I just took delivery of a Gweike Storm 600 a few days ago. My one has an extension steel box taking a 65 watt CO2 tube with space to spare. No user instructions for the hardware, came with "CNCLaser" software which is pretty rudimentary. The lack of instructions was a problem, I ended up discovering that the lid sensor reed was too far away from the lid, preventing laser operation. After a couple of days I bought the lightburn DSP licence, So much better! Just the better offset and path repeat functions alone are so much better. The honeycomb comes with a bed of knives and C extrusions on it's edges which I have now removed as the aluminium extrusions spoil the 600x400mm working area. Next, I designed up fat L shaped markers to sit in the corners and screw up into the rail, then I did a full perimeter cut to cut the perimeter corner markers through my brackets. That makes placing my material bug-free, it's so much better after those two small mods and DSP Lightburn license. The cuts are much faster than my blue OLM10watt laser but the beam is also fatter and diverges a lot faster from the CO2 laser. I suspect it's poor lens technology. There is a guy on youtube who does amazing lens research, I'll have to look him up again. The Storm 600 is basically a full industrial laser, it's just small for an industrial one. I'm loving it, it's doing everything I want of it so far, I can cut 6m acrylic and 6mm ply with it and with some lens upgrades, likely thicker. If you want better manuals, best to look at the DSB circuitboard's label and then find the manufacturer's manual. Ruida has manuals in English and they are worth reading.
Something to keep in mind: If you're moving the nozzle height, then your camera will be out of calibration. I bought a camera from lightburn for my cheap diode setup and ran into the same issues. That's why most lasers have a lowering bed instead. 👍
Great review. Very thorough. What I like about you is that you are not afraid to tell it like its is. If there is a problem with a machine, something you don't like about it, or improvements that could e made to it - you are not afraid to say so. Despite the issues you had with this machine, it does seem like a good machine. However, that is still a bit pricey for me. I bought on OMTech K40 and spent a $250 - $300 on modifications, and it is now a beast. I also have a Laser Master 2 Diode Laser, which I have done some modifications to - including a more powerful Laser Head. This machine is also a beast now. Between the two machines, I have around $1200 invested, and they are more than adequate to handle all that I do with my online wood craft business.
I’ve got a 10W diode laser. Just dipping my toe into lasers at this point. I bought the Creality CR Falcon for a steep discount. I have been running it in the garage due to the open frame design. I’d like to upgrade with an enclosure, exhaust and air assist at some point but I think by then I may just be ready to step up to a larger CO2 laser instead. Having fun with it for now. Making crafts, school projects for the kids and Christmas presents with it.
My wife and I finally got the xTool D1 Pro 20W diode laser setup and ran some test cuts tonight. I still need to get the air assist setup to clean up the scorching some but the initial test cuts were pretty awesome.
The most I have used is a 10 with air assist and I was super impressed. 20W for a doide sounds insane haha. So much power! I believe they have a 1064 module for it as well which is pretty cool for marking on metals.
Great video! I have been saying it for years, that Glowforge is over priced. This product really proves the point. I am not a fan of a fully enclosed laser, now being open just to use the rotary. I made the same comment with the xTool M1. I might have a laser or two 😉
They I agree. I think a big part of it for them has been their marketing and that as far as I know they were the first to take a big laser and make it into a smaller compact package. Other companies are seeing the demand and catching up.
I have a cheap diode laser, but I just dont use it very often. Actually have watched a video or two for Lightburn that I am fairly sure you done the voice on.
