That’s been my “tl;dr” understanding…
If you are technical and/or have a single requirement, the cheaper options can work well. If you want the ease-of-use/flexibility the GF offers, there aren’t many affordable choices.
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Thanks so much for all the well thought out responses. I really do appreciate it. I don’t think the time worth setting up the cheaper lasers are even worth it. My time is my most valuable asset now a days. I’ll be going with two glowforges. (Simple basic as a backup). Glowforge has been good to me and I’m sticking with it. Now to get my plus fixed and save up for a basic!
Thanks again!
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OK, this was a miscommunication and I take responsibility for that. I was suggesting that the OP seek out other places for info because this is NOT a good spot to get suggestions for other lasers. I am on a number of other general forums where this question comes up daily and there are a wide range of other options in that price range with pros and cons. Most of us can’t speak to those. And so far the answers here are as limited as I suspected they would be.
As for the rest, it wasn’t an attempt to scold anyone else. I was just explaining my initial response to the OP - that there are other options if one were to look, but I’m not going to list them all here. [And, yes, as I said, GF rarely blocks any conversations, so this is my own ethical choice.]
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While I’m okay with the Chinese K40 type it’s because I’m a tinkerer and an electrical engineer. The others of that generic design - Boss, Redsail, etc are okay for turnkey systems but do require more babysitting than Glowforge.
If I were in business I wouldn’t hesitate with a good used Trotec or Epilog in the 10-15K arena. I also think Universal makes some good solid machines.
The one I would not ever buy is an FSL. They are simply rebadging other stuff that can be gotten far cheaper and their marketing practices are distasteful. They’re the Vegemite of lasers.
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Please, share some links if that’s how you feel.
I have direct experience with probably every sub-$1000 laser available. Granted, an established business with a massive budget should just spend the $15K on a commercial laser. But many folks who are using the Glowforge are running etsy shops out of their spare bedroom.
For the cost of the least expensive Glowforge, you can buy ten K40s, or 20 diode lasers. If you do a lot of small jobs, or simple engravings, a 40 Watt CO2 laser is overkill. If reliability is an issue, you’ve still got nine spares to fall back on. Or you’ve got ten times the production capacity. Or maybe you learn something about operating and troubleshooting a laser, or the size of your potential customer base before you invest a few grand.
Personally, I think it is crazy to run a business with only one production machine unless your customers can cope with a multi-week delay if something goes wrong. And yet, hardly a week goes by where we don’t see a frantic post from someone whose business has ground to a halt because “the button is orange.”
I love my Glowforge, and I really do appreciate what they have built. But there are limitations to their approach as well.
There is more than one drawer in my toolbox, for a reason.
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If you join the Laser Engraving and Cutting group on FB (or probably a dozen other groups), you can get a good range of lasers above the DIY level, but below the heavy-duty commercial versions.
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