EPILOG VS GLOWFORGE
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
- ● EPILOG FUSION MAKER
Specs: 30 watt with 12"x24" work area
shop.epiloglaser.com/collecti...
● GLOWFORGE
Specs: 45 watt with 12"x20" work area
glowforge.com/products#specs
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I've had a lot of people ask me about the Glowforge in the past and why I bought an Epilog instead. With the new release of the Epilog Fusion Maker, I thought this would be the perfect time to put them to a head to head test and show each machine. Enjoy!
Video Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:56 Machine Area
00:08:35 Manufacturer Location
00:09:48 Tube Comparison
00:15:30 Machining Speed
00:17:07 Connectivity of Machines
00:17:26 Laser Classes and Safety
00:18:39 Passthrough
00:20:07 Camera Systems
00:20:43 Job Reference Point
00:21:48 Motion Controls
00:24:55 Auto Focus
00:25:38 DPI Rating
00:26:08 Machine Control Panels
00:28:08 Accessories, Support, and Warranty
00:33:46 Workflow from Software to Machine and Raster Engraving Test
00:44:26 Vector Cutting Tests
00:56:34 Passthrough Test
01:01:16 Rotary Test
01:04:04 Camera Accuracy
01:08:11 Production Test
01:21:37 Pricing Comparison
01:24:47 Which Machine Should You Get - Навчання та стиль
Here are the two machines that were used in the video.
● EPILOG FUSION MAKER
Specs: 30 watt with 12"x24" work area
shop.epiloglaser.com/collections/epilog-laser-engraving-and-cutting-systems/products/fusion-maker-12?ref=makerexperiment
● GLOWFORGE
Specs: 45 watt with 12"x20" work area
glowforge.com/products#specs
Incredible comparison, so much amazing information and I feel like I have a true understanding of both machines now! Thank you!
I’m glad I could help Ethan!
Thank you for this. We have 4 Glowforge units to run our business and this year we upgraded to an epilog pro 36. It was an amazing difference and jump. It was so hard to keep up with production using the glowforge but the new epilog maker might be what we need to continue to grow.
It’s a great machine for running a business. I can’t believe you have 4 Glowforge units.
This video was incredibly helpful! I’ve got the Epilog on my radar for sure now! Thank you!
I’m glad that you found it helpful!
Wow! Thank you for your hard work on this. Appreciate your time!
I’m glad you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for this video. I was surprised at the eye opening comparison between the two. Having worked with a GCC Spirit LS engraver before with all the bells and whistles, I was mainly interested in the Epilog workflow and how it works since I'm about to buy an Epilog Maker for myself. This video definitely made me feel like I made the right decision, since I'm mostly focused on production work rather than hobbyist. Seriously, this was super helpful man! P.S. I have that T-shirt too like the other youtuber commented lol
The fact that I can't merely have a laptop connected over RJ45 to the Glowforge, AND the fact that I'd have to rely on cloud processing for it is an ABSOLUTE dealbreaker for me. I can see why it may have benefits, but with my production experience there's no way it would suffice for me. Maybe as an entry level it might for others, but with the relatively close price tag between the two and stark production run differences... I don't see how it's much of a contest for which to get unless you're really in love with a certain feature. I will miss the pass-thru my GCC Spirit LS had, but will gladly give it up between Glowforge and Epilog for the engraver that can produce consistent accurate fast results.
I’m glad that you found it helpful. I agree with you that is not much of a contest but I get asked about the comparison a lot. I’m glad it was useful.
Although long, you put together a fantastic review of these two machines. As an Epilog owner myself I can say the technical service (regional) and support at Epilog is fantastic.
It was definitely long but I found it difficult to make it shorter while still being thorough.
Thank you for a great video. First video this long that I watched all the way through to the end. I was shocked at the quality and speed differences between the two. The glowforge engraving of the lake and mountains looked like a tattoo disaster.
