Hi Ainsley, You are really good at this, so easy to make an informed choice . I hope potential advertises get behind you as you will be an asset to their marketing . Congratulations and very well done.
So because of your videos I just ordered a Sculpfun S30 Ultra 22 laser. Also got the tumbler and Hex platform. Thanks for inspiring me. Never bought a laser before, first time user but hope it goes well.
Where I am at the prices are almost identical with one difference, to expand the sculpfun you have to buy a separate kit that adds to the price and makes it almost double the price and that does not include the extra rotary tool accessories.
I'm an absolute newbie that bought the Sculpfun 900x900. It's phenomenal. I, too, am a woodworker (my post retirement gig) and this will simply be an extension to my woodworking - definitely a secondary avenue. Thanks for the confirmation on my purchase. 😁 Lightburn learning curve is still a bit too steep for me but I'm muddling through and have knocked out a couple of projects already with the first being my 28" lazy susan, ergo the extension kit. Cheers from Georgia. (No, not the Caucasus country. 😆)
This is as thorough of a review as I could ask for. Excellent video and thank you for your help. I was actually trying to choose between the two before i found your content.
Great video Ainslee. Loved the bit with two of you. I’ve done that in the past too and it is a lot of fun. It always makes you laugh and smile whenever you watch it back. What are you going to do with two lasers now?
@@DownUnderWoodWorks oh sorry. Now I know when the next one comes along I will let you know. I’m sure there will be more in the future. They are so much fun 😀
Great presentation, I have been researching laser cutters for over a year now. I hadn't even considered Sculphin as a contender but your video has put it in the top 5 for me. My main interest is to laser cutting 3mm baltic birch parts. Thanks
this is probably the best video I've found whilst trying to figure out as a newbie, what laser would be best for me! I can't believe I haven't found your channel before! There isn't enough aussie content for this kind of thing around!! I'm about to trawl through your other videos now lol
I have an xtoolD1 (not pro). Works very good for what I do, maybe will consider the sculpfun on expansion. My xtool D1 (not pro) has a light to show that it's on tho...a green light up at the control panel.
got the sculpfun s30 pro 10 watt with the 900x900 extension kit. Just got my first perfect burns done Yesterday. I LOVE this thing, I am majorly impressed at the level of precision. Really looking forward to my first CO2 laser, but gotta learn this and build good safety practices while I have a laser that won't blind me immediately in most cases if I am being dumb.
Great job sister, you're the real deal! Love your style of construction techniques and creativity. I was leaning towards CNC router/carving but think laser might be a better "in" to a side business. Thanks!
Thank you. Glad I could help. I think either way would make a great side business. As a side thought you can purchase CNC's and add a laser attachment to it.
@@SmallFryCreations thank you so much! i am still watching your other videos where you are covering the s9. checking that out it is so much cheaper than s30. and then there is also the s10 which is as expensive as s30. do you think s9 will be enough for starting a business? planning to engrave on wooden plates etc
The S9 will get you up and running. If your doing any sort of cutting you want to add air assist as it will allow you to increase your speed and give you much cleaner cuts. You can get regular air assist for the S9. You will just have to do the engrave layers (no air assist) and then bring the machine home and turn the air assist back on and then send it back out. The advantage of the S30 is you can go a 20watt laser which will increase your cutting speed by a tonne. All depends on what you planning on making 😀
Very cool video and surprising result Ains! No laser plans on the horizon for me yet, but you know it will happen one day. (They might be 40W by then :P)
Hello from the UK...... Ainsley, what a brilliant series of videos on Laser Printing. The is only one tiny little bit of information missing for the first time user, in that the engraving part should always be done before you start the cutting. This is not always evident to first time users as we tend to draw the test and images first, then add the border to cut around. The cut should be the last instruction, saves the Item from accidently moving about whilst engraving. Hope this makes sense. Regd's Al 06 Dec 2023
Hello Thank you. I agree with 100%. I just did a video about beginning in lightburn and I address this extract issue as I agree its not always something you think of or know you should do :) Good to have it here in the comments as well so hopefully poeple can read and learn :)
Thank you. It was one of my biggest and hardest to edit together and try and put as much information as I could without going on for hours :) Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for stopping by
Good comparison video! How is the lens life for both machines? It drives me nuts that no one is talking about the fact that the lenses only last about a month or 2 for the sculpfuns. I bought the s30 pro, and any replacement lenses are atleast a month out, which is a huge deal if your new to lasering, or trying to make a business of it
I haven't had any issues with the lens personally. I'm very particular about cleaning the lens after any sort of long term use or if I'm done for the day. Not sure if that helps. I used the Sculpfun for at least 10 more hours then the Xtool through testing as I was doing client work on it in between video testing and haven't come across any issue. I have also used other Sculpfun lasers in the past and not had an issue. Can understand your frastrustion however if that is occuring for you.
