Glad I could help!

I'm not sure I can live with that kind of pressure 😉. Regardless I'm happy to help if I can and welcome to the world laser cutting and engraving! Make sure you use my FSL coupon code if a Muse is what you're buying, so you can save a bit of $

So was myself until I seen this video .. Good information and a better value 8n my book

@@mwp4205 best to go to fslaser.com and have a look.

Same

Glad this was thought provoking. Hopefully it helps you with your decision.

Happy to help 😀

Happy to help, though these are just two of dozens of lasers you might want to consider

Welcome to the channel. Yes the rotary tool is high on my list of new toys as well. Just waiting for someone to ask me to make something that requires it.

There are lots of options and the Muse is just one so look around

Happy to help you make up your mind. Feel free to use my FSL coupon code to save yourself a bit of money

You are so welcome!

Awesome, happy to help make a decision and welcome to the world of lasers!

Happy to help. If you have any specific questions you can post them here and I or someone else in the community can answer.

If this is what you are considering and want additional help just shoot me an email or Instagram message

It was the privacy issue that killed it for me too. If Glowforge ever changes that I'd probably buy one because the laser is otherwise pretty solid (but doesn't have a rotary attachment).

If you want a turnkey system a Glowforge is fine. But if you want expandability for things like rotary attachments then a Muse might be a better choice

Appreciated and welcome to the channel

Glad it was helpful!

Awesome. Welcome to the channel! If there topics that be helpful to you just send a message

Thanks and welcome to the channel

You and me both!

Yes lock-in is worrisome, though the GF, which is a fine laser otherwise, isn't quite the same as a Cricut. Cricut would like to you use their image service and materials, but you aren't forced in the same way. I have a Cricut and don't use their service or materials. With a GF your laser is effectively dead without being connected to their service and that's just objectionable.

Thanks. Hopefully this helps in your quest 😀

You are wise to carefully consider your options before spending a huge amount of money. Note that I also just uploaded this video (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jK93ftyQ3t2lo5s.html) designed for the first time buyer. What you buy very much depends on what you want to use a laser for. If it's just for home/hobby work then make no mistake that the Glowforge is a fine option - subject to some of the issues I surfaced in this video, which may not be an impact for you.

I don’t want to knock the Glowforge since for some users it’s exactly the right option but it does have some drawbacks to I just couldn’t overlook

Very welcome

Community is where Glowforge has done a stellar job. The FSL community for the Muse is a lot less organized. The good news is that CO2 lasers are all fundamentally the same so there isn’t anything a Glowforge laser can do that you can’t do with other laser. I regularly head of the GF community to see what projects people are doing and it’s generally trivial to reproduce those on any other laser. The opposite isn’t true since there is no rotary tool or other accessories and no easy way to engrave on anything thick than 1 1/2”. The Glowforge however works very well for its intended market but I would have out grown it very quickly. FSL appears to consider the Muse as an entry level business laser rather than a home appliance so the markets are different and added capability goes along with that.

I try to be fair

I like the Muse and my experience with support has been similar.

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks and welcome to the channel.

Glad you liked it

Glad it was helpful!

Welcome to the channel and you are more than welcome for the kind words. Hopefully this helps make your decision easier if you are buying a laser. If there are specific things you'd like to see let me know.

Note that these issues aside the Glowforge is a fine beginner machine.

I do think there are two important considerations. First know what you want to do with a laser. Second know the limitations of the laser you own or want to buy. There are definitely things that neither a Glowforge or Muse can do and they are different from each other as well, if you want turnkey operation but more constrained abilities then a Glowforge is perfect. If you want complete control but are willing to tinker then a Chinese K40 could be perfect. A Muse is somewhere in between

Glad it was helpful!

Hopefully I didn't jade you. While I love my Muse 3D for what I do, there are many great lasers out there (including the Glowforge). The point is that you really need to do your homework to ensure that whatever subtleties a laser provides, they will either be exactly what you need or they might be things you should avoid. Honestly neither the Glowforge or the Muse 3D are your cheapest solutions, but the Muse 3D has been pretty solid for me and is more industrial than a Glowforge (though that comes with a slightly steeper learning curve). If your use case is mostly engraving you can save a ton of money with a diode laser like an XTool D1, which will do a great job engraving on most materials and will save you $1000's over most CO2 lasers. But as soon as you want to cut something , most diode lasers will limp along at best and will drive you crazy.

