The Best Affordable Laser Cutters in 2021

A quick search through Amazon for laser cutters will throw a plethora of laser cutters from as cheap as $150 to as high as $5000. If you’re a beginner to laser-cutting, you could spend an eternity sifting through details, prices, reviews, and still come up without a definitive answer to which laser cutter is the best while still being affordable

The cheaper laser cutters tend to be very similar with minor differences, so I hope this list can help you skip comparing the minor details, and help you purchase the best affordable laser cutter.

In this article, we are looking at laser cutters, not laser engravers. For the machine to qualify as a laser cutter, I only chose those that have at least a power level of 2.5W (since they can still cut albeit much slower and with multiple passes).

This article clearly outlines the differences between laser cutters and laser engravers.

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Safety Warning

Laser cutting can be very dangerous if you’re aware of the safety hazards. Please make sure to always be safe when you’re laser cutting/engraving![/tds_info]

Table

Are There Affordable Laser Cutters?

There are cheap laser cutters, relatively speaking, considering that most mainstream laser cutters are more than $1000. The good cheap laser cutters lie between $250-$400.

The biggest potential flaw of a cheap machine is that some of the components may also be cheap. In this case, you could end up replacing a lot of parts and the manual may not be much help if there is missing information or if the machine is made in a foreign country and the translation is poor. 

When looking for an affordable laser cutter, there are three main ways that you can go:

1. Buy a high-power K-40 laser cutter with low manufacturing quality.
2. Buy and assemble a CNC machine on which you can mount a laser.
3. Buy a small laser engraver that has enough voltage to cut material with many pass-throughs.

For beginners, I recommend that you start with one of the cheaper laser engravers, found at the bottom of the list, for their plug-and-play nature, and lower cost. You can learn how to be safe with these and focus on engraving before cutting.

For Makers experienced with laser cutting/engraving, I recommend that you start with a K-40 laser cutter because they are relatively safe and cost-effective, while still upgradable, and capable of high power. You can also go with the CNC machines if you’re the type to modify and upgrade.

K-40 Laser Cutters ~ $250-$500

K-40 is just a term used to identify laser cutters that have high-power 40W laser, and are affordable at the $300-$500 price range. These machines provide the best bang for your buck if you plan to be a serious maker. They come with everything you need and are as close as you can get to a high reputation laser cutter (such as Trotec or Epilog), at a fraction of the price.

Furthermore, they’re easy to upgrade. For instance, a lot of K-40 laser cutter users add a rotary axis rolling surface to engrave round or spherical items.

However, some of the components in the K-40s aren’t great and many Makers like to upgrade them eventually. You can find lots of information on how to upgrade K-40 laser cutters on the internet.

Which K-40 Should you choose?

There are many K-40 laser cutters to choose from on AliExpress, which can make finding the right purchase a difficult task. I think the most important to do is look for authentic, reliable sellers, that have some sort of guarantee.

Here are the cheapest K-40 laser cutters that I would choose.

Vevor DC-KIII K-40 Laser Cutter

Laser power: 40W

Working area: 30X20cm

Operating Speed: 0-40mm/s

Weight: 60 lbs

Assembly required?: No

Vevor manufactures many industrial products including laser cutters. The DC-KIII CO2 Laser Cutter is my number pick in the K-40 category thanks to Vevor’s great reputation for delivering a quality product for years and accepting returns if they made any errors.

This machine has a slight advantage over other K-40 laser cutters because of its superior control panel that provides more information and options. Getting 40W at such an affordable price almost makes getting this laser cutter inexcusable.

Voiern WR3020 Laser Cutter

Laser power: 40W

Working area: 30X20cm

Weight: 65 lbs

Operating Speed: 0-50mm/s

Assembly required?: No

Voiern has specialized in laser technologies for over 12 years and takes pride in their integrity and customer relations. They offer various laser cutters of different sizes. The WR3020 K-40 laser cutter is Voiern’s desktop laser cutter, which is a great option for its small size, affordability, and high power.

A company that puts reliability and customer service first is always a good sign when ordering K-40 laser cutters in case you run into any issues during delivery or operating your machine. The inclusion of an operating CD shows Voiern’s commitment to delivering good service.

CNC Laser Machines ~ $250 – $340

Building your own laser cutting machine using a kit is the cheapest way to own a high-powered laser cutting machine. But before jumping right into it, you should know that it takes some mechanical aptitude to set up.

That’s why I would recommend these laser cutters to hobbyists with experience or those who are serious about laser cutting and building new skills. Furthermore, CNC machines are highly customizable, so it pays off to know what you’re doing.

It was through challenging projects that I gained the most knowledge so beginners should not be discouraged. If you have a passion for tinkering like me then diving right into a DIY laser cutting kit could be lots of fun!

The other benefit of CNC machines is that they can work with routers and lasers. On the other hand, these aren’t as safe as K-40 laser cutters. The lack of a case means that they can release fumes into the environment and the laser can easily cause harm to you or others if you make contact with the laser.

If you want to cut/engrave plastics, you need to have proper ventilation. You also must protect your eyes because it’s easy to accidentally look directly at the laser, or have it reflected towards you, which can cause permanent damage to your sight.

CNC 3018 PRO with Laser Module

Laser power: 0.5, 2.5, 5.5, 15W

Working area: 30cmX18cm

Weight: 14 lbs

Assembly required?: Yes

This affordable laser cutter comes with the options of 5.5W, or 15W attachable lasers, which is enough to cut through thin materials easily. The 3018 Pro is a very popular CNC machine thanks to its extreme affordability, and high capability to rival more expensive CNC machines.

