My glowforge came and it looks used... did yours look like this?

Hey guys, after a few weeks wait I got 1 of 2 boxes yesterday… and the machine has defects all over it and what looks like use to me. I feel like instead of getting a new unit, I was sold a refurbished model… I’ve found chips in paint, metal showing previous hardware placement, chipped mirror right as soon as it’s opened, color changes in the metal, etc. As soon as I opened the door the huge glass chip in the center near the door hinge was totally obvious, I thought that it was one of the mirrors and really got stressed right away…

Does anyone else have this experience? It’s such a hassle to send back… and I know since it took a few weeks, they are probably tight on inventory but cmon, I’ve purchased HP printers with better quality construction than this… which makes me think this is NOT a new unit… which makes me nervous it’s gonna die on me, because who knows what else could be wrong with it?

Welcome to the forum. I think you should post these pictures in the Problems and Support section and have the Glowforge support staff take a look.

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Wow, I’d be SUPER upset if this is how I got my original unit. I’ve had 2 replacements and even those refurb units didn’t have these kinds of visible issues

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Looks new to me. I have the same chip in the glass. It must be from the clamp they use to lift or install it (never noticed it until today). It hasn’t impacted a thing for almost two years now.

Cosmetic scrapes and scratches happen during manufacturing. If you decide you can’t live with it, report it in Problems & Support, but it looks like nothing to worry about to me. Certainly nothing that will interfere with operation.

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2 replacements? What happened that they needed to be replaced? Was it manuf error and they did the replacement for you?

The first time you remove the crumb tray you will quickly get over those cosmetic defects. When you hear the scraping of metal-on-metal as the crumb tray drags across the bottom of the machine. Was definitely unnerving the first time I did it.

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Hi Jules, yeah understandable - I produce product in Asia and do inspections all the time. We often let things slide that we know 99% of consumers will not notice - but actual scratches, chips, etc. With so many in one unit, I feel like I was not sold a brand new unit.

Just makes me wonder what other issues this machine might end up having that might actually be more serious

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Sent them an email, will see how it goes but then will post to the problems and support section! Thanks!

First machine was blurry and double engraving, second machine stopped cutting through proofgrade materials and had really wonky power after about 2 months. Both times were just straight replacements of the entire machine by the support staff.
The only crappy parts about having a replacement machine are waiting for the new one to arrive and the fact that your warranty does not reflect the date you got your working machine but instead the date you got your original. Especially painful for me where I wasnt able to use my laser for near two months between all the issues I’ve had between the machines going down and them not shipping me my crumb tray for over a month

They do test the machines so none of them have never been used, but yeah - I could see returning it, I could see keeping it. See what the response is from the email and figure out what works for you.

If Support doesn’t say that’s a deal breaker, you might run the camera calibration. If it’s dead on hold on to that machine, if it’s off that might be your push in the other direction :slight_smile:

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The key thing to notice I think is the laser tube itself, A new tube is clear but in use very quickly gets molecules of free copper that adhere to the walls and give it a copperish hue. This builds up over time but at its worst you can still see through the surface. If you look and see that the tube is clear then it is an unused tube.

I received a referb basic when I had sent in a pro so it did not get all the way out of the box before it was exchanged for a pro, however the tube in the basic was used as it had the orange center in the tube, but the pro tube was clear.

When it all comes down to it the tube counts but the other stuff is just well tested and the part that failed is replaced.

You can’t sell a refurbished machine as new. You can replace a machine that breaks during warranty with a refurbished one, but not as a replacement for a non-new, new machine. That said, defects in craftsmanship doesn’t make a new machine refurbished. It’s up to you if you want to seek a replacement by emailing support.

Wow, okay - so a clear tube means new? Mine looks orange to me - what do you think?
How did you know you got a referb basic?

Would you guess this is used? I understand they must test them but this is pretty darn yellow…

Yeah, I wanted to show the photos to other owners to find out if they got a glowforge that looked like mine. I know its a new product and company, I know they probably have V1 models from the Kickstarter production batch etc. that they also want to sell, but I also know that I was expecting a brand new machine. So, in posting the photos here i’ve learned a lot… didn’t realize a copper colored tube would mean it’s shown use!

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This is an interesting point.

if you send this machine back for a replacement. I’m not sure they are required to send you a new-new machine. If they claim your machine is new, you will likely a like-new-refurb instead.

It looks like my pro did after an hour or so

Check out my thread from a couple of years ago:

Hmmm wow, so the inner tube is also supposed to be clear, right? You meant that inner tube, that in my photos read as orange, should be clear - not the outer tube surrounding it right? I’ve read about fogging on those outer tubes.

If they screw up and send you a machine from the refurb shelf of the warehouse, they need to replace it with an actual new machine. I’ve seen much stranger mixups. If they did send a new machine with craftsmanship issues and they are willing to replace it, it needs to be a new machine.

If your machine breaks after a few hours of use, that is where the refurb machine may be a possibility. I’m only familiar with new can’t be refurb, not “when is it no longer new.” So how many hours of use it needs before they can do that, I don’t know.

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This is like a news quote, you forgot the important qualifier.

Then they would likely get a refurb.