I bought mine back in February. I haven't had any major issues with it. I know some people want to upgrade the air assist unit, but I have the Pro II and haven't experienced issues (yet???). I love what I can do with it. I think the ONLY thing that kind of irks me is they now have a different rotary unit from what came with mine back in February. I'd much prefer to have that one. I had to make a silicone snuggie for my stemless wine glasses so they wouldn't slide off.
Thanks for the info! and Thanks for sharing! I think that they are always improving from what I can see, its hard to keep up with all the changes they are making 😂 guess you call that progress
@@LaserEngraving911 Absolutely. I've definitely loved how dedicated they are to offering support. I sat in DingTalk with a tech for several hours while he guided me on diagnosing a problem.
Enjoyed your review. I've been using mine since February and agree with most of your pros and cons. You are spot on with the USB port placement. The cables that come with the machine are so short that you need to place your computer right next to the unit to reach. I tried using longer cables and was able to get away with it for the control USB but not with the camera USB. If you're using a longer cable for the camera, that might be why your camera drops out. The focus is also a minor annoyance. I've gotten pretty good at subtracting material thickness from 17 to get the distance number. I've also added FOCUS to my checklist (along with making sure the crumb tray is pushed in all of the way). I did find that there is a "Material (mm)" setting in the Cuts/Layers window of Lightburn which adjusts the focus on job start which helps. Enjoy your channel!
Hey Thanks for taking the time to comment! Glad you are getting along with you Gweike Pro 2! Every machine has its Roses and Thorns! Glad you got value!
Great video and accurate pros and cons. Got my unit in late February and both computer and camera usb are on the same side one above the other (left as you look at the machine). I have the camera drop issue from time to time and I just select my iMac camera and then back again and it keeps working. I had a big problem with the FTDI drivers and losing connection to the computer but I think that is more to do with my older iMac. I have rigged a red dot laser to my laser z height and powered it with a 24v source at the end of the cable chain using a buck converter. The issue with it is that I 3d printed the holder to projct the dot right below the laser, but that only works when the z height is at zero, but it is good enough for framing. There is a guy with a real good red dot setup for the Polar 350 that will work on the Gweike. I did have an issue with the magnetic homing switches failing, but Gweike shipped me two right away and they have been good so far. I also had to 3d print risers for the larger mugs. Overall very happy with the machine so far.
Nice review. I'm looking at their new 55w laser with autofocus. I'm guessing it's their answer to the XTool P2. Nevertheless, it looks really tempting.
Thanks! Tim, yea believe it or not most lasers in this category will need a bit of fine tuning right out the box, but thanks to lightburn its pretty easy!
Con # 1: It's a bit weird, but gweike suggest setting the material thickness to 17mm minus the actual material thickness. Whether this applies for each machine lets to be seen as mine was 3mm off. Nevertheless, having established the correct formula, one can set the Material thickness (if device is configured as Ruida) in Cuts/Layers accordingly. Now if you start or repeat the loaded job or parts of it, it automatically sets the focus accordingly at the start. No need to input it every time you press start. Need to be aware of maybe having to set/adjust the Material thickness when changing files or material. Con #2: On the RF version both USB connections are placed on the same side Con #7: Red dot laser pointer is available on the RF that I have and it is mentioned in the RF Manual. However, also for the Pro Manual mentions the red dot pointer. So, the question is why doesn't it work? It is a common complaint during reviews. Con #10: I got the headache after a few weeks as the laser stopped working right in a job. Cause: the honeycomb was shifted a little bit to the front and the movements of the laser head cause it to slightly push the tray from the switch.
Hey, question, this laser vs the ranger 3? Which one would you choose. I’ve been looking for videos on the rager and there aren’t many videos about it. Mainly looking for a laser to cut wood/acrylic (production).
I would def pick the Ranger 3, as it is built stronger, made to last, and is faster. lightobject.com/ranger-iii-600x380-24x15-laser-desktop/?ref=lp8sd4jd,, have you watched my review on the ranger 3?
Cool ty a lot. Yes i Watched it but the video us very short (4 mins) and does not provide details like in this video. Hard to see a comprehensive video review of the ranger 3. Would love yo see the speed and thickness of the wood it can cut in one pass.
Its a track call "Press Play" by Elision, I license it from a website called Soundstripe. I always use music from Soundstripe in my videos, to avoid copyright strikes. Its a paid membership service to use for youtube videos. I like the track to wish it was longer :)
Can you reveal in general terms (not specifics if you can't) 1) if you had to sign a contract to get the laser for review? 2) if so, what was the agreement? Gweike would not send one to us because my editor would not create a contract for them. (I'm not sure what they wanted in the contract, and I'm not sure if she did either). It's kind of funny that none of the reviewers that I have asked have answered me on this.
