Wood engraving machines are now well-established in the wood industry. Laser engravers for wood are available with different engraving heads, laser beam outputs and other features. Today, laser engraving is becoming a popular choice with woodworkers because of its accuracy and speed. They are used to print images on wooden items like trophies, picture frames, plaques, jewelry boxes and other things.
It can be confusing to know which wood laser cutting machine is the best one. But we have found some great ones for you. They are perfect for any budget, material, or use case.
Here you’ll discover all of the information you’ll need to make an educated decision for yourself and your business.
Wood laser engraving machines are great to use when you want to customize your wood project. Before you start looking for a laser engraver for wood, make sure you know what to look for. That’s why we put this guide together with some key tips, questions to consider and a few specific recommendations on some of the machines we’ve tested and discussed with other wood hobbyists and professionals.
Buying guide: What you need to consider
What are you planning on engraving? Defining what you will use the wood engraving machines for beforehand can help you find the best one(s) for your needs.
If you are looking to engrave wood, there are a few things you need to consider.
1. Price – which is a given, really
Price is always a factor when it comes to any type of purchase. The good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on a quality laser engraver for wood.
From cheap laser engraver for wood under $500 to high-end laser cutters costing nearly $12,000, we’ll look at the many options available. This means you can find something that will work for your budget.
But, if you have a larger budget, you can find much more advanced machines and come with more features. The commercial options are typically provided by local stores and distributors that provide expert engineers for advice to match the machine to your specific business needs.
If this is you, we strongly advise contacting your local distributor for an in depth discussion. Their engineers are often specially trained, qualified and experienced on the machines they sell. This makes them incredibly valuable to business owners ongoing when the inevitable problems arise in heavy business use environments and workshops.
They may even provide onsite engineer support to fix the machines and get you up and going making money with your customers sooner. Consider this need carefully before pressing the buy it now button.
2. Software and Hardware Compatibility
It’s essential to make sure your laser engraver comes with compatible software and is easy to use.
Basically, a wood etching machine comes with two different laser engraving software. The first one ensures compatibility with your laser cutter and engraver, while another one provides support to your usual software. This means that you can use both tools for different tasks without worrying about a mishap between them!
You can use CAD or Adobe properties to make a laser cutting project. Both of which are available “in the cloud” online in standard web browsers. Although for more detailed design work, you’ll be using a dedicated PC or Mac Workstation. Ligthburn (Paid) and LaserGRBL (free) are some of the widely used, and well regarded software in the world for laser engraving design. Both have large design libraries to choose from and wide compatibility across most computer platforms. Note that on Mac, Lightburn is your only option. Both Ligthburn and LaserGRBL are great choices and fairly easy to get the hang of.
Some devices have apps for iOS/iPad/iPhone, others for Windows and others for Android. It is worth considering which devices you own now and plan to do your design work on.
After that, simply import the project into your laser system and start engraving!
Typically, using the included laser engraver software is cheaper, but it might limit what you can do because of the fonts and designs. A bit of a learning curve is to be expected here and you will get frustrated with some of the software limitations and user interface design. We certainly have over time. Our experience is that you will naturally gravitate to one platform or another depending on your own preference, time spent “doing” laser engraving projects and the type of projects you do often. e.g. Light engraving versus detailed deep wood laser cutting and design work.
3. Size
The size of the laser wood engraver machine is also something you have to look at. Because it’s crucial to evaluate how much space you have and what size fits your needs before you purchase the device.
While all of the machines we have looked at are easy to use and operate, they come in various shapes and sizes.
The size of laser engraving machines is not always easy to tell from pictures. Please make sure you read specifications about the product before buying it and consider where you will be using it. It will be awkward if you get your package and discover it won’t fit through your front door.
4. Material Options
Many of these products are compatible with various materials, but depending on what you want to engrave or cut with your wood engraving machines. There may be certain features that are more important to you.
For example, if you want to cut leather and plastic only, you need a machine that says it can do that. On the other hand, laser engravers for wood should be compatible with a wide range of materials, including more complex surfaces like metal.
You need to know what you will do before buying a laser cutter or engraving machine. This is so that the device will do what you want it to, not just what it does.
So again my advice here is to read the product specifications from the manufacturer, read reviews from other customers like you, and if you still have more questions… contact the customer support and get your answers direct. If you’re shopping for the more expensive laser wood engravers, you’ve likely had experience with these laser machines in your workshop and know the specific features you are looking for.
5. Connection Options
Some wood laser engraving machines come with a wired connection, while others have a wireless connection. You can go for it if you are okay with a wired connection. It’s cheaper and more readily available.
