Dremel Laser Cutter Review 2023: Is It For You?

The Dremel LC40 is a laser cutter designed for use with a wide variety of materials, including wood, plastic, and metal. It has a cutting capacity of up to 40 mm and a resolution of up to 0.1 mm. The LC40 is easy to use and comes with various software options that allow you to create and edit your designs. In this Dremel Laser Cutter Review, Byboe will show you the specs and features of this device and let you know whether it is suitable for your projects.

Dremel LC40 Laser Cutter Review

• Engraving Area: 18.4″ x 12″ (467 mm x 304.8 mm)
• Machine Dimensions: 32″ x 20″ x 8.25″ (812.5 mm x 508 mm x 209.55 mm)
• Weight: 63.3 lbs (28.7 kg) (without Hex Box™ or accessories)
• Shipping Weight: 100 lbs (45 kg)
• Laser Classification: IEC 60825-1 Class 3R
• Laser Type: Sealed CO2 Laser Tube
• Laser Power: 40W
• Compatibility: Mac & PC
• Browser Compatibility: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, & IE
• Wood, Acrylic, Glass, Stone, Paper, Aluminum, Leather
• Dremel LC40
• External water cooling system

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Engraves, cuts and embosses wood, leather and aluminum
• It is simple to use
• High-quality prints

Cons:

• Expensive
• It uses a little too loud
• The entry-level model lacks dedicated ventilation

What’s Included?

You will receive a hex box, a reusable tote bag, straps, a wooden sheet and a honeycomb plaque. The package also includes a quick-start guide and two water hoses.

It also includes exhaust shroud screws and exhaust duct clamps. Additional accessories include alcohol wipes and a spacer puck. An Ethernet cable is also included.

Features

Standard laser tubes are included with the LC40. They allow it to cut through leather, wood, stone, rubber, acrylic, and other soft materials. The laser is hidden away at the back of the machine.

Mirrors are used for reflecting the laser onto the fabric. This is a fairly standard process, but the unique workflow and additional safety features make this machine stand out.

Connectivity and Accessibility

You can still control the LC40 even without a WiFi connection by using the LCD touch screen on the board. You can also connect wirelessly to the LC40 for remote control.

Dremel chose a completely-wireless workflow for its intuitive software, which can be a blessing and a curse. When setting up a new job, you don’t need to be near a machine that emits toxic fumes. On the other hand, you are stuck with Dremel’s proprietary software.

Built-in Smart Camera

Dremel’s LC40 has a camera built in to help align your design with irregular workpieces. This allows you to see your plan before you begin cutting. It is helpful for irregularly shaped material.

This feature is uncommon in machines under and within this price range. It’s certainly a nice feature that justifies its price.

Size and Extras

This machine is approximately one meter long and 0.6 meters deep. This machine is quite bulky, with a cooling water system that must be tethered directly to the LC40.

Don’t forget that not all models of this machine include a fume extractor. You’ll have to pay more for it. So, you will need somewhere well-ventilated where the device can be parked.

Design

The LC40 measures in at 3 feet by 2 feet. The LC40’s outer shell is mostly a transparent glass that lifts to reveal the cutting area.

It also has an iPhone-sized touch screen. The touch screen has a single button that confirms operation, such as the start of the laser cutter.

The cutting area is located under the glass cover. It can hold material up more than 20×12 inches in size and about a quarter-inch thick.

The laser is hidden behind the case. The beam of light is reflected onto the cutting head by mirrors, then onto the material.

Rails support the cutting head and allow it to move forward and back and left and right. The small camera attached to the cutting head captures preview photos that can be used to place the cutting shapes in the software or to scan objects within the cutting area.

Laser cutting can be unpleasant, even more than 3D printing. Some materials can also produce very toxic chemicals when zapped with powerful lasers. For example, cutting acrylic can have a strong smell similar to burnt plastic.

The LC40’s cheapest model ($5,999) does not have any way to eliminate the smell. However, the $6,299 model includes a clip-on fan and a clothes-dryer vent laser tube that attaches to the back of the cutter bag.

This can be connected to an outlet, and the stench will be vented outside. The LC40 model ($7,999) has a fume extractor. However, the cutter can also be used without an outlet. However, the scent can still escape into the surrounding environment, so it is essential to use the cutter in an area that is well ventilated.

The LC40 laser engraver also needs cooling to remove the heat generated by the laser. The water cooler is an additional box that connects to the cutter via two pipes. The water cooler pumps the fluid around the base and laser tubes, then through a radiator.

Setup

You will need a lot of space to set up the LC40 laser engraver and use the water cooler, fan vent, and laser cutter. Although the water cooler is small (about the same size as a shoebox), it must be connected to the cutter’s back by three tubes and a cable.

Two for water, one to measure water level and one for Power. You will also need to connect the fan/vent tube to a window, dryer vent, or other suitable location.

