Top 10 Hobby Laser Engraving and Laser Cutting Machines of 2024

This list will focus on the best laser cutters and laser engravers for personal and hobby use. We focussed on a list of very user-friendly machines and gives consistent results. We created a list of machines that can be used frequently and do not require extensive training or expensive parts. Something that gives good results and is ready to use right out of the box. In addition to the user-friendliness of the machine, we created a list of machines that comes with user-friendly software that makes setting up and creating your first project immediately out of the box.

**We have also compiled several other lists, such as the:

• THE TOP 10 BEST BUDGET LASER CUTTING AND LASER ENGRAVING MACHINES – This list focuses on the best laser cutters on a budget. Many of these are meant for occasional projects, getting kids started with making their own designs, and anyone who wants to start laser cutting and laser engraving but do not want to spend a fortune.
• THE TOP 10 BEST HOBBY LASER CUTTING AND LASER ENGRAVING MACHINES – This list focuses on machines that are a step up from the budget machines and offer reliability, ease of use, and are more durable than the budget machines, but still are within a reasonable price range.
• THE TOP 10 BEST ENTRY-LEVEL LASER CUTTING AND LASER ENGRAVING MACHINES FOR SMALL BUSINESS – This list focuses on laser cutting and laser engraving machines that are great for small businesses getting into selling laser cutting and engraving services and products, yet do not have a huge budget for one of the more expensive machines. These machines are a great stepping stone to get a business up and running, with consistent results, good resale value, and minimal downtime.
• TOP 10 BEST PROFESSIONAL LASER CUTTING AND LASER ENGRAVING MACHINES FOR BUSINESS this list focuses on heavy-duty machines that you can run all day 7 days per week. The cost of these machines will be significantly higher, however, their durability and strong build will serve you well in the long term as you will need to replace parts less often and give consistent results. Consistency is key to offering quality products that customers will come back to again and again.
• TOP 10 BEST INDUSTRIAL AND HEAVY DUTY LASER CUTTING AND LASER ENGRAVING MACHINES – This a list of focuses on professional laser engravers and laser cutters for business/commercial use heavy-duty laser systems for industrial and manufacturing purposes.

CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING THE TOP 10 BEST HOBBY LASER CUTTING AND ENGRAVING MACHINES of 2024:

USER-FRIENDLINESS

The first criteria for choosing the top 10 best hobby laser cutters and engravers is User-Friendliness. Unlike the professional models, we assume that the user will be relatively new to laser cutting and laser engraving and therefore we have to consider that the software and design programs that it comes with are easy to use straight out of the box with a minimal learning curve.

DURABILITY

When buying a laser keep in mind that there can be an issue with durability. Chinese machines, from our experience, become misaligned quicker or have other issues from wear and use that are more time consuming to repair, and can be quite costly. American or European made machines will also retain most of their value when or if you decide to sell it again. The laser cutting and engraving business is not for everyone and it is important to make sure that your investment is not lost. The first on this list is a good example, Epilog is our favorite company and the resale value remains high even after several years of use. The majority of Chinese made machines do not last as long and do not retain their value. Although the cost is much lower to begin with, their value second hand is a far smaller percentage.

Maintenance Time and Cost

Although for a hobbyist, the time might not be of the greatest importance, however, it is good to understand that all machines require maintenance in order to keep the machines running. Epilog laser are built very intelligently with modular systems that can be exchanged and replaced by yourself with minimal expertise. Epilog has great guides and how to instructions when parts need to be replaced. (Disclosure: we do not receive payment from Epilog, nor do we sell their products or are in any way affiliated with them, they are just the machines of our choice).

Power and Size

The third thing you want to keep in mind is how many watts do you need and the size of the laser bed. The more watts the more laser engravers will cost. However, the more wattage the thicker the material you can cut and the faster you can engrave. Laser systems have a speed-to-power ratio that can be adjusted based on needs. Lower wattage will require slower speeds for cutting and engraving while higher wattage can do the same job in a fraction of the time. If you only use if for small projects and only use it infrequently, a lower wattage would make sense as it is the lowest price point. If you are thinking about making money with the machine you will want to consider increasing the wattage as you can finish jobs faster and take on more work.

1. xTool S1 Enclosed Diode Laser Cutter & Laser Engraver (starting at $2199)

The xTool S1 Ennclosed Diode Laser Cutter tops our list of the Best Hobby Laser Cutter. This serious hobby (and even entry level laser cutter for small businesses) is a great choice. This does come with a higher pricetag than many of the other laser cutters we have reviewed, however, due to its reliability and scalability we have chosen this as the best laser cutter for a serious hobby or even someone thinking about using it as a side business to earn a bit of extra income with their creations. We would recommend the 40 Watt xTool S1 Cutter over the 20 Watt xTool S1 Cutter as we think it is worth the extra cost. If your budget does not allow it the 20 Watt laser cutter is $500 cheaper and also offers great results, although the lower power will increase cutting time and possible material thickness.

