Why do these lasers cost so much?
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- Over the past year there has been one laser I've used and loved but never reviewed. In this video that changes. Let's check out the Thunder NOVA 24!
Full Disclosure - Thunder sent me this machine for review at no cost. I don't have an affiliate relationship with them and all opinions are my own
Thunder NOVA - geni.us/8GLek?track=ENCJEaBGFKQ
Other Laser's mentioned (affiliate)
xTool P2 - geni.us/xtoolp2?track=ENCJEaB...
OMTech Polar - geni.us/omtechpolar?track=5Yf...
OMTech 60W - geni.us/wGpjZ?track=ENCJEaBGFKQ
Flux HEXA - geni.us/fluxhexa?track=ENCJEa...
Other Reviews
xTool P2 - • Worth it? How the xToo...
OMTech Polar - • $4000 cheaper than Glo...
Flux HEXA - • Is Glowforge Dead? FL... 
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+50% $ for an upgraded machine sounds great.
+100% $ sounds justifiable if the quality/features are there.
+250% $ is way too hard to justify IMO. You could buy 2 of the OMTech lasers + 5 Extra 60w tubes that will last you the next 20 years for that price. And the Thunder has a smaller build volume and no camera? I like that they're trying to make a more premium Chinese laser but I think it's an oversight to not at least include the features of the competitors that are less than half the price.
I absolutely love my Thunder......zero complaints... lots of compliments
Did some pre-purchase research and this machine (Nova 24-60) is what I went with. So glad I did. Excellent machine, support, and community. Absolutely no regrets!
Always enjoy your reviews and videos. Well done as usual.
Thanks!
Ive owned 3 thunders and they all have been fantastic! nice review..
Nice overview. 🎉
We started with a Glowforge and when our production capacity exceeded that we upgraded to the NOVA 63. The thing is a BEAST. It's huge but the capacity and speed is fantastic. It more or less worked out of the box (kidding, it came in a massive and wooden shipping crate). Their support has been really good as well.
Yeh everything about them is top notch.
Wow, nice! What do you sell?
@@B2Dtwo we sell men's clothing accessories but we specifically user our laser for low volume, high detail, packaging inserts. The detail is such that it is hard to recreate with traditional die cutters. We also offer customization that is further supported by our lasers.
@@mmcnama4 Thanks for answering that's actually super interesting to me. Do you have a website I might have some business for you.
@@B2Dtwo we have a site but I generally don't post it publicly to avoid spam from bots.
Looks like Thunder sent a lot of free their stuff to a lot of RUclipsr. So many positive reviews barely anyone said they spent their own money 😂.
Great video bro!
Thanks!
I remember commenting that you should check them out ages ago. Glad you finally got one!
There's two things that I would like to note - the doors require a key to open, which is annoying. All I need is a latch. I don't understand why the doors are keyed when the main lid isn't.
The other issue is not having a guide that corresponds to the bounds of the cutting area. For example, you will see a ruler on the X and Y axis. You can push material up to it and know exactly where it is every time. Trotec and epilog both have ruler guides in some of their cutting tables.
Everyone's got a different workflow though. I personally use absolute coords 98% of the time. I can add items to existing sheets just by bringing up the file.
The guides/ruler is a good point. I pretty much always use relative positioning since most of my stuff is one off.
How hard would it be to add some kind of fixed point for your project with the rest of the bed?
@@coreyward sorry I don't follow (if you were replying to me).
@@kennuimuffins2426 Yeah I could have phrased that better. I’m wondering if there’s a reasonably easy way to attach some kind of rules/fences to the bed, the goal being to have the same as you would with an Epilog, just DIY.
There are a HUGE difference when it comes to power and the way Thunder Laser USA advertises the tubes provided. A 100watt Thunder has 10-20% more power than a 100watt Omtech or similar laser. As a example if you buy a 100 watt co2 laser from most manufacturers the tube has a MAXIMUM output of 100 watts but you are only recommended running them at 90% of the advertised power. Thunder Laser USA sell 100watt lasers with a usable output of 100watts. They throttle the power back from (in my case) 118 watts maximum output and this allows you to set the power to 100% in lightburn and get a true 100watt output with no risk of damage to the tube.
*Well, I know what my next laser machine will be. Thanks.*
Thanks for the video. Do you know if they plan to us some of the new technology in some of their bigger lasers?
This is the machine I use - it's awesome! And Thunder customer service is so helpful and quick to respond. I almost wish it came with a stand. It's a bit too high to use on most tables, and a bit too low to operate on the floor. But that's literally my only complaint. It's also very heavy - my shop is in my basement and I had to spend another $300 to a moving company to get it down there and into place.
The price is too steep for me as a hobbiest, but I'm impressed by the robust choices they've made. I think that if you've entered the small manufacturing game with a lessor unit, this brand would be the upgrade you'd strive for.
That's exactly what we did. I commented elsewhere but we started with a glowforge and when we needed more capacity the Nova line was a fantastic combination of quality, features, support, price, etc.
100%, I wouldn’t recommend it for someone using it just for fun. It honestly just start with a cheap diode and maybe something from OM Tech. But if you are a business it’s pretty amazing.