Great video! I recently heard about this machine, this is a fantastic walkthrough of it, and it looks like you are getting pretty good results. I am a big fan of laser cutters and I have been using a Glowforge laser since 2018. It has been pretty much flawless (after the first one, which was DOA). While there is the annoying web connectivity, I really like the simplicity of it and they continue to add innovative features and improvements to both the firmware of the laser, as well as the Glowforge UI app. I don't pay for any of the features but you can do design in it. Anyway, I'm really glad there is a competitor to Glowforge. This machine seems to be every bit as good in terms of hardware, and in some cases better like the rotary tool which Glowforge doesn't have. From what I can tell the air assist fan also seems better. I am not familiar with Lightburn, but it does look nice and I know most of the Chinese lasers use it. One major concern I have on this laser, and maybe you have more info, is warrant/support. What happens when the CO2 tube needs replaced or if you run into a hardware issue? With a Glowforge you have to ship the machine back for the CO2 tube, as it isn't serviceable. They ship you back a refurbished machine and last time I checked it was around $500, but might be more now. In some cases (bad fan, belt issue, mirror, lens replacement, etc.) you can buy those parts and swap them yourself- I have swapped out most of my parts in the 4+ years owning mine. The tube is really my biggest concern... I haven't had to replace mine yet fortunately. I believe believe both the Glowforge and GeikeCloud are rated at 10,000 hours. Anyway, I'd hate to have to ship this back to China- so not sure what the process is- as I looked at the website it seems unclear as to what the process is and how difficult it would be to change yourself. It would be great to learn more about warranty and support. Anyone paying $3K+ for a machine is probably going to be using it for some kind of commercial purpose, and support/responsiveness is something to consider. On the plus side you could probably buy 2 of these for the price of one Glowforge and have some spares. :)
I have chatted with a handful of Glowforge customers over the years that are really happy with it. I really wish that they didnt require web connectivity but that has been their setup since the beginning. What I will be curious to see over the next few years is if they end up cutting costs at all due to the competition. They may not need to but I am still wondering how units like these will impact them. On the Glowforge can the software turn the air assist on or off or is it always on? Also, the air assist is inside of the laser instead of in a side box right? That is a valid concern. From what I have seen over the past 3 months is that support is really active. I have been lurking in the official Facebook group where there are some active reps helping users with issues and if I am not mistaken in some cases swapping machines. They have a video showing how to replace the controller so there is some user serviceability. I do not see anything about the tube but I am wondering if that is due to how new they are that if there was a need to replace they are swapping. I went on a deep dive right now and saw someone that it working with support to diagnose an issue. They had the machine opened and the tube looks fairly standard and like you would be able to replace it. Doesnt seem to be something they sell publicly so may be a tech support first thing. Tube and power supply would likely be the things I would want on hand as spares if possible.
@@ModBotArmy Thanks for the reply! I just joined the Facebook group as well. I am definitely going to keep my eye on this machine. It seems like it could be more repairable based on what I am reading which is definitely a good thing. Would love to hear how it works out for you in the long term.
Any chance of a FLUX Beamo review? I'm very happy with mine. Only 30W but bigger (optional) filtration system that catches all the smoke for me, and it will ramp up/slow down the filtration fan as well as the built in fan before/after each run.
P.S. The company Gweike, has been around for a while. I have worked on their full table lasers, and from what I understand The English pronunciation of their company sounds like this (GEE - WIKI). Like Geeetech. FIY
I'd love to know how effective that top panel is at actually protecting eyes, like if it's actually properly absorb antto the wavelength of the laser used
It is my understanding that acrylic or glass is commonly used for a CO2 laser enclosure due to the light being on the spectrum of light that is invisible. It has been sometime when I dug into it but from what I recall the laser would have to reflect and burn through the glass or acrylic and then hit your eye to cause damage. The exception to this is the actual light generated from the beam cutting which can be very bright and you should not look at. I have seen glasses also used (polycarbonate) as an extra level of safety which is never a bad idea.
Russ at RDLearning Lab had a whole video on that very subject. Clear glass and acrylic will absorb all of the energy (think energy instead of visible light). Unless you see a hole burning through that window you are perfectly safe.
