Monport 80w CO2 Laser: Comprehensive Review & Verdict After A Year | Brett's Laser Garage

[@henrytobler]

This is great! When I’m cutting intricate designs or engraving detailed images, the results are consistently impressive. The setup was straightforward, and the customer support has been top-notch whenever I've had questions that's why I love Monport.

[@LaserGarage]

That’s a first. Monport, customer service, top-notch all in one sentence 🧐 I love this laser and it was a great entry level machine for me. But for anyone else reading this in the future, Monport’s customer service is not great. They have a lot to work on in that department. I talk about that in this video and you have to know that going in to this purchase.

[@TylerGecko]

Go Brett I love this! After a couple of months of using this machine, I've consistently been impressed by its ability to handle a wide range of materials and thicknesses, making it ideal for both intricate engravings and precise cuts.

[@LaserGarage]

It’s a great laser that’s for sure. I still use it to this day and I have other, more advanced lasers now.

[@munro4398]

Hey man, just want to let you know I used that discount code and ordered myself a Monport 80W CO2 Laser Engraver & Cutter (28" x 20") this morning. Wish me luck!

[@LaserGarage]

That’s awesome! Let me know if you have any questions. Going to be the start of a fun journey.

[@7005r]

I just bought a 130W C02 from Monport with your code. So excited for it to get here. I’ve ran a fiber laser for years and now I’m jumping into the C02. Thanks for the vid and promo code man. Saved me a heap of money.

[@LaserGarage]

Thank you so much! I’m glad to help. That thing is a beast, congrats!

[@debrascott8775]

Good luck. Our experience same as the others here...didnt work. No support

[@LaserGarage]

@@debrascott8775 shoot me an email, I’d like to try and help with you’re situation. Like I said in your other comment, I’m sorry you got a bad machine. My experience has been nothing but good after running my 80w every day for the past 1.5 years.

[@we4659]

Brett, I bought a 100 w like yours a month ago, and I have come to the same conclusion. Great starter machine. But the limitations that this machine has can be overcome, I have added all the items you listed and some of my own. I didn’t see this video until after I had added my accessories but I agree 100%. One thing I would add to your video, everyone should not buy a laser if you are not mechanically inclined. I’ll leave it at that😊. The biggest improvement I have added is a device to control the fan and air, when it comes on and off and delay off so I can cool the laser head down and remove all exhaust after a project. I have some other things in the works but I will keep them to myself. Hope you have a great Christmas. P.s I bought mine to help my wife in her garment business so I could make leather patches . I have been overwhelmed with work.

[@LaserGarage]

Awesome! Merry Christmas and thanks for watching.

[@LarryHardeman]

Thanks for your opinion. I just ordered a MP 80W 36x24 today (chiller external). Ordere from Monport and looking forward to it's arrival. I am an old CNC guy and have CNC routers, plus have 3 diode lasers, so very familiar with lasers, but my first CO2.

[@LaserGarage]

Awesome, thanks for watching. You’ll have no problem running the co2 laser with that experience. Good luck and have fun.

[@dunnguitars733]

Merry Christmas…I ordered the 80w myself, and it should be delivered on the 28th

[@LaserGarage]

Excellent. Good luck, have fun and don’t forget to align the mirrors.

[@greengobbo]

Thanks for the content, Brett! I'm thinking about buying the 60w machine, but I want to make sure that upgrading the air assist with an external compressor won't be too difficult. I've seen videos on adding a compressor to the OMTech machines, but I can't seem to find anything for these. Do you know if they use the same controller mainboard on the side of the machine? Thank you for the information!!!

[@LaserGarage]

You're very welcome. The air assist upgrade is really simple. It's the same procedure you see on the videos with OMTech machines. OMTech and Monport CO2 lasers are pretty much the same in most cases, they both use the Ruida controllers. I like the video Bearded Builds did about installing the air assist the best.

[@edriveria64]

Happy holidays ⛄🎄 I'm thinking about doing the same thing, I have an Ortur Master pro diode machine and I want to upgrade to the big boy ! The working area and speed is the most important part of this!!

[@LaserGarage]

Thank you. Power and speed are definitely a big deal!