As far as I know Glowforge is the only laser company that does this internet lock-in.

Exactly why I decided not to purchase a Glow Forge

Glad I could help! Yes the Muse can run completely standalone. The only reason to be connected to the Internet at all is for software updates. BTW, leather smells bad when engraving so no matter what laser you pick, be prepared to upgrade the exhaust.

Thanks. Happy to help

This made me laugh. 😀

😂 I was thinking the Dremel 3D20 for 3D printers

Glad it was helpful!

Wow thanks! ☺. I'm very happy that you found this useful.

Thanks. Appreciate the feedback

If you are a woodworker then you probably do a lot of engraving, in which case a diode laser is fine. You would need a CO2 if you were cutting thicker materials, but they cost a lot more and take a lot more space.

@@SteveMakesEverything I have an Ortur together with Lightburn they’re a pain to use.

@@patriotwoodworker6092 We may have to get into a discussion to find out why. Using a laser is definitely a big change from most woodworking tools, but it shouldn't be overbearing. Happy to help if you are running into issues. Feel free to shoot me an email.

Hopefully I've been helpful 😀. There are many great home/small business lasers though so do a bit of research and buy the one that's right for you.

Glad it helped

Glad you found this useful

You can do what I did and befriend an owner of either and get them to let you play a bit.

Happy to help where I can

Well, I certainly can't argue with prices. At the end of the day, a 35-40W doesn't differ much in capability from one vendor to the next. Having used a K40 in the past though I can assure you that there is more tinkering involved in a K40 vs either of these big market players. That isn't necessarily a good thing though so for some people :-) As I've always said, buy the equipment that meets your needs. There are many viewers of this channel who own one of more of these lasers and are quite happy and I'm not about to get into any sort of religious war about whose laser is best. My interest is in helping makers.

It's OK to politely vent here. I've heard lots of people complaint about FSL and a host of other companies from a support perspective too. While I haven't had any of these issues with FSL I think this is pointing out a couple of misconceptions. First Glowforge's implies that their laser is a turn-key unit and out of the box everything will just work. This can certainly happen, but more likely shipping bumps them around to the point where things gets messed up. Unfortunately Glowforge makes returning the unit for service as the only available option and this is fine for warranty repairs, but becomes a ridiculous expense after warranty expires. The one defense I would make for FSL lasers is that at least you can do field repairs and FSL support is decent as walking your through what you need to do to get your laser running (and most/all other laser companies work this way). Second, given the ad campaigns of companies like Glowforge, there is this misguided perception that lasers are appliances, as simple as a toaster. I fact even a basic hobby CO2 laser is a precision instrument with lots of parts that can be adjusted to get optimal performance. This means that if you are buying one then you need to be prepared for a bit of learning and tinkering. Many people seem to be upset by company support because they didn't understand this when then pushed the "buy" button. These two issues among many more are the reason I created this channel. I hope Glowforge is able to resolve your issue in the proper way.

@@SteveMakesEverything thanks for your reply. It is so true!

@@artexmg FWIW I think the Glowforge is a fine laser, but the company practices are dubious in my mind. They are capturing customers and that's worse than any support issue because for the latter you can at least go on line and ask.

@@SteveMakesEverything yes, I love the machine and the community, but I don think the same of the company exactly for the same reasons you mention.

Thanks, and welcome to the channel

Welcome to the channel

As always, do you own research as well. The Muse was perfect for me when I bought it, but everyone has a different use case.

Thanks for the feedback. Of course the goal of this channel is to help you learn, so if you need details on something just ask and I’m happy to put a video together

Welcome to the channel

Sorry, I think I answered only half of your question. As a rule the only thing you can reliably predict replacing is the actual laser tube. Most other parts would only need to be replaced as a result of an unpredictable failure. For example the main exhaust fan on my Muse 3D failed but FSL sent me a replacement very quickly. However it is a standard 120mm fan so I actually replaced it myself even before I received their replacement. All I had to do was remove the cover over the tube so I could get at the connector, and the 4 screws holding the actual fan. FSL does seem to want you to be able to service your own laser if you need to. I can't ever see having to return it for service of anything even during the warranty period - this is a big deviation from the Glowforge BTW.

