As I’m sitting here cutting some more stuff today, I was thinking about my machine and how it’s been such a work horse all these years, and how I’m amazed it’s still going as strong as it is. I am an original crowd funder that waited almost 2 years to receive it. The first glowforge had issues almost right away, and the second one as well. This third one though, it’s been so good to me. I’ve only had to change the black lid cable. That’s it. And I use this machine all the time.
We’ve all heard so many bad stories about people getting crappy machines, and I was wondering how many original ones are still operating with daily use. I can’t be the only one left.
Do you have one?
What have you replaced on it?
Mine has its original tube that seems to still be operating correctly. I think I’m the most amazed at that since they only gave us a 2 year shelf life on them. I am much past that.
I love to hear your good stories about how your glowforge blew past your expectations like mine did!
This Friday will mark the seventh anniversary of my Pre-Release Unit being delivered. My GF Basic was delivered a couple of months later. On the very last day of its warranty period, it developed a fault and was immediately replaced with a refurbished unit. That one is well over six years old and going strong - the default settings still cut through any and all Proofgrade materials. The only thing I’ve replaced was a carriage wheel that cracked a couple of years later - GF provided a courtesy replacement at no charge.
I had a PRU but kept it until the fall of that year because I figured if they didn’t need it they could use my Pro for someone else who hadn’t received theirs. Once they got the manufacturing cooking along and we’re moving past early buyers, I took the Pro and returned the PRU. I’ve bought several spare parts but not needed to use them Still going strong.
My original basic (2017) lost the ability to cut through proofgrade with default settings a few months ago, so I would slow the cut - but 4-5 jobs later lost most of its power. It was a workhorse.
Edit; I forgot to mention I had to replace the lid cable once, and to save me the turnaround time 2 members here offered me a spare to get me back up and running within 3 days. This community has a special place in my heart.
Like James, I’ve been around since the beginning of time here. After I turned in my preproduction unit I got my pro and within a few months it had developed a small delamination on the lid. I simply babied that for years and it finally failed a couple of years ago. Glowforge offered such a deal on a refurb that I had to take it. What I got looked like it was brand new and probably was. Probably failed one of the final tests at the factory and circled back to get reworked.
So here I am 7 years in and running a unit that is all but new,
I am one of the original 10…or heck, was it 7? I don’t remember.
I also received a PRU and it worked great, but the lid became detached at one of the hinges, so they had me send it back and sent me the one I’m still using now since Aug. of 2017. I replaced the black lid cable in 2021, but other than that, I’ve not had any issues. It’s still performing perfectly (fingers crossed).
My Glowforge Pro landed on November 2017 as well. Over the years, it’s seen the gamut in duty cycles from quiet moments where I’m distracted by other things to a grueling`6 week session cutting over 125 special-event gift boxes. Glowforge Pro has always handled it like a champ. Today, it’s still on its original parts & tube. Earliest picture I could dig up having just dollied it from the driveway on a brisk November 5th morning…
In the pantheon of my own personal projects, it’s safe to tag the majority of them as involving the Glowforge Pro as a critical part of the equation. Being able to pull things off with that nth degree of precision will make it extremely difficult to foresee a tomorrow without one.
I was also a pre-release tester in early 2017, and returned my (fully functioning) unit in January 2018 when I received my Pro. I have never replaced any part on my machine. I hardly ever clean it other than the lenses. I’ve never even looked at the air assist fan. I don’t use my machine daily, but it’s pretty filthy right now. I have had to slow the speed maybe 5-10% to get through materials, but it is otherwise functioning perfectly. The only issue I ever had was the front edge of the glass separated from the lid frame, so I added a layer of aluminum duct tape and that fixed the problem.
Yep. First light was on August 28, 2017. No breakage or replacement parts since then, and I just cut something a couple of days ago; still going strong.
I do probably use mine way less than most people here. It’s just a hobby machine, so it only gets fired up when a project needs it.
Original crowd funder here as well however I didn’t receive mine until Jan 2018. It’s still going strong although I did have to replace the black ribbon cable several years ago. I don’t use proofgrade so I don’t know how it would do with the settings designed for it.
Also very lightly used as it is just a fun tool for me.
I wonder if we’re seeing the Kitchen-Aid effect - you know the one you bought 30 years ago and is still running strong but your kid wonders why her 5 yr old machine died until she opens it up and sees the plastic gears and no grease in hers and then buys a used grandma’s machine that has steel gears and transmission and is older than she is
I’ve not seen or bought a current GF so no idea how our legacy machines compare in build and parts quality but data segregated by age might show something interesting.
Yeah, I’ve wondered about this as well. I’ve heard so many problems from new owners and I’m over here loving this old workhorse that just keeps on running.
I have an older freeze dryer as well, that has been flawless, and same thing, the new ones seem to have so many problems. I had heard that the company got so swamped over covid that they just started pushing them out too fast trying to keep up, that quality control dropped off the map.
I’ve already decided that when the day comes and this one officially dies beyond my repair abilities, I would rather pay for the repairs than opt for a refurbished. I know this machine and it does seem like these first ones are better.
I looked back on my purchase history, and I received my first basic around Oct/Nov 2017, which was replaced with another basic in Jan 2018, which was replaced with a pro (the let me pay the difference to upgrade) on March 23 2018. And that’s the one I’m still running. I bought a bunch of spare parts but have only had to replace the black lid cable. I have had an amber light a couple of times since, and thought it might be the red power wire, but that amber light has gone away and it’s still going, so I’m not sure what’s caused it.
I’ve wondered about this, too. The wheels on the carriage plate that hold the head are steel (I think)…are they like that on newer machines? Seems like I’ve seen that they are not the same.
Yup. Technically not my first as they replaced it when I couldn’t get the WiFi to work, but it turned out our neighbours had cut our cable line! So this one is just a few months younger than my original and it’s been going for 6+ years. I believe I got it in December so that’ll be 7.
My first original pro arrived after some rather impressive shipping treatment and the coolant had leaked out through a bunch of broken parts. The replacement one arrived shortly thereafter and has been going strong ever since. I was also in on the original Kickstarter. It has sat idle for long periods between projects but always wakes up and runs just great. Am still on the original tube and do notice that I have sometimes had to increase the power or decrease the speed for some proof grade items lately. Usually I can clear that up by just cleaning all the lenses really well but it is definitely starting to think about it’s own refurbishment, not yet though
Still going strong.
