Feedback on AP LAZER SN4836 laser machine

[Miguel Pinho]

Hello

I'm looking for some feedback on the AP Lazer machines.

I'm going to buy a new laser system for the monument industry and this machine looks quite good and affordable price for the jobs i do, mainly engraving large headstones and memorial plaques.

i would be very grateful if some users of AP LAZER could give any feedback on their machines regarding the quality of the engraving, technical support, quality of the materials, etc...

Thank you

Miguel
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[Richard Rumancik]

Hi Miguel - Did you read the other post this week about the AP Laser? Especially the comment from Keith that it is very slow? There are very few AP users on the forum. You should do a search and see if you can find someone currently using one.

The post was titled "Open-architecture" lasers.

[Miguel Pinho]

Thank you very much for your help.

I will read that post.

[Ron Philman]

I do not know much about AP lazer's machines other than they are made in China.
However, the laser interface they use: Lasercut 5.3. Its also chinese, outdated
and very buggy. Read reviews for yourself. I've used it and the errors i got were random
and often in the middle of a job. if I were a business I would never use Lasercut.

[Dave Sheldrake]

I know one young lady who has had nothing but trouble with an AP machine.she purchased it based on the salespersons hype and basically found herself in a real corner when it didn't do pretty much anything she needed it to.

AP are pretty high up on my "don't touch" list

[Lana Richards]

I have had great luck with my machine and any issues I have had.

[Bert Kemp]

Ican't help with the laser but Lasercut 5.3 I've been running for 2 years and have haven't to much trouble with it.I don't recall seeing a lot of complaints here about it either.

[Bill George]

So was it LaserCut or whatever program or was it the machine or computer?

[Keith Outten]

If you want to engrave monuments the APLaser machines are probably the only game in town based on their design. I can't recommend their lasers because I wasn't happy with the one I purchased, mostly because it was extremely slow when raster engraving. Mine was delivered without any adjustments, for instance the table was one inch lower on one side than the other and the air cone had to be drilled out because it didn't align with the beam. I despised the software and it wasn't possible to change it from metric to imperial. I contacted APLaser's tech support several times but I wasn't able to get the machine to suit my expectations.

After about three months I traded my APLaser, it had some very cool features but the most important ones that all laser engravers should do well disappointed me. Note that this is why I am not a big fan of Chinese lasers. There are probably owners who are fond of these laser engravers but I'm not in that camp.

Tong Li has been trying to post in this thread and one other recently. He is the owner of APLaser and it is unfortunate that he can't provide his side of the story here but our Terms of Service prohibit anyone who has a financial interest from participating in threads concerning their company.

[Lana Richards]

That is a shame it could not work for you. I have had great luck and great service with my AP Lazer machine 18x24. Corel Draw is querky but I have gotten use to it. Once in a great while I get a file that is bugged before I start a job but I restart my computer and it usually works out. I have more issues with Photograve than most of the software. Only because I probably don't know what I am wanting out of it and I don't use it often enough.

[Bill George]

Looks to be two entirely different machines. Lana has a 18 x 24 and the OP posting was on a 48 x 36 headstone engraver.

[Lana Richards]

I saw your post and I have an AP Lazer 18x24 and I love it. I have the option of doing large headstones but I am not in the monument business. I have only used it for display purposes at our historic site of Fort Chadbourne in the vistitor center/museum. I have engraved bricks, granite tiles and leather for our fundraising efforts. They have been really good when I have had issues with the setup of my files, any issues that I don't understand. They walk me thru it. I would buy another machine from AP Lazer in a heartbeat. I have etched Yeti mugs, RTIC mugs, Masonite, stainless knives, Waterford glass, Dollar Tree glass, leather, bricks, granite tiles, and wood of all sorts!

[Lynn Hinman]

I have a 48 X 36 machine and love it. I used the local Tech shop until I was able to purchase my machine. I do not notice any difference in the speed from the Universal machine they had. While I am not a great fan of lasercut, it has done everything I needed it to do. Since I come from the CNC side - 8 years of doing that - I understand vectors and drawing and have had no problems. As mentioned about offshore equipment, I too was hesitant of purchasing it but it was the only machine that had the capability to do what I wanted. I have a friend that has a full 4' X 8" machine and she spent close to 7 times what I paid for my mine. At 100 watts, I have not had any problems handling anything I need it to do. Coming from the recent meeting in Nashville, I know that there are differences between the earlier machines than the current ones. After the meeting, the owner stopped by one of the customers house and spent close to 4 hours helping her with issues she was having - it was an older machine. I don't know where you would get that kind of service. She and I have talked several times and she told me should buy another machine (she has had it for close to 8 years). That is not to say that like any new company they do not have issues. Having served in the Army for 27 years retiring as a senior officer and being a 100% disabled veteran, I do not put up with any run around from any company. AP Lazer has always answered my calls and one tech even called me back around 7:30 PM when I was able to be in my shop to help me fix a problem. I have only used three manufactures machines - AP Lazer, Universal and Epilog. I would say the other two machines interfaces are better but in the end the AP Lazer gets the job done. For my money, I would buy the AP Lazer again. I hope this helps others. I did not even know about this company until once of my CNC customers said that he had the smaller one. We were going to set his machine up in my shop but he got transferred, hes is a Marine, to California. It is my understand that he traded his smaller one in for a larger one and had nothing but positive feedback for it. I do have another customer (citadel classmate) that comes to my shop to use my machine because his machine is too small to do some of his jobs. I spent a day explaining the interface to him and he is fully functional after just a couple of days and has a key to my shop so he can use it anytime. I am in an industrial area and have a 2000 SQ FT shop.

Lynn

[John Noell]

You might inquire as to what controller it uses. There is a brand new program called Lightburn from a very good American programmer. It is much nicer than the Chinese software that I have used. Lightburn can handle a number of different controllers, including Ruida, which seems to be the most common. The lead programmer keeps (quickly) adding features and other controllers as people request them.