[hackerspaces] Choosing a laser cutter

[Adam Mayer]

Epilog is expensive but they're generally trouble-free and well supported.
We're on our second unit now. The first one was able to pay for itself via
per-minute and training fees, but it took about four years to hit break
even.

I'd say it comes down to how much you plan on charging for commercial
usage, and how much time and energy you can devote to keeping the machine
in good shape. If you're committed to tinkering with the machine and can
handle occasional downtime, you may want the cheaper option. We're happy
with our epilog tank.

Also, PS, we're selling our old one:
http://www.nycresistor.com/2015/08/05/for-sale-historic-epilog-laser-5000-usd-obo/

On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 2:14 PM, Ben Brown <ben at generik.ca> wrote:

> We have a G.Weike (Chinese) LG900N 60W laser cutter at Kwartzlab, as does
> a number of other spaces. We've had it since 2011 and despite constant use,
> it's held up really well for us. Other spaces have reportedly had more
> issues.
>
> http://www.kwartzlab.ca/wiki/Laser_Cutter
>
> Aside from some minor upgrades to beef up the power circuitry, we really
> haven't had any major hardware issues. We're about to replace our 2nd tube
> (decreased lifespan due to sitting around for a few years, though). Once in
> a while the mirrors need to be adjusted. Our auto-Z calibrator tore off
> when one user crashed the bed some years ago, but works perfectly fine with
> manual calibration.
>
> Our largest gripe is that the proprietary software (LaserCut for Windows)
> is potato quality, but it does have import capabilities so most people just
> design on other programs like Inkscape, Illustrator or 3D CAD and import
> from there.
>
> It was about 6,000 CAD with shipping, customs and other accessories (water
> cooler, etc). It's probably our most used big tool in the space.
>
> Ben
>
> On 2015-08-28 1:53 PM, opit wrote:
>
>> Hello all,
>> here at Technarium we're considering buying a laser cutter (water jet
>> would be even better, but probably is outside of our financial
>> abilities). Maybe any of you have a piece of advice of what to look for
>> and what to avoid? What do you use at your space and what didn't work
>> out? What's your experience with Lasersaur or with generic machines from
>> Alibaba?
>>
>> Last week there a similar request was posted here, but what we're
>> looking for is a larger machine that could also be used by freelancers
>> at the space and for custom manufacturing orders. We plan to have up to
>> 7500 Euros for it.
>> Thanks!
>> #o
>>
>>
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