A warning about the redsail x700 60w machines on ebay right now.

So here are a few warnings about the redsail 60w x700 machines on eBay right now. I've worked on a lot of laser cutters out there and this one is no different. 1st I'll tell you the good things. The frame and case is pretty good and the shipping crate is well made and plenty of foam to protect it. They are using linear rails and belt drives. The control panel is the updated color version with a hidden ethernet connection that is functional. The machine and all the accessories are 110v right out of the box. Mine came without needing to be focused. With a new power supply and some modifications you can install a larger tube. The Z axis is open and its easy for material to fall through which will help keep the honeycomb clean. While it does take about 20 screws to be removed you can take the base off the machine and it can easily fit through a narrow door. If you buy it from any of the eBay sellers in Ontario, California (They are all the same people) then it is shipping from a place in the USA and they do ship quickly and you will get tracking.

The bad news
1. The tube they ship it with isn't actually a 60w tube. Mine came marked as a 55w but has the dimensions of a 50w. However the power supply is a 60w and it cuts like a 50w tube.
2. The focus lens came already chipped and flaking off.
3. The ad showed that a cw-3000 chiller was included but instead they shipped it with an aquarium pump. They would not ship me the right chiller.
4. Beware of their wiring. Mine came with 22 gauge wiring for all the power. So I rewired mine with some 18 gauge since the wires were melting on day 1.
5. They run the main power for the laser/control and 3 plugs on the back through the E-Stop which after only 1hr of running more than over loaded it and melted it into a nice pile of plastic. Which you can see in the picture.
6. Not a big deal but the z-axis is a non-stepper motor so while it is powered it is not capable of doing auto focus. However with a proximity switch, stepper driver and nema 23 motor you could rig one up.
7. If you replace the tube you will need to adjust the optics and mount up since the y-axis motor gets in the way. Check to picture.

So be warned that you should expect to do a tube upgrade, a little rewiring and get a real chiller if you get one of these machines.

I ordered this same machine just a few days ago on ebay.

Do you think rewiring the whole thing is mandatory? I was hoping not to do something like that so quickly.

Can you tell me where the hidden ethernet port is? I would love to use that instead of USB. I could hook it up to my home network that way.

How was the shipping for you? Mins is on the truck on the way here to my house and I am worried about how large the package is and if they will bring the crate up to my garage. Did they pay for liftgate service or a pallet jack to move it to the garage?

I think that I will need to remove the stand and turn the laser on its side to get it through the doors inside the hose. Do you think that will be hard to do?

Thanks for posting this. Really informative and glad to see that it works with some modifications to make it better.

-Ron

Why don't you file a claim against the seller with ebay. If you don't you only encourage these CROOKS to keep on cheating.

You can get around rewiring it by not plugging in the exhaust fan, air pump, water pump into the plugs on the back of the machine and plug them in separately and power them on and off separate from the machine. However it's not so bad rewiring those plugs to bypass the e-stop switch, took me a couple hours.

The ethernet port is on the side of the control box, it just doesn't have a port on the outside of the machine. when you open the side panel you will see it labeled on the control box.

Shipping was the only good part, they used a service called road runner which is a relay service so they did have a lift gate and a pallet jack so they got it into my driveway. The crate was pretty well built. The only weird part is that they used bolts and not screws to put the crate together so make sure you have your drill to socket adapter ready because it will take forever to remove the bolts by hand. There was almost 100 bolts to remove and with a drill and socket adapter it flew by.

If your door or hallway is less than 42" then it wont fit in the door unless you take the legs off. Thankfully all the screws you'll remove are phillips so its not so bad but there is a few problems. There are a lot of screws so be ready. Some screws are a tight fit so a drill won't always reach. They shipped mine with the honey comb installed and the bed all the way at the bottom. So remove the honey comb and packing material and plug the machine in then move the table up to the top so you can get under it to reach the screws. Remove the giant plate covering the belts for the bed to get to the other screws. Now the tricky part is there will still be more screws holding the legs on. These screws were the ones holding the stepper driver in and the z-motor in. Basically look for any screws that go through the bottom of the machine. IF they go through the bottom and you can see/feel them on the other side they are screwed into the legs. The legs are held on with screws and nothing else so they will fall off after you get the last screw. It was about 20 screws for mine. I'm a strong guy and I was able to move and tip it on its side by myself and do everything with just a furniture dolly and basic tools.

