I would like to know your opinion

I would like to know your opinion , I just order a basic printer laser
With a power of 40W I am an individual who intends to make it work as much as possible.
Is it preferable to upgrade 45W (pro) laser, because more stronger and 20% faster and The warranty is doubled to 12 months.
Question: the Pro is a Class IV Device and required additional safety precautions, what will be this precautions to take?
Thank you
Jeturf

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In addition to the extra power and warranty the Pro also has improved cooling which leads to longer duty cycles which will help your use case.

It’s a Class IV device because of the pass through slots that let you run longer material through it than fit in the machine. That provides a pathway for errant laser reflections but the openings are shielded so in normal use there should be no difference than using the Basic. If you’re running something thru the pass-through I’d recommend a pair of laser safety glasses (about $40 for a good pair on Amazon). Just make sure they’re rated for 10,600 for CO2 lasers (different lasers have different wavelengths and glasses for one won’t help with another).

If you’re using it in a school or commercial establishment there may be regulations (OSHA, insurance, etc) about who can be around it, access controls, etc due to the Class IV designation.

But my Class IV Redsail is safer than my “Class I” K40 in normal operation due to safety interlocks, etc. It’s got a pass-through as well. Class IV simply indicates that it might not be entirely closed in normal design operation (using the pass-through) vs a Class I which is totally closed when operated correctly.

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It’s difficult for the pre-release users to make a recommendation. A couple of the very early units had defective tubes and some of the pre-release units going out now have the 45W tubes in an otherwise Basic unit. We haven’t been able to try both to compare.

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Not to poor water on the fun, but we’ve been asked not to comment on safety issues by @dan. Apparently a very fine manual is on the way that will provide some guidance. As far as laser safety that is a very local jurisdictional issue varying a lot from country to country, state, province, county or even city. We have been told that due to safety issues at the makerfaires they have attended they are unable to show an operating Class IV laser. It would not surprise me to find a US locality with a lax attitude to safety that would let you take your laser and try to cut down a tree. So please look up your local laws and regulations for that.
if you use the search box for basic vs pro you’ll find more threads than I can list here that might help you weigh the benefits.

Personally I was a sucker for the word pro having delusions of being professional grade. :slight_smile:

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the only precautions you’ll need, really, is to be sure that you and anyone in the same room as the laser should wear eye protection. look for goggles that specifically block CO2 lasers (these are easy and cheap as lots of simple materials block it).

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If you are thinking heavier use and don’t plan on running it at craft shows or what have you, upgrade because of the better laser optics, cooling, and opportunity to work the passthrough into your projects. I ordered a pro + filter, but if the added cost needs to be minimized you can go without filter as long as you have a way to route a vent hose outside.

The safety glasses for anybody around the machine is probably one “safe” bet you can make around what you’ll need to comply with rules in a commercial operation of any kind. Here’s a note from @dan on it from a couple of weeks ago:

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I would like to have a safety glasses caddy that sits on the GF, and actually obstructs the Print button until you remove the glasses.

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That’s the kind of thinking that has led to millions of lawnmowers having their starting bails (the rod you need to grab to start and keep it running) tied to the handle.

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Sheesh, what’s wrong with a reminder?

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You can’t remind commonsense for idiots and they get in the way of people who don’t need the reminder :grinning:

It’s like product manuals where the safety information exceeds the operation information. The people who need to read the safety warnings never crack open the manual. Yet millions of trees continue to be slaughtered each year in the hope someone will read.

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It should be fairly easy to make an escutcheon with some little tabs or something that would hold a pair of LEP glasses, as a reminder to you to grab them before hitting the glowing button.

Not at all the same as tying the starting bail to the handle of a lawnmower, IMHO, it would be more akin to leaving safety chaps & boots on sitting on top of the chainsaw case, or leaving your helmet strapped around the handlebars of your bike.

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Thank you all

Presumably one would only need safety glasses when using the pass through if the slot has closing flaps or is blocked by something laser proof.

Technically you always need to treat it as class 4 in public places because that is its certification but in practice if the slots are covered securely it becomes as safe as class 1.

I am surprised the slots didn’t have locking covers with interlock switches and a key switch to select class 1 or class 4 operation.