Pretty much everything inside the box is available off the shelf from other places. This included things like fans, pumps, motor, belts etc. I believe even the laser tube itself is just a common part. The sole exceptions appear to be the main controller board and possibly the power supply

Wait, the Muse doesn’t require you to be connected at all. It’s the Glowforge that requires a network connection to run

I didn't consider the Makeblock LaserBox, but as long as it has the features you need you will be OK. It does look very similar to the Muse and without any solid information I'm wondering if they have licensed the technology from Full Spectrum Laser. Dremel did this for their laser and FSL seems to have a history for licensing to other companies. One of the most important aspects of a laser though is power and both the Muse 3D and the Glowforge offer a 45W option, but I don't see this for the LaserBox. Regardless though it should easily cut cork fabric or most other fabrics if that's your goal. I will do a video to walk through some of the many materials a CO2 laser can cut or engrave and I'll try to cover cork fabric as well. Regarding setup, don't be intimidated. Most lasers are very easy to get out of the box and running in less than an hour. There are many videos (including mine) on setting up specific lasers. Regarding my fan, it wasn't a serious issue. These are the same small square fans that are in most equipment. FSL quickly replaced mine on warranty and I swapped out the bad one in 10 minutes with one I had sitting in my parts bin even before I received the replacement. They've gone to great lengths to make the laser serviceable without ever having to box it back up and send it back to them. They even provide the tools you need to work on almost anything in the laser. Serviceability was a question I specifically asked Glowforge when I was speaking to them and there seemed to be few self-repair options. They were clear that shipping a laser back to them for service was a common solution to many problems. For the most part, this kind of equipment is very reliable, though with lasers you can expect to have to change the laser tube after a couple years of heavy use. I did have a look at what replacing the tube in the Muse 3D would involve and it looks pretty straightforward even for someone who isn't a mechanical engineer and anecdotally, they will sit on a video call with you to walk through any service you might have to perform :-) Hope this helps.

Could I send you some samples of cork fabric and enviroleather for you to try?

@@TALISHAMON You could but don't bother, since I want to order some for a project I'm planning to do anyway. The cork will be fine so I wouldn't be concerned. The faux leather might be more an issue though - not because a laser will have trouble cutting it, but rather because of what it's made of. You need to check with the manufacturer to make sure that it isn't PVC-based because the "C" stands for Chlorine, which is quite corrosive to your lungs as well as your laser. I understand these questions given that you are just starting to look into what lasers can do, but rest assured that what you are trying to do will be trivial with any 40 watt CO2 laser. Keep in mind that lasers with this level of power can cut cut through a 1/4" piece of hardwood in a single pass.

@@SteveMakesEverything I received an answer to a question from the company that confused me. Could you please clarify this for me? "The software is browser based. Meaning you use the internet browser to access our control app. You do NOT need to be on the actual internet to use our machine. " What is the control app? As an example, can you place a picture of a horse in the machine, and scan that picture with the camera, and then put a piece of cork, wood, whatever, in the Muse, and place that scanned image precisely over the material, and cut as a stand alone operation? Or, if you cannot do that, can you send an SVG file from your computer to the Muse, and precisely place that image over your material, to cut or etch, without going to the internet? Do you install the software on your computer, and can you use the software independent of the internet? Are a certain number of projects stored in memory on the machine, that could be replicated without going to the internet? I thought it was simple, and that the internet is not required to operate. In reference to the faux leather material, this is what the website states, "EnviroLeather™ is made from a urethane-based TPE, formulated with no flame retardants, no plasticizers, no perfluorochemicals (PFC’s) and no antimicrobial biocides. It passes CAL 01350 for low VOC emissions." I spoke to the bagmaker today who has a Muse without the autofocus camera. She really likes her machine, and is cutting her cork bag pieces with it. We were talking about a way to cut straps or handles for bags. The bed size is the issue. If you need a cork or leather strap from 2" to 4" in width, and 26" to 50" in length, could you do it if you take the bottom off? Would you have to support the material on a platform of some sort that is the length of the strap and slide that under the unit? And, can you do it on either axis, or are you limited front to back? Can you use a large piece of fabric and cut numerous straps from the entire piece? Is there a way to keep the cut straight as you would move further on the fabric for the length of the strap? Or place reference marks somehow, through the software, to keep the line straight? Cutting straps is necessary and extremely tedious. Am I trying to get the Muse to do something it cannot do? I hope you understand what I am attempting to do, or even attempting to ask. Thank you for any clarification you can offer.

