Review: Full Spectrum Laser's "40W Hobby Laser" (LONG READ!)

Hes probably the one who moderates the Full Spectrum forum and Facebook page too. Each forum post has to be "approved" before its posted, which usually takes about a week. But if anything at all is negative,then that post never gets approved..same goes for their FB page..it gets deleted rather quickly.
 
TCSloan said:
of course..just received a bill for another $25 to have it shipped back... as often as Im having to pay shipping for worthless parts I might as well buy a new laser.
Click to expand...

Ever thought of building one? I'm building another one at the moment :)
 
just got off the phone with Joe, dont know who Joe is,but he said he was the man in charge.. but also said that after looking at the power supply that was just replaced in January, its failure was my fault because it was way too dirty...it being not even 2 months old! hmmm, after reading many complaints from others around the net, many of them say the owner ends up blaming them for the failure of their components. In the end of the conversation..after my blood pressure was boiling, he did say he would go ahead and waive the shipping charge.
 
Good job.

I'm building a 900x600 at the moment and should be finished in a few weeks, have been putting the CNC through its paces making the aluminium brackets :D FSL have never been good and I doubt they ever will be.
 
I have my 5th gen.. and it seems to work GREAT!

none of the BS mentioned here...

I will say that the extra 1.5" lens was forgotten when everything else shipped.. but a quick email and it came right away (no shipping fees)

I have had several questions too.. all answered fairly quickly as well..

Software seems legit... and no connection problems or whatever else people have claimed to have.

A friend of mine also has an FS Laser (bigger/Pro modle though) and hasnt had any problems either..

Shipping and packaging was fine too.

One of the only problems "I" have found with FS Laser is their forums/moderation.. (pretty much a wasteland for getting help/questions answered).. but a direct email seems to have worked out anyways..

Maybe they are getting better? maybe some just have bad (or good?) luck...

But mine seems to work fine so far.. although I havent really done much with it.. or pushed it hard.

For the price... it just cant be beat.

And if you import direct.. you dont get the software (which IMHO is nice to have since you can print from anythigng directly to your laser).. so its a trade off.. if your comfortable with importing direct and DIY'ing your laser.. go for it...

For me though. I wanted a working 'tool' to use on projects.. not habe the laser BE the project.
 
TCSloan said:
I thought I might drag this thread up again in case anyone else might be considering one. Ive had my 5th Gen for over a year now, and after having many troubles with it, I wish I had gone elsewhere.
Here's why..

1 week after I received it, it quit cutting..no function of the laser period

..after talking with the tech, he told me to send back the control module,which is the brain and power source.
Had to pay for return shipping + a $10 handling fee..nice huh.

got it back, or a new one rather..and it worked about 6 months..until the week before Christmas...lots of late shoppers placing orders..then wammy, laser quits cutting again..
this time they tell me its my laser tube..(though it hadnt been used enough to come close to the estimated 1500 hour life span) ,but since it was more than 6 months since I purchased it, it wasnt covered..so $330 for a new one.

After receiving and installing the new one, it worked for less than a week.
After talking with the tech ,he happened to mention the laser beam in the tube should glow purple..its never been purple! since I purchased it. apparently somethings been wrong since day 1 but I never knew it.
so, I had to send back the new tube AND the control module..another $30 down the toilet for shipping.

A week later they said theyre sending me a new tube and the control module (said I had a bad tube,which never happened before) ...but I had to pay return shipping of $15 + a $10 handling fee for the control module...hmmm

Fast forward 1 month! Laser stopped working again..this time it stopped in the middle of a cut..laser tube barely firing..was told to send them the control module...again! another $15 to ship it back...something tells me Im going to have to pay them another $25 to have it sent back..as of today, havent heard back from them as to IF that was the problem.
Click to expand...

Wondered if you've resolved issues with your FS machine that keep cropping up? I've looked at them lately but noticed quiet a bit of activity in the court room with them. I still read of a lot of mixed opinions on support and machines. Reads like they got their act together though?
 
they did get the part fixed again, though its starting to act cooky now. It'll return to home on its own, or move to top left when I didnt tell it too. I wouldnt say their act is together..they just keeping putting band aids on wounds that need stitches
 
Sounds like these guys are nothing more than a bunch of rip off artists. It's bad when the cheaply made chinese models get worse once they're rebranded in the US.
 
