Small scare. Thoughts on current trend of Chinese lasers

[Clark Pace]

So I have a red sail laser. Aside from having to replace the power supply to a better one from light object it is been a solid machine. I've had it for many many years. Though the other day I had a small issue turned out to be nothing but it did give me a scare. What happens if my laser are goes out. I use it several hours a day. Though not 8 hours a day. But what happens if it does go out I need some kind of backup or second machine. Anyone here have a redsail or shenhiu 350 . I don't need a big machine a 12 by 24 sufficient. And I can get shenhiu for a few thousand. Just wondering if one company is kind of better than the other nowadays. U.s. machines are out. And I have no problem replacing boards and all the other fun stuff that might happen with Chinese machines

[Rich Harman]

I am not up to date on the Chinese manufacturers but if I were in the market I would be first looking at a G.Weike.

[Kev Williams]

Deja Vu...

been going thru this lately-- Back in November (or so) I lost the controller in my LS900. I still had the Triumph and GCC so I thought no big deal. But turns out it was, as 99% of the laser work I had coming in was Cermark, which I won't do in the Triumph, and the GCC & me couldn't keep up... So I bought a new-to-me LS100 (which has been the bomb BTW )

And I picked up a new ongoing job that added about 3x more fiber work than I could handle... So I bought the Ebay machine (which has been an even bigger bomb! )

As for my tool machines, I can lose any TWO machines and still have backups, so I'm good there. However, most of them are prioritized for certain customers and jobs, so while they can be backups, it wouldn't be much fun...

But, I have no real backup for my big Triumph. I don't use it as much as the others, but I do regularly cut large pieces of Rowmark, plex and thin plywood with it, most of which I could do on another machine, but in many cases I'd have to flip and piece together the cut(s)--

And guess which machine is waiting for a new controller? Fortunately the LS900 can cover my current cut jobs but it's MUCH slower and I have to cut down the substrate to fit the machine. Being able to fit 35" x 51" pieces of stock in the machine AND be able to cut it 4x faster does spoil ya...

-- I usually don't throw out Triumph's name much in advertising fashion, but honestly, after more than 5 years with my big machine and 2-1/2 years with my fiber, I can say I DO like the machines, and their customer service, for a China company, is very good. They even send me Xmas cards ... Lord knows, you could do worse...

[Clark Pace]

I am not up to date on the Chinese manufacturers but if I were in the market I would be first looking at a G.Weike.

I'm not toally against gweike, but I ran one at for a few years, and it just had problem after problem. So I'm a little turned off. Had one of the tube catch fire even. I have some old video, I think they on you tube still.

Oh found one of my videos. Sent this one off so gweike could look at it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2b-yyt3fcQ

[Rich Harman]

I'm not toally against gweike, but I ran one at for a few years, and it just had problem after problem. So I'm a little turned off. Had one of the tube catch fire even. I have some old video, I think they on you tube still.

Oh found one of my videos. Sent this one off so gweike could look at it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2b-yyt3fcQ

That looks like a tube failing, I don't think that has anything to do with G.Weike. Same thing happened to my first 130W Reci tube. It was replaced at no cost to me within a few days.

What I would look for in a Chinese laser manufacturer is the quality of the mechanics they use and the construction of the machine. The laser tube, optics, motors, rails, power supply and other electronics are all off-the-shelf components supplied by third parties.

[Clark Pace]

Possible. But that was just one of many problems. And I mean many