I purchased my Glowforge Basic during the kickstarter and it’s still kicking. The laser tube has not degraded in any significant way. I credit this to the low hours of use. But as all people know, the tube will eventually degrade and fail.
In the early days of GF, there was mention of laser tube replacement kits that would be sent to owners for $500. That is no longer the case. My question is: why is there no mention of the inevitable CO2 tube replacement? Where is the transparency concerning this very real issue? You can find no information concerning the laser tube and it’s life on the official website. Nor is there any mention of the current solution: paying to ship the machine back and a minimum $1500 to receive a refurbished machine (information gleaned from forums and reddit, nowhere to be found on the website).
@dan Where is the transparency concerning the aforementioned issue? These are expensive machines and there should be a disclaimer concerning those future costs. At the start of the kickstarter campaign, there was a high level of communication about these decisions. And now, it seems like there is an emphasis on selling the machines to uninformed consumers.
My ask: a line sheet with the potential costs of repairs and part replacements, a data sheet noting life expectancy of parts based on average usage, and inclusion of that information in an easily accessible part of your website.
To everyone: what have you done when your laser tube has failed? What are the associated costs?
My question is: why is there no mention of the inevitable CO2 tube replacement?
How inevitable is it if the 2015 Kickstarter backers haven’t needed a replacement yet?
You can find no information concerning the laser tube and it’s life on the official website.
We’ll need you to let us know how long they last before they have a lifespan to put on the website.
My ask: a line sheet with the potential costs of repairs and part replacements, a data sheet noting life expectancy of parts based on average usage, and inclusion of that information in an easily accessible part of your website
I don’t have a single possession where the manufacturer makes available the information you’re requesting. Life expectancy of most of the parts is an unknown, since they all exceed the length of time the machine has been on the market. I don’t think this is a very reasonable or necessary request.
If you do some day need to replace your tube, maybe mention that $499 price that was on the site when you made your purchase and see if they’ll honor it. Not being on the website any more just means they’re not promising it to new customers. $499 was probably enough money to cover costs in 2015, not so much in 2024 when that might barely cover shipping both ways.
2015 kickstarters have needed replacements. You can find mention of this on various forums including this one. Moreover, I didn’t use my machine for the first few years, so my usage case is rare.
When you buy an iphone, you can find transparent information about the battery and potential lifespan. Cars and their various parts are guaranteed for “x” amount of miles or time. OMTech offers replacement laser tubes which are all sub $500.
I am happy with my product. But objectively speaking, not having any information on the glowforge laser tube replacement is suspect. For a machine that can cost thousands, this repair can cost over $1500. Consumers should be informed about this before buying.
I never got an email. But my first machine lasted many more years than I expected based on what we were told in the beginning. But, yeah, it was never openly advertised…
All together, your Glowforge’s laser head traveled...
2503 Volkswagen Beetles
770 Brachiosaurus dinosaurs
100 football field(s)
26 walks up the Empire State Building
Really useful that.
I don’t recall seeing one since, and a quick trawl through the email archive didn’t find anything.
