Thunder Laser vs Longtai

[Swe_Woody]

Hi all!

I'm about to get my first laser cutter and stuck with a few questions, of course

I've got a quote from Longtai on a LT-1390 (1300*900 table) with a 150W tube and one from Thunder Laser on a Nova 35 (900*600 table) with a 100W tube.

I'm mainly going to use it for cutting and engraving Oak and plywood up to 20 mm. One said it was enough with a 100W and the other a 150W. I've revised my plan since then and will probably not cut thicker than 15mm. But there's still quite a big difference between a 100W and a 150W. Those of you who have experience with cutting and engraving wood, what do you say?

Considering the Longtai has a bigger table and a bigger laser, the price is still quite a bit below the Thunder Laser. Are the Thunder Laser that much better?

Thanks for your help

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[Mavigogun]

A few things, Woody. First, in this case, more really is better. In addition to greater capacity and shorter cut times, the ability to run the tube at reduced power will extend its life. There WILL be a performance drop over the life of the tube. You'll also want to consider what lenses come with or may be fitted to the laser nozzle; different tasks and material dimensions will demand different sized lenses.

I highly advise researching everything about the process you plan from one end to the other- from configuring the laser, managing stock, drivers and software, to air filtration and climate control.

[CYoung]

I would be surprised if 100W is enough to cut 20mm wood. I have a 50W Epilog and it works really hard to cut 6mm baltic Birch plywood. Maybe special optics would allow for a deeper cut, but it burns and charrs the edges.

[erik65]

.... I highly advise researching everything about the process you plan from one end to the other- from configuring the laser, managing stock, drivers and software, to air filtration and climate control.

+100

Woody, there are a lot of things to consider that are very important, like Laser tube quality (brand), chiller, lens assortment (with fitting shorter or longer nozzles), spares package, supplier's service etc. I'v been going through this process the last three weeks and ordered my first laser machine just two days ago.

Wattage is not everything, it indeed depends on the use you have for the machine. for instance, more powerful lasers can't operate at lower power levels (they just don't 'fire' if the feeded power is too low) and you might not be able to cut or engrave thin material, like paper, with a good enough result.

I don't know how many reading you have done already, but it can't ever be enough.

And is Thunder Laser better than Long Tai? I can't judge that for sure, but during my 'investigate and buy' process I received eight quotations, amongst them both Thunder laser and Long Tai, and in the end, after some to-and-from e-mails, they were all technically almost 100% identical. Prices were different, as was communication and the looks of the machines of course.

Another thing, take your time, Chinese New Year is approaching, which means that although most supplers mention a delivery time (to port) of about 10 days, not much will leave China between half January - half February when shipping is not already booked.

[Swe_Woody]

Thank you all for the replies!

When it comes to research, I have a black belt in that
But I do have a tendency to research things to death, if you know what I mean. Just gotta stop somewhere along the way and order.

I'm building a whole new shop for just this, so ventilation, material handling, stock and all that is being taken care of.

The engraving I'm looking to do is quite simple. Cut a pattern 1mm deep here and a 2mm deep pattern there, no 3D images stuff.

[PatPatry]

Hello,

I am currently looking to buy a laser machine, I am a beginner with laser. I want to cut out Russian birch 1/8 inch and 1/16 inch (and maybe 1/2 to make boxes). I want to cut small pieces of 1 X 1 inch, door hangers, photo albums (foldable wood ???) ... I would also like to make holes in a piece of 24X24 inches ... if possible. A bit of engraving too.

I have a budget of $ 15,000 Can. At first I watched Trotec (rayjet) 30W and Epilogue in the same price 14000-15000 $. I saw on the Net the Laser Thunder Nova 35 with 100 Watts. It can cut large pieces like 24X24 inches.

I wonder if the quality of this machine is good? And if it is easy to use?

Is there anyone who has ever used a Thunder Nova 35 Laser? ... your impressions please

I saw that he was selling a high resolution head ... Is it worth it?

Thank you