Which Would You Buy? This CNC Router or This Laser Engraver?

Would you buy this CNC router or this CNC laser? Recently I did videos on the cheapest CNC router and the cheapest CNC laser on Amazon.
🎥 What to Watch Next:
CNC Laser - • The Cheapest Laser Eng...
CNC Router - • The Cheapest CNC Route...
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[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Watch this for more: kzbin.info/aero/PLp-J1-xoURvUIn1oc1w1YpSVDlC-69ZC8

[@Aikidoman06]

I (my company) sponsors a STEM program in the local Middle and High schools. I got them a laser engraver to cut out parts, and a milling machine. The machines were so popular and used so much I have bought lasers for the Art program, the vocational shop, and the two elementary school start up programs. Now all the programs have lasers of various sizes, milling machines, plotters, and the Vocational program has two CNCs; 4x4 and 8x4+. The lasers are diodes, and because they are cheap we are upgrading every other year. We are buying a 100w tube laser for the high school this year. Here’s a universal truth: kids love lasers!

[@eugene21409]

I admire your initiative but you should be very very mindful of the hazards of open frame lasers such as this in a school setting. Especially for elementary! Absolutely make sure to have a proper enclosure, fume extraction, eye protection (not the cheap useless goggles provided with the product), fire fighting measures at hand etc. These machines are awesome but definitely not a toy!! Please see Maker's Muse video on the topic

[@Aikidoman06]

@@eugene21409 thanks, and you are 100% correct. They did a lot of training with the teachers before hand and put serious safety precautions in place.

[@woodenpebble5789]

A great follow-up to this video's predecessor. I watched 100's of these types of videos before I purchased my CNC. I choose to wait and do the carves by hand till I could afford one of the lower entry-level CNCs. I am VERY satisfied with the one I have now. It has only been 3 weeks but I already want another.. hahaha

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Awesome! Congrats on your new toy... I mean tool!

[@villageidiot8718]

I want both. I'm saving my allowance for a Longmill Mk2 30x48. I want to swap between a router or spindle and laser.

[@PabloVerbel]

you can put the laser module in the cnc router. the only problem with the cnc router is the size but you can get the 3018 for like $20 more

[@mattivirta]

no matter how big cnc have same accurate etc, 0,0001mm can cut dimension. have small or big cnc i have build 1500mm x 1500mm x 400mm cnc and can use same accurate or better than small toy cnc 3018 size. i can made pictures,pcb,big woodwork. etc.

[@norm5785]

Thank you for sharing this with us today, stay safe and healthy, from Henrico County Virginia

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for watching!

[@analog-dreams]

Thank you!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Welcome!

[@dnczardnczar]

Disclosure; Tis is not my account. Really enjoyed your CNC videos and looked at what's available on Amazon which raised more questions for me as a beginner. Maybe you can address some of the questions. My first thought was $130 was maybe limiting so why not look at a little more of a machine? They all seemed to be about the same machine and what more money did was get a bigger table for the machine but there were other options available like a four axis controller. Would that stand alone option fit on these machines like you bought? How adapable are they to expand knowledge and abilities with these other options? Stronger motor\servo routers are also available. Can they be adapted? I guess what I'm asking is about the limits of the machine frames to adapt to these "hobby" machines? You mentioned what I assuming was the machine language for the router but can the controller accept other languages or programs. Can they accept imports from programs like autocad? 3D modeling? Your demo was limited to linear cutting and engraving. I hope you get the idea of what I'm thinking about and maybe you can add more. As a wood carver my interests is with possible time saving stock removal. I really don't use machines but this is interesting. Final question, you used air to clear chips. Can a vacuum be adapted so the machines can be left to run without being constantly attended?

[@steve_seguin]

I have both, ha. I think the CNC router is the better choice. You can put a different drill bit on it and cut carbon fiber like butter. All you can do with the laser engraver is melt plastic and burn wood; its okay at engraving, but that has little practical use.

[@XIIIStefanC]

I think it depends on what you want to do, for me I would probably go for the cnc router aswell, but I need the laser engraver for some other jobs to engrave text on control panels. Have you tried it with PCB's yet? I'm curious how accurate it is for that kind of job..

[@thanemakes5377]

I have the same laser… you can upgrade the firmware to use Lightburn… it works great.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for sharing!

[@designer-garb572]

Good video, I am on the fence, I would rather have a CNC router but the noise is a big factor for me

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Fair enough!

[@TroyCroatto]

I saw the title and thought “damn, this is a good video, why hadn’t I seen this earlier?” Oh, it was uploaded 15 minutes ago…. Awesome!