Ok, for the cheaper consumer-grade devices, there may be a case for wireless for portability. But is it worth the extra cost and possible connection hassle? Read the other customer reviews on this in depth and ask the company customer service technicians BEFORE you buy. That’s my advice.
Top pick: BobsCNC Evolution 4 CNC Router Kit
The BobsCNC Evolution 4 CNC Router Kit is our top pick because of its features and quality. It has over 90% positive reviews on Amazon and is one of the best cheap laser engravers for wood machines.
It comes with everything you need to get started, making it the perfect choice for anyone new to CNC machine routing. It has a rigid, laser-cut, 5-ply Baltic Birch frame with an SG20U supported rail system. The belt drive on the X and Y-axis is smooth and accurate. The Z-axis uses a Tr8 Acme Rod supported by an ACME nut to get smooth and accurate motion.
This is an affordable laser cutter machine that costs is roughly $1,200 on Amazon… So it’s worth buying…
Finally, if you want to buy a cheap small CNC laser engraver for wood, this machine is the best option.
The Best Wood Laser Engraving Machines for 2022
Best laser cutter for less than $500
1. NEJE Master 2S Plus Engraving Machine
NEJE Master 2S Plus is a professional wood engraving machine with a powerful laser that is the heart of the device. It is an affordable price machine with stable performance.
This compact size wood laser engraving comes with 7 pounds that can be set anyplace. The blade is also made of high-quality steel, and it can easily cut 3mm plywood. This laser cutter can easily cut different materials with a cutting or engraving capacity of 255 by 420 mm. You can especially use it to engrave designs and logos on other wood products.
This easy setup laser cutting machine has a tool for resetting and frame positioning with multifunctional keys. It also supports documents in various formats, including JPEG, PNG, TIF, TIFF, SVG, and several other file types.
The top concern is always safety. A protective cover shields the engraving machine that is more than 90% leak-free and includes a built-in MEMS Roll protection system. If you touch the device or the machine moves, it will stop automatically. This is to prevent accidents.
The whole machine is very stable and durable. This is a high-precision CNC laser engraver for wood. The machine is also equipped with a temperature-controlled device. It has a lot of preloaded graphics that you can use to test it before you cut it.
Features:
- The engraving speed is 1000mm per second.
- Protective panel and automatic reset to prevent accidents
- Protective panel. The automatic resets will keep you safe.
- This can control the temperature and adjust the fan speed automatically.
2. ORTUR Laser Master 2 Pro S2 LU2-4
ORTUR Laser Master 2 Pro S2 LU2-4: the perfect laser engraver and cutter for those who want precision, power, and speed. This machine cuts or engraves at a speed of 3 meters per minute (approx 10ft/min). It is exact, making it suitable for cutting and smooth engraving on different materials.
This machine is more durable, so it can work for a long time without replacing it. There is a newer Ortur Laser 1.8 firmware that has better motion algorithms. The speed of the motion can go up 10000mm/min if quality is not a concern, which is very fast for a laser. Lower speeds are recommended under 3000 mm/min for quality work.
Its second-generation FAC laser module is a powerful tool for any woodworker. It has an output of 0.08*0.17mm and can easily cut through 3 mm plywood or 6mm pine board! There are also emergency stop features that protect the user and the machine.
ORTUR Laser Master can handle a wide range of materials with ease, from wood to plastic to metal. Plus, it’s simple to assemble and easy to use, making it the ideal choice for crafting professionals or hobbyists alike.
Features:
- Large engraving area. Bigger than A3 Paper
- The 12V upgraded circuit system
- Top motion speed from 3000mm/min – 10000mm/mm
- Cut through 3mm plywood and 6mm pine board easily.
- Can also engrave paper with its low energy settings
- Weight is only 10.73 pounds
- A few security features
- Comes with 3 types of laser power: 7W, 15W, and 20W. Note that these are “input” watts, not output. For example, the 20W input converts to approximately 4.5W output. Which is still plenty for most use cases with wood.
Best Laser Cutter for less than $1000
3. Orion Motor Tech 40W CO2 Laser Engraving Cutting Machine
Orion Motor Tech 40W CO2 Laser Engraving Cutting Machine is a powerful wood laser engraving and cutting machine. Its enhanced functions have become one of the most popular wood engraving machines for both small business and home use.
Orion Motor Tech is an excellent choice for wood engraving, woodcutting, glass engraving, and plastic engraving. This machine with 50 pounds comes with a control panel with adjustable knobs on it. Its four detachable wheels make it easy to move.
The software is compatible with most third-party vector graphic design programs, including CorelLaser & LaserDraw.
You can also use it with printers, scanning machines. You can save documents in TIF, BMP, JPG, JPEG, WMF, and PLT formats. The only drawback is the software does not support Macs.
