We are in search of a new laser. The following polls will be a guide for us to search for a better price.
- Small (300mm x 200mm)
- Medium (600mm x 400mm)
- Large (900mm x 600mm)
- Gargantuan (1200mm x 900mm)
- Holy Sh**!! (1800mm x 1200mm)
0 voters
3 Likes
I have only used the laser we have and I like the ease of use in the one we have, so that is my biggest want in a new laser. The simplicityā¦Past that I will leave it up to you guys.
I would like to etch metal thoughā¦maybe a small one for that? Is it possible to get 2? A Small and a Holy Sh**!!? What prices are we looking at here?
1 Like
Just gauging size for now. The current setup will etch metal with the Thermark compound on it.
1 Like
I hadnāt been aware of that. We have some, I take it? Is this useful for printed-circuit boards?
I donāt know. You could try it.
Link to Thermark.
For us 'Mericuns:
Small (300mm x 200) = 11.8 inch (<1ft.) x 7.9 inch
Medium (600mm x 400mm) = 23.6 inch (<2ft.) x 15.7 inch
Large (900mm x 600mm) = 35.4 (<3ft) inch x 23.6 inch
Gargantuan (1200mm x 900mm) = 47.2 (<4ft.) inch x 35.4 inch
Holy Sh** (1800mm x 1200mm) = 70.9 (<6ft) inch x 47.2 inch
5 Likes
Iāll see about closing this poll in a week or two.
I voted for the Biggest one just because thatās how I roll. But to be honest I would have voted for none.
I believe the CNC Router is going to help with the utilization aspect.
Robert
1 Like
I can see a use for any laser that either is: 1) small for fine cutting/engraving or 2) very large to hold full sheets of stock. Anything close to the current size is just backup, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
And as robert mentions a CNC Router would help with utilization of the current laser for cutting sheet goods.
Unless the Plasma Cutter is 100% (I donāt know the status). How about considering alternative power/wavelengths. I would love to see a high power CO2 (200-300 watt) or a 500 watt Fiber Laser that can cut metal.
2 Likes
I think it is a mistake to start with a size vote with the laser as well. Because the size tends to limit many other features. Like Robert, I also chose the largest because that is how I roll as well. But an honest question would be āWhat can lasers do well, that our current laser does not do well?ā
- Raster engraving (The head speed of our current laser is abysmally slow for raster engraving, there are other options on the market for much faster head speeds which make raster engraving an almost enjoyable process.)
- More Power (When we first got our laser it seemed as though it had all the power in the world, but as we have lived with the laser it has lost a lot of power. When new I was able to cut 3/4 plywood in 1 to 2 passes 3 at the most, now that doesnāt even feel like an option anymore.)
- Size (Which this poll is answering)
- Type of Laser (Jag vs CO2 I think a combination laser would be really cool)
Any other functions that Iām missing?
I think the router table and the laser do have some overlap, but I would much rather have a giant laser than a giant router table for what I do. They are quieter, cleaner, often easier to run, while also offering some crazy detail. But, They have material limitations. The router table will lift some of the material limitations, but adds complexity through dealing with a bits, feed rates, mess, and other things which I havenāt learned yet.
So it is a mixed bag to compare the two. I will however, surely find jobs for both once we have them. 
Thanks,
Nick
2 Likes
See above. The reasoning for a size vote is to get a better idea for what the membership as a whole would want. Not just āwhat features do we want?ā.
This is also being used to try to find a better price.
1 Like
Hey Will,
Iām not trying to beat you up with my post. But, the last time we did this kind of polling for a laser cutter many peopleās wants were over shadowed by size. It feels like we could be lining up for possibly the same mistake as before by starting with size. That is why i posted what i did.
I believe we got the best fit for DMS that we could with the laser we have. But a second laser I feel like will be an even harder decision. The issue with starting with size first is it is a cross roads point in laser decision making. Large bead laser cutters in the price point of 10k - 30k are pretty much just larger versions of what we have. However, Smaller lasers in that price range offer faster head speeds, possibly finer detail cutting.
So if based on our first pole we say we want gigantic, that makes it hard to explain the perks of smaller laser and itās ability expand our options for laser cutting. Does that make sense? That is why Iām adding this to the discussion. After voting for the Holy Shit sized laser.
How big of a laser do you really want? 4āx8ā 2500 watts
1 Like
Based off the sizes, what we already have, and what I would be interested in using another laser forā¦ I selected āMediumā.
In reality - Medium or Large would probably serve āmostā of āmostā membersā needsā¦ Much larger than that, then we have to deal with space issue, and the Small would probably fall apart the first day. 
We basically already have a āLargeā if I am looking at the numbers correctly. I like the size we have. It can handle āmostā of our projects with little to no problem.
I selected āMediumā over large - because I would like to see a higher Quality laser be available for fine projectsā¦ With a smaller focal lens to be able to do some really fine detail.
Now to totally contradict myselfā¦ If there was any way we could get hooked up with a really high powered CO2, or nd:YAG, or Fiber Laserā¦ They heck yeah - letās go big! Considering the fact that something like that could cut up to 10mm or 1/4" metals - with a much more clean cut than the CNC Plasma, it could be a win-win! 
1 Like
Whatever we get we need to heavily weight the adjustment and maintenance costs (time, replacement, repair). Maybe we can agree on some of the metrics: laser tube replacement cost, working life, modularity, ā¦
Also, a laser that is designed to be used only by highly competent operators is not going to survive long at DMS.
I with the āLarge because thatās how I rollā group, but there is a lot to be said for a smaller laser that could cut and etch metals. A rotary axis would also be great.
Iām not sure how I want to vote on the size honestly, thereās a lot of variables already mentioned in the thread, I dont think we should ignore a lot of options because we chose āgigantorā and couldnāt afford to get the high end model of the biggest one.
The size of the one we have now is pretty good IMO. Of course, bigger is always better! Right?
Will there be a discussion about power? I have some interest in cleaner cuts of .5 and thicker acrylic.
Iād like to see us get a laser capable of cutting with greater precision such as one of the servo-motor based Epilogs.
I vote small because most things Iāve probably want to cut are small boxes, or raster etched gifts which usually are smaller than a square foot. That said the smaller the more limiting it is to the general public. Who is going to bring in a car sized piece of acrylic or plywood to laser cut? I know we have a huge warehouse area, but a 6ft laser would take up a significant space that could be utilized in other ways, IMO. Size isnāt proportional to cost generally, a small epilog probably costs more than our large sized full spectrum. Just my 2 cents, but Iām not on the laser often so my arguments may be invalid.