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for watching!

[@castleladpaza76]

I own something similar to that cheat cnc router and it's great for dioramas like brick walls and tiled roofs on model train building and houses

[@beneichinger9566]

what would you recommend for custom, slate coasters?

[@sebastjansslavitis3898]

which one is faster and by how much?

[@darkwinter6028]

I’d make sure to pick a machine that either already has GRBL on the controller, or can be easily flashed to run it.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Good advice

[@mattivirta]

sure GRBL not used accurate work newer, only g-code machines etc. linuxcnc, mach3 not work well not have realtime cnc wery dangerous and wery worst because windows OS not can handle realtime. this is important if use cnc only little hobby user play whit laser and 3D priter no need realtime but better if have. lot safety and lot better use and accurate. and not need do same work manytime because not lost alltime steps. mach3 do this lot.

[@darkwinter6028]

@@mattivirta I am quite familiar with the source code to GRBL (it being an open-source project); it does not loose steps, ever. However, GRBL is not the only component of the system: you also have the wiring, stepper motor drives, lead screws and/or drive belts; as well as whatever forces that are being generated by the machine’s cutting action. These other factors can cause any machine to develop positioning errors, either transient ones or continuing ones (lost steps). If you’re looking to run long jobs on a router; and have a concern about positioning errors developing (or are actually suffering this problem) and checking the wiring and adjusting the machine’s acceleration and top speed doesn’t make the problem go away; then I would suggest considering upgrading to a closed-loop stepper system. These have special stepper motors with encoders on them, which connect to special drive modules that track the motor’s actual position, and automatically brings it back to the commanded position (fed to them by GRBL). This is similar to a servo setup, but you don’t have to tune any PID loop parameters - it’s pretty much plug-and-play.

[@leomorgan5271]

Would the laser work on slate or granite ?

[@tlifmtv1916]

Hey thanks for the video I’m looking to start making wood bow ties I would like to have the option to cut completely through them or engrave them would you recommend this to start or something different?

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

I don't think this would be a good option for you

[@hankfoto]

I do Macro photography and wonder how well would it do in copying Black & white photos or Pictures on glass? .

[@mikejones5152]

Laser

[@flatcheetah]

Laser all the way, the bare minimum to get a good router would be $1200 for something like the sienci long mill.

[@mattivirta]

not cost, i have build many cnc to hobby customer and factory, and hobby cnc cost less 500$ if use used parts lot and make DIY lot, frame no cost lot only metal tube,welding thats is, and linear rails my last cnc 1500x1500x400mm cost 300$ then need såindle cheap woodworking user spindle 500W cost less than 50$ and can change laser to Z axis have both cnc and laser. linuxcnc software have FREE.

[@HobbyMoose79]

Which one works on diacast metals? Leather, glass, plastic? That’s the question.

[@keithjensen3551]

As of 10/10/2022 the alternative laser you listed is also out of stock.. lol

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Thanks for letting me know!

[@TheJedc43]

I guess comparisons dont look very well without that $99 price tag for the laser. That alternative is over $400

[@Cnthib57]

I would have to go with the laser. Have a CNC I never use and with the laser I could put my logo or customize items I attempt to sell. (lol)

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

Absolutely, I get that!

[@vmoutsop]

I would buy the product that sticks to the stated price that was given during the video and is not always currently out of stock.

[@johnsweeney8434]

I’d pick the laser. I can’t find it, if you aren’t using your laser, I’d be happy to take it off your hands!

[@mattivirta]

only laser and u can do only laser carve, but cnc u can do both change only spindle off and add laser head. and can cut and carve wood lot more then change head and make same job nice picture or text. whit laser.

[@GlueTubber]

"the right tool for the right job", so it would depend on what I would be doing.

[@AndyBirdBuilds]

But thats not the premise of the video, you can only pick one! 😀

[@mattivirta]

cnc can use better whit laser than cheap 500$ laser and today same 10W laser no cost 500$ laser head can buy less than 100$ today. 5-10W

[@GoldenPhil]

The laser engraver is no longer available on Amazon nor anywhere else.

[@mattivirta]

best have cnc and add side laser head too, can use both. and can cut wood at laser better than ewery pass laser need cut little more down focus be better because ewery pass have more down has burn wood off. u need only measure how deep one pass cut then make g-code ewery pass drop laser head this dimension down. focus laser can keep good thin all pass, if not drop focus have ewery pass worst more than one pass.laser need be optimal thin not wide burn better and no burn lot edge, if increase speed little, speed important how nice edge have after cut. more speed more pass and keep focus optimal all pass then burn lot better.