I have had the Pro 2 for about a week. I was a little disappointed with with some of the problems. I was considering sending it back. I was going to buy the Polar instead. There were no risers included in the package I received. I can easily make something for that. The air assist seems to take a while to ramp up to speed. When your cutting, that's a problem. I had been using their offline software, But it feels buggy, and the response from the laser is slow. I just upgraded to the DSP license for Lightburn, and I'm looking forward to trying it. When I contacted Omtech about the Polar, I specifically asked them about the Z homing. They said that it did home, but that you could tell it not in Lightburn. I have not run it with Lightburn yet, so I will see if that is possible. I was contacting them using chat, so they may have misunderstood my question about homing. I was wondering if you could add an offline controller to the Pro 2. I see some people have added it to the Polar. I'd really like to know if anyone has done that with the Pro 2, but I haven't seen it yet. I bought the unit primarily for acrylic, and tumblers. I am a member of the Laser Masters Academy, and it's been great. I even bought a mug. I was thinking about adding an external air assist compressor to overcome the problems with it. I have an airbrush compressor with a moisture trap and a regulator. I'm feeling better about the unit now after watching your review. Great review as always!
Hii! I’ve been wanting to buy one but I’m worried about the noise, is it to loud? And does it smell too much? Because I’m going to have it inside my house I don’t have a garage 🥲 so I’m worried about noise/smoke.. I hope you can help me! Thanks!!!
Its about 65 db, for the smell you need a good exhaust fan or fume extractor to either vent all the fumes outside, or run through a good fume extractor which I talk about in my other video found here. th-cam.com/video/reAsot7Bckc/w-d-xo.html regarding suggestion for a good start up machine you can shoot me and email and I can give you my suggested units based on your budget :) laserengraving911@gmail.com
if the other co2 laser engraving manufacturing company started manufacturing all this small and cheap co2 laser engraving machines their is a high chances that the co2 laser engraving machine company will spoil the prices of all the production goods of co2 laser engraving machine in the market, and if this small co2 laser machine exist, then what is the point of buying all those big size laser bed co2 laser engraving machine. after some few years like those small colour injet printer like epson company the co2 laser engraving machine manufacturing copmany will also manufacturing will small table size co2 laser engraving machine so that in each house their will be small portable size co2 laser engraving machine like epson company their motive is only to make money thats it
The best review on the internet! Thank you for this!!
I bought mine back in February. I haven't had any major issues with it. I know some people want to upgrade the air assist unit, but I have the Pro II and haven't experienced issues (yet???). I love what I can do with it. I think the ONLY thing that kind of irks me is they now have a different rotary unit from what came with mine back in February. I'd much prefer to have that one. I had to make a silicone snuggie for my stemless wine glasses so they wouldn't slide off.
Thanks for the info! and Thanks for sharing! I think that they are always improving from what I can see, its hard to keep up with all the changes they are making 😂 guess you call that progress
@@LaserEngraving911 Absolutely. I've definitely loved how dedicated they are to offering support. I sat in DingTalk with a tech for several hours while he guided me on diagnosing a problem.
Good review on what I believe to be one of the best bench top lasers. Having the ability to use lightburn is certainly a plus.
Enjoyed your review. I've been using mine since February and agree with most of your pros and cons. You are spot on with the USB port placement. The cables that come with the machine are so short that you need to place your computer right next to the unit to reach. I tried using longer cables and was able to get away with it for the control USB but not with the camera USB. If you're using a longer cable for the camera, that might be why your camera drops out. The focus is also a minor annoyance. I've gotten pretty good at subtracting material thickness from 17 to get the distance number. I've also added FOCUS to my checklist (along with making sure the crumb tray is pushed in all of the way). I did find that there is a "Material (mm)" setting in the Cuts/Layers window of Lightburn which adjusts the focus on job start which helps. Enjoy your channel!
Hey Thanks for taking the time to comment! Glad you are getting along with you Gweike Pro 2! Every machine has its Roses and Thorns! Glad you got value!
Great video and accurate pros and cons. Got my unit in late February and both computer and camera usb are on the same side one above the other (left as you look at the machine). I have the camera drop issue from time to time and I just select my iMac camera and then back again and it keeps working. I had a big problem with the FTDI drivers and losing connection to the computer but I think that is more to do with my older iMac.
I have rigged a red dot laser to my laser z height and powered it with a 24v source at the end of the cable chain using a buck converter. The issue with it is that I 3d printed the holder to projct the dot right below the laser, but that only works when the z height is at zero, but it is good enough for framing. There is a guy with a real good red dot setup for the Polar 350 that will work on the Gweike.
I did have an issue with the magnetic homing switches failing, but Gweike shipped me two right away and they have been good so far.
I also had to 3d print risers for the larger mugs.
Overall very happy with the machine so far.
Thanks J.B! for sharing you experience and your cool red dot hacks!! Glad you are digging your Machine 👍
Nice review. I'm looking at their new 55w laser with autofocus. I'm guessing it's their answer to the XTool P2. Nevertheless, it looks really tempting.
Thanks for the review! It was a honest one too.
Always! I try my best to bring it to you straight all time :)
Great review and a wealth of knowledge to back it! Interesting that it doesn’t come dialed in…
Thanks! Tim, yea believe it or not most lasers in this category will need a bit of fine tuning right out the box, but thanks to lightburn its pretty easy!
