Very nicely stated, I have had my glowforge for 3 months but have only started using it with in the last month on a regular basis. I have had a lot of the issues you have except heating up, one mine is a pro plus and I buy for the subscription. It is in my craft room and I purchase the external fan off Amazon. I am not a laser or software user so trying to learn all the settings when you use non proof grade wood has been such a pain. I use the setting recommended from the people I buy the wood from and one time it will work and 5 minutes later it wont cut through. The line up for the camera doesn't line up proper even after I do all the calibration and cleaning (mind you I have not used it enough to get it that Smokey.) I have been on the community board for glowforge and see a lot of my issues listed but when I do what they recommend for the fix its hit or miss if it will work. So I can totally related to your video issues. Now with this all being said I do love it when it works correctly, I can make lots of beautiful things I could not without it. I do wish they would work on the software to correct at least that and the camera alignment issues. Thank you for the review, now I don't feel like its all operator error.
Thank you for your comment, its nice know that we are not alone with some of these frustrations. As far as using the non proof grade materials. Someone in the community forum has a spreadsheet with all of the custom speed and power rates for various materials. If I can find the link, I will post it here.
@@texasnana824 Here the direct link for that spreadsheet, docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sWOebDU94HwezYPbHa3YdtXjpLbEl_vEPvCb1dSByL4/edit#gid=582951492
Very accurate review. I bought the pro, and have had buyers remorse since. I'm a manufacturing professional, and have found the glowforge to be nothing but an expensive toy. It's Unreliable, inaccurate and requires frustrating software. You hit the mark with this video.
@@PatchesMacPatches just get a WiFi extender, my netgear gets signal 300ft. Was very cheap and a few years old so modern extenders will probably suit you fine
I really appreciate the stark honesty in this video. My husband is considering purchasing and he wondered about all these things you discussed. Your video talks about several considerations others have not. So very much appreciated.
Pheeew!!! I’m so glad I stumbled upon this video. I was toying with the idea of getting one. For that price, and the issues you mentioned, I’m best to save my money. Thanks!!
@@leonardozenoficial If you are looking for a CO2 laser, I recommend looking into the Full Spectrum Muse, if your needs can be met by a diode laser, for a significantly lower price, I recommend the XTool D1
I have owned my Glowforge Pro since July of last year. I also purchased the HEPA filter add on filter system (by Glowforge) with it for use when the weather doesn't permit me to vent it out of the window. I keep mine in the house where the temperature never drops below 72 degrees Fahrenheit. I also purchased the cloud9 external fan that many Glowforge owners add to their setup. Its very quiet because in the settings I have bypassed the mediocre internal fan (since its not needed after my upgrades). I keep it clean just as you do. It has ran 12 hours a day for 7 days a week ever since (I'm positive it would run 24/7 if I needed it to). I'm not trying to act as a GF fanboy here, but I haven't experienced a single problem with mine. I also know many people in the maker community that have owned their GF pro for 3 plus years with no issues to speak of. Now, I'm sure I'll have to replace the CO2 tube eventually, and that will cost about $400 usd when the time comes (they last 2-4 years). as for the camera alignment issue you speak of, I have yet to experience that.
I'm glad to hear that it is working that well for you. I imagine that a large part is a result of the larger reservoir and better cooling for the pro. I have two pros at work with the HEPA filter as well. The camera alignment is fairly common, but not sure about its real prevalence. I think some people might misunderstand my critique of the machine... I think its good... I just wish it was a little better so I could call it great
THANK YOU! Im 29 and was about to drop 6k on the glowforge pro as my first large piece of equipment. Knowing that on top of that you have to pay their subscription for the software immediately changed my mind. I guess its back to the drawing board lol youre a hero for posting this!
The Glowforge is still a decent machine, just not as good as it should be. And if Glowforge isn't quite right for you, there are some other lasers in that price range that might offer a little more of what you're looking for.
@@jeffgorchynski I recommend looking into the Full Spectrum Muse and the xTool Laserblock as a comparison. I do not have personal experience with either laser, but there are quite a few people that like them
I adore my Glowforge, one of my favorite tools I've ever owned. The fact that it more than paid for itself through the referral program within the first year was just a bonus. Yes it does have it's quirks, although most of my problems were from me learning to use the machine. Any time I ever had a question the Glowforge community forums were a saving grace, especially for a beginner laser enthusiast. There is so much knowledge and support to learn just about everything you could need to know. Having said that I'm sure that it isn't for everyone nor every situation and user experience is diverse from person to person. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
As someone who owns two product-based businesses, I'll say the problems you describe sound like what happens when MBAs take control of a company. You can just imagine some Glowforge exec telling a room full of investors, "...but the real money is in subscriptions!"
YOWSA!! I was going to watch some other glowforge reviews, but after the whole part about online aspects, I’ll pass all together. Thanks for the informative review
I've been eyeing the Glowforge for a few weeks now and just came upon your video. I really appreciate your honest review on the product and hope you have found effective ways of getting around the issues that were stated. Best wishes.
No laser cutter is perfect and there are always workarounds that are needed. I have been able to overcome most of them, but the overheating issue during the summer is still the most problematic. Thanks for watching!!
A lot of people do genuinely love the machine and it works great for them... but there are a few issues that people should know before buying and that was the primary purpose. Thanks for watching.
I can't thank you enough for this video. I'm sorry that it cost you time and money to save me on those things. I found your video easy to follow, even though I have never once used this kind of machine. I have a circut maker, so... I love it! I'm looking to move forward to a more advanced machine for cutting details into wood. I really appreciate the information you gave on the software for this machine, because I design all of my own projects, and I would hate to have a major company take the rights to my designs because they "monitor" what I'm creating. So a big thank your for hat.
Just to be clear, I don't see any indication that any right will be taken, just that they could implement a system if pressured to do so by private corporations. Thanks for watching.
There was a Glowforge commercial as soon as I clicked on this LOL. Been on the fence for awhile now about this, thank you for the video and honest review.
Just to be clear, the Glowforge is still a very good machine... it just has some features that should make people do a second take before committing to the purchase. Thanks for watching
First let me say this is a fair and balanced review. That being said I ran into all of the same issues you mentioned and have come up with perfectly acceptable (in my mind anyway) work arounds. I had an old Epilog as my first laser and found out pretty quickly that lasers don't like extreme temps - hot or cold. So when I went looking for a new laser I fully expected it would live in my house where the ambient temps are 72. As soon as my GF arrived so did my 6" inline fan. The sound is perfectly acceptable in that configuration. The camera is kind of a waste really. It's only function for me is to make sure my stuff is within the cut area. I do have a process for precisely engraving things like round coasters, etc and I think it's more accurate than even doing a test firing in my opinion. Not always cutting through materials is usually a function more of the quality of the material you're cutting from what I've found. The paywall thing with the designer...eh..I looked at it for five mins and decided it was more like a tool for people who are unwilling to learn how to use graphic software like Inkscape or Illustrator. I decided to learn Illustrator and can't imaging using anything the paywall has to offer. I actually like the fact that you can use it wirelessly. I mean all of my other printers are wireless. The one concern I have is that if GF every went out of business I'd be dead in the water until the community found a work around. Another really significant issue that I haven't experienced yet is beyond simple maintenance. Like if a belt broke or your tube needs to be recharged. The only option you have is to send back your unit and they ship you a refurb. Not a fan of that idea. Just send me the damn part. It is though one of the most user friendly lasers on the planet. I could consider more of an appliance really. Don't want to have to learn about networking? Don't want to have to deal with the nitty gritty of running a laser? This is it.
As a process engineer thanks for stating the obvious. Every single piece of manufacturing equipment will have pros and cons, most of them use proprietary software, the quirks with process control are the bread and butter of why we product/process engineers exist. There are many factors at play when deciding which piece of equipment to buy for me Glowforge is the perfect machine for non-engineers, I wanted a machine to play around with and show my mom and siblings what is possible with a basic laser and it is perfect for that. For a manufacturing business this is definitely not the machine, I would look at LPKF and the like.
This is the FIRST honest review I've ever seen of this thing. All of these issues were predictable before it was even out of the kickstarter but dissenting opinions were drowned out by gushing reviews from folks who got it free and... who never owned a k40.
I own a k40 as well. Because of the various things I engrave, I end up using the Glowforge and the K40 equally. But, if I was going to do all this over again, I would have bought the higher model k40 laser.
Big thanks to people like you! Honest review from end user is what we all appreciate. I'm looking for my first Laser and it's NOT going to be Glowforge!!!!
I am glad I found your video before I invested my money. I was looking at buying this to start a home based business. But after watching your excellent and in depth review. I will look else where. I am sorry you have these problems, but I am glad you were honest in your review.
Thank you so much for your honesty. I think a lot of other videos are all about getting the sales and the money when someone purchases one with their code. Not saying I wont get one but I am going to way my options now.
