What should I buy next?

[Bterry]

Hi, Johnny new guy here! So I recently began working on starting an engraving business. I bought a monport 40w k40 style co2 unit and started my adventure. Now eventually I want to have all 3 types. Co2, diode and fiber. Been looking at the longer ray 5 10w gantry unit and the xtool f1.
Huge price difference. The monport is too small to do cutting boards and I would have to mod it to do tumblers. I like the Longer ray for the larger surface area and the xtool for the speed, fine detail and ability to work on metal. My quandary is I don't want to bite off more than I can chew and then sell myself short or overextend myself since I am new to this. I want to do all kinds of things that not one machine can cover.
So which do I buy first? The diode gantry with the large work area or the diode/fiber galvo with speed?
And also do you recommend something else? Different brands or not buying any and sticking it out with the k40? I appreciate any guidance this forum can offer.

[joejones]

I believe everyone here will agree that I am the LAST person to give you advice on this, because of my personal habit of COLLECTING machines that remain in their shipping boxes, sometimes until after the warranties expire!

I just gave away a "new" HP PC Tower that I purchased 13 years ago from Best Buy and never unboxed. A friend's kid is NOW old enough to receive his first computer, so I gave him the tower and a monitor, with the keyboard and mouse. It runs Windows 7, so I am not sure I did him a favor, but we all start our journey into the computer world with "old" stuff, right?

However, my advice to YOU, is to get GOOD at making things with the single laser you have now, before you branch out. When you see an income from that ONE machine ... when people are actually BUYING things you make with it, you will be more confident to add to the effort, and you will probably have a better idea of what you really want to add.

However, if you are like me ... ... and you want to save some serious money, look at the older X-TOOL lasers they are now selling at ridiculously low prices. The "older" D1 PRO open frame lasers are going for a song now. 5W, 10W and 20W machines. X-TOOL had a TRADE UP event, where people sent in their D1 PRO machines for a nice credit on their fully enclosed cabinet lasers, and a lot of people did the trade up. X-TOOL is now basically DUMPING the open frame lasers for very low prices.

I have D1 PRO lasers ... a few of them (not sure how many), but I have no interest in trading up. Eventually, they will all be opened and assembled, and put to work in my mad laser laboratory where I will cut, and etch, and burn into the late night hours!

Also, and I have mentioned this several times ... You can find GOOD lasers at the online auctions, for very low prices! You just have to go get them. ROAD TRIP!

Here are some current examples: (Be sure to CONTACT the seller for more details about each laser)

http://www.govdeals.com/asset/3460/616

http://www.govdeals.com/asset/631/12488

http://www.bidspotter.com/en-us/auction ... 020152386f

http://www.bidspotter.com/en-us/auction ... 0300f8ae5c

[SteveJDMin]

Take a look at the rolyautomation MK2 XW

It comes in 10/20 or 10/30 W (I suggest the 30 W) has a large bed, a chuck rotary and they are planning on coming out with a fiber module which will work with it.