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

The case cover window on the laser cutter is made of Polycarbonate because polycarbonate strongly absorbs infrared radiation! This is the frequency of light the laser cutter uses to cut materials

Well, you won't be able to cut materials that don't absorb the laser energy, will you?

Polycarbonate may be a bad idea for many reasons, but the fact that it absorbs the laser is not one of them.
 
I know this is almost a year old, but to Full Spectrum's defense, they have the new 5th Generation 'Hobby' and it seems to be a major upgrade. Even from a packing standpoint. They still send the other accessories in the workspace, but they have a custom built foam to hold everything in it's place.

Their output software 'RetinaEngrave 3D' has a ton of new features, and a lot of the bugs worked out.

They seem to be getting on the right track.

That's one man's opinion.
 
Definitely worth a bump here after I've lived with this machine for a while.

I haven't had any further need to call or work with the guys at FSL since my one interaction in getting the machine up and running. The replacement board has continued to function and I've done a lot of work with this machine over the past year and a half.

UPGRADES:
I sealed off a lot of the main body of the machine - specifically the gaps in the doors and casing at the rear over the laser tube. This door is almost never opened and I wanted a more sealed body to keep fumes at bay. I also added a "bilge" fan at the far end of the exhaust hose which acts in tandem with the exhaust fan and pulls fumes out instead of just pushing. This has reduced gas escaping to almost zero and running the machine no longer requires me to wear my respirator inside. I highly suggest anyone with one of these to add a second fan and seal over casing gaps. The difference is dramatic.

The software and firmware updates FSL has come out with lately have been game changers. Connection issues are no longer a problem, the machine cuts gentile curves without jagged geometric edges and overall the entire thing seems like a different beast now. The fidelity is massively improved and the new software no longer feels like something that came off a floppy disc. Bravo.

OVERALL:
Machine has been reliable, consistent and performs as well today as when I finally got it up and running in the first place. While the initial teething period sucked pretty hardcore, this has been a reliable and welcome addition to my tools and I rely on it a lot in my builds these days. I can't speak to the new machine that FSL has come out with, but if the new software is any indication, it might be worth a look.
 
Congratulations on the win, and getting the thing working. Thanks for the good advice regarding Full Spectrum. I was looking at one of these a while back and was wondering about customer service. Apparently there is little.

Would you be able to post a couple of pics on how this cuts styrene?

TazMan2000
 
I too was/am considering FSLaser.com for their 5th gen..

I stumbled upon this thread a week or so ago.. and was turned off by your comments/review.

I do understand this review was some time ago though.. and since last week I have read/heard many satisfied customers & good things about the hardware & software..

Im hoping the 5th gen is a good investment!
 
Thicker styrene can be a bit tricky. Mostly I like cutting the .040" stuff. The .060" and thicker tends to be a bit more jagged.

Here's some examples with the old software. The newer versions make curves much cleaner.

7416673018_656533c4f1_b.jpg

7416673558_3ecdc91e14_b.jpg
 
Google is a wonderful search tool.

Nice to read your thread and glad you have gotten use from your 4th Generation FSE Hobby Laser.

I bought one back in September 2011. It didn't work.
the Motor Control cards (two of them) were faulty and the Retina Engrave card (USB interface cards) (Two of them) were faulty.
It took me near six months of back and forth phone calls and emails before Full Spectrum gave up and sent me a new machine, which did not work.

So their story of the card not working was a bit of a fib, as I had two not work, only months before yours was found to be faulty....

Months of trial and error and replacing parts and the use of an Electronics Engineer friend finally got the second machine running, although slowly and at low power.

In both machines parts arrived in a broken or damaged state, screws were threaded or too short to do their job. The power supply in the second machine was faulty, and was replaced with the one from the first machine.

The help I got at first from FSE was great, until things continued to go wrong and I sought assistance from the CNC Forums (where I post under my name as above), then things turned nasty.

The Retina Engrave software is great in my opinion, but the customer service from FSE Engineering is pitiful, especially from the owner, Dr Henry Liu.

I have since bought a wonderful 1200x900mm bedded 100w RECI laser from Jinan China Nice Cut and it has been nothing but a pleasure to use, straight from the (very, very large box). I wish I had saved myself nearly 12 months of heartache and bought the Chinese machine instead of the FSE heap of junk.

Oh, the FSE 4th Gen. Deluxe Hobby laser is now used as a lovely (and expensive) bed for my cat.....
 
The chinese machines are just as good, I'm pretty sure the FSE are the same machines with a couple of upgrades. It's not worth the trouble of buying from them. Bec, I saw your post on CNCzone.
 
Arent all the parts and assembly for FSE laser done in the USA? (so.. -not- the same as the other chinese brands?)

not saying one is better than the other.. but to me that doesnt say 'same as chinese machines'...

Also.. Im wondering how much of this 'still' applies..

2011 is quite some time.. maybe kinks have been worked out? better quality? more R&D on their machines?

Also.. how much can be attributed to shipping damage?


Id like to see/know of some links that offer 'similar' machines for the same price?

40-45w
21x12 cutting area
removable floor

etc..

Id like to compare.. and if something better is out there... maybe Id go with that instead of the 5th gen FSE laser Im thinking about.

thanks!
 
Here's another example. Full Spectrum Lasers
Im almost certain the machines are imported and a few mods done along the way. I imported directly and it runs fine at around 1/3rd the price.
Just google the issues people have with them.

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.

Buy a nice chinese machine from Nice Cut or Gwieke, deal with the few limitations of LaserCut 5.3 and save yourself the hassles of buying from Full Spectrum lasers.
 
What did you buy? from whom? are you happy with the results?


Yeah the one we've been using used to cut MDF like butter. But with so many kids putting all kinds of weird stuff in it and breaking parts of it, the laser just burns the surface of the wood and makes a stinky smokey mess. And that's with cleaning the mirror twice a day. I think I'll try one of the Chinese models; I'm looking at an 80w 2x3 right now that looks pretty decent . At worst I'll have a really expensive new shelf to put stuff on that looks really cool and reminds me that I'm a moron
 
cleaning LENS & mirrors after/before use is good advice..

especially when you cut (burn) stuff that has smoke or gives off debris.. this will dirty your lens.. runnign it again WITHOUT cleaning will bake/cake the residue on there.. eventually leading to a cracked/melted/worthless lens..
 
I thought I might drag this thread up again in case anyone else might be considering one. Ive has my 5th Gen for over a year now, and after having many troubles with it, I wish I had gone elsewhere. Heres 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.
 
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.
 
I know this is almost a year old, but to Full Spectrum's defense, they have the new 5th Generation 'Hobby' and it seems to be a major upgrade. Even from a packing standpoint. They still send the other accessories in the workspace, but they have a custom built foam to hold everything in it's place.

Their output software 'RetinaEngrave 3D' has a ton of new features, and a lot of the bugs worked out.

They seem to be getting on the right track.

That's one man's opinion.

A bit of a necro-bust, but I thought the above post was suspicious. He joins the forum and his first post is to praise a company whose customer service was revealed to be abysmal? Then doesn't post again? Could dscaggs possibly be Doug Scaggs, listed on his Linked-in account as the Creative Marketing Director of Full Spectrum at the time his post was made? If you're going to shill, at least pick a more creative user name under which to do it.

Volpin, glad it's been working for you.
 
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