Paul_ Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 Morning, Our next purchase is going to be a laser engraver but am really confused as to what to buy. We have had demos from Gravograph and Trotec at Trophex and there is no doubt they both make excellent machines. There is no way I am going down the Chinese route but what about machines from either Boxford or HPC?? Both these companies exhibit at Trophex (we will go and see them both in Jan) so that makes me think the support is there if needed and at virtually half price it seems a no brainer! Has anyone bought a machine from either of these companies? and if so what are your thoughts on them? Thanks in advance. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quibs Posted February 4, 2020 Report Share Posted February 4, 2020 Hiya Paul. Sorry I dont have an answer for you here, but was wondering if youve had any traction in your investigations since Oct? We've also come across the Boxford machines in our research and the pricepoint seems too good to be true. This is the only hint of a discussion on the topic I've managed to find online, which is a bit disconcerting knowing how vocal the maker community usually is! We're basically looking for some UK based hobbyist alternatives after being caught in the Glowforge frenzy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_ Posted February 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2020 Hi, No I haven't. We didn't make to Trophex to check them out as both the missus and me had stinking colds and didn't fancy the drive! Both companies (Boxford & HPC Lasor) have Facebook pages if you want to see more of their stuff, and their machines look excellent. I was amazed too that no-one replied to this post. We are just about to under-take a workshop extension to fit a new machine in and we will definatley make a decision by the end of the year. If I find out any moe info i'll be sure to get in touch with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsy9 Posted February 4, 2020 Report Share Posted February 4, 2020 I did have a HPC LS6840 in my old shop. It was a good machine but the software was a bit of a let down which is probably why these machines are cheaper than gravograph and trotec. You do have UK support from these companies though and any consumables/parts will be available from both Boxford and HPC. I don't have space for a laser machine in my current shop, but if I was buying another laser I would maybe wait until Umarq are ready to launch their new laser range. Hearing that they may be running on Vistool which would be a bonus for all the u-marq users. Good software which would be easy to use. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_ Posted February 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2020 You are not wrong. The new U-Marq lasers are run on the Vistool software. This is the direction we are probably going as long as the price is right.....just got to get the extension built! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quibs Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 Funnily enough we're also in the middle of churning out our planning application to extend, so the laser cutter really will be the icing on the cake if we have any funds leftover..big if! Thanks for the pointers chaps that gives me some good stuff to research. We're super entry level and definitely hobbyist, so any other companies that might have sub- £5k offerings would be appreciated. Seems like the UK is missing a trick on the affordable desktop style lasers, for the casual makers. The Muse range looks quite interesting but with import tax and all the ancillary gubbins it seems like a bit of a risky move. I fired off a query to Boxford to ask if any third party software could be used with their machines, as the one that comes with it looks a little windows-y, and we're macs. Will letcha know if anything interesting comes of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 https://mrfixitwholesale.co.uk/product/f-tech-fibre-30-watt-175-x-175/ Craig owns Mr Fix if Wholesale he started in car keys, had a shoe repairers and moved onto wholesaling & has invested massively in the last few years to bring great products to the UK and he understands the engraving market like no other. If craig sells it, it works. wellsy9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsy9 Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 Agree with Lee there. Just purchased a universal 350 from Craig last week and he gave me a few pointers with the software I have been using for 5/6 years. Different ways of doing jobs and how to get the best from the machine and software. Give Craig a call if you want some advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesST Posted February 8, 2020 Report Share Posted February 8, 2020 If you are just starting out then i would go down the second hand route and see how it goes. As for machines you get what you pay for. Gravograph and Trotec cost more but are superb machines and the software is also very good. I have 3 gravograph machines (2 rotary and one laser) and touch wood they have been excellent value for money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Gardner Posted March 4, 2020 Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 On 2/6/2020 at 10:36 PM, wellsy9 said: Agree with Lee there. Just purchased a universal 350 from Craig last week and he gave me a few pointers with the software I have been using for 5/6 years. Different ways of doing jobs and how to get the best from the machine and software. Give Craig a call if you want some advice. Thanks hope you are getting on well with the machine I will pop in and see you soon Craig Mr Fix It Wholesale wellsy9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeWilliams Posted February 10, 2021 Report Share Posted February 10, 2021 Hey, did you get an update on the Boxford machine? What did you go for in the end? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_ Posted February 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2021 9 hours ago, JakeWilliams said: Hey, did you get an update on the Boxford machine? What did you go for in the end? I went for a Gravo LS100 in the end. That said, now I understand how they work and more about laser engraving I wouldn't think twice about buying a Boxford or HPC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now