[@Real-Tecnica]

Awesome vid but in the event the chiller fails what would be your on the go backup solution? I know the same machine with external chiller if it fails one could just swap out to bucket of water with an aquarium pump and be up and running temporarily

[@LaserGarage]

Thanks a lot! Good point about the chiller. I forgot to mention I do have a pump and bucket on hand as a back up in case mine fails. A regular style chiller can also be hooked up easily. I’ve emailed Monport about sourcing a replacement integrated chiller so I’ll post back when I get the info.

[@cluna92377]

I’m considering and looking into getting one of these. Do you have a link on how to set up that air assist that you did and also a link for your laser head upgrade.

[@LaserGarage]

Cool. The best video I found for the air assist upgrade is by Bearded Builds. Give it a search. I don’t have anything about the focus lenses I used but they are from a company called American Photonics.

[@cbrSpeedster1]

I've asked and asked about moving a laser to my basement but can't get an answer from MP... I have a side door, a landing and stairs 36" wide to the basement. It's not much room and the machine is heavy but in your opinion can heavy components of the unit be removed and taken down separately to make the machine lighter without damaging anything? Thanks for any info you can offer me.

[@LaserGarage]

If you’re talking about the 80w then no, it’s can’t be broken down any further…at least not very easily. You may need to go with a smaller 60w. On those the base comes off and they can go through doorways and are more maneuverable in tight spaces. Oh and Monport offers the “mobility protrude” versions. They give you higher wattages on a smaller frame. May want to look into those. Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck.

[@MikeMaldag]

Thanks for sharing , and the information on the co lazer…. I’m still thinking about getting one but still not sure on what co lazer .. Merry Christmas..!

[@LaserGarage]

Thanks for checking it out. Keep up the research and Merry Christmas!

[@kadzzz757]

Hey! My husband and I ordered a Creality Falcon2 under the impression that it would be able to cut through acrylic but we pretty quickly found out it could only cut through thin yellow or black acrylic. Can this cut through clear acrylic?

[@LaserGarage]

Yep, all co2 lasers can cut clear acrylic.

[@AdamsReviews]

Hello, I have this same laser and I am having trouble with the chiller alarm saying its too cold. Its currently 61 degrees in my garage. It worked fine yesterday when it was a bit warmer like 65. I havent really adjusted any settings on the chiller...Did you have to change your settings around or did you just plug and play? Thanks

[@LaserGarage]

Interesting. I’m sorry I’ve never experienced anything like that. I didn’t change any of the settings on the chiller. 60 degrees is definitely not to cold to be running so something must be off. I’d start with a google search and also do some research on the lightburn forum to see if anyone else has experienced this. The good thing is all these chillers are pretty much the same so I’m sure you can find info on this issue.

[@roygarcia7444]

I do not believe that's the best for your money, why because i bougth one and now i'm getting the run around. Monport is not honoring their warranty. My z probe dove into the wood without stopping, i had to use emergency stop, so now i have to manually set the z, still waiting for the probe. Now the laser power supply burned up, and they are giving me the run around. I have a machine sitting waiting for parts. It's being 2 months on the probe and 1 month on the power supply. I have talked to others with Monports and they are having the same problem. I would not recommend Monport. It's built very cheaply and they are not coming thru with their warranty.

[@LaserGarage]

Dang that sucks. I’ve had mine for about 1 1/2 years and have had the opposite experience. Send me an email, [e-mail] and maybe I can help to connect you to someone that can help.

[@angeldavila2157]

SAME HERE. Do NOT buy from Monport. They have NO support. They're 3 numbers on their Website never work. They will NO respond to your cases. Good luck getting your money back.

[@playamytrumpet]

Hey Brett, great video. Everything you said should be common knowledge in the laser world but there still are many complaints about this and other companies from China and customer support. Being prepared and patient goes a long way. A while back I won a plywood bundle from your channel (monport give away)and found out it’s actually being shipped from China, I live in Canada. Lol. Anyways. I enjoy your channel and merry Christmas.

[@LaserGarage]

Thanks a bunch for watching. That material bundle is making quite the journey!

[@TyLewis55]

Do you have a link for the light burn camera install and setup? Never knew that was a thing and would love to add it!

