Suggestions for USA sourced Chinese laser

[Kristian Matz]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a USA based company that sells, services and supports Chinese lasers? I have talked to Rabbit already and I am looking for other suggestions.

Alternately if anyone has a laser similar to a rabbit (1200x900 80w) that is not too far from the Charlotte NC are and is willing to show it to me, I would appreciate that.


Thanks in advance.

[David Somers]

Kristian,

I have not bought a laser yet, but have seen and heard nothing but good things about the folks at Rabbit. For what that is worth.
Bell Laser is another option. Some of their folks are members here. And I believe they have advertised here for their tube recharge services.
And another presence on the forum is Automation Technology. Look in the sponsor listing and you will find their info.

Be sure to go through the Chinese laser tips and trips thread. You will find lots of info on various companies there that may help you.

Hope that helps.

Dave

[Kristian Matz]

Thanks for the info, I have read pretty much everything in this forum on the subject over the last few weeks :) I was hoping maybe someone who had not posted before would share some info on the where to look.

I am very interested in a new machine, I just want to be able to see a demo so I can be sure.

[Gary Hair]

Bell Laser is another option. Some of their folks are members here. And I believe they have advertised here for their tube recharge services.

I would research Bell Laser a bit before going down that path. There are a few things I found strange about their company when I was inquiring about a fiber laser. They have an address in Seattle but it appears to be a mail box site, they also have an address in Pennsylvania but that's under "World Laser". Emails are answered randomly and it seems that the owner of the company may actually be in China, not based in the US at all. I was all gung-ho to have them provide a replacement tube for my laser but all of the communication with them left me feeling very uneasy and feeling like I should beware. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would advise doing good research and checking references before doing business with them. A simple google search of "Bell laser" and another for "Greg rawley" will give you a start.

[Rich Harman]

I would research Bell Laser a bit before going down that path. There are a few things I found strange about their company when I was inquiring about a fiber laser. They have an address in Seattle but it appears to be a mail box site, they also have an address in Pennsylvania but that's under "World Laser". Emails are answered randomly and it seems that the owner of the company may actually be in China, not based in the US at all. I was all gung-ho to have them provide a replacement tube for my laser but all of the communication with them left me feeling very uneasy and feeling like I should beware. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would advise doing good research and checking references before doing business with them. A simple google search of "Bell laser" and another for "Greg rawley" will give you a start.

You got further than I did, I didn't even get a response when I inquired about a new tube.

[David Somers]

Gary, You are correct about the setup of Bell Laser. For giggles I bicycled by their "seattle" address and it is a US Post Office box. Their layout makes it a bit hard to find info on them. BBB has rated them poorly, but because they did not respond to the BBB about a complaint so you have little to look at. There was just that one incident. None of the states they are associated with have any background on them in the Attorney General's office.

While I never found really bad stuff about them there is just enough there to make me nervous personally. Folks who have recharged with them seem happy enough. But I have no idea as to the quality of their lasers. And there was enough there that I didnt bother digging that much further. Personally I would go with Rabbit in Ohio given the option. That is just my opinion though.

Lots of folks here seem happy with their machines from Automation technology as well.

By the way. You can do a search in here on multi word terms if you use the little magnifying glass at the top right of the forum. That will do a google site specific search. Add a space after what google shows you, then do a quote mark, your search terms, and another quote mark. So "automation technology" will do a search on that phrase rather on either word by itself. You will be able to work the forum must faster that way when you have specifics you are after.

Dave

[Bert Kemp]

If your in NC you might check out Boss Laser their in FL haven'y heard a lot about them so do your homework. I just did a deal with rabbit laser mostly because of all the good feedback from here. I'll let everyone know how it goes when I pick up my laser 8/1

[Kevin Gregerson]

There are a number of them.

What's your application? Because each one has different strengths and weaknesses. Either in design or in workflow. So setup your own pieces around that because you'll end up with a better product with the correct options that way.

[Bill George]

I did some checking on Boss before I purchased mine from Automation Technology who is based in Chicago. I went with AT because they were cheaper and closer. In your case however Boss is closer too you I believe, it was more or less the same machine.

[Dan Hintz]

Here's a thread I posted in on Boss...
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?209236-Boss-Laser-LS-1415

[Kristian Matz]

QUOTE=Kevin Gregerson;2299225]There are a number of them.

What's your application? Because each one has different strengths and weaknesses. Either in design or in workflow. So setup your own pieces around that because you'll end up with a better product with the correct options that way.[/QUOTE]


I am doing a lot of reverse and front engraving in coated acrylic and romark type materials. These are then cut out as for the products. I would like to increase my ability to cut different thicknesses of acrylic and veneer mdf. We are a high end awards company and I would like to expand our custom product capabilities. Ideally I was looking at the speedy 400 or the fusion 40, but I can not make that work right now.

