Laser tube

Tested Laser Tube: 40W CO2 Cutter – Surprising Power Boost!

Having adorned my workshop with the essentials—a trusty OMTech K40+ CO2 Laser Engraver, a versatile ANKZONE 40w Laser Engraver, and a third-party TEN-HIGH 40W CO2 Laser Tube 700mm D50mm replacement—recently obtaining the tube itself was a logical next step. My intention was straightforward: to replace a visibly aging unit within one of my home cutters, expecting incremental improvement but little surprise given its origins.

However, the initial heralded sounds of a potential 'power boost' quickly became a tangible reality during testing. Extracting precise, clean cuts along the edges of a challenging synthetic panel under the larger ANKZONE 40w setup revealed noticeably finer results than anticipated. The beam seemed vibrant and stable, contrasting subtly with the baseline output of the OMTech K40+, which isn't inherently inadequate but showed no dramatic jump when paired with the new tube. Adjusting the assist air became crucial, but the efficiency of laser marking on metals was notably increased. An unexpected saving grace was the pre-connected pre-coated wiring of the TEN-HIGH tube, easing the installation dramatically.

While mature cutters often plateau, this fairly generic yet high-wattage tube demonstrated a palpable refinement in performance when integrated, justifying the initial optimism it generated. For those familiar with the depreciation curve of budget cutters, replacing the laser tube is frequently a dead-end; but with this specific upgrade, a meaningful improvement was achieved.