@@TALISHAMON Well it certainly looks like you're doing your homework and starting to ask all the right questions. :-). Let me try to answer some of these. First the network question, since this is a key difference between the Muse and the Glowforge. In many of my videos you've seen me use Retina Engrave 3.0 to layout how and where I want to work with objects on my laser. This is the control app FSL is referring to, and is actually hosted inside your laser. When you install your laser you can connect in one of two ways: 1) You can connect to your home wireless network and once configured you can open a web browser from any computer on the same network by typing "fsl.local" in your browser. At this point you will see the RE3 software running and can layout out your project and even start a laser job no matter where your computer is relative to your laser. (Don't leave your laser unattended while it's operating though) 2). If you want to dedicate a computer to the laser work then you can plug an ethernet cable directly between your computer and the laser. Then use the web browser in the same way. Note that if you have a wired network in your house rather than wireless you can also just plug your laser into your network router and it would operate exactly the same way as if it was connected wirelessly. In either case you would use your browser to work this laser via the RE3 control app. Next, any project you upload to the laser will automatically be stored in the laser and you can rerun any job that you've previously performed. These will stay in the laser until you either perform a factory reset on the laser (which you wouldn't normally ever do) or the jobs get automatically removed to make space for newer jobs (which I haven't seen happen so I'm not sure how much memory space the laser has for this purpose). For any project you want to preserve for the long term, you can also export it to a file on your computer and reload it at any point in the future. And the final option is to upload it to the cloud space that FSL provides, which is akin to how Glowforge handles your projects - though GF offers nothing else other than this. fluorine Regarding the camera, if all you are ever going to work with is "flat" materials like cork or leather then strictly speaking you wouldn't need the camera for normal work, since for these materials you could do a quick manual focus and start working; however, what you would lose is the ability to scan the workspace and any layout you do would have to be done with a perimeter scan of your project on the laser bed and then moving your material into place manually so avoid wasting material. My advice would be to spend the extra money for the Muse 3D rather than the basic Muse. It's quite a bit more money but you would quickly eat the cost difference with the less frustrating experience you would have without the camera. If you want to cut items that are longer than the laser bed there are a couple of options. First you can in fact remove the bottom of the laser (which is unique for FSL lasers.) However if this is what you want to do you would have to buy a longer focal length lens ($150 option from FSL, but is again something that is unique to FSL lasers). With this setup you could cut the first 24" of a long strap and then slide the material over, realign the project (with the camera that you'll definitely need for this) and then slide the material over cut the next portion. I'd suggest making a quick jig with a square edge you can push your material up against while cutting, so that when you slide it over, the cuts stay aligned with each other. Note, to save some money on the extra lens, it might be possible to create a jig that is the width of the laser workspace with a material roller on both side and a square edge in between. Then you could roll the material off of one side, cut it and roll it onto the other side. This would allow you cut things of pretty much infinite length. Hmm this seems like it would be a good project for a video. :-) Finally your scanner question. Yes, you can draw out an object on paper, scan it with the laser and then use it as a pattern to engrave or cut into material. I'll definitely do a quick video to show this for you. These are great questions! This is exactly why I wanted to create this channel - thanks for inspiring me.

Glad I could help, and welcome to the channel

Keep in mind that Glowforge in the right hands is a great tool as well - it just a little less industrial than a Muse.

Welcome to the channel. I toiled over this decision too, but it really boils down to your price limits. The Muse 3D does offer continuous focus which is great for non-flat items you might want to laser, but it will also work for materials that are supposed to be flat but really aren't. 1/8" plywood is great to work with but is often bowed and the camera could help ensure a good print. I initially thought the camera was a gimmick, but I have grown to rely on it even for flat materials. I have no regrets getting the camera but it is definitely possible to live without it.

@@SteveMakesEverything Thanks Steve. This is the first time I have posted anything. Very useful response.

@@myhomeelevator Happy to be helping you make your world

The work area is the same area as a Glowforge at about 12"x20", though it’s possible to engrave on taller things with the Muse because you can drop the bottom of the laser

These are the points I was making too. The GF hardware is great but the lock-in is not. Not everyone has a fiber line running into their house for Internet service and not everyone wants to upload proprietary designs into a cloud service which may or may not be secure

I didn't looks at the SnapMaker, though this is is a good question for many viewers to have answered. The SnapMaker is a diode laser, which is fantastic for engraving most woods and some metals and acrylic that isn't clear. Combine this with the CNC router and the (all three of my workshop passions) and you have a pretty decent entry level machine. By contrast lasers like the Muse 3d, Glowforge, or Chinese K40 lasers are all CO2 lasers, which means they will be much better at cutting as well as engraving. It doesn't mean they are better for everyone because as you note, the budget can be seriously impacted by a CO2 laser, and CO2 lasers certainly won't fit on your desk. While I'd love to do a hardware review of the SnapMaker, I will at least over the coming weeks/months do a real comparison between CO2 and diode laser capabilities - not to quickly conclude that you should buy one over the other, but rather the strengths and weaknesses of both so you can make intelligent choices that are right for you. Both laser have their place.

