Looking for advice on buying a laser
I have been interested in buying a laser for about a year now and finally have the money to buy one. I will be using the laser to expand my woodworking business by engraving cutting boards, frames, glasses, and other items. The laser I had in mind was the TX model by laguna. It was in my price range of 7,000 to 8,000. On the day I was going to purchase the machine the sales guy informed me that the TX model cannot be outfitted with a rotary for doing cylindrical items. Was kind of a bummer because I was all set to buy.
So now I am just looking for another machine that has the rotary option, exhaust, air assist, at least 12x12" travel, warranty, tech support, honeycomb bottom, and is around 7000 including shipping. Looking for a decent machine.
I have looked into epilogue but was too expensive. Right now im looking at the LG 640S by Jamieson but its a little bit more than what I want to spend at 8600. Is Jamieson a good company to go with? Is there a better company?
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
Check the old threads in this forum. There have been many similar discussions.
Neither Laguna nor Jamieson make laser machines. They resell only cheap (2-3K) Chinese machines with insane markup exceeding 2-3 times the actual cost of the machine...
It's a mystery to me why would someone buy from them. If you want a Chinese machine, it's best to import it yourself from China.
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
I bought one from this place and am very happy with it. Mine is a 130watt unit and I placed my order on a Friday and It was at my Fedex depot on Tuesday. Mine came from NY and I live in OH. I did have a small problem with a fan on the chiller but they took care of it and I had a new fan within a week.
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
Sorry I forgot to paste the ebay seller It was goldraydigital here is a link to one like what I bought
https://www.ebay.com/itm/130W-Laser-...item2ccd76964d
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Storen
Check the old threads in this forum. There have been many similar discussions.
Neither Laguna nor Jamieson make laser machines. They resell only cheap (2-3K) Chinese machines with insane markup exceeding 2-3 times the actual cost of the machine...
It's a mystery to me why would someone buy from them. If you want a Chinese machine, it's best to import it yourself from China.
Storen - some, like myself, have never personally imported something as expensive and large as a laser from China and are uncomfortable with the possible risks of doing so.
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
I consider buying from eBay riskier since you don't have direct contact with the original manufacturer for support, warranty, spare parts, etc. Yet, hundreds of people buy lasers from eBay. Buying from alibaba.com is there are buyer protection options, reviews, company ratings.
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Storen
I consider buying from eBay riskier since you don't have direct contact with the original manufacturer for support, warranty, spare parts, etc. Yet, hundreds of people buy lasers from eBay. Buying from alibaba.com is there are buyer protection options, reviews, company ratings.
I (personally) definitely wouldn't buy a laser from an EBay seller. Do Alibaba and the like handle the transport, custom, import paperwork, etc. for the seller or do they just get it to the nearest port?
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MichaelHenry
Do Alibaba and the like handle the transport, custom, import paperwork, etc. for the seller or do they just get it to the nearest port?
Alibaba is a market place allowing you to connect directly with the manufactures (skipping the middle-man). It handles the transaction and has tools helping with the contracting process. The shipping terms are usually negotiated as part of the contract with the manufacturer. Same goes for the warranty and the after sale support. Most factories would offer several logistics companies and freight options. I think most of them offer door-to-door (this is how I've done it) for either residential or commercial addresses, so you won't have to deal with the customs yourself. Even if they don't normally offer that, you could always request to ship the machine(s) with a logistics company of your choice.
The best part is you can request a custom configuration at factory prices and discuss every little aspect with their engineers, get samples before finalizing the deal, etc. You can even choose the colors and ask them to print your logo on the machine, so you can become a "laser company" similar to Laguna and Jamieson :) The downside is, it takes time.
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
Thanks Storen, I'd just assumed the buyer took a lot more risk. I might have saved quite a bit on my Thunder Laser by buying direct, but too late for that now. Maybe next time..
Re: Looking for advice on buying a laser
I'm working in a Chinese laser manufacturing factory.It's a good idea to import from China directly.I thought that it was a better option to buy the laser machine from a local reseller or agent because they can provide local support which I think it's very important.But later,I realized they don't provide very good after-sale service.Some of them don't even answer their customers and they just the real "reseller".So you can contact with Supplier through Alibaba and you can get better price and even service.As for the import issues and you can choose DDP(Delivery Duty paid) if you don't have import experience then they will send the machine to your door.You can contact with me if you need any help.
