Joel Matteson
03-02-2012, 8:49 PM
Greetings everyone,
I've been a lifelong hobby woodworker which is what brought me to SMC a couple years ago. My wife and I have tossed the idea of a laser around for three years now, and are finally close to taking the leap! We both have day jobs which, at least for now, we are not going to quit; however, we'd like to start part time and see how things can grow. We are almost certainly going to add a laser to our complete wood shop. I've taken the advice on this forum very seriously. We laid out all our options, our finances, the pros and cons, listed our most likely uses knowing they will change, and have begun to put together a business plan. I've even purchased Corel X5 so I can get a head start on the software learning curve. I have narrowed our options down to a 40W Epilog Mini 24 or the 40W Universal VLS 3.5. Because we are new to engraving, I know we'd quickly appreciate the convenience of the customer support of these two big names. We've had our Epilog demo and are soon getting our Universal demo. I've been comparing these two machines. I know both are good quality, and I'm not going to ask which one you'd choose ...... but I am curious about your thoughts on the difference in their optics.
The Epilog Mini 24 comes standard with Epilogs 'Radiance High Resolution Optics,' which is their upgraded optics as compared to the Zing series. Universal offers, 'High Power Density Focusing Optics,' which are an upgrade, not standard. Universal claims that with their HPDFO you can engrave on metal without cermark and using as low as a 25W laser. I'm not really buying this, BUT ... I would like to know if these optics really make such a difference in the quality and capability of the machine and if having upgraded optics should be part of my plan. In line with this question ... I've gathered that the optics of Universal are much more sensitive with different air assist requirements. Can I get away with a standard air pump with the Universal, or should I add much more to my 'budget' when looking at the Universal machine?
Looking forward to a lot of interaction on this forum ... hoping to have a new machine this spring!
JM
I've been a lifelong hobby woodworker which is what brought me to SMC a couple years ago. My wife and I have tossed the idea of a laser around for three years now, and are finally close to taking the leap! We both have day jobs which, at least for now, we are not going to quit; however, we'd like to start part time and see how things can grow. We are almost certainly going to add a laser to our complete wood shop. I've taken the advice on this forum very seriously. We laid out all our options, our finances, the pros and cons, listed our most likely uses knowing they will change, and have begun to put together a business plan. I've even purchased Corel X5 so I can get a head start on the software learning curve. I have narrowed our options down to a 40W Epilog Mini 24 or the 40W Universal VLS 3.5. Because we are new to engraving, I know we'd quickly appreciate the convenience of the customer support of these two big names. We've had our Epilog demo and are soon getting our Universal demo. I've been comparing these two machines. I know both are good quality, and I'm not going to ask which one you'd choose ...... but I am curious about your thoughts on the difference in their optics.
The Epilog Mini 24 comes standard with Epilogs 'Radiance High Resolution Optics,' which is their upgraded optics as compared to the Zing series. Universal offers, 'High Power Density Focusing Optics,' which are an upgrade, not standard. Universal claims that with their HPDFO you can engrave on metal without cermark and using as low as a 25W laser. I'm not really buying this, BUT ... I would like to know if these optics really make such a difference in the quality and capability of the machine and if having upgraded optics should be part of my plan. In line with this question ... I've gathered that the optics of Universal are much more sensitive with different air assist requirements. Can I get away with a standard air pump with the Universal, or should I add much more to my 'budget' when looking at the Universal machine?
Looking forward to a lot of interaction on this forum ... hoping to have a new machine this spring!
JM