The 6 best laser engravers under $5000

It is still possible to find the best laser engravers under $5000. Most sophisticated laser engravers go for at-least $10,000. However, these are typically industrial engravers that may be too advanced for your home-based laser engraving business. The good news is you can still kickstart your business with laser engravers that cost half as much. Here is a list of the best laser engravers under $5000.

EDITOR’S PICK: Our top pick is the Raycus fiber laser. The reason we picked it as the best laser engraver under $5000 is the fact that you can use it for both organic and inorganic materials which gives you lots of options. Although this is a China brand, it's FDA and CE certified which means it meets both the American and European quality and safety standards and that would explain why Raycus lasers are used in over 100 countries.

Here are the 6 Best Laser Engravers under $5000

1. Raycus Fiber Laser Machine

The Raycus Fiber Laser Machine is one of the most widely used laser machines in scientific research. That is enough testament to its reliability and quality. Some of the scientific applications that rely on this laser machine include SMT steel mesh cutting, soft steel cutting, experimental teaching, marking of chips, and various precision and rapid processing applications.

This laser machine would be a great pick if you are looking to mark or etch firearms, jewelry, tools, knives, electrical cladding, cellphone casing, medical equipment, and almost any metal part. If you are in manufacturing, you can also use it for bar codes, industrial polymers as well as serial numbers.

In the below YouTube Video you will see how simple the operation actually is:

Technical Details:

• Laser Source: Fiber laser
• Laser Power: 30W
• Marking Area: 175*175mm 
• Max. Material Thickness: 206mm 
• Marking Speed: 7m/s
• Engraving Depth:≤0.4mm
• Power Consumption: 800W
• The machine is compatible with software files such as Coredraw, AutoCAD, Photoshop;PLT,PCX,DXF,BMP,etc supported. 
• Applicable Material: Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Brass, Copper,etc. Also some non-metals such as nylon, light button, ABS, PVC, PES,etc.

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2. SFX Fiber Laser Marker

The SFX Fiber Laser marker is perfect for any project that needs engraving on metals like aluminum, copper, brass, and stainless steel. You can also use it on nonmetallic materials like light buttons, PVC, PES, ABS, etc.

It is a very flexible machine and it allows you to choose between three different working areas – 110×110, 150×150, or 175×175. It comes with the EZCAD software which makes laser engraving of any pattern just a breeze and it is compatible with Windows 10 as well as other older versions like Windows 8, 7 and even Windows XP.

Technical Details:

• Laser source: Fiber Laser
• Output Power: 20W
• Engraving size: 110×110, 150×150, or 175×175
• Engraving speed: 700mm/s
• Applicable Material: Aluminum,stainless Steel, Brass, Copper Etc. Some Non-metals such As Nylon, Light button, ABS, PVC, PES etc.
• Applicable Industry: Hardware Industry, Wrenches, Measuring Tools, Jewelry, Stainless Steel, Luggage, Gifts, Glasses Frames.

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3. OMTech 60W CO2 Laser Engraver and Cutter, 60W 20″x28″ Laser Engraving and Cutting Machine

This laser engraver is specially made for laser cutting and laser engraving of non-metallic materials. This means you cannot use it to engrave any metals without a coating or using a laser paste or spray. The engraver is compatible with Corel Draw and almost all other vector design software.

Also Read: Metal Engraving with a CO2 Laser

You can use it on Windows 10 or lesser versions and iOS. This laser cutting and engraving machine ships with LightBurn for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. The cutting depth will depend on the material. For acrylic you can cut to a depth of 5 – 8mm while wood can be cut to a depth of 8 – 12mm.

In the below YouTube Video you will see the Omtech 60W cutting several pieces of 3/16″ cast acrylic for a unique acrylic box insert:

Materials CO2 laser cutters can work with:

• Wood
• Acrylic
• Glass
• Brick
• Fabric
• Delrin
• Cloth
• Leather
• Marble
• Matte Board
• Melamine
• Paper
• Mylar
• Pressboard
• Rubber
• Wood Veneer
• Fiberglass
• Painted Metals
• Tile
• Plastic
• Cork
• Corian
• Anodized Aluminum

Technical Details:

• Laser source: Sealed CO2 laser
• Output power: 60W
• Engraving size: 20″x28″
• Engraving speed: 600mm/s

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4. DIHORSE Mini Portable Fiber Laser

This laser engraver can be used for both metal and nonmetal engraving projects. Tests done on this laser in comparison to others have shown that it conserves more energy which is good for the environment.