[@LaserGarage]

It’s in my video playlist. Go check it out, it’s an easy setup.

[@wtwtx]

Brett, can you do a video on upgrading the nozzle assembly and possibly show and difference you found in switching.

[@LaserGarage]

Sure, that will be a quick one. I’ll add it to the list. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@cluebin8398]

I see you had a Thunder laser in there... those cost quite a bit more don't they? Size looked about the same as your MonPort, what did the Thunder bring to the table?

[@LaserGarage]

Yup, I got a thunder bolt in December. It’s a 12x20” RF tube laser, so a little but different than the 80w Monport. We need more machines to keep up with production. With limited space the desktop Bolt fit the bill. Thanks for watching.

[@cluebin8398]

@@LaserGarage I had not heard of RF lasers, had to look that one up. Looks like they are slightly better for engraving due to finer beam width. I just bought a 130W MonPort myself, I wanted the 55" width for passing full 4x8 sheets through the pass through slot without having to cut them up to fit inside. Still waiting on the laser to get here though, it's been 2 weeks and I can't get a tracking number out of MonPort. The China support location does create a bit of a hassle due to the time difference only allowing one email exchange per day. Generally I never use support for anything, but I do need to know when the dang machine is going to arrive!

[@AndrewRutkin]

Hi Brett - Thanks very much for creating this video, it's great to hear an unbiased real-world experience. Have you used your machine to engrave anodized aluminum? I'm in the market for a machine to engrave text on aluminum panels.

[@LaserGarage]

Thank you very much. Only aluminum I’ve done on the Monport is anodized business cards. Worked like a dream.

[@FranktheDachshund]

Has the autofocus been reliable, Monfort have great prices. What corners are they cutting? I am ready to pull the trigger, but I just keep shopping and fretting.

[@LaserGarage]

The auto focus worked great but when I switched to the American Photonics lens I removed it. I think the biggest shortcoming Monport has is their customer support. They stand by their products if something malfunctions during warranty or is shipped damaged but it’s gonna take some time to get responses from them because they are based in China. They have a couple U.S. support guys but I’m not sure if they’re full-time, they get backed up pretty quick so I hear. You’re not buying something from the big boys that will respond within minutes and you can actually talk to a tech on the phone. I think that’s where most of the discount lies. For me I knew that going in and was willing to learn about the machine, have some common spare parts on hand, and be willing to tackle issues on my own.

[@2Auckland]

Hello Brett, can you please give me the ,ink of the nozzle and the lents you boy from American photonics?. thanks.

[@LaserGarage]

americanphotonics.com/products/16mm-diameter-lens-tube-with-znse-focus-lens-with-or-without-alignment-tool?variant=40728490442813 For the 80w Monport and most lasers like it you need the 16.5mm lens tube. I bought the 1.5”, 2”, and 2.5”. But I only use the 2.5” and 1.5” mostly.

[@dalelink4820]

Hi, love the video, helps in pushing me over the edge to buy one. Using a diode right now, but like you stated, its very limited and slow. I have already built my package of stuff to buy, which in the case, its one step down from yours, I am going to go with the 60w. My only question is, exactly what nozzle did you purchase from American Photonics? I see they have many name brand lasers listed but not Monport so I was hoping you could clue me in on which would be the one to buy. I like the idea simply for the cleaning aspect of the lens. Thanks in advance.

[@LaserGarage]

Thank you very much. I bought the three piece lens kit with alignment tool. You need to buy the 16.15mm lens diameter kit. That’s awesome you’re going with the 60w. If you want an extra 10% off use promo code brett10. americanphotonics.com/products/16mm-diameter-lens-tube-with-znse-focus-lens-with-or-without-alignment-tool?variant=40728490672189

[@dalelink4820]

@@LaserGarage I appreciate the quick reply. I am so used to posting a question and no even receiving a reply yours was a surprise. Keep up the great videos, I learn a lot by watching you and people you suggest.

[@LaserGarage]

Thanks a lot Dale! I definitely try to respond to everyone.

[@SkyCarr-u8b]

can you etch metal with this machine? like stainless steel tags etc.

