Bought a 5k laser cutter for my studio and it cost me double that in headaches

I picked up a used 80 watt CO2 laser cutter for my small shop about 6 months ago for $5,000. The seller said it worked fine but I spent another $4,000 on replacement tubes, wiring fixes, and a cooling pump before I got it running right. It prints decent now but I could have just outsourced my acrylic work for way less money. Has anyone else had a big equipment purchase turn into a money pit like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_harris682d ago

yeah that's the thing nobody tells you about used laser cutters. you're basically buying somebody else's headache and paying for the privilege. i learned that the hard way with a cnc router a few years back. $3500 machine ended up costing me another $1500 in replacement parts and a whole lot of my time just to get it cutting straight. at that point you're better off just paying a service to do the work for you unless you really love troubleshooting. sounds like you got hosed but at least you got it running.

wadepalmer2d ago

Sounds like we've all been there, @sam_harris68. That's just how it goes with used gear a lot of the time. You're paying for someone else's learning curve and hoping it doesn't become yours. There's a bigger pattern here too, I've noticed it in everything from used cars to old lawnmowers. People sell stuff just when it starts acting up, then the next guy has to figure out all the quirks. At least you got your machine running, that's more than most people can say after dropping that kind of cash on a mystery box.