Ok this is gonna sound really weird but whatever gonna just go for it.... we have the same last name lol and just so happen to be looking at engravers... interesting too aside from the military everybody with the same name is Caucasian 🤔 I’ve found most in SC ... just out of curiosity i searched the last name on maps see if any town or anything named after us pretty interesting what pops up. Anyways enjoy the rest of your day hope this message wasn’t too weird
I have owned one for 7 years and never had a problem. Across that time the software has been updated with new features many times that makes the machine better than it was when I bought it. All of the premium features in the subscriptions are simple design tools that should be accomplished in your design software. I do wish the machine was faster.
I'm glad that it has worked out for you. I have a few Pros that I use at work and work pretty well for the most part. If Glowforge kept up with their R&D and did not force the always connected aspect of their machines, I would probably have stayed exclusively Glowforge. Thanks for watching.
Appreciate the straightforward and honest 'user' review. I'm considering buying a GF but after watching your video, some of the issues/frustrations mentioned are now something I have to consider and think through.
Thank you for such an honest and easy to watch video. I've been wanting a Glowforge since I first saw them raising money to have them produced...which seemed like it would never happen. Living in Australia, our summer can get very hot, so knowing that it will likely be out of action many months of the year is a deal breaker for me. I'll keep looking into other options. Many thanks again.
I have had three big issues with Glowforge. First it would't focus, so they gave us a replacement. Next, the laser broke and we got another replacement. Now, a year and a half later, our lid came unglued and it will cost us $1600 to fix (after paying $6000 for the pro model). We are not happy and will be finding another laser cutter. I also agree with the problems with the paywall. I wish they had simple line and circle tools without the price - and paying to increase processing fee feels frustrating. Thanks for the honest review.
I have had my glowforge for 2 years now. I Experienced some of the issues you did, and I also have some solutions for you as well. I live in Arizona and that first summer was killer with constant cooling down errors. I added a window Ac, I directed the air to the intake at the front right side of the machine, I bought a beefier window ac, ac set at 69 degrees...... I fixed the issue, How? On the backnof the laser head is a tiny fan. CLEAN THIS FAN,. I literally went from cooling errors every few minutes, to 0 errors in over 1 year, by cleaning that fan every few months. In fact, room temp has not even mattered. Camera issue. The camera us there to assist buy us not super accurate. A solution is making a simple jig. I have a TH-cam channel where I do all kinds of glowforge tutorials, and that is one of the latest. lithosandlasers is the name. For items larger than .5 inches, you need to remove the crumbtray. The key her is that the item can then be up to 2 inches, and most be within .5 inches of the laser head. I use little wooden risers for this. you can search for MATERIAL RISERS IN MEDIUM DRAFTBOARD to find the files. They work awesome. Hope this helps.
Having the clean fan hasn't made a difference for my particular machine. As far as cooling goes, I've avoided the air conditioner hack mainly because I don't want to have to run an additional unit to fix what I thought Glowforge should have build better... but I may not have much of a choice. As for the camera, I've made templates and they're useful at times, but there are also a lot of times when I just need it to align better. With all that being said, I appreciate the tips. Thanks for watching.
@GeekBuilders To be clear, the fan O am referring to is not the air assist, that blows the air out of your cut path, but the tiny fan on the laser head itself. It's job is to cool the laser head, and blow debris away from the lens. Best of luck :)
I just stumbled upon your video. I applaud your review. It’s very accurate. I’ve owned a pro with premium subscription for a year and a half. I have successfully used it maybe 8 times. If it’s not the connectivity problem, it’s the overheating. It’s housed in my garage as we have three other people in the house working from home so it’s too loud for indoors. The area I live in has an average outdoor temperature of 78°. Which shouldn’t be all that bad, but after seeing the size of the cooling tank, that tells me a lot of people have temperature problems. The alignment is a joke. Piecing orders together due to alignment problems is a thing. Have I used my GF more than 8 times??? Yes, I’ve tried, truly tried. It is a very expensive hobby make as it’s not reliable enough for me to build a business.
Thank you so so much, my husband and I want one but we have had a tone of questions. You answered a lot of them. Thank you so much. I well let you know how it goes.
@@GeekBuildersNet completely agree, we run a business based around the machine so with it being so undependable it really hurts us. We have the pro and are having issues with the pass through feature. Just like you said “I really want to like it” is our exact feeling. It has everything we want in a machine but at the end of the day it’s far too inconsistent! I hope for your sake they fix the issues.
@@GeekBuildersNet we are on our 2nd machine through warranty and quality didn’t improve at all. Our first machine the connections Sauter was completely detached. We also had issues with the back ribbon. Come to find out on the second machine the laser head is defective. We worry about replacement part prices once our warranty ends. Just like you said hopefully they do something!
Hey this video was amazing, and very honest I also want it to add that if you are starting and have never had a laser before , this is the easy way to go because of how user friendly it is. I know have owe 2 glowforge and an omtech 130 which when you use another machine you see the difference but I am thankful for glowforge because I learned and I have made a lot of income to pay each machine plus the bigger one. So if you are new to the laser world I think glowforge is the way to start , your video was on point and I hope glowforge watch’s it so they can improve it. Thank you
Thanks for your feedback. and I agree, the Glowforge is pretty user friendly and is a fantastic starter machine for a lot of people. And I would gladly do a follow up video if Glowforge improves any of the issues I talked about. Thanks for watching
I've been debating buying a laser cutter for my business and was being pulled in hard towards the GlowForge Pro by the reviews and demos from users on TH-cam. Not one of them provided the thorough review you did. Thank you for your honesty in this review. Buying any equipment for $6k is a huge investment for small businesses. I'm going to have to do a little more research before, as you say, "... opening my wallet," to figure out if I'm willing to be tied to an online platform or if there is a comparable laser cutter that doesn't tie me to internet service.
There are quite a few good lasers that might offer what you are looking for. Here are a few you can look into and consider (I have no affiliation with any of these companies) Full Spectrum, Epilog, Thunder Laser, Aeon, Boss Laser, Omtechlaser
Thank you for this very honest review. Subscription on top of purchase is a simple a non-starter for me. Complete change of mind on purchase after watching your opinion. Thank you.
Thank you for your review. The laser engraver youtube space seems to be riddled with "reviews" that are clearly bought. So it's nice to see an honest review!
I am doing my research on a laser machine to start my own business. After watching your video, I can honestly say I am going to pass on the Glowforge 100%. Other reviews have stated the machine is loud but yet to "show" the sounds coming from it. Absolutely sounds like a blower! I was concerned about the software and that the machine only works with WIFI. I am consistently seeing that the 40w-45w laser does not produce the best quality or cut through product well and the Gf only has those options. You undoubtedly answered all my questions and wanted to thank you! For anyone interested in a really good laser, the Aeon MIRA 7 60w or MIRA 9 ($$) so far is one of the best "do everything and more" lasers out there. Thanks again for the help.
I'm glad the video was useful. Just one additional comment though, the machine is loud, but that can be fixed with adding an inline fan and then disabling the internal Glowforge fan. It is an extra cost, its one of the more minor annoyances of the machine. Thanks for watching
I'm a big Festool fan. I own many of their products and share the appreciation of the brand. I'm glad I found your video concerning Glowforge. I'm researching options and you did a great job of showing me the machine and showing me the good and bad of ownership. I have to say that this pay as you go issue was not clear to me when visiting the Glowforge website. I'm a hobbyist and do not make my living from my tools. My discretionary income allows me to appreciate brands such as Festool or perhaps Glowforge. I will pay for premium quality and capability even if the tool is beyond my skill level. What I don't want to pay for is a tool that only works seasonably---summer heat or winter cold. Unless of course if it is a snowblower or conversely a lawnmower--although both run all year they do not have much utility at times. I cannot imagine a tool that should work but doesn't even in the most moderate of climates such as in a garage. I hope Glowforge is listening to you---to me---and to all the commenters.
Just to clarify, the pay as you go model only applies to using their clip art, premade files, some design functionality, and "fast lane" access. If you are familiar with designing images and vector files, you don't necessarily need to purchase their subscription plan. I just want to make sure that there is no misunderstanding on that front. And... I hope Glowforge is listening as well.
Thank you! This was an excellent review and I hope glowforge pays attention to it. My dad really wants one of these and I was going to see about having the family pitch in to get it for Christmas, but after watching this I dont think thats such a good idea any more. He would be furioys about the subscription requirment for simple features. His shop is cooled in the summer so the cooling would probably be ok... but the camera issue and the subscription are deal breakers.
There are a few other options in this category of laser cutter. I know there are some people that have been pretty happy with the muse and the Makeblock Laser. I don't remember which ones allow for offline functionality though.
THANK YOU for your video. I was just trying to figure out how I could afford the GFPro. You're right, the promotional adds are enticing and they make operation sound seamless. I just thank God that I saw your video before investing.
