So, I was sent a refurbished replacement for the new basic I just bought late last year. It is working fine…but I noticed there are black “spots” in the laser tube. I reached out to support to see if this would be an issue…and not surprisingly they said that they were concerned and wanted to send another refurbished unit to replace it. Note that they want to do this because “they want to resolve within 90 warranty”…although I’ve reminded support more than once that I have the 3 year extended warranty!! I’m nervous about sending this one back as it actually works (whereas my new one never did!)…and I know others who have gone through multiple refurbished replacements that don’t work. Anyone ever see black spots in their tube? They look like little charcoal/burn marks? My other concern is, what kind of refurbishment process do they have…if they send out a unit with such an obvious “visible” flaw!
“In” the laser tube, or on it? What happens if you wipe it with a bit of hand cleaner on a clean cloth. If they wipe right off then no worries. I had a problem with my first machine that I bought an external fan when the internal one died. I made an agreement to not send the machine back then but wait till after Christmas to make the exchange. I had another issue crop up that kept it from working so returned it just before New Years.
You might ask if you can hold on to the machine as long as it is working and the three year warranty (and the 90 day warranty) could be honored if it turns out to be a problem.
A picture would help, but there are no spots on my 4+yr tube.
I am wondering if someone replaced the fluid in the tube. From discussions I have seen on the web, the environment in the area of a laser could cause some chemicals to behave poorly due to fields not found beyond an active laser.
They are inside the tube. All on the left side.
Photo added. Hard to get a good picture. There are more than just the two I captured in this photo.
Looks like mold. Not seen that here before.
It likely won’t affect operation, but reporting it to support so that it’s documented won’t hurt.
Yes, I already reported and their response is for me to send back for another refurb. I’ve been trying to discuss with them since Tues, but no one is responding to my follow-up emails and/or requests for calls. 
I just got the machine Friday, and after having to get help to box up original to send back and reset this one back, including calibration, lots of testing, etc. I really don’t want to go through all that again so soon.
I would personally not go thru the hassle for that.
I would document that to them and their saying that you could send it back and make every reference to that issue (or any new ones)as a reply to that specific email so the email retains the conversation. If that is mold it will not survive much laser use.
It does look like mold, the way it’s randomly distributed fits also.
The field around the laser makes electricity flow where it can which is bad if the liquid can transmit electricity, but I suspect that the bits of mold could transmit electricity better than the fluid around it. If you see bright flashes when you try to run the laser, you need to definitely shut down immediately and get it replaced, as they have a great reluctance to send more of the proper fluid (dubbed “unicorn tears” as a result).
Also, keep in mind that your extended warranty is not with GF. It’s an external company who will cover costs. GF is working within their warranty system and, honestly, you want a company who tries to do warranty work while you’re still eligible. That’s a good thing. In the end, it’s a bit of a gamble, but since you have the extended warranty, I guess I’d just tell them you’ll wait and see how it goes.
Actually the extended warranty is still managed by Glowforge. I spoke with the warranty company, and they said Glowforge manages the repairs and they just pay. They just redirect you to Glowforge to handle. It’s interesting the way it’s set up…different than other warranties I’ve had.
Right. That’s what I meant. The warranty is NOT through GF. It’s the same as if GF repaired it and you paid for it, only someone else is paying the bills. There are no outside GF repair people for them to use. What I was trying to say is that as far as GF is concerned, your warranty is done when they say it’s done. They aren’t tracking your outside warranty because it doesn’t impact them at all.
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