Hint for you: when it arrives check for damage to the crate and report it immediately. Then open the crate top and back and open the back top door to inspect the tube before doing any other work. Report if the tube is broken.



Attachment 275382

This is great information. Thanks so much for taking the time to share it.

Are you happy with it's performance so far? I just can't wait to get it. It is the most expensive "toy" I have bought for myself in a while. I only call it a toy because I will use it most for my personal projects rather than things that I sell. I am looking forward to some fun projects.

Thanks again!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crandolph

So here are a few warnings about the redsail 60w x700 machines on eBay right now. I've worked on a lot of laser cutters out there and this one is no different. 1st I'll tell you the good things. The frame and case is pretty good and the shipping crate is well made and plenty of foam to protect it. They are using linear rails and belt drives. The control panel is the updated color version with a hidden ethernet connection that is functional. The machine and all the accessories are 110v right out of the box. Mine came without needing to be focused. With a new power supply and some modifications you can install a larger tube. The Z axis is open and its easy for material to fall through which will help keep the honeycomb clean. While it does take about 20 screws to be removed you can take the base off the machine and it can easily fit through a narrow door. If you buy it from any of the eBay sellers in Ontario, California (They are all the same people) then it is shipping from a place in the USA and they do ship quickly and you will get tracking.

The bad news
1. The tube they ship it with isn't actually a 60w tube. Mine came marked as a 55w but has the dimensions of a 50w. However the power supply is a 60w and it cuts like a 50w tube.
2. The focus lens came already chipped and flaking off.
3. The ad showed that a cw-3000 chiller was included but instead they shipped it with an aquarium pump. They would not ship me the right chiller.
4. Beware of their wiring. Mine came with 22 gauge wiring for all the power. So I rewired mine with some 18 gauge since the wires were melting on day 1.
5. They run the main power for the laser/control and 3 plugs on the back through the E-Stop which after only 1hr of running more than over loaded it and melted it into a nice pile of plastic. Which you can see in the picture.
6. Not a big deal but the z-axis is a non-stepper motor so while it is powered it is not capable of doing auto focus. However with a proximity switch, stepper driver and nema 23 motor you could rig one up.
7. If you replace the tube you will need to adjust the optics and mount up since the y-axis motor gets in the way. Check to picture.

So be warned that you should expect to do a tube upgrade, a little rewiring and get a real chiller if you get one of these machines.

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Did this machine come with a built in axial exhaust fan? or a separate exhaust fan? I just ordered one and i am curious. Also mine came out of San Leandro CA. as the Ontario sellers raised their price $3,000(!) for about 4 days. now its back to normal.

Hi, I've also got this machine mine was sold as 50w by some crook on ebay, my connector from the laser tube to the red wire keeps burning out and melting, i also have to use separate power supply for the fan etc as it juses the machine if they are plugged into the back. How have you fixed the melting wire issue?

Thanks in advance

Mine came with this style fan. It's very powerful and very loud. It also draws so much power that it's what melted the e-stop switch on mine, so if you don't plan on rewiring it then you should NOT plug the fan into the plug on the machine and plug it into the wall directly. Attachment 278054