I appreciate this honest review! I'm not willing to sacrifice privacy having to have my creative ideas "reviewed" and possibly stored on their cloud.... especially when its MY art and ideas for my business. Wondering if they have agreement clauses on intellectual rights? I'm just not willing to risk that.....plus having to pay extra to unlock features on an already expensive machine.... thats like buying a car with heated seats but having to subscribe to use them! Ridiculous! You just saved me lots of money!! Thank you!!
The privacy thing compounds even more now when user designs are most likely used as the data set they use for their AI generation tool. Thanks for watching
Im always looking for new equipment to help me with my art. Thank you for thus video. With the issues this machine has you have saved me lot of time and money as I wont be purchasing one.
Thank you so much for this review. Makes me so glad I decided not to get the Glowforge. My issue was price, but now that I am aware of these operational issues, my mind is at ease for not making the purchase.
Like you, I was taken in by the Glowforge marketing. If I had it to do all over, I would not have purchased the Glowforge. One additional issue, for us is the shipping. We are in Canada, and to bring in a spare door lid cable, which retails for about $20, ends up costing over $150 to get to my door. Because of this, proof grade material or spare parts are prohibitively expensive. I have already had to have a new cable installed, via warranty, but eventually, I will be forced to cover the cost of shipping. Surely Glowforge can arrange alternate shipping at a more reasonable cost.
I bought the glowforge pro and air filter. I wanted to start a business on it. I’m not doing as well as I feel I can but I don’t think it’s a bad tool. It’s just not the best laser. But you’re correct the glow-forge isn’t what it’s cracked out to be had I known now I would have gotten a proper cnc
Very helpful. Thanks for saving me thousands. My shop is Festool and I’m considering an Avid CNC. Looks like the money will go to Avid and a potential laser attachment.
Thanks for that information that was very helpful good job I have an 18 year old Universal laser system with a 50 watt laser and it's a Powerhouse Workhorse but I have been interested in the glowforge but now I'm going to run the other direction
I have a work around for the temp issues during summer, but this might take a little light work(really not that much). But can you order a replacement reservoir 2 holes un the new reservoir and get some rubber tubing and a small water chiller off of amazon. It might take you adding an exterior reservoir because most of the good chillers are for a minimum of 5 gallon, like I linked, but anything else you'd find would work off replacing ice water all the time.
I have been considering a similar work around, just trying to work up the courage to do it and make sure that I can patch things up if they don't go as planned. Thanks for watching
I suppose you could, but that would be for a very short term gain and would change the inherent level of the coolant which is something other than water, I believe.
I've had mine for 2 years now. I love mine as much as the day I got it. I use mine at least 2-3 days a week making prototypes or stamps for pottery. I can't see not having one. We have a cool makers space locally that has Epilog lasers. The Epilogs are way faster and if I had a production business and needed multiple copies of engraved items I would use the maker space or if I needed a large piece cut but even with access to $50,000 Epilog lasers I still choose to stay home and use the Glowforge. As far as the software goes I don't use premium, I do all my designs in Illustrator and upload them. I don't use copyrighted designs or anything that that would get me in trouble, if Glowforge wants to look at my pottery texture stamp designs so be it. In a perfect world I would like offline capability. I keep mine in the basement which is cold so I've never had an issue temperature wise.
I'm glad it is working for you. I have several friends who absolutely love it. I just wish some of the other issues were addressed... it would make it an absolutely killer machine if they did. Thanks for watching.
You did a good job with this video, at first I thought it was an infomercial for Glow Farce. I bought my K40 when they were still $350, I put a new bed in it ($40 parts from Lowes and Ace) an inline fan ($20 on Amazon). The GF looks good but the software thing was a no starter for me! I wished I had bought the 60watt last year when they were $1,700 now there're $2,300. Whit that machine I'll go from cutting 3mm(1/8 in) to 6mm (1/4") wood of any kind just about. I wonder could you put another motherboard( Ruida control and power supply about $410) and bypass that GF crap?
I also have a k40 and fixed it up to be a pretty good machine. As far as bypassing the controls on the glowforge, I know some people were working on it, but have not been successful yet
You might want to check out the Gweike Cloud Pro - its a Glowforge clone without the dependence on the paywall; plus it includes many many more features.
Solid, was really thinking about this. I don’t like big brother monitoring nor have to pay a subscription after paying 3 to 5k.The cooling and cut height are a deal breaker, as mine would be in the garage as well
Gweike have a 50w model similar to glow forge pro with external air filter and air assist. I’ve put a deposit down on one when they did presale for the pro model. It offers identical features but they have their own desktop software and it’s compatible with Lightburn. Would be interested if you could get your hands on one of those to do a review.
I've seen they're machine and I'm curious about it. The only thing that made me skeptical is that it is also cloud based.. I might work with them in the near future though.
Thank you thank you thank you So much for this review. I’m looking for a intuitive laser to engrave jewelry. I almost bought this. And I agree if I would at this price I will be livid with the amount of problems it has. So thank you for shedding the light on the issues with the glow forge because they really have good marketing and is easily deceiving.
There are a lot of diode lasers that are now releasing infared laser modules that are specifically made for engraving jewelry. Search Ortur or xTool infared lasers for more info
Great that you have the balls to shoot us straight. I feel like a lot of other folks talking about glowforge are blowing smoke at this point. It reminds me of the Cricut in that if you don't buy there subscription for the hardware, you are hamstrung. Had I know that from the jump I would have looked for an alternative. As for the C02 laser, looks like the Omtech might be a good option but you never know until you put your money on the table.
Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, it looks like subscription models are here to stay. I just wish Glowforge was a little more transparent about the limits of their machines and how they treat user data. Thanks for watching
Wow. Thanks for this review. I was really looking at these, but requiring a subscription for more than BASIC use, and internet based control (and they store your designs???) NOPE. Will be looking at other alternatives.
Just to be clear, the comment about storing your designs was simply commentary about what could be done... I don't know if they actually do that. Thanks for watching
Yea ..... was ready to spend 6 grand on the pro this video woke me up thank you for posting it. You just cost them 6 thousand in sales I hope the fix all the things you told them to fix , otherwise this company is doomed. so thank you again for posting they make it look so easy and the family around the machine on the counter lol thanks again for keeping me from being a gloforge sucker!!
Hey, stumbled across this recently. Have had my GF since 2017 (bought in 2015 during the second campaign) and can attest to everything spoken here. Not sure you will see this since its been more than 6 months :) but eh. I was lucky enough to get the Premium access at 14.99/month as a founder. I still have it and probably won't end it. Personally, it gives me a free design each month that ranges in price from $10 to $25 or more to make up for it. Obviously, this is a poor selling feature for many other commenters. Currently, the biggest thing I agree with you on is that this is more of a hobby machine and not really a business machine IMO BUT that may also be because I really don't have the mindset for making it a business....? I am hoping to turn that around but like others, I have the issue of it not cutting all the way thru. It seems to me a lot like the Jeep issue I had: others have a great experience with Jeep, but mine could not be trusted.
Good video, sorry though, seems like you are being extremely patient because it's very limited to your lifestyle. I bought a Makeblock and was simply wondering if your software was proprietary. If seems like the Glowforge will do really nice pictures and the Makeblock struggles with that. But I did not buy it for that. I can remove the honey comb grate, I have mine inside the house office, but I do have it vented. Can you use Lightburn with it? I ended up buying a Ortur Pro 2 as well.
I knew about some of the drawbacks of the Glowforge when I bought it, I just didn't know how much it would impact my workflow. As far as lightburn goes, no Glowforge will not run it.
Thank you for this info. I am looking at getting in this market, but the pay as you go is not cool. Also the garage I am in is not cooled so it would be useless for me in the summer.
Personally I've had nothing but a great experience with the glowforge. Simple software, and easy to learn. Of course it's not perfect but I'm very happy with my purchase.
I'm glad... I know a lot of people that are very happy with their machines... and then there are some of us whose experience has not been as pleasant. And even with that said, I still use my Glowforge a lot. I've learned to work around a lot of the things that don't work as expected.
Universal has a vector trace ability where you can run the program with the door open (and thus not activating the cut) with a laser pointer following the path of the laser cutting or engraving path. That seems like such a basic functionality for accurately testing the location of an intended cut.
I wish I would've found this video sooner. I purchased a Glowforge Plus. Because of the set up in my house it took me 3 months to set it up once received and it never cut right. I just always assumed it was user error. Since I passed the warranty I had to pay for replace it for a refurbished machine which I'm hoping works. I should've done better researched, save a little more and gotten a better laser machine.
