The biggest issue with laser cutters/engravers is maintenance. Keeping all optics clean, the mirrors aligned, the bed level, and the moving parts lubricated can be tedious, technical, and time-consuming. The larger the cutting bed, the greater the distance between each mirror—which means greater difficulty aligning the mirrors that transmit the laser from the laser tube (where the laser is generated) to the cutting area. The laser must be aligned so that the laser hits dead center of all mirrors at all times for maximum performance and longevity of the laser cutter.

When buying a laser cutter, take these things into consideration:

What’s the application? Business? Hobbyist (home)? Design firm? School? Machine shop? For applications that require the machine to run all day, look at industrial laser cutters with liquid cooling.

Budget? Cost can vary greatly.

Ventilation. Will you be venting to the outside? If so, are there any HVAC air intakes near that will suck in the fumes, smoke, etc from the laser cutter exhaust? Will you need to vent to an in-room air cleaner, if you don’t have a way to vent outside?

What materials do you hope to cut/engrave? Thicker materials require greater wattage from the laser. For example, a 150w laser might cut 1/4″-1/2″ plywood. Smaller wattage lasers might only engrave.

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