I have attached a few of the products that we have done. This is in addition to lasering engraving plates and things like flasks and wood products.

[Ross Moshinsky]

I wouldn't buy a Chinese machine to engrave. They engrave MUCH slower than your average Western machine. For cutting, they are hard to beat. You get size and power for a very low cost.

Rabbit is the only company in the game that has been around for a while and has gotten essentially all positive reviews. At this point, I'd say they are the only company I'd buy from. The other companies seem to be just a step above buying directly from China.

[Mike Null]

I read most of the posts here and I just remember the overwhelming majority of Chinese laser purchasers having problems right out of the box. Many seem to persist for lengthy periods.

My business is not unlike yours and I couldn't risk not knowing if my machine is going to work right when I need it. I had to have my tube re-manufactured recently but even with that I've had only 8 days of down time in 8 years.

[Kristian Matz]

That is one of the main reasons that I want to go see a machine. To see how it operates, see how slow it really is. Compare it to what I am currently doing. I have been working with Rabbit, as of now they have not been able to find someone near me to go look at a machine.

[David Somers]

Kristian,

Try this exact string for a google search. This will show you all the posts in Sawmill with both "rabbit laser" and "NC" in them. That might help you find folks near you. You could then PM the member. Note there are 2 " marks between Rabbit Laser and NC.

site:www.sawmillcreek.org "rabbit laser""NC"

Also, you might ask Rodney Gold and Dave Sheldrake about the approach you are thinking of. They are both proponents of Chinese Lasers, but are also in relatively large businesses that use lasers. And they are pretty realistic people.

Lastly, if you can't find a Rabbit or similar machine near enough to you for you to take time to travel to see it, could you ask the folks at Rabbit to video an example for you so you can see it running? Even if they asked you to pay for that service it would give you a good idea and be way less expensive than the time and $$ involved traveling somewhere to see a Rabbit. Beyond that...as important as your business is to you, I might even suggest just biting the bullet, flying out to Rabbit and spending an afternoon with them so you can the machines run and talk at liesure about all your questions. From NC that might make a long day? Or perhaps a day and a half? Not a bad investment in time given the $$ you are going to spend on this. And do the same with Trotec or Epi for comparison.

Ross and Mike's comments about speed of engraving are very true. Fit that in with your volume however. Are you doing medium to large production runs where the speed is critical to get everything done in a day? Or are you doing one off work for the most part. Also, bear in mind that while the laser is running you should have someone there with it in case of flame ups. While it is running you have a body tied up. Depending on how your shop operates that may have a bearing on the importance you place on speed even for one off random jobs.

And lastly...perhaps most importantly...keep in mind I am a laserless participant here so far. I am sharing thoughts based on following everyone here closely and digging outside the forum and not based on mountains of experience. Take me with a huge grain of salt. <grin>


Dave

[Mike Null]

Dave

Remember that both of those guys have multiple machines for back up and tech expertise to fix them in house.

[Scott Shepherd]

That is one of the main reasons that I want to go see a machine. To see how it operates, see how slow it really is. Compare it to what I am currently doing. I have been working with Rabbit, as of now they have not been able to find someone near me to go look at a machine.

You're in NC, contact Jorlink. They sell GCC's which are good, solid lasers, but I talked to them at a trade show where they were in a booth with Chinese lasers. They said they were going to start carrying them.

They are in Greensboro.

[Bill George]

That is one of the main reasons that I want to go see a machine. To see how it operates, see how slow it really is. Compare it to what I am currently doing. I have been working with Rabbit, as of now they have not been able to find someone near me to go look at a machine.

Maybe if you contacted Rabbit USA and see if they had a customer near you that would be willing to demo one. Since you will soon be competing with that person it might not be a good idea.
Plan "B" plan a trip to Rabbit, they are in Ohio which could be a two day trip for you. Sounds like you want USA support near you, for a Chinese laser... at low cost.
I have a Chinese laser, it will do for a start up company. But when we get going enough to justify a another it will be more than likely a Speedy 300 or similar.

[Kristian Matz]

Thank you for the suggestions. A trip to see rabbit, is certainly a possibility, I have already looked at the price of airfare vs driving. I have already looked at the trotec and epilog machines, what I want to do now if compare what I know they can do vs what the imported machines can do. Then I will make a decision on if the reduced speed is worth the difference in price. The price difference is so large, that I think it would be foolish to not investigate it.

I do not do many huge production runs, most of what I do is in the 1-24 piece range. We are not a typical trophy shop, we are not even open to the public.

[Kristian Matz]

I did contact Rabbit USA, they were working on it. I have checked back a few times over the last 3 weeks and they have not found anyone. I am not really competition to a local trophy shop, we deal on the wholesale level and sell and engrave (our crystal and silver trophies) for trophy shops. If fact, we refer people that call us for the baseball/soccer trophies to other local shops.