This problem is becoming systemic. I have a feeling that they've grown faster than they can handle and quality assurance has declined along with them spending more on marketing than updating and improving their product line. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for this video! I hope you see this, I didn’t notice the date of the video, it’s drivable from last year or so!! Lol. Anyway, I was surprised to see that someone else has a problem with the calibration of their Glowforge. Ours is off by triple compaired to yours. If I could send a picture through TH-cam I would. I was wondering if you contacted Glowforge and if they were able to help you at all? Well thanks again for the video, and if you did get help, or were able to fix it yourself, could you let me know? We can only use our Glowforge if we cut something out of a solid piece of wood, so it won’t start cutting the crumb board, or cutting over what you just cut, or just right off the board. I’ve called Glowforge 2 weeks ago, with a gentle reminder email or 2 and a phone call! Well thanks again karen
Glowforge tends to be more responsive with their online help, I have a feeling they don't like answering email. I have contacted them before about the camera issue and their response was to run the calibration program to calibrate the camera. I ran the calibration twice and its better but still not as accurate as I want it to be. I hope you're able to get this resolved. Thanks for watching
I just got a makeblock M1 from kickstarter for a good price. There are higher end models they have. If i were you maybe look into it and see what you think. I loved to know your thoughts.
I looked at the M1, I'm not sure that a combo vinyl and laser cutter is right for my shop. I do like the idea of machines that fit more than one need though
@@GeekBuildersNet so far I've cut out a super awesome project out of wood and ingraved a wood tag. I'm going to be using it for wood mostly. I might engrave a pet tag here tomorrow but so far I've heard nothing but awesome stuff about the different products they do carry as far as machines go. Glowforge I can't stop hearing bad stuff about. It's not good. Just a thought.
There are quite a few, Muse is one of them... There's also Dremel, Makeblock, Full Spectrum Laser, Epilog Laser, and all of the k40/ "Chinese Laser" variants
Depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to primarily engrave, XTOOL, if you want to do a fair bit of cutting and you don't mind tinkering and modifying, then K40
Thanks for a great video. Kept my interest the whole time, not many videos can do that. If I had paid for a GF and then learned GF wants more $ to process my file faster I would blow a gasket. You have a K40. What do you think of getting just a K40 stepper control board and doing a GF brain transplant? Cooling would improve if the return water passes through an external radiator with a fan on it. Mount the radiator flat and at the same height as the water tank. Avoids problems with hydraulic head. Next step could be a tiny window ac unit that just chills the external radiator in a closed recirculating cold air loop.
I think getting a k40 and making your own is a great idea. I've made several modifications to mine and I am pretty happy with it. I know several other people who have replaced the control board and added things like an external chiller and cameras to make it an even more robust machine for a fraction of the price of a GF
@@GeekBuildersNet What I meant to say was modifying the gf by taking out the oem controller and replacing it with a k40 controller. Would that make sense?
Thanks for this honest review. I decided to hold off on purchasing because of it. My environment would be the same if not hotter. I’d be very upset if this became a paper weight for me too. I’m also curious to know what laser you’d buy instead. Any recommendations?
Thanks for the review. My buying intentions kind of changed after watching. But after reading the comments. My mind is really made up. I’m not going the Glowforge way. I was actually on GF website with intention to place an order for the pro. Just wanted to check out some reviews if the Pro was worth the extra cost. Stumbled on your review and no I will continue to look for something else. Thank you and I hope it works out for you.
Great video. THANK you sooooo much for this review... I watched every minute! I have the order screen open right now on their website... while I'm trying to check out reviews... lol But of course the Ads never tell you about the down sides- especially about the pay wall and the requirement to upload/vet/download designs. This has been so helpful. Can you post a link to your favorite machine(s)- for a novice user? (in case I missed it)
First, I would categorize the Glowforge as a novice machine... In fact, that is part of the reason for their paywall. But for non-glowforge entry level machines, I would recommend looking at the Full Spectrum Muse and the MakeBlock Laser X. I don't have personal experience with either machine, but they do some things better than the Glowforge and are in the same relative price range.
I've had mine a couple of months now keep it clean and calibrated often no problems. My only issue is with monthly subscription for premium services that should be free. Apart from that fantastic machine 👏
I really want to like it more. If it didn't have the cooling problem and the inconsistency of cutting material, I wouldn't have much negative feedback about the machine.
@GeekBuilders Reach out to glowforge and ask them to perform remote assistance on your machine to check and test for issues. I know others have had these issues resolved afterwards.
I'm glad somebody else thought the server stuff was a red flag. I'm a software developer, so I imagine they funnel you through their servers partially so that they can use your designs to make their own. I'm sure you've noticed they sell designs. Also, web apps can be packaged into "desktop apps" so it's not even really necessary to require an internet connection, so I'm not sure why it's mandatory. They could just make an offline option to download.
My work laser has a second laser pointer that can be calibrated to be in line with the cutting laser, and I use that to trace the outline of my cuts by sending 2 files to the machine. One where the cutting laser is at 0 and the other with my actual cut. I use the laser power set to 0 to frame my cut on my part beforehand. I wonder if you could do the same thing with your machine!
A lot of people will cut the outside profile on a test piece and then place the final piece inside the previous cut. This can work well, but adds an extra step that I would like to avoid.....but in the end, I may not have a choice
Very nicely stated, I have had my glowforge for 3 months but have only started using it with in the last month on a regular basis. I have had a lot of the issues you have except heating up, one mine is a pro plus and I buy for the subscription. It is in my craft room and I purchase the external fan off Amazon. I am not a laser or software user so trying to learn all the settings when you use non proof grade wood has been such a pain. I use the setting recommended from the people I buy the wood from and one time it will work and 5 minutes later it wont cut through. The line up for the camera doesn't line up proper even after I do all the calibration and cleaning (mind you I have not used it enough to get it that Smokey.) I have been on the community board for glowforge and see a lot of my issues listed but when I do what they recommend for the fix its hit or miss if it will work. So I can totally related to your video issues. Now with this all being said I do love it when it works correctly, I can make lots of beautiful things I could not without it. I do wish they would work on the software to correct at least that and the camera alignment issues. Thank you for the review, now I don't feel like its all operator error.
Thank you for your comment, its nice know that we are not alone with some of these frustrations. As far as using the non proof grade materials. Someone in the community forum has a spreadsheet with all of the custom speed and power rates for various materials. If I can find the link, I will post it here.
@@GeekBuildersNet thank you.
@@texasnana824 Here the direct link for that spreadsheet, docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sWOebDU94HwezYPbHa3YdtXjpLbEl_vEPvCb1dSByL4/edit#gid=582951492
@@GeekBuildersNet Thank you
@joe Krakowiecki Is the heatsink only on the pro? I didn't think the basic had passive cooling
Very accurate review. I bought the pro, and have had buyers remorse since. I'm a manufacturing professional, and have found the glowforge to be nothing but an expensive toy. It's Unreliable, inaccurate and requires frustrating software. You hit the mark with this video.
I wish this wasn't the case. I really want to like the machine
I wonder if you guys can claw some money back by selling it. I for one am glad to benefit from your experiences, prior to making a purchase!
@@Nunyabizn3ss We will find a way to earn some of the money back. We just need to find a small work around for some items.
@@GeekBuildersNet that would make for an interesting video, and could help other dissatisfied Glowforge owners. Thanks again for your work.
Whatcdo you wish you wouldve bought instead
The design software being behind a paywall is a huge deal breaker for me. Thanks for the video.
Their design software is minimal at best, but having some basic functions behind a paywall is odd
@@PatchesMacPatches A lot of people were surprised by this. I know that it is quickly becoming a standard with internet based machines.
@@PatchesMacPatches just get a WiFi extender, my netgear gets signal 300ft. Was very cheap and a few years old so modern extenders will probably suit you fine
Thank you this was very helpful 😃
@@PatchesMacPatches Get a Thunder laser or an Epilog. The Epilog is more costly than Thunder.
I really appreciate the stark honesty in this video. My husband is considering purchasing and he wondered about all these things you discussed. Your video talks about several considerations others have not. So very much appreciated.
Thanks for watching
Pheeew!!! I’m so glad I stumbled upon this video. I was toying with the idea of getting one. For that price, and the issues you mentioned, I’m best to save my money. Thanks!!
There are other lasers of this caliber in the price range that might work better for your purposes.
@@GeekBuildersNetWould appreciate getting some suggestions from you!
@@leonardozenoficial If you are looking for a CO2 laser, I recommend looking into the Full Spectrum Muse, if your needs can be met by a diode laser, for a significantly lower price, I recommend the XTool D1
I have owned my Glowforge Pro since July of last year. I also purchased the HEPA filter add on filter system (by Glowforge) with it for use when the weather doesn't permit me to vent it out of the window. I keep mine in the house where the temperature never drops below 72 degrees Fahrenheit. I also purchased the cloud9 external fan that many Glowforge owners add to their setup. Its very quiet because in the settings I have bypassed the mediocre internal fan (since its not needed after my upgrades). I keep it clean just as you do. It has ran 12 hours a day for 7 days a week ever since (I'm positive it would run 24/7 if I needed it to). I'm not trying to act as a GF fanboy here, but I haven't experienced a single problem with mine. I also know many people in the maker community that have owned their GF pro for 3 plus years with no issues to speak of. Now, I'm sure I'll have to replace the CO2 tube eventually, and that will cost about $400 usd when the time comes (they last 2-4 years). as for the camera alignment issue you speak of, I have yet to experience that.