@@SmallFryCreations let me know how the lens is holding up after a couple of months. You will be shocked to learn they have a very short life span no matter how clean you keep everything
@@adaptivediyers i feel my atomstack lost 50% power after 2 months, using air assist and cleaning lens, i was able to cut with 400/85/1, now i need 200/100/1, i already tested without the protective lens and still same thing, do you think what my problem is lens or my module is with problem?
As with others I'm curious to see if the x-tools exclent rotary tool will work with the sculpfun, I'm hopuing to get the sculpfun with the larger extension kit but that x-tool rotary add on is from what I have seen significantly better than the competition, the only disadvantage with the large bed size of the sculpfun is finding a suitably sized honeycomb bed
My understanding is the Xtool rotary works with the Sculpfun. I haven't tested it myself and when I build the enclosure and get the laser it in its home I'm going to test as I'm keen to know myself and I know others are as well. I hear you with the honeycomb bed. I'm planning on keeping the Sculpfun at the extended size with the Xtool rotary and am now on the hunt for a solution for the honeycomb :)
Great presentation, love the Aussie style. I notice you didn't mention about the levelling? The xTool has the metal stick on the side of the laser, what about the SCULPFUN S30 Pro Max 20W Laser? Also the wifi?
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the video. The Sculpfun has a metal cyclinder which you use to measure the laser from the material. I didn't test the wifi with the Xtool as you can only use it with their creative space and I was using Lightburn as the software.
Great Video. I was hoping you would do one on the S30 Pro Max as I am looking at getting the laser and was interested in some feedback on it. I have watched your other videos on the other models. Also interested in extending the size. Wasn't sure of the accessories etc to get so now I have the links once I have saved some more dollars, as I have just got the sawstop contractor saw and in the process of putting that together. Look forward to the next video of you building the enclosure for it. Are you going to keep the Sculpfun S30 Pro Max at the extended size.
That’s awesome. Glad I could help. Yep I’m going to keep the Sculpfun at its larger size and will start the build very soon. It will also double as an out feed table for the table saw so it will pull double duty 😀
Surely you can use the RA2 rotary from X-tool for use on the Sculpfun can't you? No need to stick with Sculpfun's I have an Ortur roller for my older X9.
OK. It looks like I'll be getting a laser machine. My biggest concern was in how tiny/small these lasers can print. Then the ability to use it to cut materials. Myself, I wont be using much wood. I'll be mostly using soft metals, stones and glass. I think these Lasers are game changers.
They are so much fun!!! They can do tiny detail and blow me away everything I use it. They work fantastic on things like stones, slate and soft metals. It will laser glass as well you just have to coat the glass it black paint and then it will burn the black paint into the glass 😀 thanks for stopping by
@@SmallFryCreations Hi again Ainsley. You mentioned using Black Paint on the Glass before you Laser it, but what about other Colours like: Red, Green, Blue or Lighter Colours like: Yellow, White etc, etc.......
