Recommend me a Laser cutter.

[Jess]

Im not sure Hpc is selling the same machine as an eBay machine. I am assuming they have had to do things to meet UK health and safety legislation and its hard to imagine that they could survive and expand selling basic eBay machines.

Yes, I'm not sure either; which is why I said it looks and is specified similarily. For instance, the only machine so far to get banned in the EU isn't the same one komatias linked but looks very similar.

I'm not sure how much they'd have to do; at least to each machine.For the banned one, the issues were that you could reach the laser whilst it was on - presumably through that big hole in the front![1] - some warning stickers were missing and it didn't have localised documentation.

If you've got the documentation handy, what could be informative is who is listed on your Declaration of Conformance (you're required to be given one under the Machinery Directive), whether it's the Chinese manufacturer or HPC. If HPC have fettled it, and not just ensured it's working, then they're the ones needing to make the declaration.

When I said getting your hands dirty I was referring to the water cooling and alignment.

Ah, not so bad then. I think in fairness though, most of the people who decide to rip out the electronics seem to be doing it because they hate the supplied software.

The experience of most of the people who buy a laser from China is that the machine works, there's just the water cooling and alignment - an unlucky few have to get their seller to send over a new tube.

I understand someone buying cheap who is willing to invest a lot of time repairing but we need certainty and Hpc provided a balance between price and convenience.

Yup, agreed. I slightly touched on this issue in the bit about pennies, but I should have been a little clearer that that section was from my perspective - I can see myself getting incredibly frustrated with Mochidraw and I'd enjoy the process of getting it to work - so long as it works in the end.

If it's about a working equipment, say for a business venture; then the extra money for the certainty and support may very well be worth it. Plus, if you've got employees the liability issues of a hacked up Class IV laser device just won't be pretty, meaning you need to buy from somewhere reputable.

[1] I think the hole's function, aside from allowing the users to burn themselves, is to allow airflow across the cutting surface and thus better remove fumes.