I'm glad to hear that it is working that well for you. I imagine that a large part is a result of the larger reservoir and better cooling for the pro. I have two pros at work with the HEPA filter as well. The camera alignment is fairly common, but not sure about its real prevalence. I think some people might misunderstand my critique of the machine... I think its good... I just wish it was a little better so I could call it great
THANK YOU! Im 29 and was about to drop 6k on the glowforge pro as my first large piece of equipment. Knowing that on top of that you have to pay their subscription for the software immediately changed my mind. I guess its back to the drawing board lol youre a hero for posting this!
The Glowforge is still a decent machine, just not as good as it should be. And if Glowforge isn't quite right for you, there are some other lasers in that price range that might offer a little more of what you're looking for.
@@GeekBuildersNet any suggestions on other lasers?
@@jeffgorchynski I recommend looking into the Full Spectrum Muse and the xTool Laserblock as a comparison. I do not have personal experience with either laser, but there are quite a few people that like them
@@GeekBuildersNet thank you!
I adore my Glowforge, one of my favorite tools I've ever owned. The fact that it more than paid for itself through the referral program within the first year was just a bonus. Yes it does have it's quirks, although most of my problems were from me learning to use the machine. Any time I ever had a question the Glowforge community forums were a saving grace, especially for a beginner laser enthusiast. There is so much knowledge and support to learn just about everything you could need to know. Having said that I'm sure that it isn't for everyone nor every situation and user experience is diverse from person to person. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
As someone who owns two product-based businesses, I'll say the problems you describe sound like what happens when MBAs take control of a company. You can just imagine some Glowforge exec telling a room full of investors, "...but the real money is in subscriptions!"
I agree...
Yup, it's pretty thirsty and insulting.
So true. I cringed when I read that. I've sat in meetings like that.
YOWSA!! I was going to watch some other glowforge reviews, but after the whole part about online aspects, I’ll pass all together. Thanks for the informative review
Yeah, the online aspect is becoming a lot more standard for machines like this, there should at least be an option for local connection
I've been eyeing the Glowforge for a few weeks now and just came upon your video. I really appreciate your honest review on the product and hope you have found effective ways of getting around the issues that were stated. Best wishes.
No laser cutter is perfect and there are always workarounds that are needed. I have been able to overcome most of them, but the overheating issue during the summer is still the most problematic. Thanks for watching!!
You're a money saver. All the other people reviewing seem paid because it's loved too much. Your honest review saved a lot of people money. Thankyou.
A lot of people do genuinely love the machine and it works great for them... but there are a few issues that people should know before buying and that was the primary purpose. Thanks for watching.
I can't thank you enough for this video. I'm sorry that it cost you time and money to save me on those things. I found your video easy to follow, even though I have never once used this kind of machine. I have a circut maker, so... I love it! I'm looking to move forward to a more advanced machine for cutting details into wood. I really appreciate the information you gave on the software for this machine, because I design all of my own projects, and I would hate to have a major company take the rights to my designs because they "monitor" what I'm creating. So a big thank your for hat.
Just to be clear, I don't see any indication that any right will be taken, just that they could implement a system if pressured to do so by private corporations. Thanks for watching.
There was a Glowforge commercial as soon as I clicked on this LOL. Been on the fence for awhile now about this, thank you for the video and honest review.
Just to be clear, the Glowforge is still a very good machine... it just has some features that should make people do a second take before committing to the purchase. Thanks for watching
Thank you kindly for your time in providing this assessment.
Have a blessed day.
Thanks for watching
First let me say this is a fair and balanced review. That being said I ran into all of the same issues you mentioned and have come up with perfectly acceptable (in my mind anyway) work arounds. I had an old Epilog as my first laser and found out pretty quickly that lasers don't like extreme temps - hot or cold. So when I went looking for a new laser I fully expected it would live in my house where the ambient temps are 72. As soon as my GF arrived so did my 6" inline fan. The sound is perfectly acceptable in that configuration. The camera is kind of a waste really. It's only function for me is to make sure my stuff is within the cut area. I do have a process for precisely engraving things like round coasters, etc and I think it's more accurate than even doing a test firing in my opinion. Not always cutting through materials is usually a function more of the quality of the material you're cutting from what I've found. The paywall thing with the designer...eh..I looked at it for five mins and decided it was more like a tool for people who are unwilling to learn how to use graphic software like Inkscape or Illustrator. I decided to learn Illustrator and can't imaging using anything the paywall has to offer. I actually like the fact that you can use it wirelessly. I mean all of my other printers are wireless. The one concern I have is that if GF every went out of business I'd be dead in the water until the community found a work around. Another really significant issue that I haven't experienced yet is beyond simple maintenance. Like if a belt broke or your tube needs to be recharged. The only option you have is to send back your unit and they ship you a refurb. Not a fan of that idea. Just send me the damn part. It is though one of the most user friendly lasers on the planet. I could consider more of an appliance really. Don't want to have to learn about networking? Don't want to have to deal with the nitty gritty of running a laser? This is it.
Well said
Would you be willing to tell us your process for precisely aligning? Our camera is always giving us issues with alignment. Thanks.
@@GarrenteedCreations I will try to make a follow up video within the next week to demonstrate a method that I came across.
@@GeekBuildersNet Excellent, thanks!
As a process engineer thanks for stating the obvious. Every single piece of manufacturing equipment will have pros and cons, most of them use proprietary software, the quirks with process control are the bread and butter of why we product/process engineers exist. There are many factors at play when deciding which piece of equipment to buy for me Glowforge is the perfect machine for non-engineers, I wanted a machine to play around with and show my mom and siblings what is possible with a basic laser and it is perfect for that. For a manufacturing business this is definitely not the machine, I would look at LPKF and the like.
This is the FIRST honest review I've ever seen of this thing. All of these issues were predictable before it was even out of the kickstarter but dissenting opinions were drowned out by gushing reviews from folks who got it free and... who never owned a k40.
I own a k40 as well. Because of the various things I engrave, I end up using the Glowforge and the K40 equally. But, if I was going to do all this over again, I would have bought the higher model k40 laser.
Which k40 laser would you reccomend?
Big thanks to people like you! Honest review from end user is what we all appreciate. I'm looking for my first Laser and it's NOT going to be Glowforge!!!!
That means a lot. Thanks for watching
I am glad I found your video before I invested my money. I was looking at buying this to start a home based business. But after watching your excellent and in depth review. I will look else where. I am sorry you have these problems, but I am glad you were honest in your review.
Thanks for watching... There are several other lasers in this category that might be a better fit for you.
Thank you so much for your honesty. I think a lot of other videos are all about getting the sales and the money when someone purchases one with their code. Not saying I wont get one but I am going to way my options now.
I do have my referral code posted in the video description, but it didn't seem right pushing it in the video....#conflictofinterest
Ok this is gonna sound really weird but whatever gonna just go for it.... we have the same last name lol and just so happen to be looking at engravers... interesting too aside from the military everybody with the same name is Caucasian 🤔 I’ve found most in SC ... just out of curiosity i searched the last name on maps see if any town or anything named after us pretty interesting what pops up. Anyways enjoy the rest of your day hope this message wasn’t too weird
Been thinking about purchasing the GF, you really helped me in making my decision . Thank you!!
Thanks for watching
I have owned one for 7 years and never had a problem. Across that time the software has been updated with new features many times that makes the machine better than it was when I bought it. All of the premium features in the subscriptions are simple design tools that should be accomplished in your design software. I do wish the machine was faster.
I'm glad that it has worked out for you. I have a few Pros that I use at work and work pretty well for the most part. If Glowforge kept up with their R&D and did not force the always connected aspect of their machines, I would probably have stayed exclusively Glowforge. Thanks for watching.
Thank you so much for this! I too have been wanting to try it. I think I will keep looking.
Best thing would be to find someone that has one and ask if you can test it out
Just learning about the pay wall made the decision easy for me. Thank you for the review. Just saved me 6k.
Glad to help
Thank You for the review! I was leaning toward the glowforge but not now. I will look at thunder, and AP.
Thanks for watching
Thank you for doing this video. It definitely hits home on wasting hard earned money to buy a laser and not get the performance or protection.
I'm hoping to compare it to some other lasers in the near future to see if these issue are common. Thanks for watching
That subscription thing and always connected issue is a full dealbreaker for me. Thanks for the video!
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching
Appreciate the straightforward and honest 'user' review. I'm considering buying a GF but after watching your video, some of the issues/frustrations mentioned are now something I have to consider and think through.
Despite its problems, it’s still a pretty good machine. The machine cooling is my biggest frustration though. Thanks for watching
Very eye opening and insightful. Thanks for the review. The software and cooling are deal breakers to me for sure.