Your problem is the connection. Don't use that terminal block or you'll crack the tube easily if you tighten too much. Also don't solder the connection or you'll crack the tube. In theory most people are getting a tube of white flexible caulk in their kits. If you didn't get any go to home depot and get a small tube of white flexible caulk. Then cut about 3 inches of the water tube off your water tubing. Now strip the wire back about 2 inches and slide the tubing over it. Now wrap the connection on the laser tube really tight with the exposed wire, don't solder or try anything other than wrapping the bare wire to the bare post. Finally slide the tubing over the connection point and over the glass tube as far as it gently can go and then use the caulk to fill the tube in around the connection. Think of this as a neon transform that will arc to any metal within 3-4 inches of the connection so you have to really insulate the heck out of it. shrink tubing is ok if you're careful but a lighter or really hot heat gun will also crack the glass. Finally it looks like you have been running dirty water in your tube. Only run distilled and sealed water through it. Do if you filled a 5 gallon bucket and have the water pump make sure you have a lid tight on it and seal around the tubing and power cord. It should look something like this.Attachment 278056

Crandolph,
I just received my machine..... have you figured out what the password is yet for the RDC6442G controller?
I want to add water flow protection and that setting is behind a protected screen.
Luckily there was a quick youtube video on changing from Chinese to English :)

- - - Updated - - -

BTW its not RD8888

Here are all the passwords I've collected over the years for DSP's. Note that sometimes uppercase/lowercase letters matter. Yeah I ran into the same problem with changing it to English. Just remember to "READ" the settings before you change then and before you do anything "READ" then "SAVE" the factory settings before you go messing around.

RD8888
rd8888
gxfc88
33587550

thanks ill try...
how do you get lower case options?
one more thing as you seem to have the most experience.
i want to make sure im not over powering my tube as i have heard horror stories. i have purchased a mA meter, and going to wire it in.
do you know (1) the max mA for the 55w tube, and (2) where on the PS to adjust it?

you have a big help!

Did you get your water flow sensor working? Which one did you buy? I have been looking for one but not sure which one is compatible. Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BROWNSFN2

Did you get your water flow sensor working? Which one did you buy? I have been looking for one but not sure which one is compatible. Thanks.

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I went to the diagnostics screen on my controller, and there was already an input showing for a flow switch. A little detective work located the switch hidden behind the water / air connections panel. it was wired up by twisting the connections together and covering them with electrical tape. I did a proper solder and heat shrink job to fix it. I have tried pulsing the laser without the water on and it wont do it, and gives a warning "no water flow" on the screen.

I have had a Redsail X700 since July of 2014 and had great results. However I did buy it directly from Redsail in China. One thing that I do know is that if your laser does not have the Laser Tube Extension on the right side of the unit, it cannot have a 60 watt tube in it. The 60 watt tube is about 1150cm long and will not fit in the laser case without the extension. By looking at the picture of your X700, I can see that there is a plate covering the opening that the tube would have to stick out of on the right side, so you would either have a 40 watt or 50 watt tube. In addition, the Y Stepper motor is mounted in the 50 Watt version of the machine in such a way that it would block the attempt to put a 60 watt or larger tube in place.

The X700 does not come as a 110v unit. Redsail only offers it as a 220v unit. The control board will run off 110v as it's low voltage power supply (which controls the stepper motors) has a voltage regulator that works from 100v to 240v, but the laser's high voltage power supply will only work correctly off of 220v single phase. If you plug the unit into 110v, the system will operate, but laser output will be dramatically lowered (you should see a plasma from one end of the laser tube to the other, if you don't then check your input voltage to the laser HVPS.

A few things about 220v, most of Asia uses 220v single phase as does much of Europe. In the United States our 220v is two phase. So it is necessary to use a single phase 110v to 220v converter to properly run the laser. The blower that I received was the very large commercial blower and that draws the most amperage of the total system (laser, exhaust blower, chiller, air pump) and if you run it at 110v it will run slowly while doubling the amperage drawn, melting switches, plugs, just about anything. I ordered and use a 5000 watt converter to power the blower and the chiller. I have a second 3000 Watt converter that I use to run the laser itself. I have a third 3000 watt converter that I keep for backup, as not all 110v to 220v converters are created equally, and it is really a bummer if one burns out during a high use period.

