Laser Cutter and Engraver Machine by UESUIKA, 5-5.5W Optical Power, Diode 40w Laser Engraving Machine with Independent Control Terminal, Quadruple Lens Compression Fixed Focus

This is sold as a 40 watt laser, but is only a 5 watt laser. It was easy to assemble, and works pretty good. Nice starter unit.

Not a bad first out of the gate laser printer. I think the focus mechanism is hokey. Although very simple, it could be beefed up a little bit by using a plunger, similar to what used on a 3-D printer to calibrate the focus…in other words, a little bit more automation during calibration…otherwise laser does work well.

Yyyu

I got started with 3D engraving and cutting after seeing a Chinese made 50W CO2 laser cutter/engraver at my friends. He paid over $3000 for his. This unit can cut larger and deeper than my friends at 1/3 of the cost. The quality of the cut and image appears to be cleaner with this one. Another huge advantage of this one is compatibility. Being a Atomstack, you shouldn't have any problem finding all kinds of compatible accessories. Like the R3 roller, which I have used with it. The unit already comes with an air assists pump. It does improves the cut and image quality on wood projects. As far as software goes, after a bit of trouble, I did get Lightburn to work, which is great. By the way, GRBL is the version of Lightburn you need. This is definitely not a plug and play deal. Be prepared to spend some time with it, but at the end, you will be rewarded with a highly functional unit that can crank out commercial quality parts. Mine is still working great. I know the laser has a limited life, but this one already outlasted my friend's CO2 unit. His is long dead, and did not be replacing the tube. Instead, he got himself an Atomstack after he saw mine. Anyway, there are many replacement laser heads compatible with this unit at a very affordable price, so I am not worry about it. In fact, I probably will get a higher power head with long focus when this one finally dies. I highly recommend this unit if this is within your budget.

I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly I was able to assemble the machine and get up and running with my first project. Within an hour of my initial unboxing, I was already up and running with my first project.ASSEMBLY:The A5 pro arrives partially assembled in a box and requires you to assemble the frame and attach the y-axis belts. The x-gantry arrives pre-assembled and needs only to be slid onto the assembled frame. Once that is done you attach the laser module and calibrate the distance using the 20mm aluminum column that is provided.The entire assembly process went smoothly thanks to the well written and illustrated instruction manual, as well as the clearly labeled parts. All parts were labeled with part names as well as numbers that corresponded to the specific stage of the step that they are required for. The instruction manual is truly the best I've seen.HOW TO USE IT:Once you have the machine assembled, connect it to your computer using the USB cable that is provided. If you don't already have LaserGRBL installed, you'll need to install it. I just searched for "LaserGRBL" and went to their website to download the latest version.The software is fairly simple and easy to use, even for a first timer like myself. I ended up using my desktop background image of my dog as a test photo, which isn't ideal in terms of contrast but I figured it was good enough.I opened the .jpg file of my dog in LaserGRBL, which pops up a window that gives a few different options for image rendering and minor contrast/brightness adjustments. Once you have those options selected, you're taken to another window that allows you to change the material and machine settings (cut or engrave).After you select those options, the project loads with a preview on the screen, and all you have to do is press play and the machine starts working.RESULTS: I was pretty amazed with how quickly I was able to get the photo of my dog etched onto some wood panels. There's definitely more fine tuning to be done, but not bad as a starting point. Great machine for beginners.FINAL VERDICT:The build quality is so much better than other similar machines I've come across. That coupled with how easy it is to get started with this machine make it a fantastic choice for beginners and experienced users alike.