Orion Motor Tech laser cutter has a fan that blows out bad air to boost ventilation performance. Once you start the device, the red dot guidance will show where it is going. It can work on surfaces that are 12 x 8 inches (300 x 200mm).
The machine can cut wood, bamboo, acrylic, mylar, pressboard, rubber, fabric, glass. It can also engrave or cut paper, fibreglass, leather, marble, melamine and aluminum.
Features:
- You can engrave many things including glass, but not metal.
- This has a water pump, ventilation tube, exhaust tube. This presents an excellent cooling capability for continuous operation at this price point.
- USB ports can connect to computers and flash drives.
- This can work with updated Windows OS.
- Weight is only 50-pound
- The engraving surface is 12 inches by 8 inches.
4. BobsCNC Evolution 3 CNC Router Kit
Looking to take your laser engraving and cutting projects to the next level? Look no further than the BobsCNC Evolution 3 CNC Router Kit.
This 24V laser engraver is designed for precision and accuracy, with a rigid frame, GT2 belt drive, self-squaring gantry, and more. Plus, it comes with a 3/4” MDF spoil board for added versatility. Whether you’re a hobbyist or professional craftsman, the ORTUR Laser Master 2 Pro S2 LU2-2 is sure to help you achieve superior results.
Plus, the included Makita RT0701C variable speed router makes it easy to personalize your projects with ease. GT2 belts move the X and Y-axis. A Tr8 Acme Rod is mounted to the Z-axis, attached with an ACME nut. This machine uses GRBL1.1 firmware on the Arduino Uno. The repeatability is excellent; it is less than 0.002” to 0.004”. Plus, the included Makita RT0701C variable speed router makes it easy to personalize your projects with ease.
Features:
- It comes with a 24V laser engraver
- 3/4” MDF spoilboard
- CNC machine guide
- Weight is only 26 pounds
- Ideal for cutting and engraving woods
- It uses GRBL1.1 firmware
- Wattage: 600 watts
- Bulb Voltage: 115 volts
- Product dimantions is 25 x 19 x 25 inches
Best Laser Cutter for less than $1500
5. BobsCNC Evolution 4 CNC Router Kit
The Evolution 4 is the most advanced CNC Router on the market. It is perfect for precision cutting and routing. This kit comes complete with a rigid laser cut 5-Ply Baltic Birch frame, and an SG20U supported rail system. They have redesigned and improved the Evolution 3 to make it even better.
The BobsCNC Evolution 4 router is a professional tool that is easy to set up and use. It is an excellent device for woodworking, sign making, PCB engraving and more. It comes with 30 Days return 90 days parts warranty that covers everything on the machine. This tool is made for use with the Arduino Uno. It has a repeatability of 0.002” to 0.004.
It’s been designed, developed and crafted by a team of engineers with a wealth of experience and a desire to build one of the best CNC Routers available. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a hobbyist, a serious craftsman or a professional; the Evolution 4 will suit you.
Features:
- Powerful CNC machine
- Cutting and engraving wood and plastics
- Compact Weight that is only 42 Pounds
- Voltage: 110 Volts (AC)
- Size/Dimension is 30 x 38 x 19 inches
Best Laser Cutter for less than $2000
6. Snapmaker 3D Printer, Laser Engraver
The Snapmaker 3D Printer is a professional-grade device offering superior quality and performance. The revolutionary snap maker 3D printer is designed to turn your ideas into a reality. This device can engrave, draw, and paint directly onto various more challenging materials. You can enjoy lots of new features by getting new parts.
Snapmaker laser cutter has useful 3-in-1 software that you can download. You can use this for your creativity to explore new things, and it also has many tutorials, APIs, and plugins. This laser engraver has a feature that automatically adjusts the height of the laser before starting to engrave. To make sure you can clearly see an image, you will not need to change the focal point.
This desktop laser engraver is designed for etching and engraving flat materials like wood, leather, acrylic, and gasket paper. If you’re looking for a versatile, multi-purpose engraver that can also handle laser cutting and other forms of production like CNC carving, then this is the machine to get.
Features:
- The size of the bed is 320 x 350 x 330 mm.
- It has a pair of special glasses that protect you from dust or other accident.
- This machine does not engrave gold and silver.
- It weighs 50 pounds.
- Only works with Android.
Best Laser Cutter for less than $3000
7. TEN-HIGH CO2 40W Engrave Machine
The TEN-HIGH CO2 Engraver Machine is an excellent choice for engraving a wide variety of materials, including wood and leather. It also works well with glass cloth bamboo paper, just about anything you can think of.
The TEN-HIGH CO2 Engraver Machine has software for your device called LaserDraw. This machine is compatible with CorelDRAW. You can also use different image formats, like JPG, BMP, PNG, CDR, DXF, PLT, TIF and more.