Since this is a CNC machine, you can switch between the router head and laser head whenever you need. You can also adjust the laser cutter’s z-axis if you want that extra control, something that many other cheap laser cutters cannot do.

Overall, the 3018 CNC PRO laser cutter is not as powerful as K-40 laser cutters, but the low price and ability to upgrade it makes it a great budget option.

NEJE Master 20W Laser Cutter

Laser power: 20W

Working area: 15X15cm

Weight: 5 lbs

Assembly required?: Yes

Neje uses a 12V laser with techniques to increase its power to 20W, which is designed to cut. This makes the laser cutter a good option for Makers that need to do more cutting than engraving.

The Neje Master is an affordable laser cutter with a powerful laser. It’s very easy to assemble and it has a good build quality. Furthermore, there’s a sensor that automatically stops the laser if the machine is touched, which will help prevent accidents.

It also comes with NEJE developed software that makes this machine easy to use. Overall, the NEJE laser cutter is a good cost-effective option if you need more power than the 3018 Pro. However, the Neje has a small work area, lacks Z-height adjustability, and lacks upgradability compared to the 3018 Pro.

Bachin CNC Laser Cutter

Laser power: 2.5W/5.5W

Working area: 40X50cm

Weight: 11 lbs

Assembly required?: Yes

This laser cutter comes as a full disassembled set, so if you like DIY projects, you’ll enjoy this. The 300 and 500 MW versions are incapable of cutting, so make sure you at least get the 2.5W laser module or higher.

If the 3018 Pro and Neje Master looked way too small, the Bachin CNC Lasser Cutter will be able to handle all of your large-scale projects due to its large working area. The machine is very easy to use and it’s very affordable for the quality it provides.

2.5W lasers aren’t very powerful and can only easily cut thin materials like paper or thin balsa wood, whereas other materials will require a lot of time and many passes just to cut. So I would suggest you go with the 5.5W version of this machine to get the most out of it.

Ortur Laser Master 2 

Laser power: 7W/15W/20W

Working area: 40X43cm

Weight: 6 lbs

Assembly required?: Yes

If you need a combination of power and a large working area, the Ortur Laser Master 2 has your back. For a very affordable price, you can have this laser cutter with either a 15W or 20W laser. Both power levels are good at engraving and cutting, but 15W is more cost-effective.

This cheap but high-quality machine comes with many tempting features that prevent accidents and fires from starting. If you can’t decide what laser cutter to choose, this is a safe, affordable option to go with.

NEJE Master 2s Max

Laser power: 7W/20W30W/40W

Working area: 81cmX46cm

Weight: N/A

Assembly required?: Yes

I thought it would be worth throwing the Neje Master 2s Max onto this list even though it can be a bit more expensive than some other laser cutters. The reason I added it anyway is that it has an insanely large work area, which is awesome for large-scale projects.

This won’t be for everyone because of its large size, but if you have the room, and need to work on large projects, this is a good purchase when you find it at a discount.

CNC 3018pro-M

Laser power: 2.5/5.5

Working area: 30X18cm

Weight: 15 lbs

Assembly required?: Yes

Here’s another cheap laser cutter kit that uses the 3018 pro CNC machine. It comes with an offline controller and adjustable z-axis. Being able to adjust the z-axis is always convenient because it allows you to get just the right amount of laser focus.

You have to purchase the laser module separately for this CNC machine, which is actually a bonus for me in this case because you get a CNC router and laser power of your choice.

What separates this 3018 CNC laser from the others is the addition of acrylic screens. While it does provide a bit more safety, I still wouldn’t recommend using it to look at the laser.

Low Power Laser Cutter/Engravers ~ $160 – $170

The lowest powered machines that will still cut have a power of at least 2.5W. The good news is that these types of laser cutters a very cheap and easy to use, making them perfect for beginners.

However, these cheaper, smaller machines have some drawbacks, such as:

• Less cutting space.
• Long waiting time to cut through materials.
• Limited to types of material it can cut.

What makes this so good for beginners, is the low price and safety. Furthermore, they are pretty much plug-and-play, so no expert knowledge is required to get started.

Twowin 3W Laser Engraver

Laser power: 3W

Working area: 7.5X7.5cm

Weight: 2.85 lbs

Assembly required?: No

This little thing boasts some great advantages… but also some really big disadvantages.

Firstly, the laser engraver is super affordable, making it a risk-free investment. The setup is as easy as the software is to use; which is easy. It works as advertised and it is both small and mobile, so you can move it wherever you want.

However, it’s better off used as an engraver due to its low power. With enough passes and a lot of time, you can cut thin pieces of wood.

Wainlux Laser Engraver (N/A)

Laser power: 3W

Working area: 8.0X8.0cm

Weight: 2.8 lbs

Assembly required?: No

This machine is basically an upgraded version of the Twowin laser cutter. It claims to have a slightly larger working area and it has a bit more color.

The upgrades done to the software make this machine much more compatible with anyone who has an iOS machine.

Although it is a little more expensive, other than a few upgrades, Twowin and Wainlux are pretty much identical and you’ll be happy with either of these laser engravers.

Conclusion

Overall, I  know how overwhelming the process can be when narrowing down all of these options, but you should be satisfied when choosing any of the laser cutters above. All of the laser cutters I mentioned are the real deal and get the job done! If you have any questions or additional knowledge that you think would be helpful, feel free to share them in the comments below!

(February 2021)