This laser would be for backup for our current laser and also to develop new products that we can not do on our smaller machine.

[James Grabowski]

I purchased a laser from BOSS. I would highly recommend them. The tech support is execellent. If I have any questions I just call them and they are very helpful. I purchased the 1620 modal, 90 watt with the rotary attachment. I also purchased the BOSS 1 computer with Coreldraw X7 and Engravelab 9. I have been engraving and cutting everything I can put in the machine. A guy from Winston-Salem came by to see the laser in operation. I live in Youngsville (its 18 miles north of Raleigh, NC). If you are interested send me a private email.

[Kristian Matz]

Thanks for the offer, it seems like you are about 3 hours from here. Not too bad. I may get in touch with you.

[Rich Harman]

I wouldn't buy a Chinese machine to engrave. They engrave MUCH slower than your average Western machine. For cutting, they are hard to beat.

I agree, if you mostly engrave and have enough business, the faster western machines make more sense. If you are primarily cutting with occasional engraving then the Chinese machines are a better value, if you can fine tune and repair them yourself.

[Kevin Gregerson]

QUOTE=Kevin Gregerson;2299225]There are a number of them.

What's your application? Because each one has different strengths and weaknesses. Either in design or in workflow. So setup your own pieces around that because you'll end up with a better product with the correct options that way.


I am doing a lot of reverse and front engraving in coated acrylic and romark type materials. These are then cut out as for the products. I would like to increase my ability to cut different thicknesses of acrylic and veneer mdf. We are a high end awards company and I would like to expand our custom product capabilities. Ideally I was looking at the speedy 400 or the fusion 40, but I can not make that work right now.

I have attached a few of the products that we have done. This is in addition to lasering engraving plates and things like flasks and wood products.[/QUOTE]

These companies can provide this to you. However, you might want to take a second look at the Western alternatives purely from a workflow standpoint to achieve consistency for less waste and saving time on trial and error.

[Ross minetti]

I have just bought a laser cutter from china that is on the ship to Australia on Monday. Will let you all know how it turns out. and having never used a lasercutter befor I didi a lot of research on different forums and youtube sites. It seems to me that not many lasers are plug and play straight out of the box all need tweaking to get optimal prefomance for your applications. I have seen that quite a few buy chinese lasers for the hardware then up grade the software befor they even plug them in. This says to me the mechanics of the lasers are good just the software needs improving. Having said that the laser I have bought is supposed to have the latest and greatest software so we will see how it goes

[stan kern]

try mike in toronto ontario ,he ships in the USA and his service is ok,mention stan


mike@logimation.ca mike dorian416 804 7870, Toll Free: 1 888 686 7485

[hugh bunker]

I have a turnkey laser that is very similar to a rabbit and am right behind Charlotte motor speedway if you would like to see one run. Just let me know.

[Rick McIntire]

Kristian,

If you're looking for US Based support for Chinese Lasers another option would be LightObject.com. We're based in Sacramento, California and have been in business since 2005. We customize their products based on previous customers suggestions so we really know the products through and through since they are built to our specifications. Also, should you need any replacement parts or service everything is done/shipped from California - not China - so it's much faster.

We are a SawMill Creek Advertising Sponsor

Hope this helps!
Sincerely
Rick McIntire
rickm@lightobject.com :)

[Kayla Anatoli]

Check out Jimani Laser in CA. Jim recently started importing a Chinese laser. He had them toss the Chinese controller and the EzCad software. They were replaced with a ScanLab controller and a slimmed down special version of American Laserware ProLase. Great guy to deal with, he helped me with all sorts of questions on a system that I had bought elsewhere. Impeccable level of customer service. The system he offers sells for the same as one direct from overseas. If he had it 60 days earlier, I'd bought mine from him.

[John MacDougall]

Laguna Tools now has their own line that is made by Bodor. They are still adding detail to their website.

[Vern Keller]

I've been looking at units on Toolots website. The prices aren't bad, but getting information from them hasn't been easy. I've tried email, phone, and chat. The email never got responded to, the phone was not helpful, and the chat was some kind of service that did not have any information, but offered to email the manufacturer. The units are supposed to be in stock in the US. Has anyone had any experience with them? Thanks for your help.

[Rivo Razafindratsifa]

Hi Dave,

I see in your signature that you use a Ray Fine with EFR tube, what's your opinion of this machine ? I'm in the process to acquire a 9060 laser cutter/engraver and in my short list I have one manufacturer from Liaocheng. Any advice will of great help.

Thanks in advance.

Rivo

[Bill George]

Hi Dave,

I see in your signature that you use a Ray Fine with EFR tube, what's your opinion of this machine ? I'm in the process to acquire a 9060 laser cutter/engraver and in my short list I have one manufacturer from Liaocheng. Any advice will of great help.

Thanks in advance.

Rivo

Last time Dave posted here was 2016, you might to start a new Thread and ask that question.