This machine’s cutting and engraving features will make your artwork stand out from others! The compact laser engraver comes with massive power, making it perfect for any professional workshop or home-based business.
It comes with 60 watts, 70 watts and 80 watts models that you can use for both professionals and beginners looking to get started quickly.
The TEN-HIGH CO2 laser engraving machine software will work on all Windows but cannot work with Mac computers. This laser engraver machine will connect to your computer with a USB connection. It is not wireless and therefore requires a connected system.
Features:
- The engraving tool can cut several heavy and soft materials, including leather, wood, bamboo, leather, paper, glass and more.
- The item weighs 115 pounds.
- The product is 34.5 inches long, 25.7 inches wide, and 20.5 inches high.
- You can engrave 400mm by 300mm.
- If you have CorelDraw, you can use it with this machine.
- This program works on Windows
- Available USB port option
Best Laser Cutter for less than $12000
8. SFX 180W Reci W8 CO2 Laser Engraver Cutter Machine
SFX 180W Reci W8 CO2 Laser Engraver Cutter Machine is the ultimate tool for engraving or cutting. It has a powerful laser, which can work with CorelDraw or AutoCAD to output any file type you need it to!
This powerful laser engraving machine allows you to quickly and easily engrave or cut a variety of materials, including wood, glass, stone, metal, stainless steel, fabric, etc. With an air-assisted engraving feature, this machine is perfect for detailed work.
The positioning accuracy of this machine is 0.01 mm. That means that it can engrave every tiny part into the material. The air pump and the exhaust fan helps to cool the device when it is working. This prevents overheating. This model is heavy and weighs 946 pounds. You need a place to put it that is not movable.
It also supports various file formats, including BMP, jpeg, Dxf, ai, DST, making it easy to create and edit your designs. With an engraving speed of up to 60000 mm per minute and a cutting speed of 5000 mm per minute. If you buy this product, you will get a warranty for one year. The warranty will cover everything. There is support from both the customer service and the technical support.
Features:
- Engrave into the wood and other hard or soft materials.
- This machine works on computers with Windows and macOS.
- Package dimantion is 76.77 x 72.83 x 44.49 inches
- This hefty machine weighs 946 pounds
- It comes with an air pump and an exhaust fan.
Laser engraving and cutting FAQ
What is a CO2 laser engraver?
A CO2 laser engraver is a machine that uses a carbon dioxide laser beam to engrave materials. CO2 lasers are high-powered lasers. This machine is ideal for wood laser engraving projects. You can use a laser to cut through many different types of hard and softer materials like wood, metal, plastic, acrylic, etc.
What is a wood laser engraver?
A wood laser engraver is a machine that uses lasers to engrave designs or text into the surface of the wood. The accurate laser beam is focused onto the surface of the wood, and the energy from the laser beam vaporizes the wood, leaving a permanent inscription. Wood laser engravers can be used to create a wide variety of items, such as signage, furniture, and jewelry.
Where can I buy a laser engraver or laser cutter?
If you want a Laser cutter that will fit your needs, there are plenty of choices online. Online retailers like Amazon offer many different models and colours at competitive prices. So it will be perfect for grabbing one on the cheap!
Head online and find what works best with all of these features at once in Amazon’s vast selection.
For commercial and professional wood engraving machines, you may be best approaching a local store or distributor that can provide you with expert customised advice for a wood laser engraver that matches your specific business needs. The benefit of this approach is that many of these companies have long-term professionals and qualified engineers to provide ongoing specialized support after your standard manufacturer warranty period for the laser machine has expired.
A good conversation directly with these providers and engineers will be worth their weight in gold for your business. I suggest spending the extra time and effort before outlaying the big money for these specialist laser engraving machines.
What can a laser cutter cut?
Laser cutters can cut a variety of materials, including wood, fabric, paper, cardboard, foam, acrylic and more. More robust cutters can even handle heavy materials. They are suitable for hard or soft metals, ceramic, and crystal. However, depending on the device you purchase, laser cutters are helpful for comprehensive cutting, engraving, marking, and etching.
How much is a laser engraver?
Many different models are available for wood laser cutting and engraving, with prices ranging from $500 to over $3,000 or even $12,000.
Take away
For those looking for a new business venture, wood-engraving machines may be the answer. The market is still growing, and there are many opportunities to start your own engraving shop. Using laser engraving to create high-quality, customized wood products.
There are many different types of laser cutters and laser engraving machines. You don’t need an expensive option when you’re just starting out; there are plenty of cheap options available for under $500…
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A pleasure, thanks for reading. I would love to do a detailed review on your products.