Cost

[Sam Starr]

Can I please get some of you nice people to tell me what I can expect to pay for a laser or what it might cost to lease one:rolleyes:

[Mike Mackenzie]

Sam,

For a US made laser system you can spend anyware from 8000.00 to 50,000 depending on size, wattage, and accessories.

[Pete Simmons]

$12,000 - $15,000 will get you started with a very capable low end system.

Laser 25 - 35 watt, small bed size
Computer
Corel
Photograv
Exhaust Fan
Air Assist

If you want more watts just open the top of the laser and pour $$$ in.

A laser at this low end will do most things the big wattage machines can do, just slower.

[Garry McKinney]

Sam,

It really depends on what you want to do. If your looking at doing doors, you have to purchace a machine that can do it. If your looking at doing nothing large then there is much more freedom.

When I looked at purchasing one , for the work I had in mind , well I received quotes from 48000 - $195,000 . Depending upon bed size, machine weight considerations, wattage head configuration, software.

What I mean is this , if your looking to do tombstones that weight in excess of 660 pounds , and are 4'x6' your not going to put that in a machine designed for any of Epilog's systems it will take a grantry system and a different set of rules apply.

If your looking to do paperweight to set on a desk that never exceed 8 inches long , then your option for a machine go up and the prices go down as there is a much larger competition.

Wattage is an issue of consideration, because of time, If your doing large jobs and cutting 1/2 inch pieces of wood, or don't want a machine that will cut it by re-cutting the part 4 times when you can do it with one that will cut it on one pass.

And size restriction can stop you dead in your tracks, if you have a job that is 15 x 13 a 12 x12 machine just won't work.

And the machine expense is not the real expense, the real expense is the cost of time to learn the processes it takes to get quality work.

[Keith Outten]

Sam,

It would help if you could provide some information concerning what you want to engrave. The price range and sizes of laser engravers varies like trucks do so you may want to narrow it down a bit for us.

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