[@LaserGarage]

No, you can’t etch metals with a co2 laser. You can mark some with marking sprays or remove coatings such as paint or anodization but you cannot etch into metal. You need a fiber laser for that, I have some videos on that if you haven’t seen them check them out.

[@dalelink4820]

Brett, first off, sorry for the constant questions, you just seem extremely knowledgeable about the topics I have questions about. 1. would you have been able to buy the lens kit if you still had your auto focus installed? and 2. I read the manual already and the one thing I am worried about is operating temps. I live in Charleston SC and it gets extremely hot here in the summer. Like you, my laser (that I have now ordered) will be in my 2 car garage which is not temp controlled. How do you handle that aspect of running it or are you in a place that it is not much of a bother? Thanks again for the help you give and reply when you get a chance to.

[@LaserGarage]

No problem Dale! 1. Yes, but it would take some slight modification to mount the auto focus probe. The stock mounting ring is a little too small to fit on the AP lens tube. I never liked the auto focus feature, besides have a motorized Z axis, so never got around to doing this. 2. Where I live, I southern California, it does get pretty hot during the summer. Like around 90-100 degrees or so at the hottest. In my uninsulated garage it does get a bit hotter on those scorching days for sure. I haven't done anything special to deal with this weather. The chiller I have integrated in the laser has kept up perfectly. As a safety feature there is an alarm on the chiller if the water gets above a certain temperature and it will not let you run the laser if this temp gets hit.

[@poppin_freshgaming4334]

Thanks for the content. I was getting ready to pull the trigger on an Omtech, but the Monoport pricing seems a little better when comparing apples/apples.

[@LaserGarage]

Glad I could help. Use code brett10 for 10% off from Monport as well.

[@poppin_freshgaming4334]

@@LaserGarage Dope! If I go that route I absolutely will!

[@Tina-eg2ln]

Merry Christmas!

[@LaserGarage]

Merry Christmas!!!

[@MrChamz99]

Hey, Brett.! Do you know if their 60w laser will cut through clear acrylic?

[@LaserGarage]

Hi! Yes absolutely it will. Depends totally on the thickness of course but 1/8” and 1/4” will cut no problem.

[@MrChamz99]

Thank you so much for responding so fast.

[@neilphillips9163]

Good compressor air assist upgrade. Quick question- on cuts, do you find that the compressor runs constantly? Can the reservoir fill faster than the 25 psi being put out (I have a small compressor but after a few minutes, the tank is empty and the air assist is essentially at whatever pressure the compressor can push during refill. Upgrading soon) Thanks

[@LaserGarage]

Thanks a lot! The compressor is slightly small so it does pretty much run all the time during cuts. Probably after like 5 seconds of cutting it turns on. It does keep up though, the pressure does not drop and stays at 30 psi. I may be switching to the 20 gallon version now because I have three laser connected to this compressor, just gotta find a place to put it.

[@neilphillips9163]

@@LaserGarage sounds good. I got a small 2 gallon quiet version and it runs at 61 dB… mainly because my shop compressor runs at 98dB and it would cycle every 8 minutes during cutting at 25psi. Would scare the crap out of me. I can tweak the secondary regulator (solenoid switched to the wind terminals) a little lower to help it keep up, I think it settles out around 21psi. Still enough for good cutting. Thanks for the info

[@LaserGarage]

Sounds like a plan. You can always try it and see what happens. 2 gallons is a little small but it really all depends on how much you’re cutting. I’ve found the 8 gallon California air tools compressor to be a great buy at around $200.

[@neilphillips9163]

@@LaserGarage yeah, I found this 2g one on a lightning deal for $80, so grabbed it. I may end up returning it for the 8g CAT after all

[@dalelink4820]

Brett, just one more question if I may, mine was delivered a few days ago and I was just able to start getting it fired up, but I am concerned about the tube. I filled the cw 5200 up to just below the yellow indicator and it took it down to about 3/4 of the way up the green indicator but I see no water flowing in the big tube. My question is, does the water only flow in the small inner tube or should I see water in the larger outer tube as well? Thanks again for letting me ask my questions and please, answer when you get a chance, I imagine your busy with yours and making vids so no rush on a reply.