@@BeefIngot I looked to see if I could find a link for that video but he has over 240 videos so it is hard to find the right one. If you are really interested in CO2 lasers these are the videos to watch. I watch just about all of them and I don't even have a CO2 laser yet. (Supposed to be one on the way though)
@@krisknowlton5935 So I went looking for the video, and think its part of a playlist called RDWorks Learning Lab not a channel. The channel I found hosting the videos was called SarbarMultimedia and the presenter did say their name was Russ. I have yet to find this particular video however.
If you are not using it for business and it is a hobby thing then the K40 may be plenty. Also, starting with a K40 and working your way up to a bigger laser is always an option. :)
Never been a fan of the glow forge. Nuf said. I have worked with co2 lasers for over 20 years. I make items that include both 3d parts and laser cut parts all the time. If you can afford it, as laser it as great addition for any maker.
If you are looking for a laser for business it is very competitive compared to similar units 👍. If you want a low cost machine and are good with modding a k40 may make more sense for you.
Get $100 off the discounted Christmas sale with code "Gonos100"
Get $200 off the Gweike Cloud with code "Gonos200"
bit.ly/3WlYJEB (Aff)
Congrats On 100k!!!🎉
Thank you!!
I just took delivery of a Gweike Storm 600 a few days ago. My one has an extension steel box taking a 65 watt CO2 tube with space to spare. No user instructions for the hardware, came with "CNCLaser" software which is pretty rudimentary. The lack of instructions was a problem, I ended up discovering that the lid sensor reed was too far away from the lid, preventing laser operation.
After a couple of days I bought the lightburn DSP licence, So much better! Just the better offset and path repeat functions alone are so much better. The honeycomb comes with a bed of knives and C extrusions on it's edges which I have now removed as the aluminium extrusions spoil the 600x400mm working area. Next, I designed up fat L shaped markers to sit in the corners and screw up into the rail, then I did a full perimeter cut to cut the perimeter corner markers through my brackets. That makes placing my material bug-free, it's so much better after those two small mods and DSP Lightburn license. The cuts are much faster than my blue OLM10watt laser but the beam is also fatter and diverges a lot faster from the CO2 laser. I suspect it's poor lens technology. There is a guy on youtube who does amazing lens research, I'll have to look him up again. The Storm 600 is basically a full industrial laser, it's just small for an industrial one. I'm loving it, it's doing everything I want of it so far, I can cut 6m acrylic and 6mm ply with it and with some lens upgrades, likely thicker. If you want better manuals, best to look at the DSB circuitboard's label and then find the manufacturer's manual. Ruida has manuals in English and they are worth reading.
Something to keep in mind: If you're moving the nozzle height, then your camera will be out of calibration. I bought a camera from lightburn for my cheap diode setup and ran into the same issues. That's why most lasers have a lowering bed instead. 👍
Great review. Very thorough. What I like about you is that you are not afraid to tell it like its is. If there is a problem with a machine, something you don't like about it, or improvements that could e made to it - you are not afraid to say so. Despite the issues you had with this machine, it does seem like a good machine. However, that is still a bit pricey for me.
I bought on OMTech K40 and spent a $250 - $300 on modifications, and it is now a beast. I also have a Laser Master 2 Diode Laser, which I have done some modifications to - including a more powerful Laser Head. This machine is also a beast now.
Between the two machines, I have around $1200 invested, and they are more than adequate to handle all that I do with my online wood craft business.
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOO 100K!!!
Ive been here since 35k if I remember correctly, keep the great content comming, congratz!
Thank you brotha!!!
100k!! Congrats man
Thank you!!
I’ve got a 10W diode laser. Just dipping my toe into lasers at this point. I bought the Creality CR Falcon for a steep discount. I have been running it in the garage due to the open frame design. I’d like to upgrade with an enclosure, exhaust and air assist at some point but I think by then I may just be ready to step up to a larger CO2 laser instead. Having fun with it for now. Making crafts, school projects for the kids and Christmas presents with it.