I really did try my best to compare them. It took a long time to try and dial that example in and it still had so many issues.
I had an issue with my Fusion Pro 48 and Epilog had a new Y axis assembly at my door the next morning. The support has been excellent.
I’m glad to hear it!
Thanks for this very interesting video. If I ever need to replace my 2008 Epilog Minis, I might get the Maker!
It really is an interesting machine. It would be slightly slower than the Mini. The edge is actually the replacement for the mini.
Thanks!
Thank you so much!
Kudos to Epilog for the effort they are making to become more competitive at the entry level, they have a great equipment, and thanks to Trevor for the great effort he put into making this video.
+ It would be very helpful if you would now make a similar comparison with a piece of equipment that is making a lot of noise in the networks, which is the Thunder Nova 35, particularly in productivity and quality, which are important factors in a business, in which I think Epilog It far exceeds it.
+ In my opinion, the size of a equipment is not so important when starting a business, in fact, the more portable it is, the better it can be adapted to the work area, and I think FUSIONMAKER does that very well.
Thanks for the feedback. I definitely agree that people get hung up on the size of the machine as the most important factor and I agree with you that portability can be a great thing when starting a business.
If you leave the timestamps as hh:mm:ss they become clickable. like so:
Video Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:56 Machine Area
00:08:35 Manufacturer Location
00:09:48 Tube Comparison
00:15:30 Machining Speed
00:17:07 Connectivity of Machines
00:17:26 Laser Classes and Safety
00:18:39 Passthrough
00:20:07 Camera Systems
00:20:43 Job Reference Point
00:21:48 Motion Controls
00:24:55 Auto Focus
00:25:38 DPI Rating
00:26:08 Machine Control Panels
00:28:08 Accessories, Support, and Warranty
00:33:46 Workflow from Software to Machine and Raster Engraving Test
00:44:26 Vector Cutting Tests
00:56:34 Passthrough Test
01:01:16 Rotary Test
01:04:04 Camera Accuracy
01:08:11 Production Test
01:21:37 Pricing Comparison
01:24:47 Which Machine Should You Get
Thanks for the correction. I fixed it in the description. I had the partial seconds that threw it off.
Just ordered my Fusion Maker in 40w version. 4-5 weeks for delivery to home town in Scotland. Can't wait.
Congratulations! What made you choose the Maker? Feel free to email if you have any questions.
I was considering starting a laser cutting business about 6 years ago & I looked at Epilog then, but I didn’t have the cash at the time. I teach CAD at a local community college & fancy a part-time change in direction. A bit more hands-on enjoyment & more money.
I’ve done a lot of research about laser cutting/engraving in general & your channel is the best I’ve seen when it comes to Epilog systems. Friends have tried to convince me to start small with a laser pecker or something, but I just don’t see the point. I want & know Epilog produce solid systems with excellent support. I want to take this venture seriously & need kit that will be reliable, durable & produce high quality results with speed and safety. Epilog ticks those boxes for me. Yes, they’re expensive compared to Xtool/Glowforge/OmTech etc, but I’m a firm believer in the old saying “You get what you pay for”. I've ordered a rotary attachment as well.
@@MakerExperiment
@@MakerExperimentBTW My decision to buy the Maker was heavily influenced by this video. I’m still waiting on mine - it’s on a container on the Atlantic somewhere but it’s been delayed by storms apparently.
@@digitaldiorama I hope you enjoy it once you get to boot it up!
Cool 😎👍 demonstration.
Thank you.
Thank you for this.
Two questions on power.
1) The web site for both say “110 to 240 volts”. Do both of these need 220volt to run or is this an option (or for Europe)?
2) On the production run of the Glowforge vs Epilog (coasters). Would the production power saving over time make up for cost difference? Since the Epilog runs for a much shorter time?
