass through a lot and also do small jewelry on it and custom jobs. I do not regret my buy because with that machine you get adventurous. I started learning 8 months ahead because I was not familiar with lasers at all. It helped a teeny bit; you actually learn a lot more when you trial and error on the machine itself. LightBurn is the best laser program out there and the support is AMAZING! LightBurn is a must for your laser machine. Have fun.
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Awesome 
!!!
can you show some photos of your small jewelry and custom jobs?
Sas