Sure is a nice looking machine. Adequate controller although I prefer the RDC6445 keyboard layout as more intuitive with direct functional access. At that price they couldn't include true linear bearing rails? Every Cartesian rail application I have experienced with roller bearing guides, the small bearings are a consumables over the long run.
All fine and dandy. But I would like to know if there is a video showing how and where to put material on the machine.
Is there a video fir that!
What compressor did it come with? If much rather go with a straight compressor like that one vs a tank/compressor unit and all the plumbing that comes with it. Water separator and so on.
AP Lazers? What are your thoughts on them? Would love to see you review AP.
I’ll take it!!! 🎉
First and totally agree with that thunder laser. I love mine.
Good to know! What size do you have?
@@makeorbreakshop same one Nova 24.
@@makeorbreakshop I was worried about going with Omtech and the build quality. I heard horror stories about the alignment as well.
Hey man love your videos. Could you make a video on safety protocols? I watched your video on the omtech polar and purchased one. But after reading the manual, im super scared of random reflections from the laser bouncing out of the engraver. The manual says to always wear glasses, is it really necessary? I thought I would be able to look through the glass lid while the machine is engraving ... Do I only need glasses for this? What if I open up the tray and use the pass through, or the rotary tool, does the opening at the front of the laser leave me susceptible to laser reflections and possible burns or blindness? I know it may seem like i'm being overly paranoid, but these are the things the warning labels talk about, yet I see people operate them online as if closing the lid is more than enough. I even saw one man stoop down and get eye level with the laser as it engraved a glass cup, the front of the engraver was exposed and open. I'm a complete novice and have no basis as to what is normal to do or not to do. I would truly appreciate your insight on this.
Stop what you are doing and buy some eye protection from a reputable seller. With some lasers less than a second of accidental exposure from a reflection is enough to give you permanent blind spots. You are not paranoid. The companies selling these lasers could care less about your eyes.
Would you say this machine is like the glow forge as far as taking it out of the box and starting for a beginner?
Love my Thunder 51. Wish I would have gotten the 63. Takes 5 minutes to make the machines wifi capable. Mine is.
Good call on the wifi upgrade
The one thing I like about this machine: The industrial quality.
The one thing I hate about this machine: The industrial quality.
I'm still going for the P2, because some of its optional features are really interesting. But I am a hobbyist. As a commercial business I might think about this one.
Does it have a similar linear movement system as the P2? Metal wheels on rods?
I would love to see the machine function at the 1000mm/sec and have the laser accurately fire. My laser starts losing out above 500mm
Can with a glass tube and lenses.
Everything is or can be made in the USA.
We ship tubes, lens and chips to China, they ship it back and we can't compete
What do u think about Aeon Nova
That is a slight step up from the Thunder... in my opinion. That said, I believe Thunder and Aeon are the two best companies to buy from for this category of laser.
The Aeon Nova is a much larger machine than the Nova 24. Size wise it would be more comparable to the Nova 51 for Thunder Laser. The Thunder Laser Nova series tops the Aeon Nova in build quality, price, and lead time.
I haven’t personally checked one out. But they both look pretty comparable in features.
for that money i prefer to buy 2 omtech and i can increase the production to 200% compared to this laser😮
OMTech is SLOW compared to Thunder... You get what you pay for including service.
hummm... $7400 starting price... Nothing justifies such an expensive cost in term of usability and quality of outputs. What makes this laser cutter more "industrial" than its $3000 contenders? Not to mention that 20th-century style screen... You're right to disclose that you paid nothing for that machine even if your praises sound sometimes a bit dubious especially when you stressed a feature that's not impressive... Did you feel obliged to do so? C'mon! We know the trick
Fair enough. I’ve used lots of lasers with fancier screens but they always wind up being glitchy. The Ruida controller isn’t flashy but you can count on it to always get the job done.
There are definitely upgrades in this machine over a out of the box standard Chinese one. If your handy and don't mind fiddling and spending some extra you can get a cheap one close. My cheaper machine came with a out of square gantry, laser tube out of square and looked like a blind man aligned the beam. My B grade tube died very quickly. Now I've got a RECI tube with good power supply and everything square aligned, better mirrors and a selection of lenses and nozzles. After a extra $1500 and probably 60 hours I'd say mine would compete with this one out of the box. If I was running a business and depending on it as a production machine getting one out of the box ready to go I'd pay the extra.
Xtool p2 is better.
How so?
I guess it depends on what you value. Thunder is rock solid and a beast. You don’t get the cameras (which you can upgrade) like the P2. If was using the machine full time for a business and has the space, I’d go Thunder, especially since they are close(ish) in price.
This is an ad. At the very start of the video, it should have been disclosed that this is an ad. It's not a review, it's a paid advertisement. So that said, you're breaking laws in the US.
Nope not an ad, wasn’t paid. I didn’t pay for the machine which I disclosed in the description but Thunder didn’t review or get any say in the final video. Also in general I have a policy of not taking payment for a product review.
You get a $7000 free machine that’s a lot of money unless you have to send it back to Thunder.