Thanks for watching
Thank you for such an honest and easy to watch video. I've been wanting a Glowforge since I first saw them raising money to have them produced...which seemed like it would never happen. Living in Australia, our summer can get very hot, so knowing that it will likely be out of action many months of the year is a deal breaker for me. I'll keep looking into other options. Many thanks again.
Thanks for watching
A very watchable review. Well structured, well paced, informative and very well presented. Thanks for that; keep up the good work 👍🏻
Much appreciated. Thanks for watching
I have had three big issues with Glowforge. First it would't focus, so they gave us a replacement. Next, the laser broke and we got another replacement. Now, a year and a half later, our lid came unglued and it will cost us $1600 to fix (after paying $6000 for the pro model). We are not happy and will be finding another laser cutter. I also agree with the problems with the paywall. I wish they had simple line and circle tools without the price - and paying to increase processing fee feels frustrating. Thanks for the honest review.
Thanks for watching. Sorry to hear about all the troubles you've had.
I have had my glowforge for 2 years now. I Experienced some of the issues you did, and I also have some solutions for you as well. I live in Arizona and that first summer was killer with constant cooling down errors. I added a window Ac, I directed the air to the intake at the front right side of the machine, I bought a beefier window ac, ac set at 69 degrees...... I fixed the issue, How? On the backnof the laser head is a tiny fan. CLEAN THIS FAN,. I literally went from cooling errors every few minutes, to 0 errors in over 1 year, by cleaning that fan every few months. In fact, room temp has not even mattered. Camera issue. The camera us there to assist buy us not super accurate. A solution is making a simple jig. I have a TH-cam channel where I do all kinds of glowforge tutorials, and that is one of the latest. lithosandlasers is the name. For items larger than .5 inches, you need to remove the crumbtray. The key her is that the item can then be up to 2 inches, and most be within .5 inches of the laser head. I use little wooden risers for this. you can search for MATERIAL RISERS IN MEDIUM DRAFTBOARD to find the files. They work awesome. Hope this helps.
Having the clean fan hasn't made a difference for my particular machine. As far as cooling goes, I've avoided the air conditioner hack mainly because I don't want to have to run an additional unit to fix what I thought Glowforge should have build better... but I may not have much of a choice. As for the camera, I've made templates and they're useful at times, but there are also a lot of times when I just need it to align better. With all that being said, I appreciate the tips. Thanks for watching.
@GeekBuilders To be clear, the fan O am referring to is not the air assist, that blows the air out of your cut path, but the tiny fan on the laser head itself. It's job is to cool the laser head, and blow debris away from the lens. Best of luck :)
@@LithosAndLasers Got it. Thanks for the tip
@GeekBuilders Anytime, Hope it helps.
I just stumbled upon your video. I applaud your review. It’s very accurate. I’ve owned a pro with premium subscription for a year and a half. I have successfully used it maybe 8 times. If it’s not the connectivity problem, it’s the overheating. It’s housed in my garage as we have three other people in the house working from home so it’s too loud for indoors. The area I live in has an average outdoor temperature of 78°. Which shouldn’t be all that bad, but after seeing the size of the cooling tank, that tells me a lot of people have temperature problems. The alignment is a joke. Piecing orders together due to alignment problems is a thing. Have I used my GF more than 8 times??? Yes, I’ve tried, truly tried. It is a very expensive hobby make as it’s not reliable enough for me to build a business.
I'm still hoping that they come out with a fix or even an addon tank/chiller for the laser. Thanks for watching
Thank you for the review! I was on the fence…this definitely helped.
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching
Thank you for making up my mind
Glad to help. ( I hope)_, Thanks for watching
Thank you so so much, my husband and I want one but we have had a tone of questions. You answered a lot of them. Thank you so much. I well let you know how it goes.
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
One of the most accurate reviews. We regret buying ours deeply unfortunately
I have seen a lot of similar responses. I really wish they would address and fix some of these issues
@@GeekBuildersNet completely agree, we run a business based around the machine so with it being so undependable it really hurts us. We have the pro and are having issues with the pass through feature. Just like you said “I really want to like it” is our exact feeling. It has everything we want in a machine but at the end of the day it’s far too inconsistent! I hope for your sake they fix the issues.
@@GeekBuildersNet we are on our 2nd machine through warranty and quality didn’t improve at all. Our first machine the connections Sauter was completely detached. We also had issues with the back ribbon. Come to find out on the second machine the laser head is defective. We worry about replacement part prices once our warranty ends. Just like you said hopefully they do something!
Hey this video was amazing, and very honest I also want it to add that if you are starting and have never had a laser before , this is the easy way to go because of how user friendly it is. I know have owe 2 glowforge and an omtech 130 which when you use another machine you see the difference but I am thankful for glowforge because I learned and I have made a lot of income to pay each machine plus the bigger one. So if you are new to the laser world I think glowforge is the way to start , your video was on point and I hope glowforge watch’s it so they can improve it. Thank you
Thanks for your feedback. and I agree, the Glowforge is pretty user friendly and is a fantastic starter machine for a lot of people. And I would gladly do a follow up video if Glowforge improves any of the issues I talked about. Thanks for watching
Absolutely awesome review of the glowforge. Honest and informing.
Thanks. Hope it was helpful
I've been debating buying a laser cutter for my business and was being pulled in hard towards the GlowForge Pro by the reviews and demos from users on TH-cam. Not one of them provided the thorough review you did. Thank you for your honesty in this review. Buying any equipment for $6k is a huge investment for small businesses. I'm going to have to do a little more research before, as you say, "... opening my wallet," to figure out if I'm willing to be tied to an online platform or if there is a comparable laser cutter that doesn't tie me to internet service.
There are quite a few good lasers that might offer what you are looking for. Here are a few you can look into and consider (I have no affiliation with any of these companies) Full Spectrum, Epilog, Thunder Laser, Aeon, Boss Laser, Omtechlaser
@@GeekBuildersNet thank you. I appreciate the leads and will check them out! 😃
Thank you for this very honest review. Subscription on top of purchase is a simple a non-starter for me. Complete change of mind on purchase after watching your opinion. Thank you.
On a side note... remember that the subscription is not required or needed in most instances... Thanks for watching
Thank you for your review. The laser engraver youtube space seems to be riddled with "reviews" that are clearly bought. So it's nice to see an honest review!
I appreciate that. Thanks for watching
I am doing my research on a laser machine to start my own business. After watching your video, I can honestly say I am going to pass on the Glowforge 100%. Other reviews have stated the machine is loud but yet to "show" the sounds coming from it. Absolutely sounds like a blower! I was concerned about the software and that the machine only works with WIFI. I am consistently seeing that the 40w-45w laser does not produce the best quality or cut through product well and the Gf only has those options. You undoubtedly answered all my questions and wanted to thank you! For anyone interested in a really good laser, the Aeon MIRA 7 60w or MIRA 9 ($$) so far is one of the best "do everything and more" lasers out there. Thanks again for the help.
I'm glad the video was useful. Just one additional comment though, the machine is loud, but that can be fixed with adding an inline fan and then disabling the internal Glowforge fan. It is an extra cost, its one of the more minor annoyances of the machine. Thanks for watching
I'm a big Festool fan. I own many of their products and share the appreciation of the brand. I'm glad I found your video concerning Glowforge. I'm researching options and you did a great job of showing me the machine and showing me the good and bad of ownership. I have to say that this pay as you go issue was not clear to me when visiting the Glowforge website. I'm a hobbyist and do not make my living from my tools. My discretionary income allows me to appreciate brands such as Festool or perhaps Glowforge. I will pay for premium quality and capability even if the tool is beyond my skill level. What I don't want to pay for is a tool that only works seasonably---summer heat or winter cold. Unless of course if it is a snowblower or conversely a lawnmower--although both run all year they do not have much utility at times. I cannot imagine a tool that should work but doesn't even in the most moderate of climates such as in a garage. I hope Glowforge is listening to you---to me---and to all the commenters.
Just to clarify, the pay as you go model only applies to using their clip art, premade files, some design functionality, and "fast lane" access. If you are familiar with designing images and vector files, you don't necessarily need to purchase their subscription plan. I just want to make sure that there is no misunderstanding on that front. And... I hope Glowforge is listening as well.
Thank you! This was an excellent review and I hope glowforge pays attention to it.
My dad really wants one of these and I was going to see about having the family pitch in to get it for Christmas, but after watching this I dont think thats such a good idea any more. He would be furioys about the subscription requirment for simple features. His shop is cooled in the summer so the cooling would probably be ok... but the camera issue and the subscription are deal breakers.
There are a few other options in this category of laser cutter. I know there are some people that have been pretty happy with the muse and the Makeblock Laser. I don't remember which ones allow for offline functionality though.
Thank you for the heads up cause it was my dream tool and now I understand
It still can be. It is probably the most used tool in my shop right now. The video was really intended to inform, not scare people away from it.
You crack me up!!! 😂👍
Glad I watched this video before making a stupid decision....thank you!
