Are you searching for the best laser engravers under $1000?
$1000 is considered quite a low budget in the world of laser cutting and engraving however can still get you a very capable machine.
Have less to spend? Check out the best laser engravers under $500.
Similar to the range of laser engravers under $500, the best laser engravers under $1000 are typically desktop diode lasers – with the other feasible option being a K40 CO2 laser cutter.
Before we jump into the list of the best laser engravers under $1000, here are some questions to ask yourself when it comes to deciding what laser engraver to buy, along with some helpful buyer tips.
Questions to ask yourself before buying a laser engraver
What do you want to make with your laser engraver?
The best laser cutters under $1000 are typically suited for engraving-type work rather than heavy-duty cutting. They work especially well for creating small, personalised items.
What size working area do you require?
$1000 will limit you to smaller machines – this is one of the biggest limitations when it comes to cheaper laser engravers. Having a rough idea of the types of items you want to make is a good start for choosing a suitable laser engraver as it will allow you to choose one with an appropriately sized working area.
Do you want to use your laser engraver as a hobby or to start a business?
Laser engravers under $1000 are generally more suited for hobby use but could be used to start a small laser engraving business.
What software will you use?
How are you going to create your designs and input them into the laser engraver? Laser GRBL (free) and Lightburn (paid) are two of the most popular laser-engraving software programs.
Some laser engravers can be operated from a smartphone!
What is your budget?
How much are you willing to spend on a laser engraver? This article is limited to the best laser engravers under $1000, however there are many different specifications of laser engravers available, ranging all the way from under $500 to over hundreds of thousands!
The best laser engravers under $1000 - buyer’s tips
Be sceptical about the manufacturer’s claims of cutting thick materials in one pass.
Some manufacturers claim that their diode laser will cut through wood up to 15mm thick in one pass. In our experience this is not achievable with equipment in this price range. A more realistic estimate would be for a 20W diode laser to be able to cut through 3mm of wood in one pass if it was set up perfectly.
Know the difference between cutting/output power and machine power.
You may see adverts for laser cutters advertised with high wattage, up 200W in some cases. This quoted number is the power the machine draws to move its various drive belts, power the air assist etc. Read the item description further until you can find the cutting power for a more realistic idea of how powerful the laser is. The best laser engravers under $1000 typically come in at 26W of cutting power or lower.
Hopefully you now have more of an idea of what features you would like from a laser engraver. Now on to our list of the 5 best laser engravers under $1000!
The 5 Best Laser Engravers Under $1000 - The List
Best overall: SCULPFUN S30 Pro Max Laser Engraver
Our number one pick for the best laser engraver under $1000 is the SCULPFUN S30 Pro.
This is a diode laser with 20W of cutting power generated by stacking four 6W diodes together.
Whilst the 20W of cutting power is good, what we like most about this particular machine is its modular nature. The base model comes with a 400x410mm working area – however, this can be upgraded to 935x905mm! This larger size will allow you to create a far greater selection of products.
This opens up the option for beginners to purchase the small model, get used to using it and then have the option of upgrading to a larger working area without having to spend on an entirely new machine.
We also really like that it includes an automatic air assist.
If you are unfamiliar with air assist, this is where a stream of air is blown directly at the cutting/engraving point, blowing away smoke and debris. This allows for much cleaner cutting and engraving.
Air assist should be considered a necessity if you plan on doing any cutting or highly detailed engraving. Here is an example of cutting with and without air assist:
As you can see, using air assist results in much cleaner cuts.
This machine is also beginner-friendly, being easy to assemble out of the box (in under an hour) and simple to operate. It is also compatible with Lightburn software (LINK) for more advanced users.
As a final bonus, it includes a free extra lens!
Pros
- Well priced
- Modular design allows expansio
- Air assist included
- Decent 20W of cutting power
- Free additional cutting lens
Cons
- Nothing!
Best budget choice: ATOMSTACK A24 PRO
Up next we have the Atomstack A24 Pro, coming in at just over half of the budget.
The Atomstack A24 provides a hefty 24W of cutting power which is excellent for this price range.
It does lack some of the bells and whistles of higher priced machines (such as air assist) however one impressive feature it does have is Atomstack’s power failure recovery system.
The power failure recovery system allows the engraver to remember its progress through the current workpiece in the event of power failure or similar issues. This means that when power is restored it can resume the job it was working on.
Chances are if you have any experience in laser engraving you will know how frustrating it is to have a job stop halfway through completion – it wastes time and the material you were working on. The power failure recovery system prevents that.
This model is also available with an enclosed design to reduce smoke and fumes, however this is slightly over budget.
Pros
- Low price
- Excellent 24W cutting power
- Power failure recovery system
Cons
- Lack of air assist
Top of budget: Ortur OLM3 LU3-20A
Coming in right at the top of the budget we have the Ortur LU3-20A.
This is a diode laser with 20W of cutting power supplied by 4 x 5W stacked diodes. The best thing about the OLM3 is that is supplied with a 50L air assist.
As discussed earlier, air assist should be considered a necessity for doing serious cutting or engraving, and the 50L system supplied with the OLM3 really makes a difference.
This machine has more of a premium feel to it than the others on the list, however is more expensive. In particular it features a lot more safety features, including:
- Safety Lock
- Active Position Protection
- Sloping Position Protection
- Exposure Duration Detection and Limitation
- Voltage and Current Safety Control System
- Host Computer Watchdog
- Emergency Stop Switch
Ortur provide excellent after-sales support which is another reason to consider the OLM3 (or any other Ortur laser), particularly if you are new to laser engraving.
Pros
- Powerful air assist
- Excellent safety features
- Excellent after-sales support
- Can be controlled by computer or smartphone
Cons
- Expensive – top end of the budget
Best for rotary engraving: xTool D1 Pro
A nice alternative to the other laser engravers on our list is the XTool D1 Pro.
What sets this laser engraver apart is that it comes with a rotary engraving system included.
If you want to engrave objects such as glasses, tumblers, pens, etc then this is the machine for you.
The main downside of the D1 pro is that it only has 10W of cutting power as standard, which is disappointing for this price. You can however purchase a 20W module separately and add this in yourself.
xTool offer excellent after-sales support and buying an xTool machine will give you access to the xTool Creative Space – this is a resource that provides free project files and elements that can be used in your designs. Very useful for people who need inspiration on what to make or who lack design skills.
Pros
- Rotary system included
- Access to xTool creative space
- Good after-sales support
Cons
- Expensive
- Only 10W of cutting power as standard
- No air assist
Best for DIYers: K40 Laser Cutter
Last but not least, the other option under $1000 is a K40 laser cutter.
K40s are significantly different from the other lasers on this list in that they are powered by a CO2 laser tube rather than by a diode laser.
K40s are much more powerful and versatile machines than the other machines on this list, but they are also more complicated to set up and run. If you aren’t scared to learn about and tinker with your laser cutter then a K40 might be for you. Check out our beginner’s guide to the K40 for more info.
Pros
- Much more versatile than a diode laser
- Far superior for cutting materials
- Highly customisable
Cons
- Very steep learning curve
- Lots of modifications and upgrades required
- Small working area
The 5 best laser engravers under $1000 - Conclusion
In this article, we covered the five best laser engravers under $1000 and some of the key things to think about before buying one.
Within this price range, the options are limited to medium power diode lasers or a K40 C02 laser cutter.
Have you bought a laser engraver for under $1000? What was your experience with it? Let us know in the comments below.