Attention: not every machine is suitable for working on metal

This is a very important issue to highlight as there is a lot of misinformation about it.

Not just any machine can be used to engrave metal, much less cut it.

If we introduce aluminum or another metal inside a engraver optimized to work on another surface, we can burn the laser or break the machine.

Since these recorders are more expensive than wooden ones, there is a tendency to look for low prices to find some homemade alternative that allows you to avoid spending the thousands of euros that a professional metal recorder costs.

Although there are offers that you can take advantage of, you should know that to record metal, at least 15W of power is required .

If we compare it with the wood engravers, we see a big difference here, since these others can work perfectly in the engraving with only 1W or 2W.

Laser power to engrave metal – best laser engraver for metal

The 15W mentioned above correspond, as we said, to the minimum capable of working on metal . This implies that, if we are going to buy a new machine, we will have to choose one that exceeds that value.

A good power to record on metal is 20W or 30W, while to cut we will need more, exceeding 60W or 80W.

It is important to note that home-made metal engraving machines generally do not accept reflective metals , but instead allow work on copper, alumina oxide, silver, brass, gold, or any other non-reflective material.

Using metal with high mirror reflectivity may injure the operator or burn the laser.

On the other hand, CO2 laser engravers , for the most part, do not have enough capacity to engrave or cut hard metals such as steel.

In addition to requiring a more powerful and expensive laser, these engravers require an anodizing layer or another chemical process to carry out the marking process.

What is the best metal laser engraver on the market?

It is not at all surprising to see the sale of metal laser engravers increase year by year.

Technological advancement, the new functions they include and the increase in offer makes their price lower and therefore, their entrance door more accessible.

This process makes a number of discounted product offers available to DIY enthusiasts or DIY crafts experts , as manufacturers seek to highlight their posts by trying to make them more eye-catching.

Now, which of all those that exist in the market is better? Which one should I buy?

In this buying guide we have reviewed the best laser engraver for metal to help you choose the one you really need.

1) OrangeA 50W – best desktop metal laser engraver

The best laser machine on the market capable of working on metal is this OrangeA laser engraver and cutter.

It is not exactly a portable recorder since it weighs approximately 100 kg, but it is much smaller than the professional ones, costing between 5 and 10 times less its value.

It can work on different surfaces, such as leather, jeans fabric, wood, pvc, rubber, bamboo clips, stone, glass, paper, plastics, etc.

The laser type is a 50W CO2 airtight glass conduit with water cooling that works on a surface of 300mm x 500mm. Thanks to its power, it is capable of engraving on practically any material, including metal, and it can function as a cutting machine, albeit on soft or medium-hard materials.

It is compatible with CorelDraw and AutoCad software under any Windows distribution.

Among the most favorable opinions, the presence of the rotating cylinder stands out, which allows engraving on cylindrical or conical objects, such as glasses or glasses, in the same style as the much more expensive machines.

At the same time, being one of the best-selling machines in its field, there are many tutorials and videos on YouTube that will help you get the most out of the recorder.

2) Tuonai 20 W – professional recorder for engraving on metals

Within the range of professional metal engravers, the 20W Tuonai is an economical machine.

If we look at the sales catalogs of products in this area, we will find recorders that double or triple this price, clearly improving and increasing performance.

It has a 110mm x 110mm engraving area and a finer, higher photoelectric conversion, high precision 20W fiber laser.

No advanced knowledge is required to operate this recorder, so even an unskilled operator can use it, achieving high-quality engravings on metal.

The cooling system is not by water like the previous model but by air.

Optionally, this professional metal laser marking system can be purchased together with the PC and the rotary system, for cylindrical objects.

3) Baugger 20 W – mini laser engraver for metal: cheap and portable

One option for etching metals without spending a lot of money is this 20W Baugger machine.

Despite its low price, it is very accurate, easy to use and is compatible with all image file extensions, such as bmp, jpg, png, dxf, etc. and all Microsoft operating systems (WinXP, Win7, Win8, Win10).

Unlike other models from other brands, the 20W Baugger is also compatible with the Mac operating system and Android smartphones, through the Neje scanner.

Thanks to its weight of 1.4 kg and its size of 38 cm x 28 cm x 13 cm it is within the category of portable metal laser engravers and regardless of being small, it is really good at cutting (it can cut 8 mm maximum thickness).

4) Vogvigo 3018 Pro CNC milling machine – excellent low cost alternative for metal

Finally, another option to engrave on hard surfaces such as metals while spending as little money as possible is to buy a router.

Unlike previous machines, the Milling Machine makes a mechanical engraving by means of a piece called a milling cutter, which makes the drawing on the surface while a rotating tip passes through each of the points.

The Vogvigo 3018 Pro CNC Milling Machines is very popular because it not only allows milling but can also optionally be fitted with a laser beam to work as a laser engraver, thus expanding its performance and versatility.

It has a  300mm x 180mm x 45mm carving area and is capable of carving on plastic, soft metal (copper or aluminum for example), wood, acrylic, etc.

Among its most important advantages we find the possibility of using it without having to connect it to the computer or download files, so it can be used offline without problems.

Its power is 60W although it can reach 120W.

Machines for engraving metal on SALE

Laser engraving machines: the best way to mark metal at a low price

Metal is a very hard material that requires a lot of power to be able to engrave on it and, above all, to make cuts.

This means that the standard mini recorders are not enough to work on them and we must, therefore, buy other types of more robust and powerful machines.

It is common to think that increasing the power means spending more budget to buy a laser engraver that works on metal.

Although this is true, we have offers at a good price of machines, in some cases with a discount and in others at an economic price direct from the manufacturer.

As we detailed earlier, there are mini desktop laser markers. Those are the cheapest on the market and are specially designed for DIY lovers looking for an inexpensive alternative. Their prices are varied, but we can get them for less than 500 euros, approximately.

Looking for cheaper alternatives, we have the milling machines that although they can engrave, they do not do it with the help of a laser light beam but have a cutting material called a milling cutter that performs the work. The items in this group are sold for different prices, but there are good offers that will allow you to get one of them for about 200 or 300 euros.

Now, if we want to buy a laser engraver and cutter for metal, we will hardly find an economical price. These machines are really expensive, and can reach prices that exceed 5,000 or 10,000 (10 thousand) euros.

What to Know Before Buying a Metal Laser Engraving Machine?

Before buying a laser engraving machine, we would like you to consider three very important aspects, which are the following:

• Material with which you are going to work. Of course, your main intention when looking for an engraving machine for metal is to work on metal; however, not all metals are the same; so there will be machines for hard or solid metals, while others will only be able to work on soft metals.

Also, it may be useful if you have the possibility of working on other materials, be it wood, leather, glass, acrylic, textile, plastic, ceramic, etc.

• Machine power : the power determines the engraving speed of the machine, the higher the power the higher the speed. A homemade laser engraver could have a power of between 500mW to 3000mW. It can also be said that the higher the power, the harder materials you can carve.
• Work zone. It is also another important aspect, which depends on the size of the pieces on which you want to engrave.

Taking these three aspects into account, you will undoubtedly be able to choose a machine tailored to your needs.