CO2 Laser machines review. TOP-26 Co2 machines – best picks!

Best Bang for your Buck

What is a laser?

Laser is an acronym for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”. Simply put, light is amplified and radiated. The difference is the method used to magnify the light determines the type of laser itself.

The difference between diode and CO2 lasers

Diode lasers are also called semiconductors lasers, as they use semiconductors. Light is emitted by passing current through a semiconductor then a lens, and that light is used for various applications. They are widely used in our daily lives from laser printers to optic disks, such as DVD’s CD’s etc. Diode lasers have the advantage of being small and are low voltage, low current, and therefore are often mounted on small laser cutters and CNC machines.

The CO2 laser is one of the earliest gas lasers. Developed by Kumar Patel in 1964, and it is still one of the most useful lasers today. With its high power and levels of control, CO2 lasers can be used for applications requiring precision, mass production, and most importantly, personalization. CO2 laser engravers and cutters are highly precise and can be used to create designs, decorations and the like on just about any material you can think of, including wood, plastic, metal and paper.

How CO2 lasers work

The light produced is very powerful compare to normal light, because the tube of gasses is surrounded by mirrors, which reflect most of the light traveling through the tube. This reflection of the light causes the light waves being produced by the CO2 to build in intensity. The light increases as it travels back and forth through the tube, only coming out after becoming bright enough to pass through the partially reflective mirror.

Although the highest-powered CO2 laser runs over 1000W, those used for machining, are generally between 25W-100W; by comparison, laser pointers are a few thousandths of a watt. Because it is in the infrared, it has a very long wavelength, around 10.6 micrometers; it is much longer than visible light, which runs between 450 and 700 nanometers. As continuous lasers go, the CO2 type is the most powerful in production.

What materials work with CO2 laser cutter/engraver machines

All the machines in this review will engrave and cut the same materials but at different thicknesses.

Cutting:

• • •  Wood
    • Acrylic
    • Plastic
    • Leather
    • Fabrics
    • MDF
    • Rubber
    • Fiberglass
    • Foam
    • Corian
    • Paper
    • Cardboard

Engraving:

• Metal *
• Stone
• Wood
• Tile
• Acrylic
• Plastic
• Leather
• Fabrics
• Glass
• Melamine
• Phenolic
• Rubber
• Cork

* Coated metal, anodized aluminum, and painted metal

Endurance lasers: all about cutting and engraving abilities of diode, DPSS, fiber, Co2 lasers, UV (355 nm)

Review 26 machines

In this review, I will be breaking down 3 price points. Starter being under $1000, Budget being under $5000 and the Mid-Range being under $10,000.

Basic

There are 2 machines in this price group

My pick for this price point is the K-40 as you can order it with the functions you want, and it is very upgradable.

Budget

There are 15 machines in this price group.

My pick for this price point is the OM Tech – AF2028-80. It has the best features for the money

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Mid-Range

There are 9 Machines in this category

My pick for this price point is OM Tech-AF3555-130. It gives you the biggest work area for the best price.

***All of these picks are my opinion only ***

Written by Nicklas Morey

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