Just to be clear, the Glowforge is still a good machine, but far from perfect. Thanks for watching.
The setting to use an external carbon filter slows the fan. Low flow is needed to scrub smoke.
That is good to know. Thanks for watching
THANK YOU for your video. I was just trying to figure out how I could afford the GFPro. You're right, the promotional adds are enticing and they make operation sound seamless. I just thank God that I saw your video before investing.
Thanks for watching!!
I appreciate this honest review! I'm not willing to sacrifice privacy having to have my creative ideas "reviewed" and possibly stored on their cloud.... especially when its MY art and ideas for my business. Wondering if they have agreement clauses on intellectual rights? I'm just not willing to risk that.....plus having to pay extra to unlock features on an already expensive machine.... thats like buying a car with heated seats but having to subscribe to use them! Ridiculous! You just saved me lots of money!! Thank you!!
The privacy thing compounds even more now when user designs are most likely used as the data set they use for their AI generation tool. Thanks for watching
Im always looking for new equipment to help me with my art. Thank you for thus video. With the issues this machine has you have saved me lot of time and money as I wont be purchasing one.
There are some other good options in this price range. I hope you find what you're looking for
Thank you so much for this review. Makes me so glad I decided not to get the Glowforge. My issue was price, but now that I am aware of these operational issues, my mind is at ease for not making the purchase.
Thanks for watching
Thank you for being very transparent this has saved lot of time for lots of people once they realize its not that simple thank you very much!
Thanks for watching.
Like you, I was taken in by the Glowforge marketing. If I had it to do all over, I would not have purchased the Glowforge. One additional issue, for us is the shipping. We are in Canada, and to bring in a spare door lid cable, which retails for about $20, ends up costing over $150 to get to my door. Because of this, proof grade material or spare parts are prohibitively expensive. I have already had to have a new cable installed, via warranty, but eventually, I will be forced to cover the cost of shipping. Surely Glowforge can arrange alternate shipping at a more reasonable cost.
I hope they can cover the shipping for you, good customer service might be the only way they're going to be able to retain their customers.
I bought the glowforge pro and air filter. I wanted to start a business on it. I’m not doing as well as I feel I can but I don’t think it’s a bad tool. It’s just not the best laser. But you’re correct the glow-forge isn’t what it’s cracked out to be had I known now I would have gotten a proper cnc
A good CNC is invaluable. Thanks for watching
Thanks for the video, you just saved me A LOT of money!
Glad it helped
Very helpful. Thanks for saving me thousands. My shop is Festool and I’m considering an Avid CNC. Looks like the money will go to Avid and a potential laser attachment.
I'll trade you the glowforge for your AVID CNC haha!
Well, glad I saw this and read the reviews before I pulled the trigger.
Thanks for watching
Thanks for that information that was very helpful good job I have an 18 year old Universal laser system with a 50 watt laser and it's a Powerhouse Workhorse but I have been interested in the glowforge but now I'm going to run the other direction
The universal laser can do a lot more than the Glowforge... Thanks for watching
I have a work around for the temp issues during summer, but this might take a little light work(really not that much). But can you order a replacement reservoir 2 holes un the new reservoir and get some rubber tubing and a small water chiller off of amazon. It might take you adding an exterior reservoir because most of the good chillers are for a minimum of 5 gallon, like I linked, but anything else you'd find would work off replacing ice water all the time.
I have been considering a similar work around, just trying to work up the courage to do it and make sure that I can patch things up if they don't go as planned. Thanks for watching
I've never used a tube type laser but I wonder about dropping some ice in the water reservoir.
I suppose you could, but that would be for a very short term gain and would change the inherent level of the coolant which is something other than water, I believe.
Thanks for this Great Message Not too many owners are brave enough to say what is true
Thanks for watching
I've had mine for 2 years now. I love mine as much as the day I got it. I use mine at least 2-3 days a week making prototypes or stamps for pottery. I can't see not having one. We have a cool makers space locally that has Epilog lasers. The Epilogs are way faster and if I had a production business and needed multiple copies of engraved items I would use the maker space or if I needed a large piece cut but even with access to $50,000 Epilog lasers I still choose to stay home and use the Glowforge. As far as the software goes I don't use premium, I do all my designs in Illustrator and upload them. I don't use copyrighted designs or anything that that would get me in trouble, if Glowforge wants to look at my pottery texture stamp designs so be it. In a perfect world I would like offline capability. I keep mine in the basement which is cold so I've never had an issue temperature wise.
I'm glad it is working for you. I have several friends who absolutely love it. I just wish some of the other issues were addressed... it would make it an absolutely killer machine if they did. Thanks for watching.
You did a good job with this video, at first I thought it was an infomercial for Glow Farce. I bought my K40 when they were still $350, I put a new bed in it ($40 parts from Lowes and Ace) an inline fan ($20 on Amazon). The GF looks good but the software thing was a no starter for me! I wished I had bought the 60watt last year when they were $1,700 now there're $2,300. Whit that machine I'll go from cutting 3mm(1/8 in) to 6mm (1/4") wood of any kind just about. I wonder could you put another motherboard( Ruida control and power supply about $410) and bypass that GF crap?
I also have a k40 and fixed it up to be a pretty good machine. As far as bypassing the controls on the glowforge, I know some people were working on it, but have not been successful yet
You might want to check out the Gweike Cloud Pro - its a Glowforge clone without the dependence on the paywall; plus it includes many many more features.
I have checked it out. I'm very interested in the machine. I might be able to test one out in the new year.
Thank you for your honest review!
Thanks for watching
Not being to use it consistently during the summer is a real pain. Great video and great info.
Glad you liked it
Solid, was really thinking about this. I don’t like big brother monitoring nor have to pay a subscription after paying 3 to 5k.The cooling and cut height are a deal breaker, as mine would be in the garage as well
I'm hoping they will continue to improve the customer experience, but the physical limitations of the machine, like the z-height are locked in.
do they still charge for the software? It appears on their website that it is now free?
No it's not free. They still charge $50/month as a monthly subscription
Thanks a lot for your review!
Thanks for watching
Good to see there are still honest TH-camrs out there.... For a 3000 dollar machine I should not have buy basic features
A lot of people feel that way. Thanks for watching
@@GeekBuildersNet modding a k40 is my wat to go then... Already have the cohesion3d laserboard 😎
@@ronsone8373 I've made several upgrades to my K40, but have not updated the board yet... Maybe this next year
Gweike have a 50w model similar to glow forge pro with external air filter and air assist. I’ve put a deposit down on one when they did presale for the pro model. It offers identical features but they have their own desktop software and it’s compatible with Lightburn. Would be interested if you could get your hands on one of those to do a review.
I've seen they're machine and I'm curious about it. The only thing that made me skeptical is that it is also cloud based.. I might work with them in the near future though.
@@GeekBuildersNet it’s lightburn compatible. You don’t need to use their cloud software. Hopefully finalising my pre order in the next month.
@@ctech6247 I was not aware of that.. Thanks for the heads up
Thank you thank you thank you So much for this review. I’m looking for a intuitive laser to engrave jewelry. I almost bought this. And I agree if I would at this price I will be livid with the amount of problems it has. So thank you for shedding the light on the issues with the glow forge because they really have good marketing and is easily deceiving.
There are a lot of diode lasers that are now releasing infared laser modules that are specifically made for engraving jewelry. Search Ortur or xTool infared lasers for more info
Great that you have the balls to shoot us straight. I feel like a lot of other folks talking about glowforge are blowing smoke at this point. It reminds me of the Cricut in that if you don't buy there subscription for the hardware, you are hamstrung. Had I know that from the jump I would have looked for an alternative. As for the C02 laser, looks like the Omtech might be a good option but you never know until you put your money on the table.
Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, it looks like subscription models are here to stay. I just wish Glowforge was a little more transparent about the limits of their machines and how they treat user data. Thanks for watching
Wow. Thanks for this review. I was really looking at these, but requiring a subscription for more than BASIC use, and internet based control (and they store your designs???) NOPE. Will be looking at other alternatives.
Just to be clear, the comment about storing your designs was simply commentary about what could be done... I don't know if they actually do that. Thanks for watching
Yea ..... was ready to spend 6 grand on the pro this video woke me up thank you for posting it. You just cost them 6 thousand in sales I hope the fix all the things you told them to fix , otherwise this company is doomed. so thank you again for posting they make it look so easy and the family around the machine on the counter lol thanks again for keeping me from being a gloforge sucker!!
I hope you find a laser that fits what you're looking for. Thanks for watching!
Hey, stumbled across this recently. Have had my GF since 2017 (bought in 2015 during the second campaign) and can attest to everything spoken here. Not sure you will see this since its been more than 6 months :) but eh. I was lucky enough to get the Premium access at 14.99/month as a founder. I still have it and probably won't end it. Personally, it gives me a free design each month that ranges in price from $10 to $25 or more to make up for it. Obviously, this is a poor selling feature for many other commenters. Currently, the biggest thing I agree with you on is that this is more of a hobby machine and not really a business machine IMO BUT that may also be because I really don't have the mindset for making it a business....? I am hoping to turn that around but like others, I have the issue of it not cutting all the way thru. It seems to me a lot like the Jeep issue I had: others have a great experience with Jeep, but mine could not be trusted.