I thought that the Snapmaker 2.0 is a 3D Printer, not a laser engraver.

In the next couple of days I'm going to put out a rather long video with my 60 day review of the Muse. It's a good machine but like all others it has it's strengths and weaknesses - nothing terrible though. Feel free to use my coupon code to save $125 if you buy one

Mine is a 45W tube

Once the GF is eliminated there are many fine lasers to choose from. In addition to the Muse, look at the Thunder lasers, as well as Boss laser. They are bigger but if you are starting a small business you’re going to quickly want some of their features

You don’t say what the thickness or type of material is but in general you can try to do multiple passes for the cut. On a 40-45watt laser you are practically limited to about a 1/4” (6mm) in wood or acrylic. If your material is thicker than that you’d have to look at a laser with more power (and usually a bigger price tag). FSL has a number of higher power PS models, but also check out Boss Laser, Trotec or Epilog. There are 60-90watt lasers for “reasonable” prices

Sorry to hear about the issues. While I'm not attached to FSL support, or FSL in general, I can tell you that they do lurk in the channel, so hopefully they can reach out to you. From my own perspective, I have now used FSL support twice and in both cases they got back to me in the same day. Shoot me an email and I'll see if I can help you or work with you to get a tighter connection to FSL support.

Sadly, now 2 Titans since November.......the current Titan has issues with the camera, exhaust fan and air assist not working from the Titan. Zero customer service or technical support. In fact they never really reply to my now 3 support tickets only get a we will get back to you.....again since November. Total shame!

@@jamesp2791 Definitely sounds like a bad experience. Fortunately there are lots of laser companies out there and one will surely meet your needs. Some of the FSL folks frequent the channel, so hopefully they will hear you.

Well every laser has drawbacks. The thought of ever having to send my laser back for service would worry me but from a quality/reliability perspective the Glowforge seem pretty solid. The internet requirement should be a huge concern for everyone though. If yours is going to get trashed you can send it to me and I’d fix it to donate to a school 😀

@@SteveMakesEverything just my 3¢ ....BUT also the thought that your machine being dependent on the company for it to run . That should they decide to just stop supporting the software on older models. Including for it to run , have access to saved design files etc. But they can directly force the consumers to continuously but newer updated models anytime they might choose to say they will no longer be supporting older models . So that also makes the machine have no resale value because they just won't work alone themselves . It makes all those older models non functional so people that are content with useing them or bought them second hand or just the mind set " If it's still working for what I need " then never a reason to but the newest model . Lastly all those machines being non-functional they will just end up in a land fill . Rather then people being able to use them for years and years !! The Cricket machine just did that last year I think . And of course Apple has done it .. I have a first gen iPad that had continued to work fine but app creators stop supporting apps or don't make apps that can be used on older models etc. So now I have a perfectly functioning iPad that is little more then search tool and video player for now because I can still connect to the internet and use it .. but more and more webpages won't come up because they are not supported . Not sure how long but it most likely soon just be a paperweight.. that's aggravating because it has nothing wrong with it and worked for what I wanted it to do. And more company's are going that route. And it's just to keep people buying ... And of course there are customers who will always be wanting the next newest model etc. But for myself I didn't have a need it reason to buy something new when I have something that works perfectly for me . And though they think it will get me to buy something new and they want me to do that , it does not work like that for me ..they ended up loosing a customer. !! Because all that shows me is that is something they will continue to do in the future and I will always be put into the situation of being forced to keep buying the new models even though I should not have to. In reality I wouldn't still buy new generally ..new to me ..but a used older model but newer then mine that has a much cheeper price point then the newest one, us the way I would have gone anyway . Just cheap what can I say ?!! But for me it also comes down to peoples ability to buy and sell used abd second hand items that gives them a longer useable life and keeps them from just going into a landfill somewhere .. to me saving me some cash and keeping stuff out of a landfill gives me a better feeling then what I might get from always getting the new coolest model with a new Higer pricetag ever will.