1) this is an option for other countries. You can run them on 110V
2) the production over time will make up for cost difference. Take this for example for 2hrs and 40 minutes or so let’s say you make 15 coasters on a glowforge. In the same amount of time you can make about 18 in 22-23 minutes or whatever it was on the epilog. Do you can make about 125 in the same time as 18 on the glowforge. If you get big jobs, it will save you a lot of time.
Thank you for this! I was about to buy a GF and was researching it. Don’t apologize for being long, I loved and appreciated all the info. This is a big purchase so again THANKS!!!
I’m glad I could help.
I hope you didn't buy Glowforge. I have been using them for 6 years. I'm an idiot for doing so. They really are absolute garbage. I'm not overstating either.
Great explain. Thanks
You’re welcome!
So you need an Air Compressor to run the Air Assist on the EPI , how loud is that. ?
You need an air compressor to supply the air to the air assist system. It depends on what compressor you use but it’s not too loud. The one from Epilog is a continuous stream of air and stays at the same volume. It is noticeable but it’s not deafening like a compressor for a nail gun would be.
I sold my Glowforge because of how bad the software is.
All cloud based.
Any reasonable features require a monthly description.
The processing of all files is done on their cloud, and again, requires paying a monthly fee if you want quicker processing. (No ability to use your computer for any local processing.)
They also updated the software and removed the function to import a .DXF for awhile, and then brought it back a few days later.
That was the final straw for me.
I don’t blame you at all.
The Passthrough actually works really well. You can't trust the camera image. You have to trust the process. If you hadn't aligned manually, it would have worked.
That’s good to know but that’s not really acceptable to me either. Both the camera and the process should match. I don’t feel you should have to guess which one is the right one to trust.
@@MakerExperiment Valid point and I totally agree with that sentiment. I run a University makerspace and I'd love to not have to constantly tell the students to "ignore the camera." I actually found your video while researching options for phasing out the Glowforge. We've loved it, but it can't keep up with demand. Epilog is looking like a good option.
@@kjm749 Epilog makes some great machinery. If you have any questions, let me know.
Hi. Do you still need to wear eye protection with the Fusion Maker - or does the lid screen everything out?
The Maker doesn’t require eye protection.
That's what I thought - Google Bard suggests otherwise 😆@@MakerExperiment
Someone’s probably already said the but never move the design afterwards trust it even if it looks off for pass through
I’ve figured that out but that’s definitely something that will throw people off.
I presently have an older Epilog Zing 24 40W. and would like to purchase something with a little more power for cutting. It seems like the water cooled tube units are less expensive than the air cooled tube units. I love the cut quality of the I get with Epilog. Are there any comparisons that compare the two different types of cooling tubes? BTW... I do operate a business and customer support from Epilog has always been awesome.
This video has some comparisons between the two types of tubes and how they performed throughout the video.
While water cooled tubes are less expensive, they also require more equipment to run which adds a potential failure point. Overall, what I’ve found is the air cooled tubes are more consistent and usually achieve better power output consistently. You can usually also run air cooled tubes at higher power percentages meaning that running it at 100% power isn’t as bad for the tube as it is on a glass tube style. If you live in a cold climate and don’t properly temperature control it, the glass tubes can freeze.
At the end of the day, there’s no single right choice for everyone. I personally like Epilog because the machines have been great and give great quality and speed. I’ve owned a glass tube machine in the past and didn’t have a great experience. If encourage your to watch the machining comparisons in this video as it will show you some in depth results that I had between the two types. One of the biggest differences is that your spot size on the glass tube is going to be larger and could effect cut quality on small pieces.
@@MakerExperiment Thank you for your reply. I have been extremely happy with the Epilog, but their pricing strategy is higher than I would like. I am in Wisconsin, so water cooled units have been a concern because of the winters here. Yes, I have Heat and Air, but there are failures that I cannot control. If the beam size is consistently bigger with the water cooled tubes I, like you, would prefer the air cooled units. I do not need all of the bells and whistles that come with the new machines, so how do I avoid the pricing when searching for a 60 to 80 W machine?
