~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
Quick Overview:

Latest Update: 1/7/2015 30% down payment to be sent in 48 hours, other 70% paid after machine is prep'd and receive video of it working.
Rating so far: A+

Machine Spec:
Make: Thunder Laser
Model: Mars 90 Plus
Accesories: Reci 80 watt, Rotary, Chiller
Link: Mars (Plus) - Thunderlaser

Reason I went with Thunder:
1) Low cost, ie, why pay for a Full Spectrum/Rabbit (just a comparable example) that is imported anyways and is double the cost, even after I pay import cost! If I want to pay that much for a china machine just to get USA support, I'll just get two and import from China!
2) Buying laser with a RECI tube for zero $$ extra
3) Controller has been out for sometime now, good reviews
4) Z motor doesn't hang down from base, making top section only 27" to fit into basement door, can take down to basement by removing base (4 bolts), this is a HUGE deal for us as the CNC router setup is in garage
5) Easy to deal with, quick responses, not your typical sales pushy personnel.
6) Set up as 115 volt!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~


Hey everyone,
I get a lot of help on the forums so I figured it would be good to give some of that back. A quick introduction to myself; I'm an engineer by tittle but wife and I have a growing home side business that has really started to gain momentum. It all started when I had an ich to build a cnc router to make foam molds for composite parts. Built it but got burnt out and wife had me make a few parts that she started to sell online. Something Unique Designs - Homepage Rest is history and now we're expanding our equipment.

As everyone on the forums have I noticed the adds by Thunder, started checking them out and was happy with what I saw. I'm in Vegas for work a lot so stopped by Full Spectrum and yes, US support is nice but machine wasn't all the great and all they do is import from china and charge you double (they still have import cost and their own employees) and I still have to have it shipped. If USA support is a must, I figure to just buy two machines from chin, double my production and cover myself if a machine goes down and not pay more than a rabbit/FS.

I started emailing Amy at Thunder 11/20/2014 (today is 1/7/2015) and she has been super responsive (fingers crossed this doesn't go away). From what I gathered, Thunder Laser is a 'higher end' made in china machine and I like the fact I can get a RECI tube. I wanted a RECI not for the fact I didn't trust thunder laser's, but I don't want to hold a spare one in stock and wanted a replacement in the USA to get overnight when it needs replacement.

Our plans with the machine is a lot of volume. Epilog is 10 minutes from me but we don't have 30k, 40k, $50k for one. I figure if I can get a solid 1yr out of this machine I will have it payed over 10 times and will be happy. I'm hoping for more but that's to be decided.

That's all I have for now, will update you guys on big events.

-Keith

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
Timeline:
1/7/2015: 30% down payment to be sent in 48 hours, other 70% paid after machine is prep'd and receive video of working.
11/20/2014: Started Contacting Thunder Laser