Considering upgrading to Pro--your thoughts?

So, while I am a hobbyist now, I can foresee many uses for the pass through option. I have preordered the basic with fan- how can we upgrade our basic to pro and what would be the additional cost to do so? Still pondering, but may be able to swing the additional cost if I have time to save up the funds before delivery starts.

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Just login to the Glowforge main site by clicking on the Owners tab. The upgrade link is on the top menu at the right end (from memory here, hope I’m right). I believe the upgrade cost right now is $1800.

I keep my house a chilly 65 during the summer. Most of my day is spent in the heat and in WV the summer averages 90’s and about 90 percent humidity so I like it cold when I get home. I debated on the pro upgrade for awhile but after @dan said the basic is going an hour in 70 degrees without any issues I think I am covered giving the temps in my home. I will definitely miss the pass thru slot but I cannot think of enough reasons to use it to justify the price. I would be lying tho if I didn’t admit I was a little jealous of the people who will have it.

Another WV Glowforge.

Yes sir, born in Huntington, spent my summers in Boone county, raised in fairmont and now back in Huntington lol

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To the questions above:

  • The enhanced optics improve power delivery and result in the faster cutting time
  • When your Glowforge is ready we’ll ask your address; when you fill that form out, you can no longer upgrade (but can until then)
  • We’re not pre-announcing anything else about prices right now
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I opted pro for all of the reasons the pro is pro. The passthough will be hugely beneficial for what I’m expanding my business towards. The enhanced cooling and optics will also increase project efficiency, which increases $ per job.

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Holy wow… I might end up with a Pro.

I picked the Basic and still stand by that decision.

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Hi @cynd11,

I started with the Basic, then after several weeks of reading threads, I upgraded to the Pro. I live in southern California, and it’s been much hotter than usual. I read something about the Glowforge not working to optimal performance above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Given the crazy weather in SoCal, I feel like I needed the cooling system offered in the Pro.

I could just crank the AC, however, my electric bill would run upwards of $300-$400 a month. By the end of the first year, I’d spend more money on running my AC than upgrading to a Pro. Thus, my decision to go with the Pro. At least I will get more bells and whistles with the Pro. I am excited about the possibilities offered by the pass-through slot and faster printing speeds.

Good luck with your decision.

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Since I don’t anticipate a production environment, the duty cycle of the basic will fit my application well… but it’s not like I had the option to spend the difference!

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I think they are still doing referral bonuses. Im not sure if its worth it to you guys or not, but that made a big difference in my decision of whether or not to upgrade.

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Thanks! I really should have pursued that more aggressively.

Ok I just couldn’t help myself - no will power at ALL! - and have upgraded to PRO. See too many benefits with just the pass-through option alone… Compiling lists of projects already and AM resisting material purchasing… may order some from GF once I get a ship notification so I have stuff to play and learn on!

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Personally, I’m relying on my purchase history of a CNC mill when it comes to the GF. I bought a Shapeoko kit, unassembled, and put it together myself. I’m reasonably mechanically inclined, but with it being my first mill I wanted a slightly more tested solution than blindly ordering parts from multiple suppliers and hoping it would fit together. Call it old-age wisdom of knowing your DIY frustration limits, if you will. :slight_smile:

Now, I don’t use it nearly as much as I should, mostly because I live in a smallish condo with limited space (which I’m reallocating / rectifying), and it’s like running a wood chipper in a bathroom.

I don’t expect to be using it 8 hours a day, I have another day job and this is more of a sideline… not part of a crafting business. Most of the things I learned from the CNC is that it’s easy to grossly underestimate the amount of planning and design time it takes – for me in any case… but OCD is part of my charm – to get to making first cut.

I figure that if I need to do anything larger than the Basic’s hopper size, I can do it with my CNC (which is open-ended). If I want something long to be custom etched, I’ll chisel (or mill out) space for a laser-etched signet and glue it in place. Or use another medium, like stamp rubber, and transfer it.

The ONLY thing that concerns me is the cooling, as during the summer my condo can get quite warm. I’ve considered reaching out to support@ and see if a person can order extra coolant, and fashion together a small chiller if required, but I’ll wait until I see the Basic first-hand.

I also own a portable air conditioner.

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Unfortunately there’s no easy way to enhance the cooling capabilities. Your best bet is to air condition the room.

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When logged in, if I view the UPGRADES page (here) it seems to only show me current pricing for the various levels/optionally equipped units.

I already ordered a basic, and was considering upping that to pro, but I can’t imagine that adding a pro to my ‘cart’ is the right way to do this…

What am I missing?

You should see upgrade options, like the ones circled below. So you would want to select the UPGRADE: Basic to Pro, with or without air filter, depending on which one you are getting.

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I opted for the pro for basic reasons:

  1. Feed through is a big one. I do some furniture, and this would help the creative process immensely.
  2. More power - I plan on cutting some plywood, so the more power the better.
  3. I purchased the carbon bed. While I could probably vent out a fan to the outdoors, this way it will work better in the short run. If business grows I may opt to get a fan and put the exhaust outside anyway, but have the bed for trade shows, etc.

If they choose to make software only for the Pro, I’ll be in good shape. However, I think for the most part all the software will be on their server that is needed to process the most of it.

The only risk here is that they keep in business with their server up and functional, and they upgrade their server promptly once everyone gets their own GlowForge and installs them in their homes and businesses. I can see that being a huge problem if they don’t proactively invest in the infrastructure ahead - which is what Kickstarting should help do. I’ve some faith in that, and also a lot of faith that the forums, community and goodwill will grow the business further. We shall all see, I’m sure.

The concept of cloud-computing is new to me - and frankly a little different, but I’m seeing advantages already in using AutoCad’s Fusion 360 product, which is cloud based. The nice thing here is that I’ve installed it in my work computer, my iPad, and my two home computers - and the files are transferred seamlessly throughout all of the devices. It is my hope that Glowforge will have apps, forums, and continued business to support itself after the initial Kickstart frenzy is over with. It looks like that is what they are planning on, anyhow.

Anxious to get my own and put it to use!

Don Rosendale

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Thanks for the heads up, Dan. Have you managed to test the operational time in a variety of ambient temperature ranges you can share? I’m sure more central american or equatorial purchasers would also be interested to have an idea.