@@DOCDOCFLAMINGOS Agreed - this is kind of a shifty way to capture your audience. I have many Apple devices and it does bother me that they regularly leave users behind unless they forcibly buy new hardware. I think if Glowforge ever comes out with an improved model they may do the same. Cricut does this as well though the cost of their machines isn't so high that it is prohibitive to upgrade al older machine.

@@SteveMakesEverything All very valid points and I agree 100%. And honestly I fully beleive that is exactly what Glowforge will do. Because the intention is already there in that it's customers are completely dependent on need the internet and their website for any device to even work and remain functional. And as you mentioned yes Cricket is cheeper to upgrade their craft machines, But none of their customers or anyone in general had any clue that at some point their older machines would not be supported any longer and the customers would just have a none functioning or usable device. So it was a shock I'm sure!! But that did make everyone aware that this could and will happen at any point in the future . And that any company that sets themselves up the same way , the machines dependent on the company for them to function at all, then they can and will do that exact thing at some point. If I'm wrong I will totally eat my words and say I was wrong, but I don't think I'll have to do that. And so much of what company's sell us today are totally doing the same kind of things , just not as up front of in your face. Like cell phones many of them will just stop doing any updates or security patches etc. on them just after a year or two. So if your cell is working fine and no need to replace it , but it's no longer going to be updated and security could become an issue. Well we either deal with it or we deal with buying a new cell phone!! There is a quote I have heard that goes something along the lines of "You will Own nothing , and you will be happy!". In that sure we can spend money on something physical that we own. More abd more things are dependent on the company supporting it and the amount of time they will do so is beyond our control and then we don't really own anything at all !!!

@@DOCDOCFLAMINGOS This is a great quote 🤣

So a couple things to keep mind: I wouldn't say the Muse, Glowforge or anything else is old technology. Epilog lasers are the standard for sure but you are going to pay a lot more for them; however, don't assume they aren't liquid cooled. Like the Glowforge, any cooling is internal. There's still some form of liquid coolant running through the laser tube, but it is cooled internally. This is convenient because there's nothing to hook up externally, but that just means that anything needed to cool the laser is built into the box, meaning you have to live with whatever they provide, and the box will need to be bigger to contain it all. By contrast with a Muse or any other laser with external cooling you can put an actual chiller in place for better cooling. The downside of course in a satellite box for the pump and air compressor. One isn't necessarily better than the other - it's about what works best for you. You aren't going to put an Epilog on a table or even on the floor in a small apartment, but I'd have one for sure in the right situation ;-)

@@SteveMakesEverything THANK YOU SIR!!!!!!!

@@daniellane1757 Happy to help.

The things you would need to measure are flow of the coolant and the should be required by the Muse anyway. The temperature of the coolant should be controlled by the chiller automatically and ideally provide an over temperature alarm. Set the chiller to 18C or so and an alarm at 22C and you will be fine.

@@SteveMakesEverything FANTASTIC. so then the only things to connect the muse to chiller are the input and out put tubes

@@treebarh5192 As noted there is a flow sensor in the system somewhere. Not sure if it is in the CoolBox or built into the laser though - I suspect it is the former, so you might need to deal with that too

You can buy a Muse 3D laser direct from Full Spectrum Laser at fslaser.com/fsl-muse-3d-autofocus-desktop-co2-laser-cutter-bundle/. If you do decide to buy one you can save yourself a bit of money using my coupon code "SteveMakesEverything"

Unfortunately the Glowforge is a bit closed, so you certainly won't be able to log into a GF account and pull a drawing; however, SVG drawing files are universal so create those and the Muse or almost any laser will be able to use them

I doubt that you'd be able to do that. Keep in mind that there is a free solution for diode lasers (LaserGRBL) as well as Lightburn.

@@SteveMakesEverything thanks

there is a usb port on the Muse 3d that allows you to run jobs from a usb drive. The Glowforge requires you to upload your designs to a cloud account.