[@LaserGarage]

The water only flows in the small inner tube. I don't look at it all the time but I recall only really seeing the water flow on first start up when it was dry. Once it filled with water and the air bubbles were gone I coulnd't really see the flow of water.

[@dalelink4820]

@@LaserGarage Thank gawd.. lol I didn't want to start it up and start aligning the mirrors until I heard back from you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your replies. I almost feel guilty taking up your time. Thanks again and you have a subscriber for life!!!! Keep up the awesome vids!!!

[@LaserGarage]

Please it’s no trouble, I’m glad to help when I can. Thanks for checking out the videos!

[@Grumpyoldtwit]

Does it have a pass through function as standard?

[@LaserGarage]

My 80w model only has a front pass through door only. I’m not sure about the others but I think they are similar. You’d have to look up a specific model to know for sure. They do have a new line out with 4 way pass throughs I believe.

[@Grumpyoldtwit]

@@LaserGarage I’m considering the 80w model, like yours, but I’m concerned about the negative comments regarding the warranty / support. I appreciate that your experience has been positive, but… I’m also considering the X-Tool P2

[@LaserGarage]

I can’t speak about the P2 because I’ve never used it but I hear they are nice. Monport’s customer service is not great at all, there’s no doubt about that. I’ve talked to them about it though and they told me there are upping there game in that department…time will tell. Good luck in your search!

[@robr6925]

my 80w does

[@neilphillips9163]

Which model AP head did you go with? Thanks!

[@LaserGarage]

I got the 16.5mm kit with the 1.5”, 2”, and 2.5” lenses. I only use the 1.5”, didn’t see any real difference in the other ones.

[@antkn33]

Monport’s web site says they have their headquarters in Seattle. Is their support still in China or did that change? Great review by the way. Thanks.

[@LaserGarage]

They may have an office or something Seattle but I don’t know about a “headquarters”. I think they have limited US support but I’d say most help will come from China.

[@neilphillips9163]

Getting so close to buying this laser. How does it do cutting 1/4” MDF? What’s the thickest material you’ve tried cutting? Thanks!

[@LaserGarage]

Nice! Nowadays I mainly use this laser to cut 6mm MDF core walnut, cherry, and white oak. I’m cutting this material all day long at 12 mm/s at 50% power but I have an air compressor setup to boost the air assist to about 30 psi. That helps tremendously with cutting. It cuts like butter at this speed. Could probably crank the speed up a little but I like the consistency these settings give me. I don’t cut anything thicker than this routinely but occasionally I have cut 9-10mm plywood such as in my utility cart video. I’ve also cut 3/8” redwood and Douglas for a fair amount. Cutting is funny in that it totally depends on what your material type is. Plywood is going to be inherently harder to cut due to all the glue layers but there are also many different grades of plywood. Solid hardwood usually you can cut a little thicker but it depends on how dense the wood species is. Don’t forget to use code Brett10 if you decide to pull the trigger. Will save you 10% on top of whatever other sales they have going on.

[@neilphillips9163]

@@LaserGarage thanks for the great reply. I’m going to go ahead and do it, with your code too. I saw that California air tools compressor hack, actually run one like that on my current baby 10w diode already. Thanks!

[@Pens-and-morez]

I ordered mine a month ago and haven’t heard anything from shipping😔. Can’t wait

[@LaserGarage]

That doesn’t seem right, I’d define email their after sales support.

[@douglashayes2223]

Great video

[@LaserGarage]

Thank you. Glad you like it!

[@BigCammaDeacon]

How is the 60 watt monoport for getting started?

[@LaserGarage]

@BigCammaDeacon short answer is, it’s a great start. But it totally depends on what you’re looking to do to know for sure. Email me or dm me on instagram and we can talk further about specifics.

[@BigCammaDeacon]

We’ll. I’m still not sure. I want to do stuff I can sell. Plus we started a makeup company and I want all of the jars etched. In addition later I want to get into gun and golf club engraving but I would need a fiber laser for that.