After you’ve wired up the cutter, it is time to calibrate it and start it up. You will be guided through the entire setup with a step-by-step wizard.

The only thing you need to do is set the laser height. This can be done by placing a plastic puck on the material and then lowering it to reach the puck. Then tighten the holding screw.

Regular cleaning of the laser cutter is necessary as smoke and dust can build up on the lenses and mirrors that control the laser. This process is well described in the manual.

Control

Dremel used a unique approach to control the LC40 laser engraver. The software that controls the laser cutter and sets it up is only available on the actual device.

The LC40 can be controlled via the web interface or its touch screen. The screen can be used to set up the cutter or print files from USB drives.

It is straightforward to use, and it worked well in our tests. To confirm actions, press the button below the touch screen. To start a cut, press the button twice.

The primary method to control the LC40 is via the web interface. It works with any web browser. Without issue, we could prevent the cutter from using an iPhone and a MacBook. This is how you would handle the entire setup and control of a print.

Another curious oversight is that the LC40 does not support DXF files. This is a problem with other laser cutters and software. The LC40 instead uses PDFs. However, many tools can convert DXF files into PDFs.

Software for the LC40 has many presets that can be used to create different materials such as acrylics, leather, and aluminum.

Laser cutters can scan images to cut and engrave. This is done by placing the original image onto a piece of paper, and then the laser cutter uses the built-in camera to take photos that can be stitched together to create a laser-cutting format.

You can preview the image before cutting it using the same preview process. This is useful if your engraving needs to fit on a strange-shaped piece.

Laser cutting is governed by two key variables: speed and Power. The laser’s output power is the percentage of what is being used. This is usually expressed as a percentage.

Speed refers to how fast the cutting head is moving while working. A laser with high power but slow speed will either cut through a material deeply or pass through it. You will use lower Power if you are using materials that are more susceptible to burst into flames or etching onto the surface.

This is an excellent option because you don’t have the responsibility of creating these things. Many presets are available for various materials in the LC40’s software, including acrylics, Perspex, Lexan, different types of wood, leather, and aluminum.

After loading your material and image into the cutter, press the button to adjust the laser speed and power. These presets are not perfect, but they can be a great starting point.

We found that the scent of cutting escaped even with the fan on and the Dremel LC40 connected outside. This caused a mild smoky smell from wood and an unpleasant burnt plastic odor from acrylic.

Processing Quality

Dremel LC40 laser cutting machine is a versatile desktop tool that allows for the customization of various materials. The laser beam measures 6.5mm for precise cuts.

It is a perfect combination of professional hardware and simple-to-use functional software, allowing you to create exact products with short amounts and high levels of detail. Good quality mirrors support the powerful laser and ensure great accuracy.

This pendant is a fine example of Art Nouveau. It’s wonderful.

Printing Quality: Excellent with Practice

The LC40’s quality cuts impressed us. The Dremel Digilab LC40 amount and engraved leather and wood without any problems. The LC40’s software has presets that can be used to cut various materials.

However, you will still need to tweak the settings to achieve the best results. Engraving materials such as wood can often benefit from reducing the settings and performing several passes rather than one more aggressive access.

Engraving images was one area that produced some rather strange results. Although the Dremel LC40 software can convert any image into an engraving pattern from a photo, these rarely result in excellent results. The process works best with logos and simple images and worse with images with more complex images.

Many photos looked dingy and dark when they were burned onto the wood. Although there are many ways to improve photos (e.g., converting to grayscale), you might not get the desired result.

How to use Dremel LC40 Laser Engraver & Cutter

The instructions for setting up this product are clear. You should follow the instructions and pay attention to every step. Laser cutters emit toxic fumes when they are operating. Ensure you have adequate ventilation and filtration and that your model is always used in well-ventilated areas.

Dremel Digilab Laser Cutter Review: Other

We recommend the Orion Motor Tech50W Laser Cutter and Engraver if this product is not within your budget. It’s powerful and has a large working area of 12’x20”.

It can be used with many materials. These materials include cardboard, bamboo and wood, acrylic, leather, rubber, and non-metal material.

It can cut at 15.7 inches per minute for cutting and engraving and 23.6 inches per sec for engraving. This laser cutter is both efficient and precise for home use. This laser cutter allows you to increase creativity and personalize each project.

The laser comes with a red dot indicator that allows you to be very precise as it indicates where the laser will fire. This product is excellent for home and beginner use. We also compared Glowforge Plus to the Dremel Digilab LC40. Also, we have a Glowforge PLUS review.

Dremel Laser Cutter Reviews: Conclusion

The Dremel LC40 is a great laser cutter for hobbyists and small businesses. It has a cutting area of 9×12 inches and can cut through various materials, including wood, acrylic, and leather. We hope that our dremel digilab lc40 laser cutter review can help you learn more about this device.