@@wmielke2 if you go with Epilog, their pricing has been pretty similar since the Zing days but the technology has gotten better.
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to Epilog or air cooled lasers, you’re pretty much going to be limited to water cooled. I believe Thunder laser has an air cooled version but even their air cooled machine was a similar price to the Epilog Fusion Maker. This is one of those times where you’ll have to make a decision between air cooled higher quality and higher price vs lower quality, less expensive but higher wattage. I haven’t seen a good middle ground that blends the better quality and tech without the expense.
@@MakerExperiment Thanks for all the information and opinions. Your insite is informative and appreciated. I will keep you informed if I find something.
@@wmielke2 sounds good. There’s always new machinery being released so it’s very possible something has come out. In the mean time, feel free to join my free laser community. It’s a good place to talk with other laser owners as well.
I purchased the 40w variant of Epilog Maker 12 after watching your video (Have had a GF pro for 3.5 years). How did you get familiar with the Epilog UI?
I honestly just sat down one day and messed around with it. It’s pretty easy to use and works like a print driver. Feel free to share who your distributor was. If you have questions, let me know.
@@MakerExperiment Sure thing! It was Enrique Trigo (AM Tech Distributor).
@@MakerExperiment My current struggle is figuring out how to run an engrave & cut file. The image for engraving always shows up, but sometimes, when I change the cutout line to a vector and select settings, the time for that process changes to 0.00, and the cutout line vanishes from the UI. (I'm using AI)
@@Senior-tr4le are you doing it with a different color or a line weight difference with the same color? You can try color mapping to set one color as vector. I usually use .001 or something similar for line weight.
@@MakerExperiment I don't understand, apologies. I am importing a text file and using the direct selection tool to (slowly) draw an outline of a different color around my image to cut it out. I'm AI self-taught so I'm pretty ignorant of all the options that it offers
Thank you! That BS of being connected to the Internet for the GF just ruins it for me. I have an Epilog dealer near me and that would be who I would go with but that is very expensive for a hobby. I just dropped 15,000 😮 on a sewing machine. That I can justify 😉 your video was amazing
Wow, that’s a lot for a sewing machine. Granted I don’t know how to sew do perspective on that one 😂.
The beds themselves are not magnetic they are just made from a ferrous material, I'm assuming steel.
If you want to get technical, yes. All people usually care about is whether or not a magnet will stick to it.
any chance of comparing this machine to an aeon mira
5 or 7?
Highly doubtful as it doesn’t make financial sense to buy one.
@@MakerExperiment lol fair enough. Some guys have companies giving them machines to compare like make or break shop etc. Totally understandable. I was more just hoping you had some insight on those Aeon lasers also.
@@stevegale26 So far those companies haven’t reached out to me to do any kind of comparisons. Lasers definitely aren’t a cheap thing to compare. I’ve never used an Aeon. If it’s anything like other glass tube lasers I expect similar experiences. It’ll be similar in speed for cutting but I would expect engraving to be much slower. While the Aeon may have different components, the technology behind the glass tube in a glowforge and that in the Aeon are pretty similar.
Do I feel sorry for all Glowforge owners after watching this whole video? HELL YEAH I DO!!!
It was definitely eye opening.
This was spell bounding as your Glowforge had every problem I ran into , and the only fix was to set off the designs at the bottom corner.
I’m glad to know it wasn’t just me.
@@MakerExperiment I am on my 3 Rd Glowforge and Im done. is the 40 watt worth the extra 2 Grand ??? What will I be missing out on ?
@@coalakida the 40watt will work more quickly than a 30 watt. If you’re going to cut a lot, I’d suggest the 40 watt. If you have questions, feel free to email me.
@@MakerExperiment Great , is the software overall easier to learn than Lightburn , most of my work is SVG files done in Adobe Illustrator.