You can buy this machine here: Buy on the official website

2. xTool D1 Pro 2.0 Desktop Laser Engraver Cutting Machine (starting at $668.99)

The xTool D1 Pro 2.0 Desktop Laser Engraver Cutting Machine is another great option for a hobbyist. This is the more budget-friendly version of the xTool S1 Diode Laser Cutter above.  This is agreat option for someone on a tight budget that wants to get started in laser cutting for occasional projects. The prices start at $668 for the 10 watt laser cutter (20 watts and 40 watts are also available for this machine at a higher cost). We would recommend the xTool S1 for more serious hobbyists, anyone needing to cut thicker materials, and anyone thinking about using the machine for a side business or occasional craft fairs, etc. This can definitely also be used for projects to sell, however, keep in mind that a 10 Watt laser will not be able to cut thicker materials and cutting speed will be slower than 40 Watts for example, and engraving speed (and engraving depth) will also be affected by the lower wattage. If this is not an issue then this machine will be a great entry point for anyone wanting to enjoy this as a hobby.

You can buy this machine here: Buy on the official website

3. Two Trees TS2 Laser Engraving Machine

Our decision to rank the TwoTrees Laser cutting and laser Engraving Machine as our 3rd choice in the best hobby laser cutter and engraver category is primarily driven by its low cost and reasonable laser cutting and engraving capability. With a power output of 20W, it allows for higher-speed cutting and engraving of materials such as 15mm wood and 10mm acrylic. The ultra-high precision and speed of the TS2 20W laser head further enhance its appeal, with a spot technology of 0.08mm*0.08mm and a maximum processing speed of 20000mm/min.

Although it is not an enclosed laser, there are several safety features in place, including a protective hood that filters 97% of UV rays, ensuring clear visibility without the need for goggles. The machine’s automatic stop mechanism when moved or tilted during processing adds an extra layer of safety. Additionally, the option for offline processing through a built-in SD card and compatibility with various engraving software contribute to its versatility.

A potential downside is that it is not ready to use out of the box, assembly is required, however, assembly is user-friendly, with a full aluminum alloy modular structure that can be assembled in just 40 minutes. This can also be seen as a positive as the self-assembly is one reason for the lower cost of the machine. The customer support commitment, promising a fast response within 24 hours, adds an assurance of assistance.

You can buy this machine here: Buy on Amazon

4. Full Sprectrum Muse – Price Starting at $5000

Full Spectrum have recently released another hobby laser, the Full Spectrum Muse, starting at $5000. The lasers come in either a 40 watts or 45 watts with a cutting bed of 20″ x 12″. Full Spectrum offers a 30 Day 100% Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee.

Click here for more information and purchasing options

5. Glowforge “3D Laser Printer” – Price Starting at $2500

The Glowforge is a laser system we have not personally used yet. We did find that there was some confusing terminology and information in their initial crowdfunding campaign. They call their laser a “3D Laser Printer” which is not entirely accurate. It looks like they are attempting to tap into the hype of the 3D printer to boost the sales of their machines. It is simply a laser engraver / cutter that engraves using 2D files and engraves on a 2D plane. Of course it is possible to design and cut parts to make 3D objects but the engraver itself does not print in 3D.

It also seems that it took a very long time to ship them engravers after the campaign was successfully funded. We read many negative reviews about the slow process taking around 2 years for customers to receive their machines after the campaign. The company stated that it took longer than anticipated to ensure the product would function correctly and not take any shortcuts.

As a full disclosure, we have not yet been able to independently test the Glowforge engraver, but we have heard good things and it seems like the company has been able to fulfill their promise. Based on what we have heard it is the 4th on our list and seems more reliable than Chinese lasers. We will follow up with actual testing in the coming months.

Click here for more information and purchasing options

Chinese Laser Cutters

To be fully honest we are not huge fans of these machines and at this time. We would not recommend buying one currently, if you do please be careful and do your research, we are working on a page for the best Chinese lasers, however, almost all cheap Chinese systems have major flaws, difficult customer service, and reairs can be costly and will end up costing you more in the long run compared to a dec\\ent machine. While making this list we noticed almost all other websites claiming a Top 10 list have links to Amazon where you can buy them. That clearly is not an honest list as these companies receive a commission for referring to these products. We would like to point out that we do not receive any money from this list, other than the advertisements that we placed to keep giving you up-to-date information so you can make an informed decision. With that said please d look out for cheap laser engravers, although they are much cheaper than other machines on the list they do cost quite a bit of money (too much money to lose on a bad machine). The machines we have tested so far have underperformed and become very costly over time as parts break and need replacement. If you do buy a Chinese laser, you should expect to put in some money on upgraded parts and send time adjusting it before it will function properly.

Click here for more information and purchasing options (list of best Chinese machines coming soon, we will post it as soon as we can verify and test several models).

This is our current list of 2024. Please stay tuned for more additional in the coming months. If you are a manufacturer of laser engravers please send us an email if you would like to add a machine to the list. To be added to the list we would require an extensive demonstration or to send us a machine for testing. We update this page with a side-by-side comparison of machines engraving capabilities which will test for detailed engraving, speed, and ease of use.