looking to get a laser cutter for hobby / side hustle.
i found a used xTool p2 in what looks like like new condition with the smoke cleaner for $3000. I really like the idea of the larger bed as well as the pass through feature and the auto feeder as well as curved surface engraving and the thicker material possibilities.
I also stumbled on to the Monport Onyx 55w. Its on sale for $2k which seems like a great deal. i can’t find how thick the pass through allows. i like that it comes with the rotary attachment.
Are you willing to use the XTool software? The new whiz-bang features on the P2 don’t work in Lightburn. Not saying they won’t ever, but relying on futureware is not a plan.
I really like the Monport GRBL controller. I’ve had just the controller kicking around and it’s been easy to communicate with. (edit: different controller here)
The ad for the Onyx says RDWorks.
“Control Software ：RDWorks(provided);”
RDWorks means the Onyx has a Ruida Controller.
This engraver will require a DSP LightBurn License, an upgrade from the standard License.
Their software is pretty much a remnant from the last century, and if on an older more budget oriented laptop, You’ll be unpleasantly surprised how much power and torque a software as simple as XCS requires.
That said, I do like the features on the P2, but the fact that it can’t be fully controlled with LB would be a dealbreaker for me.
hard to say. i went to school for graphic design… so hopefully i’ll be using Adobe products, exporting to whatever file the laser likes (svg it seems) then burning. I dont know how much the xTool software is used. I really hope i dont have to design much in a non adobe program.
in my research i’ve been told to avoid Monport due to build issues. maybe it was someone that had a bad experience and doesn’t represent the majority of their products.
Electrical wiring issues a plenty.
Shoddy frame welds have led to owners reporting entire sections of their machine separating, making the machines unusable.
Some of the worst service in the industry & a non-transferable warranty.
so, if lightburn doesn’t utilize the “new whiz bang features” (what are those features if you dont mind telling)… does that mean that lightburn will work just fine with it and only be able to use standard features that i’d be limited to in other laser cutters anyway? And if i wanted to use the fancy features, i could switch into Xtool’s software?
I’m not an Xtool guy, but I believe I’ve read that the curved material, auto feeder, and camera, (& maybe auto-focus?) don’t work in LB. Search topics for the P2 and you’ll find plenty.
You’re not going to get good factory support and a transferrable warranty in the 2-3k price range. That puts you FIRMLY in Chinese hobby-grade territory. Can you quadruple your budget?
so by using lightburn, i’d be losing features that other lasers don’t have to begin with. do i understand that right? if thats the case, that doesn’t bother me as much as if lightburn would knock it down to worse than other lasers like an omtech.
Yeah, i can quadruple or double it for the thunder bolt… but i dont want to. thats getting too expensive for a hobby machine.
bummer about support, for some reason i thought they were in pacific northwest.
what laser would you recommend in this price range? desktop preferred (required really)
I don’t have an X-tool, so haven’t researched, but from what I’ve read their support is spotty at best and if you don’t use XCS, they seem to automatically blame the 3rd party software. (Right or wrong, it’s lazy since they also advertise supporting them.) I also see parts and warranty issue being spotty. If they are, indeed, US-based support staff, that’s at least SOMETHING. I get SOO tired of the timezone and language barrier ON TOP of reluctant service/resolution from Chinese-based support.
As far as desktop CO2…I can’t really help at all.
Search X-Tool (or whatever spelling variation) here and you’ll get an idea. No better than the other common names.
I don’t have a budget anywhere near that territory, so I’m limited to Chinese regardless…but if I could do it, I’d be looking toward Thunder. Again, just based on what I’ve read. No experience.
DIY is always an option if you’re the type. A pile of 8020, a motion system, and some electronics can get you a damn fine machine that you know inside and out. Won’t save you any money over Chinese and you won’t have better support, but you’ll gain a lot regardless.
Might want to read this if you haven’t found it in your search of the site.
Although a dsp controller is generally more expensive, they are much better for laser control.
If you limit it to desktops, what’s available is pretty limited.
You need a liquid coolant with dc excited tubes, you have to have plumbing and the cooling equipment. This puts practical limits on the size a desktop can be.
A common item is the power output. The power output of a co2 system is dependent on it’s length.
A 50W tube needs to be a meter long, 55W even longer. Since all of these cases are not more than a meter in width. I doubt the output values they claim.
My OMTech China Blue 50W was a bit over 40W when measured and only 880mm in length. OMTech isn’t stupid, they knew this when they built it or had it built also when they wrote the advertisement…
40W doesn’t sound as good as 50W… I guess…
Unless you cough up about 10 times the money, it will be a Chinese machine. Most technical service requires a 24 hour turnaround time. It’s the middle of the night over there for most of us.
I haven’t seen a thunder laser desktop… but you always have to add the chiller to it’s foot print unless it’s a desktop.
With a desktop, the parts are not standard, much worse than the rest of them… the optics and coolant systems seem to be rater custom.
How easy a clean/alignment is done on a desktop by the user, I have no idea. I’m sure someone can advise us.
If you watch a few of these videos, you can get a better idea of what may become an issue for you.
The P2, Onyx, Gweike Cloud, Polar and Glowforge are desktops that are relatively close…
I put in Glowforge, but it’s not really a consideration to me. Expensive, requires an internet connection and it totally proprietary, both hard/software wise.
These point out annoyances about the product… sometimes a good to know. There were some odd things that surprised me.
@bionicback321 link is to an Ebay OMTech… I’ve seen lots of griping about this type of purchase… They try to go back to OMTech for warranty and/or service where they are directed back to the original ebay site. You can get good deals, but you may not be getting what you think for warranty and/or service.
Cloud Ray states
Notification
1.We only offer after-sale tech support for customers who order directly from www.cloudraylaser.com. 2. We are not responsible for orders from Cloudray store on shopping platforms (Amazon, eBay, AliExpress) or offline dealers as we don’t have your order information in our system. Please contact the related store or salesman directly to get support.
3. Any Businesss Cooperation consult, please directly contact us at cooperation@cloudray.com.
Likewise OMTech statement
LIMITED WARRANTY CONDITIONS
We warrant that during the specific warranty period set forth below, the respective OMTech product purchased directly from OMTechLaser.com will be free from defects in materials and workmanship. No other warranty, express or implied, is given with respect to the OMTech products purchased. OMTech’s responsibility for defective OMTech products is limited to repair or replacement, as described below, in this Limited Warranty. This limited warranty does not apply to OMTech-branded products purchased from third-party websites such as Amazon or eBay.
You can find these at reduced price, but you have to go back to the Amazon people to deal with issues or warranty.
OMTech has a different warranty for lasers 70W or greater of 1 year for tube and lps… if it’s a smaller laser these are only warranted for 6 months.