@@coalakida it’s really intuitive to me. I also use Illustrator.
What size lens was the Epilog?
2”
@@MakerExperiment Thank you!
Price of each machine?
The Epilog starts at $9,995. The glowforge pro as of today is $6,995 for the pro plus the additional $50/month for the software premium subscription I was using.
Underneath that flashy case it is ovious that the Glowforge (affectionately nicknamed the Slowforge) is nothing more than a pimped up K40 being sold at a ridiculous price . In reality there is no comparison to be made because the Glowforge is constant current glass tube technology and the Epilog is an RF tube system controlled by PWM. They may both be CO2 lasers but there is no way to compare the two technologies. The RF laser is perfect for high speed photo engraving (if the Epilog control software will allow you to do so) or engraving of any sort because of the PWM control system but it's cutting efficiency is low. Despite the dodgy mechanical aspects of the Glowforge, it has opposite characteristics of good at cuttingn ability and OK at slow engraving but will never be a greyhound. The DPI numbers you mention are nothing to do with the DOTS you can engrave at but are a marketing perversion of the stepper motor resolution. ie you could say the 0.02mmm step resolution = 1270dpi. and 0.05mm = 508dpi. These specifications have zero relevance to the resolution that you can engrave an image at.
Despite the price, the Epilog must win hands down especially as a reliable small business machine.. Electric bicycle v Ferarri jumps to mind.
They really can’t be compared for a lot of the reasons you mentioned. People still ask me why Epilog is better than glowforge which is why I made the video. It’s actually surprising how many people haven’t been doing their homework on the machinery.
@@MakerExperiment
Thanks for understanding that my comment was not intended as criticism but was reinforcing, with a few extra details, the comparison you were making. With a foot in each camp I realized that you had to be tactful with your commentry. I have no such loyalties so perhaps my more pragmatic comparison will aid those new buyers away from making the wrong investment. I have a 30 watt RF machine, two 80 watt glass tube machines, a completely re-engineered K40 (45 watts) that engraves at 1000mm/s along with a 20 watt Q swith fiber laser.
I think you're absolutely on the mark. Glowforge is horrible. I'm sick of them and I'm done with them.
I am thoroughly distracted by the fact that I own that tee shirt. Otherwise, thanks man.
I love this t-shirt!
How does one know what is real, as you are wearing a bursting Tardis. Who gave it to you, a question.....maybe. We all are living in the past because we have to think about it.
I currently have 5 glowforge plus. Two are barely operating. Their super ridiculous cloud system has kept me from production as I sit for 30 minutes each run just trying to load the artwork and then another 10 minutes as it thinks to process the job before it even begins to work. I'm so sick of them and their faulty machines. I bought a brand new back up and sure enough all of my machines broke at the same time. I go to use my brand new back up and low and behold broken out of the box. It's still sitting there, BROKEN! Stay TF away from that trash. If you think I'm being harsh, try 6 years of frustration. I spent so much money on Glowforge amd I should have never done it. I'm close to 50k spent on glowforgw machines. Fk them
May I ask why you kept buying them if you didn’t like them vs buying a better quality machine for less money than you ended up spending on 6 of those?
@Maker Experiment the ease of the purchase, the insecurity of buying a bigger machine. Epilog and Trotect make it such an intimidating purchase, it's insane. Epilog should partner with Klara, too. I was familiar with the Glowforge operating system and I felt good using them but they're an absolute nightmare. My brand new backup machine is still broken on my warehouse floor lol. If Epilog wants to make more money they need to do a better job of attra ting buyers like me. I bought one and they couldn't perform to deliver so I canceled on them. That's a $30,000 purchase. Now I'm back trying a second time for an $18000 purchase. So far on week 3 of waiting.
@@Captainhairyass if you wouldn’t mind, send me an email at amakerexperiment@gmail.com
I’d like to know what’s going on to see if I can help.