LaserPecker LP1 Pro Laser Engraver for Beginners, Mini Portable Laser Engraving Machine for Wood/Leather/Felt, 190g Lightweight, 10,000+ Hour Lifespan, Laser Safety Glasses Included, Basic Set

First, before anything else, we had some pretty mixed expectations in regards to this little guy. So much that our team was evenly split. However, actual opinions (come time) began to swiftly lean into the direction of "impressed".For one, this little LaserPecker is quite costly. Especially, when you have full-out machines that cost around the same price that can cover a larger area. However, they do not compare to the user-friendliness of this one. Some of those machines are like using a 3D printer in ways (some others, a little easier than that). This little LaserPecker, however, is the easiest of them all, and by far, the most portable.Assuming the app works at least. Looking into some of the reviews for the app, we were initially a bit worried. It doesn't have the best rep. However (a lot of howevers in this review), the app seems to work just fine outside a small hiccup. Our small hiccup involved registration as the code wouldn't send out to our mail server. So we switched to Gmail and received it (finding out that they send confirmation codes from a generic domain that was likely blocked by our server due to known spam issues in the past). In the end, though, we got the code and we were able to continue using it. It WOULD be nice not to have to do that though. Since everything is managed locally from the app, we felt that any kind of confirmation codes or registration was unneeded. If anything, do a normal user/pass scenario and be done with it, but only if you have a community of art or something to go with it. Else, an account shouldn't be needed. As long as this paragraph might be, we didn't experience much trouble with it, so no stars taken.That little tidbit aside, we were able to get the app to work and were able to engrave a number of things, and had quite a lot of fun doing so. The wait time isn't so bad for the smaller stuff (branding of small logos and text on leatherwear and the sort). Especially, compared to something like a 3D printer. So you will find yourself "burning" (literally) through a lot of things as you have fun trying it out on various surfaces. However, when you go a little deeper and larger (especially with wood), the math suddenly changes. A 100mm x 100mm flower on wood (100% laser, 100% depth) we did for someone took 723 minutes (that was a little painful). So it shines best with small branding and the sort.Leather works quite well with this unit, as well as paper, cardboard, and simple plastics. Smartphone cases that feature durable plastic may take a number of runs to get a crisp enough result. We wound up using an old beat-up case as practice and ran it under it about 5 times before we were happy (each time, upping the laser or depth more and more until we hit 100% laser and 60% depth and called it good.The only thing we had a problem with was the feet, which should be dipped in rubber or cover with rubber caps of some sort. The long flower print we did featured a portion of the flower chopped off since the tripod of the laser slid ever so slightly. Likely due to the curvature of the surface it was on. The feet of the tripod are plastic, so there isn't really any grip to help keep it steady. Sometimes, it's the simple things that wind up mattering a lot.The app is quite user-friendly and as long as it doesn't experience any of the issues before mentioned (by other people than ourselves), we would say that it has plenty of potential as they expand on it. So far, we absolutely love it.**If you have found our review helpful, please vote it as helpful below so we know. This helps us to provide quality feedback in the future.

What can I say, I love this thing. Makes me wonder why it took me so long to buy a laser engraver. I was waffling between this one and another brand but I went with this one because it was compact and portable. As long as you have a power supply, you can engrave pretty much anywhere.I use the engraver with the Apple App on my iPhone. I've not tried the Windows app.So far, I've been engraving wood and leather goods for my Winery and the results are very nice and professional looking. I've found that it will use bitmap and jpeg files that are in my phone's photo album. Honestly, the biggest challenge I have is getting my artwork from my computer to my phone's album. I just email them to myself.I did want to engrave drinking horns and discovered that the laser just reflects off of the light colored horns without even making a mark. The solution, I found, was to cover the horn with painters tape first and then engrave. I had to turn the depth up pretty high but it engraved nicely after that. You can see the one horn cup I engraved in one of my pictures. I'm guessing this method will work for other items that are too reflective for the engraver.I really do love this engraver and only have a few complaints. These are the things I think could be improved.First, the App interface is white and orange text which is nearly impossible to see with the safety glasses on. Black text in the option buttons would have been better.Second, there are too many verification popups in the App while in use. When you want to engrave, you have to tap four times, which is three times too many. Yeah, I get that you want to remind users to be safe and check the distance between engraver and material, but maybe make that go away after a tutorial. I get sort of annoyed that I have to tap so many times just to repeat a previous job.Third, the default preview setting is so dim, no one can possible see it. You have to immediately turn the brightness up to see a preview. Maybe make the brightest setting the default.Fourth, I thought it had a battery that needed charging. It does not. It has to stay plugged in while in use and the cord that comes with it is not very long. If you use an extension cord, be careful that the cord does not move the unit while in use. I found that my one cord had a heavy end that, if it slipped off the table, would take the engraver, tripod and all, with it. I have a USB Ryobi battery adapter that I found works just fine if I am going to be out and about at markets and shows and need to do some impromptu engraving.My only regret is that I didn't spend more to get the one with the base that rotates cylinders (for engraving mugs). But that may be a future purchase.I don't know the lifespan of this laser and have only been using it for a couple of days, so I guess only time will tell how durable it is.

With no detailed manual the product is a little difficult to figure out. That being said, this device is one cool thing! Portable, Versatile, Fairly easy to work once you get an understanding of how to do so. Kind of like IKEA...who needs instructions??? Lol. All-in-all.. a very good purchase for simple carvings to put on wood, recycled paper and more. I just happen to think those 2 things look the coolest. You can get a really cool, old-timey look by burning images onto brown recycled paper envelopes and cards, and those are pretty cheap on Amazon so if you mess up the first time you're not losing out on a ton of money. Actually I would suggest that as a good starting point so you can try as many times as you want and get a hang of the product itself before going ham on expensive wood. Wood coasters are fairly cheap too in bulk. Good stuff. :)