10w lasers are pretty impressive and the air assist does make a pretty big difference. I wish more came with an enclosure though.
congrats to 100k subs
Woohoo! Thank you 🙃🥳
My wife and I finally got the xTool D1 Pro 20W diode laser setup and ran some test cuts tonight. I still need to get the air assist setup to clean up the scorching some but the initial test cuts were pretty awesome.
The most I have used is a 10 with air assist and I was super impressed. 20W for a doide sounds insane haha. So much power! I believe they have a 1064 module for it as well which is pretty cool for marking on metals.
Great video! I have been saying it for years, that Glowforge is over priced. This product really proves the point. I am not a fan of a fully enclosed laser, now being open just to use the rotary. I made the same comment with the xTool M1. I might have a laser or two 😉
They I agree. I think a big part of it for them has been their marketing and that as far as I know they were the first to take a big laser and make it into a smaller compact package. Other companies are seeing the demand and catching up.
100k, yay!
Woohoo!
Way nicer than my cheap K40!
Haha yeah, definitely a bit of an upgrade. I do still love my K40 though. I spent alot of time upgrading it.
@@ModBotArmy I ripped out original control board and replaced with Arduino Uno and GRBL shield. No more dongle!
I have a cheap diode laser, but I just dont use it very often. Actually have watched a video or two for Lightburn that I am fairly sure you done the voice on.
Diode lasers are getting pretty dang powerful. It has been nuts to see. That is me 😊🔥. Has been really fun learning about lasers.
Great video! I recently heard about this machine, this is a fantastic walkthrough of it, and it looks like you are getting pretty good results. I am a big fan of laser cutters and I have been using a Glowforge laser since 2018. It has been pretty much flawless (after the first one, which was DOA). While there is the annoying web connectivity, I really like the simplicity of it and they continue to add innovative features and improvements to both the firmware of the laser, as well as the Glowforge UI app. I don't pay for any of the features but you can do design in it. Anyway, I'm really glad there is a competitor to Glowforge. This machine seems to be every bit as good in terms of hardware, and in some cases better like the rotary tool which Glowforge doesn't have. From what I can tell the air assist fan also seems better. I am not familiar with Lightburn, but it does look nice and I know most of the Chinese lasers use it.
One major concern I have on this laser, and maybe you have more info, is warrant/support. What happens when the CO2 tube needs replaced or if you run into a hardware issue? With a Glowforge you have to ship the machine back for the CO2 tube, as it isn't serviceable. They ship you back a refurbished machine and last time I checked it was around $500, but might be more now. In some cases (bad fan, belt issue, mirror, lens replacement, etc.) you can buy those parts and swap them yourself- I have swapped out most of my parts in the 4+ years owning mine. The tube is really my biggest concern... I haven't had to replace mine yet fortunately. I believe believe both the Glowforge and GeikeCloud are rated at 10,000 hours. Anyway, I'd hate to have to ship this back to China- so not sure what the process is- as I looked at the website it seems unclear as to what the process is and how difficult it would be to change yourself. It would be great to learn more about warranty and support. Anyone paying $3K+ for a machine is probably going to be using it for some kind of commercial purpose, and support/responsiveness is something to consider. On the plus side you could probably buy 2 of these for the price of one Glowforge and have some spares. :)
I have chatted with a handful of Glowforge customers over the years that are really happy with it. I really wish that they didnt require web connectivity but that has been their setup since the beginning. What I will be curious to see over the next few years is if they end up cutting costs at all due to the competition. They may not need to but I am still wondering how units like these will impact them. On the Glowforge can the software turn the air assist on or off or is it always on? Also, the air assist is inside of the laser instead of in a side box right?
That is a valid concern. From what I have seen over the past 3 months is that support is really active. I have been lurking in the official Facebook group where there are some active reps helping users with issues and if I am not mistaken in some cases swapping machines. They have a video showing how to replace the controller so there is some user serviceability. I do not see anything about the tube but I am wondering if that is due to how new they are that if there was a need to replace they are swapping.