For a Muse 3D you don't need a chiller. The laser comes with a thing FSL calls the "Coolbox" which is a separate box that contains a water pump and fan-cooled radiator and an air pump used to blow air on the work that the laser is cutting to help keep it clear of smoke and free of fire. Other lasers from FSL and other manufacturers may require a chiller though

That’s a very broad question. There aren’t really huge difference between most hobby lasers. If you want a laser that is hands down the easiest to use then get a Glowforge. Realize of course that the limitations that make the Glowforge easy will persist forever so if you want to grow beyond the basics then look at a Muse 3D or even a MakeBlock Laserbox. If you really want to live on the edge then get a Chinese K40, but you’ll get a much steeper learning curve and likely have to deal with some early growing pains,but you’ll get loads of capability

Well if you are looking for a business option, then AP Laser is in your wheelhouse because even their starter lasers are aimed at small businesses. Once you are in that market there are lots of excellent choices, and since the market overall is highly competitive, you generally get what you pay for. You might also want to look at others in this part of the market - Thunder, Boss, Aeon at the lower end and companies like Troec or Epilog at the top.

No matter whose CO2 laser you use you will be able to engrave on glass and metal (with a Cermark coating). Be aware though that you won't get a lot of greyscale shading on those surfaces. You'll need to work at it a bit to try to get it right.

You cannot, which just makes me sad. I've poked at FSL a couple of times to enable this but they don't seem to be listening, even though LightBurn is so much better.

They have a separate box containing the cooling and air blower. It plugs into the laser with a cable and three hoses. if you want replace either of these function with a different unit, it can be easily done.

Well if the software is important then I too would lean toward the Thunder Laser. If you do go with a Muse you can find my coupon code in the description

@@SteveMakesEverything Thank You! I do love lightburn, but if you think the muse software is as good or close to lightburn I could live with that choice! I've learned lightburn, and I'm not against learning new software. I have reached out to Muse and was offered a free upgrade to the 45W laser. I am coming from a Ortur Laser Master 2 so either way it is a upgrade. I'm just being cautious because Im about to spend 9k to 10k and I only get one shot at this. My plan is to start a business and hopefully make this a full time thing eventually. I do appreciate your input and will be sure to use your code if I decide on the Muse. Thanks for taking your time and replying!!!

@@coreymaxim4198 The Muse is more of a high-end beginner laser. It's got some industrial strength, but honestly if you already know what Lightburn is, then you are probably already beyond the benefits of a Muse and Retina Engrave 3. The Muse 45W option is really just putting a 45W tube into a 40W laser. While you likely won't see any more power, the tube should last a bit longer.

If you are willing to go to Las Vegas I think FSL will give you a tour and let you play with lasers. That’s the only place you can see one unless you live close to someone who owns one and can give you a demo

@@SteveMakesEverything what is your opinion about smells? I’m aware the laser is technically burning the item to cut and/or engrave, but if properly vented do you still smell it?

@@alisonclark7540 This depends somewhat on the laser design, but you can help with a decent external inline exhaust fan. This works well to avoid any smoke smell on my Muse 3D. My SP-3624 Laser was design to have decent exhaust and that one emits no smell at all because the cabinet has fairly negative pressure

Hi Roger, I love my Muse for myself, but take a look at the landscape and get what will meet your own specific needs. There are many factors to consider - price, speed, power cutting area, camera, etc. If you are looking at a Muse what you get is a solid metal cased "prosumer" laser that is more open so if you need to repair it you can find almost all parts available off-the-shelf, which means it's usually cheaper than going back to the manufacturer. If you opt for something like a Glowforge you get a solid entry-level laser with a big community and a more secure closed/safe environment. If you want to live a little closer to the edge and get a K40 Chinese laser then you get the maximum flexibility but the weakest level of support and arguably quality of parts. Keep in mind that the real differences in the hardware aren't all that great for most 40-45W CO2 lasers. Where things differ the most are the software operation and support.

I engrave on metal a CO2 laser would require a coating like Cermark to engrave on. It’s possible but a fibre laser might be your better choice since on of sufficient power should be able to engrave directly

@@SteveMakesEverything thanks for your time and input! Yeah, im looking at making 200 to 300 of these on a Bullet casing for some veterans groups and know i need a consistent way to get them done. Thanks again for your time!!

Just go to FSLaser.com - there's no special link. If you use my coupon code, you can enter it as you're ordering.

You can order laser from FSL’s web site directly. My coupon code is “SteveMakesEverything” which will save you some money.

I really don't like making recommendations because if I'm wrong you'll hate me. :-) My guidance would be to stick with either a Muse or a Glowforge - both will do with you want from a user perspective and both will work with SVGs or SVG's converted to PDFs (which tend to work better). Both lasers have their particular strengths and weaknesses but both are great for home craft use

@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you! I'll look into both brands some more.

