Algolaser Rotary Chuck Review

Algolaser Rotary Chuck

The nice folks at Algolaser recently sent me their  Algolaser Rotary Chuck (ARC) ($139 currently) to review.  Additionally, there is a hot promotion from Nov 5-13, 2024.

I own a lot of rotary tools which range from home made, 3D printed ones to extremely expensive rotary devices for my CNC and fiber lasers.

I can tell the good ones from the bad ones.  So far, I am liking what I see here.  When desktop lasers hit the scene in 2019 soon after rotary devices made their appearance.   The first rotary devices were, and are still good, but configuring the software settings was crazy.  Things have gotten so much better in the rotary world since then.

Algolaser branched off from Ortur and I for one am glad they did.  My last couple Ortur lasers had serious quality issues.  Algolaser has exceeded my expectations since they stood up their company.   I’ll be using this rotary chuck on the Algolaser Alpha MK2 laser.
Continue reading →

New Best Budget Laser ACMER S1

Acmer S1

I am beyond lucky to test and review some of the biggest, baddest, and most expensive desktop laser engravers.  So why am I so excited about the Acmer S1?  Why am I calling it the Best Budget Laser?

Answer:  Because it is.  It costs $100 for the 2.5 watt version and $119 for the 3.5 watt.  It can also be purchased from AliExpress for a bit cheaper.

I think that a lot of prospective new laser owners  think that they’ll make a ton of money doing crafty things.   People will spend a thousand dollars or more to buy the best laser they can find.  Shortly after you’ll see them on a forum saying they don’t know how to get started.

Or my personal favorite forum post is, “My machine broke and I have orders to fill.  This is unacceptable”.  Read on as the Acmer S1 is the cure for both of those problems.

The ACMER S1 comes fully assembled and costs $100 (for the 2.5 watt version).

Additionally, it operates as any other desktop laser engraver that uses GRBL code.   It has a respectable, albeit small, working size of 130 x 130 mm.
Continue reading →

Longer Nano Pro 12W Laser Review

Longer Nano Pro

I was recently provided a Longer Nano Pro 12W ($799) by the nice folks at Longer3D.  The Pro version is a 12 watt blue diode laser and a rotary extension and slide extension are included.

The Nano Pro  looks fairly similar to a Laser Pecker but I assure you this is a different beast.   The Nano only has one laser and does not contain the IR (1064 nm) laser as does the LP.  Consequently, that makes it quite a bit less expensive than the LP.

Without drudging up the past too much I went on record on my blog saying how much I disliked the Laser Pecker 4.   Because of the similar looks I kind of expected the Nano Pro to shake out the same way.  File this under “Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover”.

SPOILER ALERT:  I really, really like this machine.  It is simple, effective,  and the included Lightburn device file is exceptional.  I did find a quirk or two which I’d categorize as “Learning Curve”.  I’ll discuss that later.  This machine is the right size, the right power, and has the right amount of portability.  If you are a crafter or a scrapbooker the Nano or Nano Pro is custom made for you.
Continue reading →