I've been monitoring Sawmill Creek for years - and I am a member - but this is the first time I've posted anything. I hope I am posting this in the correct place as I'm not really sure how to do this yet.

So here it goes. I am just baffled with this situation.

I have Epilog Helix 40 watt. It's been a great machine. Last year - I added an Epilog Mini 12 x 18 (smaller as I have limited room) as a new machine to help take some of the load off the Helix and speed up my production. I get so busy I'd never get finished without 2 machines. I chose two 40 watt machines so that I could use close to the same speed and power settings for engraving items. That way I could use the helix or the mini - if one needed a repair or something.

For a couple months - the mini 18 was great. Settings between the Helix and the Mini were comparable and I was really moving some product. Then - for whatever reason, the steering mirror on the mini toasted. And suddenly - I seemed to have an overall reduction in power on the whole laser. Got that mirror changed (although the power never went back to normal) and a month later - it happened again. Steering mirror toasted. Epilog said there was a batch of bad mirrors they received and that's why they were failing. I don't know that I believe that because it didn't explain the power reduction. We had this overall power reduction on the laser that we couldn't figure out. For 3 months Epilog tech support and I went round and round on the power reduction in the laser. It was pretty much anywhere on the bed. Previously - I was running the mini at close to the same settings as the helix and everything looked great. Then anything printed on the left side of the laser (0,0 to 7, 7) had a major power decrease - and anything out of that area had some power reduction. I couldn't get an even engraving no matter what I did. The beam was definitely aligned. I realigned that beam about 10 times - because it seemed like Epilog felt that was something that needed to be done every time called - even though I sent photos of the alignment to them. We changed all the optics, the tube, the power supply, aligned the tub, aligned the tray, etc., - anything and everything that could be tested or changed. I sent almost a hundred photos of engravings and differences. Everything that we could think of was looked at and tested. It finally escalated all the way to the manager of tech support. Eventually - Epilog took it back and suggested the 12 x 24 as a replacement. So I gave them 3K more and got the 12 x 24 (which supposedly has a collimator because of the width). They said the collimator is the issue with the 12 x 18 and thus (according to tech support) it is a known problem that the engraver has issues with certain materials on the left hand side. Funny that isn't in the documentation on the Epilog site anywhere. There is nothing I can find in the comparative of the lasers on the Epilog site that says - Collimator - no collimator. Well - according to me - it had problems with all materials on the left hand side (especially) and the entire bed after that 1st mirror peeled. That laser worked well up to that point. Although the manager of tech support told me - it has never worked well - I didn't know what I was talking about. It never worked well. I believe I said ugly words to them that day. When I first looked at the mini 18 laser at my sales rep's place - I was told by my sales rep it was the exact same laser as the Helix - only smaller. That was a line of crap. They are not comparable machines.

So now I have the 12 x 24 (supposedly with a collimator) that should be operating at the same power and speed settings comparable to the Helix. But no - I have to slow the speed down by 10 below what I run the Helix at to get the same quality of engraving. I've tested this on wood, crystal, glass, DuraBlack, laminated plastic, etc. For some reason - it has to run slower to get the same engraving. It's as if these smaller machines are rated at the same power - but don't get the same output to the bed. This impacts the speed of production but can also make it confusing when working on 2 lasers and trying to remember settings between the 2. They are both 40 watt lasers - same width - supposedly the same innards - only difference is one is 12 x 24 and one is 18 x 24.

It seems to me - that if these are the same lasers - but only smaller - the speed and power used for either should very close between the mini and the helix. If I engrave wood at 51/100 on the helix and get a nice dark engraving - I should be able to engrave wood at 51/100 on the mini. But it comes out lighter. I can't - to get the same look on the mini unless I drop the speed. I have to slow the speed down to 41. I am baffled with this. The same file, sent from the same computer, to each laser, with the same exact settings. And it's obvious difference.

And now - as of yesterday - the steering mirror in the mini 24 just toasted. I was running a job and noticed a loss of engraving power on the material for the job I was running. The mirror was the first thing I thought of - since I've seen this exact same thing several times in the past. Opened up the left panel and sure enough - the protective coating was peeling off of the steering mirror.

I do not understand what can be causing this - or what the differences between these smaller lasers and the helix are. I've had the helix for 7 years - and I've never had to change the optics. Clean them regularly - but they look good and haven't needed changing. It has been an AWESOME machine and I love the helix. It seems like these smaller machines have some major differences - I've just not figured it out yet.

As I said - I am absolutely baffled. I'm at the point of stripping down the covers on both machines and comparing parts piece-by-piece to see if I can identify the differences between them. I just don't know what to think. Both are 40 watts - both are Epilogs - both are 24" in width - they should at least close to the same settings and put out comparable engravings.

I know what I'm going to do now... I'm going to realign the mini 24 as I installed a replacement steering mirror yesterday. I was so upset about it I told Epilog I would not purchase another Epilog machine. I will be looking at other brands for my next laser. Next year I plan to get a new laser with a bit more power - but it will not be an Epilog.

So - any help of suggestions from anyone on what to look at or why the 12 x 24 mini has be be slowed down to match the engraving quality of the helix - I would certainly appreciate your comments. Also note - the mini is a new machine so the tube is new. The helix has a recharged tube - but it's been about 9 months now and is reducing in power. So the tube in the helix is a lot older or less powerful than the mini. But I can have to run the helix faster than the mini to get the same quality of engraving. SO confusing.

Bill Arbogast

Epilog Helix 40W 18x24
Epilog Mini - 40W 24x12