Full Spectrum Laser 5th Gen Review


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Thread: Full Spectrum Laser 5th Gen Review

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    Default Full Spectrum Laser 5th Gen Review

    I was part of the Kickstarter for Full Spectrum's new laser cutter.
    I received my laser in late November and have been using it ever since. I figured since their forums are heavily censored I would post a review up here so people can know what it is actually like.

    I am being very critical its nothing personal against FSL just feel people need to know all the details.

    The laser arrived undamaged and well packed with all components needed except an air pump and exhaust fan.

    (I am using a 110 lpm commercial aquarium pump I got of Amazon)

    I really like the way the laser is set up it is really simple design. I do have some gripes though. Some are minor some are not.

    There is either an issue with the power supply or the power from my home (I live in a mobile home). for some reason the internet drops out or is reduced to a crawl when the machine is on and it doesn't matter if its connected to Lan or not. I've tried all the available outlets with no success. I called FSL and they couldn't figure out why it does this I could ask for a new power supply but I am not certain it would solve anything so for now I will just deal with it.

    AFAIK I am the only one who is having this issue so I suspect it is the poor quality of wiring in my home. I plan to move the laser to a friends house to test this theory soon.


    The lid has a slight binding which makes it hard to close sometimes.
    This was an easy fix I just adjusted the screws on the lid.

    The screws that attach the rails to the outer frame were not loctited so they worked loose and my machine was out of square because of this. The top right screw on top of the black rail is impossible to reach without removing the laser tube. this was a pain to fix.

    The manual focus attachment is a neat idea but there is a little play ~0.010" left and right.

    I talked to FSL on the phone today and they are going to mail me new screws that have knurling on them instead of smooth ones. We'll see if that fixes the issue.

    The second mirror is difficult to adjust a removable panel on the left side would be a nice addition so people who have hands bigger than a 6 year old can adjust the mirror without being cramped.

    Despite being aligned as per the youtube video they posted the left and right edges are slanted I am not sure why this is happening I just sent an email today (I mostly do engraving so I hadn't really noticed it before)

    I decided to call while typing this and they tell me my 3rd mirror is off and gave me some tips on how to do it. I'll update it once I try to fix this.

    The air assist tube has a 90 deg elbow on it that works loose. I solved this problem by attaching a zip tie through the hole in the elbow and around the nozzle. It works great now.

    I have no gripes about the software. It is updated fairly frequently and seems to work great.

    It also prints from the micro sd card (not included) just fine.



    So to recap I am a bit annoyed that I had to essentially rebuild certain parts of the laser cutter and the quality control is a bit questionable but
    Overall I am impressed with the laser it works great and isn't too expensive

    I have not had any issues with FSL support they have been helpful so far.
    I have had a few questions that were not approved to post on their forum which royally pissed me off. but nothing I can do about it.

    Despite the few glaring issues the laser is a great machine for the price and I would recommend it to anyone who has the ability to do basic troubleshooting and upkeep.

    If you have any questions I can try to answer them.

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    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think product review are key to deciding on what to purchase. Its wrong not to allow and encurage open review on their website.
    If you had the opportunity to do it again, would you purchase this 40W unit for over $3K?



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    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think product review are key to deciding on what to purchase. Its wrong not to allow and encurage open reviews on their website.
    If you had the opportunity to do it again, would you purchase this 40W unit for over $3K?



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    Hummm I am always at a loss to understand why people accept second rate stuff when they pay out so much for it?

    If I visited the Mercedes garage and purchased a car then got half way home and found lose wheel nuts or the steering lose they would be getting it back through their nice front window the next day.

    bit annoyed that I had to essentially rebuild certain parts of the laser cutter and the quality control is a bit questionable
    Your a better man than I I'd be going batshi* crazy about it!!

    The reasons companies like FSE can get away with shoddy business practices is because they aren't held to account, if they get away with crap quality control with todays customer they are unlikely to change for tomorrows customer. It's a self perpetuating practice.

    I genuinely don't understand (and I'm being totally honest) why they keep getting away with what they do? thus far I have yet to read a fully unbiased but complimentary post about FSE and the way they work and yet they still keep shipping out lasers...over here trading standards would have closed them down years ago.

    best wishes

    Dave



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    The fact remains that it is probably the best machine on the market for its size and cost. I happen to be fairly mechanically inclined and tinkering doesn't bother me.

    Is it perfect... No
    but all and all I would buy again.

    Oh also another thing to consider is that I purchased during the kickstarter
    They had to make 75 machines in addition to their normal business while making a move to a new building... Not making excuses for them but its likely that was part of the issue as well.



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    Quote Originally Posted by Jolijar View Post
    The fact remains that it is probably the best machine on the market for its size and cost.
    I beg to differ. I bought a LG6040N from G. Weike with a 60W tube for the same kind of money. Air assist pump and powerful extraction fan included. Motorized table and a very useful 600x400mm cutting area.



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    Quote Originally Posted by epilotdk View Post
    I beg to differ. I bought a LG6040N from G. Weike with a 60W tube for the same kind of money. Air assist pump and powerful extraction fan included. Motorized table and a very useful 600x400mm cutting area.
    I have to say some of their machines look nice. I took a look at their website but it has no prices so I overlooked them. I would be very interested to know how much they charge for this one. I am planning on purchasing another laser in the next year or two.

    LC1313M Metal & non-metal laser cutting machine-Laser engraving machine|Laser cutting machine|CNC router-G.Weike Laser

    How is the software?



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    I would really look elsewhere then FLS there machines break and there tech support is the worst in the business. They'll tell you its your fault the thing doesn't work, they'll lie to you about service. You can get a better machine for less money direct from China.



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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigbird48 View Post
    I would really look elsewhere then FLS there machines break and there tech support is the worst in the business. They'll tell you its your fault the thing doesn't work, they'll lie to you about service. You can get a better machine for less money direct from China.
    This is all so correct
    FSE are a bunch of asshats if you have problems. Gods forbid if you go public with their faults, away from their 100% moderated forum.

    Get a nice Chineese machine. Sure, the software is nowhere as good as FSE's RetinaEngrave, but a good engine in a jalopy does not make for a good ride.



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    I have had my Full Spectrum for 3 years now. I have had nothing but great results with the laser and also have had great customer from them as well. It is a complex machine but easy to use. You need to have some degree of technical knowledge to get started with it. It's a great machine and I give them great praise. I have some of my work on Thingiverse. About TexasLaser - Thingiverse.



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    For those of you who own a Full Spectrum Laser, there is a new forum dedicated to FSL only. The site is uncensored and we welcome new members. This forum is NOT sponsored by FSL, this is a personal forum for those users to want to share information, ask questions, etc...

    FSLUSERS.freeforums.org ? Index page



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