The newest addition to our laser engraving family is the LaserPecker 3!
The LaserPecker 3 (LP3) is a handheld fiber laser engraver. We’ve been using it for a few weeks now and just announced it on our social media. Check out some of the things that we have made with it below. Our primary use for the LP3 will be to bring to smaller vendor events so that we can do live engraving on-site without the hassle of bringing our (much larger) CO2 laser engravers. Although we are still getting to know the LP3, here is our take so far.
What We Like
The most impressive feature of the LP3 is its size - the unit is completely portable, weighing in at just under 6 pounds! This is fantastic for bringing to events as it conveniently packs into a small case and is ready to go. Additionally, it can be powered with a portable battery (that comes separately – check it out here). This is fantastic for selling at events where power is not guaranteed. Plus, we love being able to take it with us on the go so that we can pull it out at any moment.
The LP3 is operated using an app on your phone, although a desktop version is available. The app isn’t great and still has some kinks to work out, but I have to give LaserPecker some props for the customer service responsiveness I receive on their Facebook pages. I got in touch with them about a problem I had with the preview mode, and they got back to me with an update that fixed the issue within 48 hours. This is much better than what I’m going through with Full Spectrum Laser (still waiting on a fix for my camera 4 months later…). You can read more about my frustrations here.
In terms of the physical machine itself, we like that the laser has a powered z-axis. With the press of a button, the machine will move up and down – making focusing quickly very easy. If the item is too big to fit properly under the unit, you can actually tilt the laser head to project the laser towards the item, giving you more height.
What We Don’t Like
Obviously, with the convenient size of the laser will come a lot of restriction. The laser is low powered at only 1W. This means that it really can only mark materials – not cut or engrave. This is usually fine for what we do, as most people don’t realize that they aren’t looking to have something engraved necessarily, just to have it marked. With the small laser size also comes a small engraving area at about 2.4” x 2.4”. This is probably our least favorite feature as that is a pretty restrictive size. We’ve made it work though for our on-site engraving as we will typically only offer smaller things like wallets, keychains, etc.
Overall, we’re happy with our purchase. We’d highly recommend it for anyone looking to engrave on-site easily. However, I don’t think that this is a great unit for someone new looking to get into laser engraving. Ultimately, for the price you could get something much better and higher powered. The biggest factor that makes this unit worth it is the portability of it. Interested in buying one? Check out our affiliate link here.
Next time, we will dive into our accessories and upgrades for our CO2 lasers like our air assist and our chiller.