Redsail M500

[hippotek]

I have managed to get all problems under control.

@joss4u: For the price it is not a bad machine. Precision is good, but:

1. Mirror alignment is very very tedious and essential for good results.
2. The current water cooling system is a joke. I increased the water volume 10x and now I can ensure 2 hrs of non-stop operations without the water overheating.
3. The connection of the laser tube is very poorly solved. I am planing to upgrade to something more solid and much more convenient concerning swapping of the laser tube... Goldplated brass terminals with proper insulation...

The machine runs on 220V with a step-up converter... Make SURE to ground the the machine because the converter does not have a ground...

[hippotek]

This is a warning going out to all potential customers for the M500 by Redsail:

This machine is UNSAFE and DANGEROUS!

We had our machine running for barely a week when a failure of the belt drives for positioning the laser head lead to CATASTROPHE! The laser burned in the same spot for over 30sec at almost full power and the acrylic we were cutting ignited before we realized what was happening. The flames immediately reached the acrylic cover above and all went up in a blaze. We cut power by pressing the emergency shut off, but it was too late to save the machine. The sprinkler overhead was triggered protecting our house, but the machine is beyond repair.

Redsail will NOT honour their warranty. They claim it must have been an operating error and are unwilling to cover ANY cost of the machine...

Also, even when operating the machine is a real pain:

1. ALL power outlets on the machine are extremely loose and ill-fitting. We had top tape the plugs into place to secure operations.

2. The cutting table is not even, giving inconsistent cutting results across the table.

3. The mesh of the table is too tight resulting in flashbacks and uneven cuts when cutting acrylic.

4. The datum (origin) of the machine did NOT correspond with the cutting table, making it EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to position sheets precisely to avoid waste. Redsail was unable to provide me with procedures for relocating the datum (origin)

5. The "water cooling system" consisting of a pump and a far too small container is a JOKE! I increased the volume of water by 10x to ensure proper cooling!

6. The USB ports for direct connection to PC and reading from USB key are both externally Type A... The direct connection port should by type B, as it is internally which would allow to use much longer cables.

7. Setting up the power supply for use with 110V is not easy either. The step-Up Converter has NO GROUND connection, so this has to be ensured separately!

8. Adjusting and aligning the mirrors is difficult, because the thread on the screws is just too coarse.

9. The documentation provided is a joke!

I STRONGLY ADVICE AGAINST BUYING THIS MACHINE!

Very bad service and support, poor build quality and unsafe. Unless you are willing to spent a significant amount of time and money and have the expertise for making this machine SAFE, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY.


To all M500 users out there: I have 2 laser tubes (one might be damaged, one brand new and unused), one rotary device (new and unused) and basically all other components of the machine (some of them severely damaged by the fire; main power supply is 100% fine though) up for grabs.

Sent me a message if you are interested.

[abelloise]

Nothing personal but I think you are telling us the machine burned in place for over 30 seconds...started a fire...set off the sprinklers (which must of taken a few minutes.. and you were no where near the machine...I wouldn't of covered it under warranty either.

I own a different laser system and would never walk away from my laser or CNC machines.

Originally Posted by hippotek This is a warning going out to all potential customers for the M500 by Redsail: This machine is UNSAFE and DANGEROUS! We had our machine running for barely a week when a failure of the belt drives for positioning the laser head lead to CATASTROPHE! The laser burned in the same spot for over 30sec at almost full power and the acrylic we were cutting ignited before we realized what was happening. The flames immediately reached the acrylic cover above and all went up in a blaze. We cut power by pressing the emergency shut off, but it was too late to save the machine. The sprinkler overhead was triggered protecting our house, but the machine is beyond repair. Redsail will NOT honour their warranty. They claim it must have been an operating error and are unwilling to cover ANY cost of the machine... Also, even when operating the machine is a real pain: 1. ALL power outlets on the machine are extremely loose and ill-fitting. We had top tape the plugs into place to secure operations. 2. The cutting table is not even, giving inconsistent cutting results across the table. 3. The mesh of the table is too tight resulting in flashbacks and uneven cuts when cutting acrylic. 4. The datum (origin) of the machine did NOT correspond with the cutting table, making it EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to position sheets precisely to avoid waste. Redsail was unable to provide me with procedures for relocating the datum (origin) 5. The "water cooling system" consisting of a pump and a far too small container is a JOKE! I increased the volume of water by 10x to ensure proper cooling! 6. The USB ports for direct connection to PC and reading from USB key are both externally Type A... The direct connection port should by type B, as it is internally which would allow to use much longer cables. 7. Setting up the power supply for use with 110V is not easy either. The step-Up Converter has NO GROUND connection, so this has to be ensured separately! 8. Adjusting and aligning the mirrors is difficult, because the thread on the screws is just too coarse. 9. The documentation provided is a joke! I STRONGLY ADVICE AGAINST BUYING THIS MACHINE! Very bad service and support, poor build quality and unsafe. Unless you are willing to spent a significant amount of time and money and have the expertise for making this machine SAFE, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. To all M500 users out there: I have 2 laser tubes (one might be damaged, one brand new and unused), one rotary device (new and unused) and basically all other components of the machine (some of them severely damaged by the fire; main power supply is 100% fine though) up for grabs. Sent me a message if you are interested.

[laser-engraver]

hi,
If you still have problems,please contact us.