Just a quick note about Full Spectrum Laser, I purchased one a year ago and it was great. I loved the thing. It is amazing. I used it a lot at first but over the summer I didn't do anything with it and it sat for 2 months. When I fired it up the other day the laser was dead. They told me the reason was due to lack of use. The solution: use it every day. So consider this before buying. I only have 2 hours on the laser and now I have to replace it. It was supposed to help revive a craft business that was dying by pre-cutting the product with the laser cutter but business still didn't pick up after introducing the new laser cut product. The machine is cool so I was going to keep it around for hobby purposes but now that I know I have to use it every day I think I'll sell it. It's a great machine. I hate to see it go but such is life.
 
"Yeah, I wouldn't touch FSE. Ever.

The majority of the FSE machines are of Chinese manufacture and rebranded. They do have an Americian designed Retina Engrave card and program (which is really quite good, when it works, and if you don't mind working in inches, instead of metric, like the rest of the world).

My First Deluxe Hobby laser from FSE came directly from China. It never worked.
My second FSE Deluxe Hobby Laser came from FSE in las Vegas, Nevada and "was PERSONALLY checked by Dr Henry Liu PhD". Yeah, that didn't work either and had a faulty Motor Control card, Retina Engrave Card and a blown Power Supply Unit.

Oh, and screws missing or threadded, a laser tube that didn't work and a lens that had a burn mark on it from the hot glue they use everywhere to secure bolts and screws.
Click to expand...

The claims I hear is 'US manufactured'...but for their hobby lasers - they're just importing Chinese and assembling parts. Everything else is imported/rebranded. That's what i read on their site.
 
jmontanye said:
Just a quick note about Full Spectrum Laser, I purchased one a year ago and it was great. I loved the thing. It is amazing. I used it a lot at first but over the summer I didn't do anything with it and it sat for 2 months. When I fired it up the other day the laser was dead. They told me the reason was due to lack of use. The solution: use it every day. So consider this before buying. I only have 2 hours on the laser and now I have to replace it. It was supposed to help revive a craft business that was dying by pre-cutting the product with the laser cutter but business still didn't pick up after introducing the new laser cut product. The machine is cool so I was going to keep it around for hobby purposes but now that I know I have to use it every day I think I'll sell it. It's a great machine. I hate to see it go but such is life.
Click to expand...

They're talking crap, they sold you a laser with a failing tube or PSU. I've had tubes sat for 12+ months that still fire like new.
 
Here I am again with a broken down crap machine.. This will be PSU number 5 that quits working..only this time they wont replace it..#4 was in June, so they said the warranty is 3 months past (only 3 month warranty on these apparently) and to beat it all,they said I use it too much is the reason Im going through them so much. so If you dont use it that often and it quits,then its your fault because you need to use it about every day...but if you use it everyday and it quits, then your using it too much,its only rated to use as a 'hobby laser',which should only be used from time to time. Thats what the on duty manager told me.
 
I see it, sorry to hear about the laser. Downtime costs me too much so i end up keeping spares of everything in.

I've never liked FSL, they blame everyone but themselves, sell generic chinese stuff with a massive mark up and base "new designs" on other peoples work.
 
ok cool, thanks. Ive been hearing alot of that from others as well ,,which I sure wish I did before I got this one. So I at least try and let others know.
 
TCSloan said:
ok cool, thanks. Ive been hearing alot of that from others as well ,,which I sure wish I did before I got this one. So I at least try and let others know.
Click to expand...


Out of curiosity, is it definatly the PSU? Is the ballast resistor intact(no scorch marks?).
 
This thread is more than 9 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.

Similar threads

Knightmare
FACEHUGGER WARNING TO ALL RPF MEMBERS PLEASE READ !
Replies
0
Views
521
Knightmare
Knightmare
Randers
CombaTech Equinox laser rifle from Starfield
Replies
6
Views
744
Randers
Randers
Darthbauer
Holt’s DoD Spear of Destiny diary review
Replies
0
Views
142
Darthbauer
Darthbauer
Knightmare
FACEHUGGER WARNING TO ALL RPF MEMBERS PLEASE READ THIS COULD SAVE YOU'RE LIFE !
Replies
0
Views
373
Knightmare
Knightmare
Zombie Killer
Moonraker Drax Enterprise Laser pistol
Replies
6
Views
1,079
Doomsday
D
Back
Top