@@alanorr1119 OO I have not tried them but you certainly could. I think most people use Black because the laser can easily see it and regardless of colour I assume it would all laser black
Thanks for the video. You mentioned the Xtool rotary attachment is compatible with other branded lasers. Is it also compatible with the Sculpfun that you tested in this review?
My understanding is yes it is however in my testing after the video I couldn't get it to work. I believe it has to do with setup of steps in the motor in the laser software but I was unsuccessful in getting it to work. My current recommendation is stick to the laser branded rotary
First off, thanks a lot for the video. It was great video. As a newbie on diode lasers I'm just finding my way, and I learned a lot here. Just a quick question related to the acrylics. What thickness are you using since you use same speed/power settings but different quantity of passes? Many thanks in advance ;-)
Thank you. Glad it was helpful. I mainly use 3mm material but the laser can comfortable cut thicker. I would say it would be fine cutting up to 9mm. It would just be a matter of playing with the Power and speed settings to find the right combo :)
Liked your great testing. I was looking at the xtool because the the infrared laser accessory. Just not sure how much I’d use it to warrant the big jump in cost. I also saw another RU-vid test that said the xtool frame was more solid and created less “wave” in the lines, you didn’t mention that in your testing. Also curious if you can attach it to the wood frame so you can pick the whole thing up and store it without stressing the frame.
Hey Scott Thank you. The Sculpfun frame is extremely soild. I pick it up and move it all the time without it being attached to anything and there is no movement in the frame at all. The Xtool is also soild but there is no issue with the Sculpfun. I hear you with the Infared head and how much you would use it vs the cost savings. In terms of attaching the frame to a piece of plywood of similar. You can very easily do it with the sculpdun and its has holes in the legs for bolts to go through if you wanted to do that. Xtool doesn't have holes for mounting so you would have to get creative about how to hold it down. Hope this helps :)
If youre going to engrave precious metals xtools infra red does it. Not even co2 can engrave silver and gold , i thought i wouldnt use it but when its there its a game changer.
When testing out these style engravers. With the x axis and y axis, cut out some circles to see if they are perfectly round. I’m still having issues with my xTool. It may be that my area is very cold at times. I will hit the like button and subscribe. I’m curious as to how did you adjust your x and y axis belts?
Off camera I ran a test with a rectangle to ensure they were correct. To adjust the belts I just ensured they were pulled tight to where there was no play in the gantry
2 questions… 1) @15:15, is it not possible to move the limit switches to maximise useable area? 2) @ 7:35, you use superglue with the spray activator. I see this in a lot of US RU-vids. Where do you buy it in Oz?
I don’t believe you can move the limit switches as they then won’t engage with the side pieces that need to hit them. The superglue and activator is from hammeroo Queensland base company
Enjoyed the video very much. Ordered a sculpfun s30 pro last week. Never engraved before. In your comparison whst was the thickness of the wood you used?
I don't have any recommendations about a DIY verison. There are other brands of lasers that are cheaper so my suggestion would be if your keen to get started to find a laser that is in your budget.
Rotary attachments don't come with every laser purchase. They sold separately and both machines have them. Xtool comes way more expensive..at least in Europe.
hi uk here , Thank you ,have now decided on the scuplfan s30 and i am planing on getting the honeycomb mat and rotary attachment altogether money saved been oming are arrin g whats the best for a nood like myself . just trying to find out if the xtool attachment is compatible with the sculpfan , i have read the online manual but that just same 2 cables 1is for other models so no help there , so if anyone knows that would be fantastic ...thanks
Yahoo!! Great choice and lots of fun. My understanding is the Xtool rotary will work with the Sculpfun. I haven’t been able to test yet to confirm myself but from what I see on the Facebook group I believe it does 😀
I have a question after seeing this i bought sculpfun s30 pro max, with 905mmx935mm expansion. Is there a honeycomb or enclosure that fits it? Im also handy enough to make one if not, though idk what to get to protect against laser light, like a film or special glass. Also with air assist is honeycomb still needed? I couldnt find any size of the expansion kit. Thanks for any help.
