Prices and costs of fiber laser cutting machines fluctuate greatly depending on the design, type, laser power, brand, etc. Many customers have misconceptions when making inquiries and end up with an under-satisfying offer. Here are 4 crucial tips to avoid confusion or falling in traps when making inquiries on metal laser cutting machines. Let’s dive into the details.
Table of Contents
Don’t Simply Ask Price
Generally, the sellers will first analyze the authenticity and intention of the customers before making an offer to them. Simply “How much is your metal laser cutting machine” or “please give me your best price”, you’re likely being tagged as low intention customers or competitors who want to extract prices. If that happened, they will not be active or responsive to your inquiry. Therefore, don’t be lazy unless you’re not serious about buying a metal laser cutting machine.
When inquiring, make sure you figure out first what you want the machine to do, sincerely discuss with the sales and share as much information and as many details as possible to ensure they consider all your needs when recommending a solution, such as cutting metals, thickness, size, precision requirements, budget, your project background, etc.;
Additionally, preparing those details in advance will help you consistently convey your requirements to all providers and thoroughly compare and evaluate proposals.
Also, do leave a good impression as you are an authentic buyer, then they would be willing to answer your questions.
If you know little about laser cutting, just be honest. They would love to explain or give advice. Or if they were busy, seeing you’re a layman and acting arrogantly, they may not be so responsive to your inquiry.
All Metal Laser Cutting Machines and Manufacturers Are Not Equal
One of the biggest mistakes many buyers may make when choosing a metal laser cutting machine is assuming that all metal laser cutting machines and manufacturers are equal. If this were the case, the cheapest offer would be the best offer.
However, different manufacturers may provide different metal laser cutting machines. Normally fiber laser cutting machine varies in brands and core parts such as laser source, laser cutting head, motor, etc., which are important factors for pricing the machine.
Also, the machine may have an enclosure to prevent laser radiation, or double shuttle pallets to save the loading time. There is also sheet and tube integrated laser cutting machines suitable for customers who need to process sheets and tubes. By and large, the more functions of the fiber laser cutting machine, the higher the price will be.
The larger the size of the fiber laser cutting machine of the same series of the same power, the higher the price;
Also, the laser power of the metal laser cutting machines can vary from 500W-12kW or more. The larger the laser power, the higher the price.
Some sellers may give you a high configuration laser to gain more cost margins; some may quote you one pretty low-priced laser machine with questionable quality only to win the bid.
Therefore, check carefully what’s all in your quotes. Different machines have different configurations. A simple comparison of prices is likely to end up with a less satisfying choice on metal laser cutting machine.
Furthermore, different manufacturers have different levels of experience and provide different service supports, which often affect the schedule of your projects. It’s important to do your research on suppliers and find out which companies get good feedback and how fast and how much the spare parts will cost you should you purchase a machine from them. A supplier who did not keep a good stock of spare parts can keep you wait a long time to continue your production.
Higher the Laser Power, the Better?
The higher the power, the better? Not really! It’s true that the higher the laser power, the thicker the cut, but also the more cost the laser cutting machine. Because laser power is one of the main factors that directly affect the price of laser cutting machines.
High-power metal laser cutting machines also have higher requirements for their components. The upgrade of the whole equipment parts will make the cost of the whole equipment soar.
If you’re budget-minded, and thick metal cutting only accounts for a very small percentage of your overall cutting. Then a low power laser that can well suit your cuts would be a better choice.
Furthermore, if you carefully observe the cutting parameters of different powers of Table 1. It’s not difficult to find that, as the laser power increases to 6000W, the max. cutting thickness only increases 3mm compared to that of 3000W laser. It’s clearly not so cost-effective to choose a 6000W laser when most of your cuts are below 22mm with a small percentage of cuts above 22mm.
Table 1 Laser Power and Maximum Cutting Thickness
| Power | Carbon Steel | Stainless Steel |
| 500W | 6mm | 3mm |
| 1000W | 10mm | 5mm |
| 1500W | 14mm | 6mm |
| 2000W | 18mm | 8mm |
| 3000W | 22mm | 10mm |
| 6000W | 25mm | 16mm |
Never Choose the Incredible Low Quote
When finalizing the deal, the cost is a major factor. You might be tempted to choose the lowest quote you find in order to save money. However, cheaper isn’t always better with all these quotes. Unfortunately, you’ll have high possibilities to find that the lowest quote, especially a quote significantly lower than all others, will cost you more in the long run.
Nowadays, the metal laser cutting machines on the market vary in quality and price: some costs tens of thousands of dollars, some hundreds of thousand dollars; Even there is supplier labeled ” 6,000 dollars for one XX metal laser cutting machine”, this is direct to fool you. What’s more, some sellers only give a price with no more info. In most cases, it is false info or trap.
Reasons for a Low Quote
A low quote is often attractive, as we all like to spend money as less as possible to get a higher value product. However, it’s important to find out why the quote is so low. In some cases, the reason is certain functions or parts could have been missed. A less experienced manufacturer might also underestimate the complexities of the production. Additionally, one of the most concerning reasons a quote might below is that it compromises the quality by using lower quality parts or non-original parts.
Hidden Costs of a Low Quote
In addition to the questionable reasons a manufacturer might have a low quote, you will probably encounter hidden costs. One of the biggest costs of a low-priced metal laser cutting machine is sloppy workmanship that leads to a poor appearance or quality of the machine. In some cases, you might end up with a machine that does not run properly, often failing just past the warranty period.
Another hidden cost of a low big quote could be wasted time, whether it’s the delayed lead time, or time wasted getting inexperienced workers up to speed. All in all, a low bid could cost you more.
Conclusion
In summary, if you’re going to bring in-house a metal laser cutting machine. The process of inquiring the quotes and making the final decision on the quotes can be confusing.
It is recommended that customers should provide sufficient details for the most suitable laser solution. Meanwhile, check carefully the functions and components in your quotes as different parts and functions mean different costs. Also don’t be tempered to the extremely low prices, since it may cost you more in the long run.
Working with our staff at MORN Laser, we can help you find a price point that caters to exactly what you need. Prices differ widely for each model of MORN Laser cutting machines. Send an email to inquiry09@morntech.com or start a live chat on the right side to get an itemized price estimate.
