A few forum members requested that we keep discussion separate from announcements. This post is for discussion of the…
Also please note that we updated the update - we will sell replacement tubes.
Thank you for the update!
This is all really exciting stuff. I’m so excited to get my Glowforge.
Although I ordered a basic, I’m delighted that you have Pro models in house now.
That feels encouraging re: the entire project.
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Can anyone help me understand the laser tube replacement? If we can’t replace it ourselves are we sending the glowforge in to get the tube replaced and then having it sent back? Thanks for the clarification!
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Yes, you’ll ship it back to us. Note that the tube is covered under the warranty, though. (And note that 2 years is an estimate for heavy use - hobby use may be much, much longer).
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Does this mean that you’ll replace it for < $500 inclusive of shipping? Or is that $500 + shipping? And are we shipping to Seattle or Milpitas?
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We have to send the whole unit in? Isn’t shipping going to be a bit expensive? What kind of turn around time do you estimate? As a business, I don’t like the idea of being without a major piece of equipment for an extended period of time. We usually keep a wide variety of parts on hand just to avoid this.
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How is the tube replacement going to work for international customers? I can see the cost of shipping going to be at least 500 usd plus for one way of shipping.
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Unfortunately I don’t have estimates for anything else related to the tube replacement right now including shipping logistics, turnaround time, etc.
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Perhaps you might consider… when people’s machines are starting to have tube issues… perhaps you might send a technician to a city like Denver or Houston that is surrounded by Glowfolk. Have a 2-day Glowcon and everybody local(ish) can bring their forge for a tube replacement.
Might not be feasible; but one technician coming to install a pile of tubes might be cheaper than shipping a stack of 65-lb Glowforges.
Inability to change out the tube is a downer. I’m sure it’ll work out… but shipping the entire unit back will not be particularly nice, especially for the international folks.
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thanks for the update and things are really starting to be almost ready to taste
is the tube replacement service vs user replaceable a as it stand now kind of thing or set in stone for all of time. there are some incredibly technical people that would be able to execute on this and avoid the extreme shipping size
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Whoa… the user replaceable tube was a major factor in purchasing. I don’t live in the United States so I think there goes my glowforge dreams. No way I will be able to pay shipping such a big thing back and forth and then hope that it was handled with care each time so it comes back working as it should.
This is the worst news yet to come out of all this time waiting in my opinion. I’m patient… could wait another year… but this for me is a blow.
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That’s a bummer, considering that shipping to South America is about US$1000. But things can change a lot in 2+ years. 
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Yeah. It’s a pretty big downer and not just for overseas folks. Replacing the tube for $1000 all-in every couple of years (not to mention the down time) makes this less of an amazing thing. I can replace a head (which I’ve never needed to do before) but I can’t replace the tube myself which I have had to do.
By then it will be out of warranty though and some clever engineering types might find an acceptable hack to allow user replacement without GF support 
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I am very curious who the lucky assembly guy is who also ordered. That has to be an interesting experience.
Though it may make the wait from assembling Glowforges for other people till the time his/hers arrives that much more painful.
Tube not being replaceable in the field is a serious nuisance, I have to agree on that one.
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Not knowing just how involved the swap is I really can’t delve too deep but unless it requires a huge jig or something like that perhaps a regional representative model might work better than shipping them to California or Seattle?
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Do we have the option of buying a tube and replacing it ourselves? After 2 years the warranty will be up anyways. I know not everyone is up for doing it that way, but I would much prefer it.
Other than that, thanks for the update! Really feels like all this potential energy being built up over the past few years is about to be released! Can’t wait until the forum is flooded with crazy amazing inspiring stuff
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As long as the shelf life be more than 2 years, I’m in.
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That’s a great idea - we’ll definitely explore.
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It appears the schedule may have been modified again. There was much parsing of the “between May and July” target over the last couple of weeks. Apparently that has now become “to meet our schedule of shipping all units in July/August”.
Anyone want to wager which gets more reaction - the change to “in July” or the “not user replaceable tube”? 
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Thanks for the update @dan. Good stuff except that tube news. I hate to think of what that will do to overseas sales.
I know the time-of-need is far away, but for those of us in the states, is there already a tube swap location in mind? More specifically, could there a way to have a local drop-off option for those of us in driving distance from either Milpitas or Seattle?
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