I think the premium access is decent, but not at its current price. $15 is probably more than reasonable for most people. Thanks for watching
Good video, sorry though, seems like you are being extremely patient because it's very limited to your lifestyle. I bought a Makeblock and was simply wondering if your software was proprietary. If seems like the Glowforge will do really nice pictures and the Makeblock struggles with that. But I did not buy it for that. I can remove the honey comb grate, I have mine inside the house office, but I do have it vented. Can you use Lightburn with it? I ended up buying a Ortur Pro 2 as well.
I knew about some of the drawbacks of the Glowforge when I bought it, I just didn't know how much it would impact my workflow. As far as lightburn goes, no Glowforge will not run it.
Good Video, Thanks for the info. Can you tell me what brand or where I can find a K40 laser?
They are often sold on Amazon. Here is an example amzn.to/3EkGNRW
Thank you for this info. I am looking at getting in this market, but the pay as you go is not cool. Also the garage I am in is not cooled so it would be useless for me in the summer.
I have finally been able to start using my Glowforge in the garage this month because of the weather. When the conditions are right it works great.
Personally I've had nothing but a great experience with the glowforge. Simple software, and easy to learn. Of course it's not perfect but I'm very happy with my purchase.
I'm glad... I know a lot of people that are very happy with their machines... and then there are some of us whose experience has not been as pleasant. And even with that said, I still use my Glowforge a lot. I've learned to work around a lot of the things that don't work as expected.
Thank you for this video! super informative
Thanks for watching
Universal has a vector trace ability where you can run the program with the door open (and thus not activating the cut) with a laser pointer following the path of the laser cutting or engraving path. That seems like such a basic functionality for accurately testing the location of an intended cut.
That sounds cool
I wish I would've found this video sooner. I purchased a Glowforge Plus. Because of the set up in my house it took me 3 months to set it up once received and it never cut right. I just always assumed it was user error. Since I passed the warranty I had to pay for replace it for a refurbished machine which I'm hoping works. I should've done better researched, save a little more and gotten a better laser machine.
This problem is becoming systemic. I have a feeling that they've grown faster than they can handle and quality assurance has declined along with them spending more on marketing than updating and improving their product line. Thanks for watching.
very well explained but to late for me, i installed in my garage and is getting hot very often and stop working and slow production .
Sorry to hear that.
Thanks for this video! I hope you see this, I didn’t notice the date of the video, it’s drivable from last year or so!! Lol. Anyway, I was surprised to see that someone else has a problem with the calibration of their Glowforge. Ours is off by triple compaired to yours. If I could send a picture through TH-cam I would. I was wondering if you contacted Glowforge and if they were able to help you at all? Well thanks again for the video, and if you did get help, or were able to fix it yourself, could you let me know? We can only use our Glowforge if we cut something out of a solid piece of wood, so it won’t start cutting the crumb board, or cutting over what you just cut, or just right off the board. I’ve called Glowforge 2 weeks ago, with a gentle reminder email or 2 and a phone call! Well thanks again karen
Glowforge tends to be more responsive with their online help, I have a feeling they don't like answering email. I have contacted them before about the camera issue and their response was to run the calibration program to calibrate the camera. I ran the calibration twice and its better but still not as accurate as I want it to be. I hope you're able to get this resolved. Thanks for watching
I just got a makeblock M1 from kickstarter for a good price. There are higher end models they have. If i were you maybe look into it and see what you think. I loved to know your thoughts.
I looked at the M1, I'm not sure that a combo vinyl and laser cutter is right for my shop. I do like the idea of machines that fit more than one need though
@@GeekBuildersNet so far I've cut out a super awesome project out of wood and ingraved a wood tag. I'm going to be using it for wood mostly. I might engrave a pet tag here tomorrow but so far I've heard nothing but awesome stuff about the different products they do carry as far as machines go. Glowforge I can't stop hearing bad stuff about. It's not good. Just a thought.
@@JackieRB2008 I'm up for trying it out. I just need to get ahold of one to test.
Good video! Appreciate the honesty. What other brands are out there? Muse?
There are quite a few, Muse is one of them... There's also Dremel, Makeblock, Full Spectrum Laser, Epilog Laser, and all of the k40/ "Chinese Laser" variants
Xtool D1 or K40?? I’m looking to get into lasers but was looking at the Glowforge
Depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to primarily engrave, XTOOL, if you want to do a fair bit of cutting and you don't mind tinkering and modifying, then K40
Thanks for a great video. Kept my interest the whole time, not many videos can do that. If I had paid for a GF and then learned GF wants more $ to process my file faster I would blow a gasket.
You have a K40. What do you think of getting just a K40 stepper control board and doing a GF brain transplant? Cooling would improve if the return water passes through an external radiator with a fan on it. Mount the radiator flat and at the same height as the water tank. Avoids problems with hydraulic head. Next step could be a tiny window ac unit that just chills the external radiator in a closed recirculating cold air loop.
I think getting a k40 and making your own is a great idea. I've made several modifications to mine and I am pretty happy with it. I know several other people who have replaced the control board and added things like an external chiller and cameras to make it an even more robust machine for a fraction of the price of a GF
@@GeekBuildersNet What I meant to say was modifying the gf by taking out the oem controller and replacing it with a k40 controller. Would that make sense?
@@2OO_OK Oh!.... That would be quite the hacking job... I know there have been some hombrew type attempts, but I have no idea if they were successful
Thanks for this honest review. I decided to hold off on purchasing because of it. My environment would be the same if not hotter. I’d be very upset if this became a paper weight for me too. I’m also curious to know what laser you’d buy instead. Any recommendations?
Yeah, the lack of proper cooling is tough to deal with sometimes. Thanks for watching.
What machine do you recommend in hindsight?
I was literally 2 weeks away from ordering this
@@eljimador78 It's hard to say. But I would possibly have gone with one of the larger k40 style lasers or tried to test out a Full Spectrum Muse.
Thanks for the review. My buying intentions kind of changed after watching. But after reading the comments. My mind is really made up. I’m not going the Glowforge way. I was actually on GF website with intention to place an order for the pro. Just wanted to check out some reviews if the Pro was worth the extra cost. Stumbled on your review and no I will continue to look for something else. Thank you and I hope it works out for you.
There are a lot of other laser companies that offer a whole lot more laser for the same price
Thanks for the review.. I have changed my mind
Thanks for watching
Great video. THANK you sooooo much for this review... I watched every minute! I have the order screen open right now on their website... while I'm trying to check out reviews... lol But of course the Ads never tell you about the down sides- especially about the pay wall and the requirement to upload/vet/download designs. This has been so helpful.
Can you post a link to your favorite machine(s)- for a novice user? (in case I missed it)
First, I would categorize the Glowforge as a novice machine... In fact, that is part of the reason for their paywall. But for non-glowforge entry level machines, I would recommend looking at the Full Spectrum Muse and the MakeBlock Laser X. I don't have personal experience with either machine, but they do some things better than the Glowforge and are in the same relative price range.
Thank you.
No, no... thank you.. For watching
I've had mine a couple of months now keep it clean and calibrated often no problems. My only issue is with monthly subscription for premium services that should be free. Apart from that fantastic machine 👏
I really want to like it more. If it didn't have the cooling problem and the inconsistency of cutting material, I wouldn't have much negative feedback about the machine.
@GeekBuilders Reach out to glowforge and ask them to perform remote assistance on your machine to check and test for issues. I know others have had these issues resolved afterwards.
@@bigcheesevirus I will, thanks
This is precisely how Apple would implement a laser engraver. I decline. Thank you, kind sir, for the detailed review. I shall continue searching.
Understood. Thanks for watching
I'm glad somebody else thought the server stuff was a red flag. I'm a software developer, so I imagine they funnel you through their servers partially so that they can use your designs to make their own. I'm sure you've noticed they sell designs. Also, web apps can be packaged into "desktop apps" so it's not even really necessary to require an internet connection, so I'm not sure why it's mandatory. They could just make an offline option to download.
I don't know if they actually take anyone's design, but they definitely have the capability to do so.
My work laser has a second laser pointer that can be calibrated to be in line with the cutting laser, and I use that to trace the outline of my cuts by sending 2 files to the machine. One where the cutting laser is at 0 and the other with my actual cut. I use the laser power set to 0 to frame my cut on my part beforehand. I wonder if you could do the same thing with your machine!
A lot of people will cut the outside profile on a test piece and then place the final piece inside the previous cut. This can work well, but adds an extra step that I would like to avoid.....but in the end, I may not have a choice
Thank you. I learned alot by this video.
Glad it was helpful!