Hey so there isn't an enclosure at this stage that Sculpfun sells to fit the large format. I have just finshed building an enclosure myself and working on the edit as we speak. The honeycomb is still needed with Air assist as it allows the air gap under the material so there is less burning on the underside. Sculpfun have just released larger format honeycombs which would be worth checking out. I just recieved a 800mm by 800mm honeycomb in the mail from Sculpfun which I will unbox this week and check out. Hope this helps :)
@@SmallFryCreations oh i love to see it cause i would be doing same thing. For protection of laser light, what do you recommend on any of the glass panels for like if i check on laser and cat runs in room, dont want light emissions to harm those. Im new to lasers and such, this is my first step into hobby. And ill have to check out that honeycomb
I haven't cut fabric sorry. The major concern I would have is the fabric catching on fire. My recommendation would be to join the Facebook group for the laser you have and ask in the group if anyone else has done it. They will be able to share experinces and settings if they have been able to do it that may help :)
Yes it will. However it will comes down to trial and error because you may fine it is quicker to up the speed and do 2 pass or 3 passes vs having the laser run very slow but do it in one pass. The one pass may cause more burn makes pending the material. Hope this helps
I couldn't get it to work in my testing. Sculpfun have just released a rotary tool so my recommendation would be go with that if you have a Sculpfun machine
Looking to buy a laser would you recommend the sculpfun laser for a beginner? There are just so many out there and I want one to do all the things the sculpfun can do but I’m torn between the xtool and the sculpfun ! Help !! 😅
I would recommend Sculpfun for all levels. The trick to every laser is the leanring the software to run them. Sculpfun is a straight forward machine and very easy to use out of the box. The costuction will help you learn them machine which is always helpful
How do I know what speed, power and passes I need to set the system at with all my materials? Do not have a machine yet, just working out the best brand etc. my biggest fear with purchasing one is not being able to work out the program and what I asked above, have got no clue if it’s easy to work out or not.
Hey Amelia, I promise you will be able to work it out and there is a whole community willing and able to help and support. In terms of settings honestly the anwser is you need to test each material out to see what settings work for your machine. The materials acts differently in different climates which may change settings here and there. I have a video on my channel called Beginner laser engraving where I get set up and get the machine working in one day. This is a good example of nothing going in and by the end of the day getting it work. Hope that helps
Hello, I heard you say you can't laser on to metals on the sculpfun. Why is that? I've seen several videos of people using it on metal. What were you referring to? Is it not able to engrave on tumblers, flasks and knives as such?
Hey So it will laser on metal if it has a coating on it beause then the laser removes the coating revealing the metal under the coating. For example a coloured tumbler will work as it just lasers off the colour coating. What it can't do is laser directly on the metal as it won't do anything. It needs to have some sort of coating on it to start with. If you were lasering something that is silver metal you would need to coat it with something first like black metal spray paint and the laser will then bake the paint into the metal. Hope this helps
@Small Fry Creations yes, I understand. Perhaps you do a video testing this out? With and without the coating? The video I saw was on I believe stainless steel no coating. It also lasered in different colors. On Amazon one of the pictures for the product shows different colors are achieved on stainless steel as well
It will cut black easy. I haven’t tried other colours. From what I see and read it will only cut the dark colours. I would recommend the S30 only over the others as it’s the latest and includes the auto air assist which is awesome
@@SmallFryCreations bugger. I'll just have to do your trick and paint the wood for now. Do you know why it won't cut light acrylic? Is it the pigment? And when you say dark colours do you mean only blues, blacks and dark green or would it cut regular "strong" colours? Thanks so much.
@@taz2209 with acrylic the more transparent the acrylic the harder it is for a diode laser to cut, you can play a few tricks to etch clear acrylic but not cut it, this is down to laser wavelength, if you want to be able to cut clear acrylic you need a co2 laser
I'm curious, why can't you just run you air assist non-stop? I do this on my CO2 laser, whether running an engrave (fill) or cut, and it never hurts. Admittedly, I'd love to have a low and high air setting, but I never cut or engrave without air assist.