But the biggest selling point for this and other Raycus engraver is their FDA and CE approval which means they have been tested and proven to be high quality devices. The machine is very durable and you can expect to put in at least 100,000 hours without replacing the laser module.

Some of the materials that can be marked include gold, silver, copper, alloy, aluminum, steel and stainless steel, plastic (ABS, PVC, NPT, etc.), ceramic, etc. Industries where this fiber laser is used include jewelry, cell phone case, keyboards, calculator, auto parts, electric appliances, kitchenware, knives, glasses, stainless steel products, electronic components, faucets, sanitary equipment’s, cans, buckles, communication apparatus, etc.

Technical Details:

• Laser source: Fiber laser
• Output Power: 30W
• Engraving size: 110x110mm;
• Engraving speed:  7,000mm/s
• Working Area: 4.33″ x 4.33″inch
• Engraving Depth: ≤0.4mm
• Repeatability Accuracy: ±0.002mm
• Operation System: Microsoft Windows 7/8/10/XP
• Control Software: EZCAD Control Software
• Graphic Format Supported: BMP, JPG, TGA, AI, DXF, PNG, TIF, DXF, DST, etc.

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5. TEN-HIGH CO2 Laser Engraver

This is a great laser engraver for organic materials like plywood, leather, bamboo, wood, glass, paper, acrylic, and double color plate. You cannot use this to engrave on raw metals, however anodized aluminum is perfect or apply a layer of laser paste or spray for metal engraving.

The main advantage of this engraver is that it has a pretty wide engraving area (300x400mm) and is, therefore, a perfect fit for anyone that is looking to work on larger materials than what other laser engravers can support. It comes with the RDWorks application but you can also use CorelDraw, AutoCAD, or any other vector design program.

Technical Details:

• Laser source: CO2 laser
• Output power: 40W
• Engraving size: 300mmx400mm
• Engraving speed: 500mm/s
• Automatic lifting height: 150mm; Cutting/Engraving accuracy: 0.15mm;
• Engraving Speed: 0-500mm/s; Cutting Speed: 0-30mm/s;
• Carving Depth: 0-2mm (Depend on the material);
• Cutting thickness: 0-4mm (Acrylic), 0-2mm (hardwood such as Oak, mahogany), 0-3mm (cork such as plywood, plywood, composite board);
• Compatible operating systems: WIN7/WIN8/WIN10 32-bit system is the most stable, also suitable for 64-bit;

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6. TEN-HIGH 4060  Small Desktop CO2 Laser Engraver

This engraver was specially made for non-metallic materials like wood, bamboo, leather, plastics, glass, acrylic, paper, and cloth. The offline version comes with a 128MB memory which allows it to run independently of a PC. It has a USB port that can be used to read and write files directly from a memory stick. 

The biggest advantage of this engraver over others is its follow-up engraving feature. If the machine powers off in the middle of a job for whatever reason, it can resume the engraving job from where it left it off. This can come in handy in the event of a power cut or any other issue that might interfere with the power supply.

Technical Details

• Laser source: CO2 sealed laser
• Output power: 60W
• Engraving size: 400x600mm
• Engraving speed: 600mm/s
• Lifting platform: aluminum, honeycomb platform optional
• Lifting range: 0-50MM
• Machine power: <300W
• Cutting speed: 0-3600MM / MIN
• Cutting thickness: 0-10MM (depending on material)

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Final Thoughts

So there you have it – the top 6 best laser engravers under $5000. Before you settle on one, take time to determine which material you will be engraving or cutting. Most laser engravers cannot be used on all kinds of materials. If you are not sure of the finer details of the intended use, you are better off buying an engraver that works on both organic and inorganic materials.

Read this article for more information on the different types of laser engravers and how to choose the best one for your application: Different Types of Laser Engravers

Happy engraving!