[@LaserGarage]

Yep I hear ya. I was in the same boat when I started. Here’s what I learned. One laser is probably not going to do everything you want to do. Make a list of possible products that you’re excited to make and buy a laser that will be able to make those items. It all depends on how much you want to spend but the Monport 60w is a relatively inexpensive good start in my opinion. There is some learning curve if you don’t have any experience, and support will be limited (as is the case with all lasers in this category). Lots to think about that’s for sure. I went with the Monport 80w as my first C02 laser and started a business. Worked really well for me and I still use it to this days. I have other higher-end lasers as well now but the Monport still has its place.

[@hasve978]

I bought a 60w co2 monport. I just wish mine had a window I can view through. The window on mine is white not clear.

[@LaserGarage]

Did you take the protective film off? You should have a clear viewing window on the lid.

[@hasve978]

@@LaserGarage there is no film it's just a white window for some reason.

[@LaserGarage]

Triple check. There is a white protective film that ships on all the lasers. You have to unbolt the viewing window to remove it.

[@hasve978]

@LaserGarage ok I will check it later. Not impressed with monport service so far. They sent me a tracking number a week after it arrived. Inside smelled like a pot factory. The tube and ever mirror were off the mirror holders by at least an inch. Second mirror was shooting the beam at the controller past the bed instead of the 3rd mirror lol.

[@LaserGarage]

@@hasve978 Although a good chunk of change no doubt, they are still a budget brand. Mirror alignment can get out of whack when these things travel thousands of miles by boat and truck. That's why I always recommend learning the mirror alignment procedure right away and being as precise as you can with it. I hope you work everything out and enjoy using this laser as much as I enjoy using mine.

[@josephmcafee4560]

Hey Brett, We've been reading reviews on Monport and not hearing very promising things... First, communication. Their communication with customers is very poor if non-existent. I personally have tried contacting them and NO RESPONSE. We are also reading it's not the best quality product and not even based in the U.S.A.. Looking forward to your reply. Thanks!

[@LaserGarage]

Hey Joseph! All I can give is personal experience, if you watch my videos I give a lot of other info about my Monport laser. I’ll do my best to answer your questions but keep doing your own research. #1 Yes they are based in China like a ton of laser companies. Did you see them claim they were based in the U.S.? I have not seen them make that claim. #2 Customer service is not good at all, again not a huge secret. They are working on improving this but you’re not going to receive top notch customer support, period. They will honor warranties or shipment damage of course but claims will it happen overnight. Communications will be delayed due to time zone differences and you won’t be able to call them on the phone. You have to decide whether or not the lower machine price will be worth this inconvenience. #3 Quality is relative. These are budget class lasers with a price of 1/3 that of the competition. You’re not getting quality like an Aeon Laser Mira 7 Redline, but you’re not paying 25k either. You know what I mean? I really like my 80w and I still use it basically everyday in my business. I haven’t had any major issues with it that I couldn’t troubleshoot and repair myself (proximity sensor and auto focus probe went out) the laser has paid for itself many times over. All depends on what you’re looking to do and what your budget is.

[@Creeds-Creations]

Can these engrave tumblers?

[@LaserGarage]

Absolutely. Just need a rotary device and you’re good to go.

[@Creeds-Creations]

@@LaserGarage thanks just got the 80w one can you make videos on how to engrave a cup on this?

[@LaserGarage]

@Creeds-Creations awesome congratulations! I would but I don’t have a rotary for the 80w. I’ll be doing a rotary video soon with my fiber laser though, similar principles.

[@Creeds-Creations]

PERFECT! That would work. Would be the First time using light burn for me. I'm used to using creative spaces. @@LaserGarage

[@debrascott8775]

Hey Brett, we used your code to buy....sadly was the absolute worst! Defective laser , they diagnosed a bad board. customer support has been string us along promising part will be sent...never sends it. Now we are approaching the 30 day warranty, we have no choice but to return and incur even more costs. Total rip-off and terrible service.

[@LaserGarage]

Oh no that’s terrible. All I can do is report my experiences and I’ve been on the other end of the spectrum. Send me an email, maybe I can help you.

[@1-Nice-Guy]

They did not give you the laser to review, but they gave you a discount...hmmm.

[@LaserGarage]

That’s right, thanks for watching!

[@1-Nice-Guy]

LOL!@@LaserGarage