After much consideration. I think I'll start out with the xtool laser. Reason? I'm in an apartment and I'm limited on space, plus I'll need a cover to controle the smoke and noise. Then there's the price. I'm so itching or a laser engraver. I may as well get the attachment to do circular objects. Maybe I can get a better deal.
Yep would be great. The only thing to note on the bowls is if your lasering the inside you will only be able to do the bottom and the area the laser head doesn’t hit. Hope that makes sense
I bought an S30 Pro Max. It was defective and failed when trying to do a simple material test pattern in Lightburn on the first use. It caused a fire. I contacted Sculpfun and despite providing information and video to them, they are not communicating clearly, helping me, or acknowledging the failure of their product. I might be in a small percentage of experiences, but I would recommend doing more research and being careful when purchasing their products.
Good morning, I encounter a problem of significant jerks on a Sculpfun S30 Max laser where the motors slow down for a very short time and which moves the pattern by a few mm with each pass!!! The tension of the belts is good, the eccentric screws well adjusted, Lightburn is up to date, I have no broken notches on the motor pulleys, no loose screws...I checked the electrical contactors...Where can that be? he come ???? This happens no matter where, from the bottom to the top of the engraving space. Here is a link with a small video where I disconnected the laser for well between the jerks. Thank you very much in advance for your help! drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-PtawmwWWGLJa8QfL8--2QZUdOs20mQa
My understanding is you can however in my short amount of testing I couldn’t get it to work. The are people in the Facebook group that have been able to get the Xtool to work with the Sculpfun but I haven’t had success.
I was sold on the xtool D1 Pro but after watching your video I am going with the Sculpfun. Was interested if the xTool RA2 Pro rotary attachment will work with the S30? It looks to be superior to the S30 one and we will be doing quite a bit of tumblers. Thanks for the great review.
Wow what a brilliant review. This has helped me no end in making my decision, the Sculpfun only came into my research a few days back but it is now clearly my 1st choice based on what I have seen and listening to your video. For once I watched a video that I didn't want to fast forward on parts instead your efforts and presentation had me glued to the video listening to every word intently so thank you. You have a new 'pommy' subscriber from London. Thank you so much
Great Job Small Fry, your description and examples of these machines work is fantastic, and I might add some very nice video editing as well. keep up the good work. Love It !!!!
I'm doing my research. To give background. I have a sawmill. The fletchings cut in the first pass generally have nice grain and always live edge. Sanded and oiled the look good. Engraved they would look better. I have a lathe I want to engrave bowls. Everything I make gets a logo. Making logo buttons or engraving it on the project itself is a plus. Thank you for the video
I think this has to be the most conclusive review caparison bar none......it made me champ feverishly at the bit ......I don't need one, I just want one, don't know why as I'm an engineer not a wood worker etc. but who knows, maybe a new direction and at 84 I need another iron in the fire........the awesome ability of the Skulpfun to go big is a game changer.......I'm thinking of metre square lacy panels for a complete wall decoration instead of wall paper.
I’ve just bought the xTool 20 watt. I’m brand new to laser printing so am trying to pick up as many tips and tricks that I can. You mentioned that you switch your air assist off when engraving and on when you’re cutting. I have just been using the air assist all the time, thinking it will make for a cleaner engrave or cut. With your experience, what do you advise. Great review video
Thats awsome. I find when the air assist it on for engraves it smudges the engrave as it pushes the charred material around and then burns it in. The air assists job is the clear the charred material away so the laser always has clear vision and therefore will be able to cut through quicker. However I say you do what works. If its working with air assist on there no drama. Hope that helps and happy lasering :)
Robin same as you, i have the 20w with air assist, i use lightburn and just leave the air assist on if im switching between engrave and cut, for me it makes no difference what so ever.