@Harriet Spencer Note that there are other brands as well. Not to inundate you but there’s also MakeBlock LaserBox, the Dremel Laser (now no longer available), Boss, Rabbit, Trotec, Epilog and many others. I’m happy to help with specific questions but only you will be able to make this choice for your needs. Most lasers for your target market will be reliable and provide the features you need. What you buy will mostly depend on things like budget and size. I’m working on a 60 day honest review of the FSL Muse 3D which should be out in the next few days. It will give you visibility into some of the things I like and dislike about my laser.

I was just using an app on my iPad however I wouldn’t recommend it or teleprompters in general. I used this for only a few videos before abandoning the idea. I realized that it was taking 2-3 times as long to create a video. Just get used to collecting your thoughts an presenting in a more natural format and your videos will be better

Well it certainly looks like a pretty solid laser on paper. Something to understand is that most lasers for home/small business use will use similar, if not the same parts. So from a hardware perspective there will be few differences between any of the lasers >$4K. What matters more is how you interact with them (i.e. the software) and how well the company backs it. Trying to be as unbiased as possible I'd say the difference of 45W vs 50W is marginal as is the bed size difference. On the plus side it seems like it's got a great price, but what I would be asking them, if I was considering one, is where it was made. It's hard to tell from their site, but I believe FLUX is a Chinese company - not a huge deal from a quality perspective, though they are notorious for over-stating their power outputs. But I would worry about getting parts, service etc. if you need them, and FLUX don't seem to want you to service the laser yourself. The only defence I can put up for FSL is that they document how to do most service in the user manual. BTW, notice that you can't order one directly from them, but rather you need to use one of their resellers. That could suggest that they care enough about their customers to ensure a local presence, or it could be an alarm signal that they have trouble getting them working right out of the box. Not trying to neg them, but if you're going to spend several $K on a laser it's fair for you to ask a ton of questions. I pounded Glowforge, FSL and a couple of others with questions before I made my choice.

Yes it's too bad because the GLowForge is otherwise a pretty awesome laser, yet they make their users suffer (often unknowingly)

Sorry to hear about your issue, but I just didn’t experience the same issue. They were incredibly prompt when I needed assistance

@@SteveMakesEverything I'm guessing ron wolffen is either a Glowforge employee or fanboy.

Sorry don't like glowforge now I don't like fullspectrum Laser's either

@@ronbutler2322 Well I'm not interested in promoting the religion of lasers :-). Glowforge people are welcome here too

I'm not trying to start an argument I just like help with what's wrong with my laser I spend $6,000 on this thing and got to use it 10 times now got a $6,000 paperweight

So many people have asked this and I have badgered FSL a bit to just support Lightburn, but so far no progress.

thanks @@SteveMakesEverything

I won’t argue with you. Lightburn support is something I’ve suggested to FSL many times. Other companies like xTool can support both Lightburn and their own software, so clearly FSL is making a business decision here, though I would argue this is impacting their sales

I would have to say yes wince all that is required to operate the lasers is a web browser.

The pass through features appears with the Riser option

@@SteveMakesEverything thank you

Hi Angel. A couple of things. Understand that my job isn't to sell you a Muse 3D - that's up to FSL. All I can talk about is why I bought one rather than a Glowforge or anything else. This isn't a slam against the GF or a checkmark for the Muse, but rather its an understanding of what is required vs what laser manufacturers offer. If you love your Glowforge then that's awesome - many people do love them. Second, regarding extra items out of the box, neither laser really needs anything (unless you consider water an extra) 😉. Regarding the requirement for internet connectivity, as I acknowledged previously, this won't bother everyone for certain, but that's not the problem. The real problems are that once you "give" your designs to Glowforge they can do anything they want with them without any agreement from you, and more importantly, Glowforge is a small company that is subject to going out of business. If they do, then your files and the cloud they are stored in both go away and your laser is a 100lb brick. You buy convenience with a GF, but convenience can come at a significant cost down the road.

It's a fair question; however, the 3D in the Muse 3D refers to its 3D focus camera rather than anything the laser does. I wouldn't call the scoring, engraving and cutting processes of a laser "3D", since the material is flat when your start a job and basically flat when you're finished. The only 3D subtractive manufacturing process I could think of is something like a 6-axis CNC where a part with a significant length/width/height can be created from a block of material