I went on a deep dive right now and saw someone that it working with support to diagnose an issue. They had the machine opened and the tube looks fairly standard and like you would be able to replace it. Doesnt seem to be something they sell publicly so may be a tech support first thing. Tube and power supply would likely be the things I would want on hand as spares if possible.
@@ModBotArmy Thanks for the reply! I just joined the Facebook group as well. I am definitely going to keep my eye on this machine. It seems like it could be more repairable based on what I am reading which is definitely a good thing. Would love to hear how it works out for you in the long term.
Any chance of a FLUX Beamo review? I'm very happy with mine. Only 30W but bigger (optional) filtration system that catches all the smoke for me, and it will ramp up/slow down the filtration fan as well as the built in fan before/after each run.
Definitely getting a laser soon , probably a 20w diode
The strongest I have used is a 10w with air assist and even that was really impressive.
heeeeyyy i was just wondering if you would choose a omtech 50w co2 laser over a gweike cloud (or omtech polar (they are the same)
I wonder how this would stack up for personal use against the epilog m2 fusion 50w that I'm currently using in trade school
P.S. The company Gweike, has been around for a while. I have worked on their full table lasers, and from what I understand The English pronunciation of their company sounds like this (GEE - WIKI). Like Geeetech. FIY
how does engraving acrylic turn it white like that? is something added after or does the process turn it opaque?
I'm interested in a laser that can cut carbon fiber sheets. Is that such a thing?
Gweike has Fiber laser tho, this one is for regular materials like wood, acrylic, paper, glass etc.
Interested in laszer
Do you think you’ll ever revisit diy cnc like the printnc or others?
It isn’t in the current plans but never say never. Those projects are awesome and I would love to dive into them at some point. 😊
What's the non-profit information?
Here is the link www.zofiasdream.org/
I'd love to know how effective that top panel is at actually protecting eyes, like if it's actually properly absorb antto the wavelength of the laser used
It is my understanding that acrylic or glass is commonly used for a CO2 laser enclosure due to the light being on the spectrum of light that is invisible. It has been sometime when I dug into it but from what I recall the laser would have to reflect and burn through the glass or acrylic and then hit your eye to cause damage. The exception to this is the actual light generated from the beam cutting which can be very bright and you should not look at. I have seen glasses also used (polycarbonate) as an extra level of safety which is never a bad idea.
Russ at RDLearning Lab had a whole video on that very subject. Clear glass and acrylic will absorb all of the energy (think energy instead of visible light). Unless you see a hole burning through that window you are perfectly safe.
@@krisknowlton5935 Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to check it out
@@BeefIngot I looked to see if I could find a link for that video but he has over 240 videos so it is hard to find the right one. If you are really interested in CO2 lasers these are the videos to watch. I watch just about all of them and I don't even have a CO2 laser yet. (Supposed to be one on the way though)
@@krisknowlton5935 So I went looking for the video, and think its part of a playlist called RDWorks Learning Lab not a channel. The channel I found hosting the videos was called
SarbarMultimedia and the presenter did say their name was Russ. I have yet to find this particular video however.
Sorry bro the reason why I subscribe to your channel was for the k40
They're simply no way I can afford $3,000.
If you are not using it for business and it is a hobby thing then the K40 may be plenty. Also, starting with a K40 and working your way up to a bigger laser is always an option. :)
Yup - 100 K
Never been a fan of the glow forge. Nuf said. I have worked with co2 lasers for over 20 years. I make items that include both 3d parts and laser cut parts all the time. If you can afford it, as laser it as great addition for any maker.
$3 K ........... OOF. I think I $hitted a brick.
One massive run-on sentence. The content is great but I have a lot of anxiety during and after. I really have to unsub mate.
If it is not for you there are lots of other great creators out there :) Cheers!
So useless expensive
If you are looking for a laser for business it is very competitive compared to similar units 👍. If you want a low cost machine and are good with modding a k40 may make more sense for you.
Hey my man dopesoner930
That is a throwback :)