I also have the Xtool D1 Pro 20w, and I agree with you about leaving the air assist on at all times. While it does push the smoke to the edge of the engraving, a little sanding is a small price to pay. Plus, it helps save the longevity of your lens cover by preventing smoke buildup on it.
Hello! I am getting ready to assemble my expansion kit on my s30 pro max, and i am going to build an enclosure for it first. In you opinion, what size should i make the enclosure? My educated guess is 40"x40", but i could be wrong. Please let me know if you can get some measurements for me! :-) Thanks in advance!
Hey thats awesome. I have just build an enclosure for the extract machine. Its on the channel and worth checking out if your planning on building one. I think you would want to be little bigger. Mine is 1200mm by 1200mm which I think it more like 47 inches on the outside and the laser just fits in. hope this helps :)
Thanks for your reviews... it took me ages to choose... a lot of different brands... I'd already bought the Sculpfun S30 Pro before I saw your reviews... Haven't assembled it yet as I have a bunch of other commitments including an election to run for our local candidate... but as soon as things ease... whammo! .... Ex South Aussie now living in Norfolk UK.
I have the xTool D1, 10 Watt upgraded to 20 Watt module, have extensions, and enclosure (plus extensions), rotary + risers, honey comb and air assist and have my air assist hose zip tied to the laser power chord and gantry and had no issue and looks tidy. I like the the xTool construction of the frame that it guarantees to stay square, where as others I have heard that sometimes if you knock it, it can go out of squareness and cause issus, especially the bigger or longer reach of the frame you go... xTool when you tighten those bolts it self squares. One thing of note is (and I can't comment on the Sculpfun) is the laser beam size ie; the smaller or finer the beam the finer detail can be achieved but will take longer to engrave, or if you go quicker the detail doesn't look as good.
Both are great lasers and you can't go wrong. I haven't ever had an issue with the Sculpfun going out of square but something to note for sure and think about. Great information and feedback
😀 Thank you. So wonderful to hear you enjoyed the video. There will be more laser content in the future for sure :) About to start building the enclosure :)
Just got my S30 10 watt before I saw your video. First testa have been great and yes easy to set up. Now I just got to learn how to create files from a picture. Thanks
Love the deep analysis and explanation, please review the upcoming new laser engravers that are around the 40-48 watt mark ( KIer, Laser Pecker 4, etc...Great video.
Hi, love your show 🤗 and you have sold me on sculpfun been dieing to buy a laser for awhile now unfortunately l have not a big budget and aliexpress is selling the sculpfun s30 ultra 11w for £331. First think ive yet to hear anything about the 11w and second has anyone bought a laser from aliexpress,??? Do you think l should go for it?? Would love to hear your thoughts on it 🤔 thank you, vinny.
Thank you for stopping by. I haven't personally brought from Aliexpress so hard to say if it is ok. I would recommend joinging the Sculpfun Facebook group and you would be able to ask the same question in there and others may be able to assist. Hope this helps :)
My understanding is it does. I have been able to test as of yet so I didn’t want to say it did without confirming but I believe it does what from others say online
This is what I have been told however in my testing I couldn't get it to work. I believe you have to adjust steps in motors and a couple of other settings but it wasn't straight forward. I have heard of people since trying other brands and on other lasers and motherboards have blowen up so I would recommend sticking within whichever brand your laser is with. Hope this helps.
Hi small fry, love seeing ur vids. I have been looking to get a laser for awhile. 1 thing I want to know is how good of a job will these lasers do on burning/engraving materials like of Australian red gum, yellow box? Coming from Australia as well u will know the timber I’m referring to. I make slab tables n dressers, I want ad abit more to them with logos n patterns , I only want to burn/engrave not cut. Do u or anyone else know will these type of lasers work n what one would be best?
Hey Keith Thanks for stopping by and lovely to hear you enjoy the videos. The laser works great on the aussie hardware. There is a cutting board video on my channel from not that long ago where I engrave an image onto hardwood and it turned out great. I don't think it would have an issues :)