When it comes to converters, the more time the laser is continuously in operation, the bigger the converter, in terms of watts should be. In addition, most of the 110v to 220v converters that I have seen, have both 110v outlets and 220v outlets on their from panel. It is easy to mistakenly plug a 220v device into these units 110v outlets. This will lead to low laser output, and melted parts in both the laser and the converter. Remember that there is a fuse in the input power receptacle of the laser (which is hard to find, but it is there). Finally, many converters have input voltage selection on their back panel; make sure it is on 110v input and not 220v. The power plug that you will receive with your X700 looks like an US 110v plug, trust me, in the rest of the world, they use that plug for 220v too. I do not have any experience with the new exhaust blower that mounts on the side of the X700.

A few thoughts on the laser tube. It is impossible to soldier to the points on the tube as the connection points seem to be a nickle based wire. in order to soldier to these points, they would have needed to be copper plated first ( a trick that is used on the leads for space rated transformers using nickle wire). What Redsail really means for you to do is to wrap the wire of both the laser HV and Ground leads arounds the connection points/posts, soldiering them in to sort of a ring (they will not soldier to the posts, but they will make a tight connection), then use black electrical tape as an insulator. If you have High Voltage arching, you will be able to hear it during test, and you should check your connections and tape ( I have never had leakage using vinyl electrical tape myself).

A few thoughts on the air pump. First, throw it away. Then go buy a compressor from California Air Tools (pricey, but very quiet). You need a good volume of air not only to keep the lens free of debris, but also to exit the nozzle of the laser head to help with engraving and cutting. This is particularly important with cutting. With the air pump, you might not be able to cut through plywood. With a compressor providing 20 to 30 lbs of air pressure, you will cut it in one pass, assuming that you have correctly aimed the laser.

A few thoughts on upgrades. I have upgraded my X700 to a RECI 100W tube and power supply and have been very happy with the results. I am able to cut 1/4 inch plywood in a single pass with this setup. I did not convert my machine to 110v at the time, but if you replace the cooling fans with 110v models and put in a RECI 110v HVPS, it would then have be converted from 220v to 110v. I have included a pic showing me installing the RECI tube in my X700.Attachment 281894

Quote:

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Originally Posted by imacav8r

Crandolph,
I just received my machine..... have you figured out what the password is yet for the RDC6442G controller?
I want to add water flow protection and that setting is behind a protected screen.
Luckily there was a quick youtube video on changing from Chinese to English :)

- - - Updated - - -

BTW its not RD8888

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What is the Youtube vid for changing Chinese to English?
Thanks,
Mike

For you guys that bought these machines on ebay shipped from California, is it correct to assume that they have already cleared customs etc and that there are no surprise importing costs? I don't care that the output of the laser tube is lower than advertised, the cut area is so much larger than the next cheaper machine it is very tempting.

Are all these red 500x700 60w machines Redsail or are there copies as the one I am looking at looks identical but no mention of redsail
comes with the big grey blower fan

As far as I have been able to determine, there is no US distributor of Redsail Products. On eBay, Redsail uses CNCCheap as their direct sales arm. All Redsail Lasers have a big Redsail Symbol on the front of the Laser. Check what the ebay "Brand" says, if it is not listed as Redsail, it is not Redsail. I have purchased 2 X700's via CNCCheap in the last year and have been very happy with them. The current Redsail does not come with the big gray blower, rather is has a low volume blower attached to the exit vent on the machine. I supplemented this with a 6 inch vent blower on my latest machine and have been very happy with the noise (db level) of this new setup as opposed to my first X700 that came with the gray blower. The gray blower is very loud and pulls more watts than the laser itself. Hope this helps.

Thanks very much for your instructions here and good feedback to our machines, yes, CNCCheap is the only one exclusive Redsail Laser distributor on ebay, no any offices in US now and US ebay resellers, they are selling imitation with Redsail Brand, they produce same color and structure, but not Redsail machines. Attention, please, all customers.