Why We Chose the Muse 3D

Here at Busy Bee Laser and Design, we have two laser engravers, both by Full Spectrum Laser (FSL). We have a Muse 3D and a Muse Core. Today, we are going to focus mainly on why we chose the Muse 3D as that was our first laser and the laser that we primarily use.

When we first set out looking for a laser, we had a few specific criteria and features in mind that narrowed our search immediately. Our home office was very tiny and we have issues with the floors in our house so we needed a lightweight and compact laser (desktop and under 100lbs) so that it could fit into the small space and the weight wouldn’t cause any issues to the floor. We also knew that as our business grew, the space we worked out of would change so we needed it to be light enough to transport without too much hassle. We also wanted to go with a brand that would be able to provide support if there was anything wrong with the laser. Since our whole business is structured around laser engraving, it’s imperative that we minimize downtime due to repairs or technical issues. As far as features go, we wanted a decent bed size, a camera, and an autofocus function.

With those criteria, we narrowed our search down to the FSL Muse 3D, the Glowforge, and the BeamBox Pro. We narrowed the Glowforge out pretty quickly due to the software requiring Internet to function. We worried about not only about having issues with connectivity, but also that in the (albeit unlikely) event that the company went under, we would be left with essentially a very expensive piece of metal should the software no longer be usable. The Glowforge also seemed to be a little lacking in features that the others offered as well as geared more towards being the “trendy” and introductory option.

We liked the BeamBox Pro; the work area was larger, the Pro version is 50W, and the price was better than the Muse. We didn’t like that it was just over 100lbs, but we probably could’ve gotten past that if necessary. Ultimately, what pushed us away from it was the lack of information about it online. We found very few reviews, very few YouTube videos, and just in general it did not seem to have much traction. That left us with the Muse 3D.

The biggest negatives that we found with the Muse 3D was the price. We did read a lot about their poor customer service, but we haven’t run into much issue with that so it may be something that they’ve addressed. Although the machine isn’t perfect, we think that we made the right choice for our needs. We went on to buy another machine from FSL, the Muse Core. We initially bought this as a back-up machine in case our main machine went down so as to not get behind on orders. However, we quickly started using it almost as much as our main machine. We bought this one directly from FSL, however, we got a nice discount because it was a demo unit. We haven’t had any issues with it so we would definitely recommend for someone on a budget to check out any pre-owned or demo unit sales through FSL.

Check out our next blog, where we will be discussing what we like and what we dislike about our Muse 3D.

UPDATE (2/22/23): Don't buy from Full Spectrum! Read why by clicking HERE.