Con # 1: It's a bit weird, but gweike suggest setting the material thickness to 17mm minus the actual material thickness. Whether this applies for each machine lets to be seen as mine was 3mm off. Nevertheless, having established the correct formula, one can set the Material thickness (if device is configured as Ruida) in Cuts/Layers accordingly. Now if you start or repeat the loaded job or parts of it, it automatically sets the focus accordingly at the start. No need to input it every time you press start.
Need to be aware of maybe having to set/adjust the Material thickness when changing files or material.
Con #2: On the RF version both USB connections are placed on the same side
Con #7: Red dot laser pointer is available on the RF that I have and it is mentioned in the RF Manual. However, also for the Pro Manual mentions the red dot pointer. So, the question is why doesn't it work? It is a common complaint during reviews.
Con #10: I got the headache after a few weeks as the laser stopped working right in a job. Cause: the honeycomb was shifted a little bit to the front and the movements of the laser head cause it to slightly push the tray from the switch.
Excellent! Thanks for sharing!
@@LaserEngraving911 Thanks, I just updated it with remarks on other cons.
Hey, question, this laser vs the ranger 3? Which one would you choose. I’ve been looking for videos on the rager and there aren’t many videos about it. Mainly looking for a laser to cut wood/acrylic (production).
I would def pick the Ranger 3, as it is built stronger, made to last, and is faster. lightobject.com/ranger-iii-600x380-24x15-laser-desktop/?ref=lp8sd4jd,, have you watched my review on the ranger 3?
Cool ty a lot. Yes i Watched it but the video us very short (4 mins) and does not provide details like in this video. Hard to see a comprehensive video review of the ranger 3. Would love yo see the speed and thickness of the wood it can cut in one pass.
Curious what's the music during the montage from 0.40s?
Great review btw!
Its a track call "Press Play" by Elision, I license it from a website called Soundstripe. I always use music from Soundstripe in my videos, to avoid copyright strikes. Its a paid membership service to use for youtube videos. I like the track to wish it was longer :)
Injoyed you review thanks. where is the 'update overlay' button? I can not find it
Yes its in lightburn, its a button in the software, in the camera section, Thanks for watching!
@@LaserEngraving911 thank you
Can you reveal in general terms (not specifics if you can't) 1) if you had to sign a contract to get the laser for review? 2) if so, what was the agreement? Gweike would not send one to us because my editor would not create a contract for them. (I'm not sure what they wanted in the contract, and I'm not sure if she did either). It's kind of funny that none of the reviewers that I have asked have answered me on this.
Thanks for the question, you can email directly about it, happy to help laserengraving911@gmail.com
I have had the Pro 2 for about a week. I was a little disappointed with with some of the problems. I was considering sending it back. I was going to buy the Polar instead. There were no risers included in the package I received. I can easily make something for that. The air assist seems to take a while to ramp up to speed. When your cutting, that's a problem. I had been using their offline software, But it feels buggy, and the response from the laser is slow. I just upgraded to the DSP license for Lightburn, and I'm looking forward to trying it. When I contacted Omtech about the Polar, I specifically asked them about the Z homing. They said that it did home, but that you could tell it not in Lightburn. I have not run it with Lightburn yet, so I will see if that is possible. I was contacting them using chat, so they may have misunderstood my question about homing. I was wondering if you could add an offline controller to the Pro 2. I see some people have added it to the Polar. I'd really like to know if anyone has done that with the Pro 2, but I haven't seen it yet. I bought the unit primarily for acrylic, and tumblers. I am a member of the Laser Masters Academy, and it's been great. I even bought a mug. I was thinking about adding an external air assist compressor to overcome the problems with it. I have an airbrush compressor with a moisture trap and a regulator. I'm feeling better about the unit now after watching your review. Great review as always!
Hii! I’ve been wanting to buy one but I’m worried about the noise, is it to loud? And does it smell too much? Because I’m going to have it inside my house I don’t have a garage 🥲 so I’m worried about noise/smoke.. I hope you can help me! Thanks!!!
Its about 65 db, for the smell you need a good exhaust fan or fume extractor to either vent all the fumes outside, or run through a good fume extractor which I talk about in my other video found here. th-cam.com/video/reAsot7Bckc/w-d-xo.html regarding suggestion for a good start up machine you can shoot me and email and I can give you my suggested units based on your budget :) laserengraving911@gmail.com
if the other co2 laser engraving manufacturing company started manufacturing all this small and cheap co2 laser engraving machines their is a high chances that the co2 laser engraving machine company will spoil the prices of all the production goods of co2 laser engraving machine in the market, and if this small co2 laser machine exist, then what is the point of buying all those big size laser bed co2 laser engraving machine. after some few years like those small colour injet printer like epson company the co2 laser engraving machine manufacturing copmany will also manufacturing will small table size co2 laser engraving machine so that in each house their will be small portable size co2 laser engraving machine like epson company their motive is only to make money thats it
Thanks for taking the time to share you thoughts!