looking to purchase

[stan kern]

I am looking at purchasing a laser after jan5 and would appreciate any ideas if i'm going the wrong route.
There are 2 models 48x32 100 watt and a 36x24 100 watt red dot pointer my question is i feel i should buy the larger unit but its going to be difficult to get it into my shop as its 48wide 72 long 42 high so it has to go through the door on its side and the manufacturer says its ok, only fragile part is the tube.
Comes with laserdraw, drivers for coreldraw and autocad includes an exhaust fan air assist pump,water cooling pump and training.
I feel that the larger model would be better suited as any job can be tackled.
Also i have the option of purchasing the rotary attachment and have asked about purchasing a spare laser tube for future use.
Could somebody offers pro and cons please

[Gary Hair]

Stan,
As an owner of a large bed laser myself, 38" x 20", I think you'll be happy with the larger of the two lasers. I have done lots of work with the large bed that I could never have done with a "typical" size laser. I also have a rotary attachment and have done thousands of dollars worth of rotary engraving - it's not an expense, it's an investment (a necessity). I would recommend against buying a spare tube, it will go bad just sitting there, especially if it's a glass, Chinese tube. They are notorious for going bad quickly, especially if they are not used. Instead, you'll have to be very aware of a decrease in power and order a tube when you see it happening. I have heard of those tubes going out in 4-6 months and have also heard of them lasting a couple of years - it's a crap shoot sometimes. With the software, laserdraw, and the cooling pump you mention, I am assuming this is a Chinese-made laser. Not necessarily a problem there, but you won't get the support you would with a laser from a larger manufacturer - be careful who you buy it from, they will either be your best friend or your worst enemy when you need support.

Good luck!

Gary

[stan kern]

I feel my investment would be better going to the larger machine even with the headache of getting it in my shop,i don't like to be limited in size.
Also i will forget the spare laser and this company appears to be ok ,and have been around for awhile .
Would like to buy a more rputable laser but the cost gets much higher .
I was surprised when i heard they use 4 steppers 900 oz nema34 which is very close to my wood cnc at 500/1200 oz.
I gather the software laserdraw is typical ,is there better software or is this ok.
Also the water pump ,is there any alarms if the pump quits as i would think the heat could be serious.

[Dave Johnson29]

Also the water pump ,is there any alarms if the pump quits as i would think the heat could be serious.

Hi Stan,

A couple of points. The larger platten size will almost certainly be a little slower at it's max speed due to the increased mass of the carriage system and ramping speeds. About 90% of the work I have done is little larger than about 4" x 4".

The times I have needed a bigger bed size (12" x 17") was for long things and I have doors to allow them in. On some occassions I have had to cut multiple items from a larger sheet but there were never enough to really justify a larger bed for the few times it was required.

If the water system does not have a flow switch and a temperature switch to shut the laser down at low flow or high temp, the glass tube will be gone in a second. All very unimpressive. You will hear slight "click" and it will stop working forever.

I have been messing with and building lasers for many years and learned the water cooling lesson early on. On my 50W with a glass tube, I have a flow sensor and temp sensor in series with the driver signal. If either goes open no drive.

Can't help with the software.

[Bill Cunningham]

Also i will forget the spare laser and this company appears to be ok ,and have been around for awhile .
Would like to buy a more rputable laser but the cost gets much higher .

I'm not suggesting that you post the name of your proposed supplier, but it will probably be wise to use that name in a sawmill creek search. If they have indeed been around for a while, there will most likely something posted in one or more threads regarding their great service or lack there of.. It's a big investment, and it's just good sense to use all the tools at your disposal..

[Mathew Birtch]

I have been looking for the exact same Laser (minus the rotary attachment).

I believe that Rabbit stocks parts including Lasers in Texas, so you should be able to get them next day. (I assume you are in North America.)