Buying Guide
The Best Laser Welders Of 2023: Our Reviews For Precision Jewelry-Making
10 Minute Read
If you're getting into high-end jewelry-making, adding a laser welder to your workshop arsenal is a no-brainer. The best laser welders can truly transform the way you work and take your results right to the top of the field.
However, considering that these tools can be massive investments, buying a laser welder is a decision you need to make after a lot of consideration. For this guide, we've handpicked three top-notch laser welders to help you narrow down your search.
Keep reading to find out which are the best laser welders available today. See their pros and cons compared, and make sure to scroll through to our buying guide section, where we go over the most important factors you need to consider before you make a purchasing decision.
Comparison Chart
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The Best Laser Welders Of 2020
Best on a Budget
1. Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 20 Laser Welder: Best On A Budget
Get it on riogrande.comThe Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 20 Laser Welder is our top budget-friendly pick, as it offers solid quality and comes with a refreshing amount of additional features for a great price. It's a good choice for first-time users. Plus, it's small and compact, which makes it perfect for smaller jewelry studios.
"It's small and compact, which makes it perfect for smaller jewelry studios."
Pros:
Because the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 20 Laser Welder comes with a built-in Leica® 10X stereo-microscope, it offers clear, crisp viewing of what's going on in the chamber. You can easily monitor your work and track your progress.
"You can easily monitor your work and track your progress."
This model is really small and compact - designed specifically for smaller studios that have smaller benches. On the other hand, it comes with a decent opening, meaning you'll still be able to work on relatively bigger pieces.
The Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 20 is also a great choice for people who've never worked with such a device before. It comes with a complete start-up kit that will get you working in no time. The start-up kit includes a user manual, one control pedal, one wrist rest, two Allen wrenches (2.5mm and 3mm), three plastic gas spreader cones, and some other handy accessories.
"It comes with a complete start-up kit that will get you working in no time."
For a product in its price range, it offers great optics and a decent amount of memory cell capacity that allow you to save up to 32 individual, specific configurations for your most-used applications. You won't find a better deal on the market.
Cons:
Unlike our two other choices, the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 20 comes with a maximum pulse power of only 20 joules. This affects how much time it will take for the device to get the job done. Larger jewelry studios and experienced professionals who work on many pieces of jewelry a day might need a more powerful and faster model.
Additionally, because this model is small, it can be unsuitable for big studios and experienced professionals who want to use it on thick and big pieces of jewelry.
Best for Most People
2. Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 150 Laser Welder with Camera: Best For Most People
Get it on riogrande.comOur top choice for most people is the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 150 Laser Welder. This option offers a great price-quality ratio and has an incredible power capacity that's able to handle a heavy workload. Plus, it's compact and designed to fit all studios regardless of their size, which makes it a great choice for most people.
"This option offers great value for an affordable price and has an incredible power capacity that's able to handle a heavy workload."
Pros:
The Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 150 Laser Welder offers a maximum pulse power and duration of 25mS at 150 joules. Plus, it has a spot diameter of 0.3-1.5mm that's a lot stronger, more intense, and precise. With these specifications, the model offers a longer duty cycle and a lot more power for jewelers who work on more demanding projects.
"Plus, it has a larger opening in the weld chamber that won't give you any trouble if you want to work with larger pieces."
This laser welder is also very compact. Even though it's a little bigger than our budget pick, it still needs only 21-1/2″W x 24″D x 18″H of workspace. Also, it weighs 96 lbs, just like the Plus 20 model. This makes it easy to move, set up, and easy to maintain. The Neutec® Plus 150 has a larger opening in the weld chamber that won't give you any trouble if you want to work with larger pieces.
The Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 150 Laser Welder includes a complete starter kit containing two user keys, one user manual, a control pedal, one-piece of non-reflecting protective glass, seel practice blanks, and other accessories beneficial for beginners, as well as professionals.
Just like our budget pick, the Neutec® Plus 150 features a Leica® 10X stereo-microscope. But, an additional feature of this design is the built-in, high-resolution camera. You'll get a clear, crisp picture of what's going on in the chamber. This is great visibility for the average jewelry artist.
The Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 150 comes with a built-in USB port that allows you to share the ideal settings needed for any task precisely and immediately.
Cons:
The only drawback of the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 150 Laser Welder is the memory cell capacity that allows only 32 individual, specific configurations, unlike the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Plus 140 Laser Welding Machine, for example, which comes with 99 individual memory folders.
Therefore, if you need more memory cell capacity, you should invest in a higher-end laser welder that offers this feature. However, for the vast majority of even professional users, this one's got plenty of options under the hood.
Best Precision
3. Neutec® PulsePoint™ Plus 140 Laser Welding Machine: Best Precision
Get it on riogrande.comMade specifically for heavy-duty work, the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Plus 140 Laser Welding Machine is our favorite pick for professionals who never want to compromise power or precision while working on their finer, more intricate pieces. This is an incredibly powerful and large tool that can handle any jeweler's most ambitious tasks.
"This is an incredibly powerful and large tool that can handle any jeweler's task."
Pros:
With a maximum output energy of 140 joules, the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Plus 140 Laser Welding Machine can work long hours on any task. The model uses an advanced constant-voltage inverter power supply that eliminates power spikes to deliver more effective welding and dramatically extend the flash lamp life.
"It comes with an amazing spot diameter of 0.1-2.0mm for extremely fine detail work, like on or near filigree and around set stones."
On top of that, it comes with an amazing spot diameter of 0.1-2.0mm for extremely fine detail work, like on or near filigree and around set stones.
Another great feature is the memory capacity that will allow you to store settings and specific programs for more consistent results in many different conditions. You can set up to 99 unique programmable memory files. That's as much flexibility as anyone could ask for, giving you perfect repeatability on all your designs.
"This model is ergonomically built for comfort during long working hours."
This model is ergonomically built for comfort during long working hours. The design allows you to adjust the height of the microscope and welding chamber from approximately 50″H to 53″H to accommodate your specific height.
Cons:
Probably the biggest drawback for some people would be the large and heavy build of this laser welder, which makes the model unsuitable for small studios.
And, of course, it's wildly expensive. That's why we recommend this only to folks who know they'll get their money's worth from it.
Conclusion:
Our top choice for buyers on a budget is the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 20 Laser Welder because that model offers so much bang for your buck. Just like the higher-end models, the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 20 Laser Welder comes with a Leica® 10X stereo-microscope for a crisp, clear viewing so you can monitor the whole process.
It's the best choice for small studios and beginners because it's small, compact, and also features an amazing starter kit to get you working smoothly in no time.
"Our top choice while on a budget is the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 20 Laser Welder because the model offers a lot of bang for your buck."
The best choice for most people, however, is the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Studio™ Plus 150 Laser Welder because it's the perfect combination of affordability, smart design and powerful pulse output. With this model, you'll get great precision and a wide opening for more working space, but also a starter kit that's great for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the machine. It's suitable for both small and large jewelry studios.
"If you don't want to sacrifice power or precision, that the perfect choice for you is the large Neutec® PulsePoint™ Plus 140 Laser Welding Machine."
Although it's a considerable investment, with its superior power output and a spot diameter that would allow you to work on extremely fine details, the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Plus 140 is a no brainer for professionals. With this high-end welding machine, there will be no task you can't handle.
How To Choose The Best Jewelry Laser Welders
Now that you've read our reviews, you may still be wondering which laser welder is the right option for your jewelry studio. Read on to find out which factors to consider before you commit to a laser welder.
Power Capacity
One of the first things you should look for in a potential jewelry laser welder is the power capacity. The machines can come specced anywhere from 20 joules to around 150 joules.
"One of the first things you should look for in a potential jewelry laser welder is the power capacity."
For example, our budget pick, the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Plus 20, delivers up to 20 joules of output energy. Although 20 joules will be enough for most laser-welding applications, especially on silver, if you need to work on platinum and titanium, for example, you'll want a more powerful tool. In comparison, the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Plus 140 packs a power output of 140 joules, which will allow you to work on even the hardest materials.
Ergonomics
How the model is built determines how much and on what you'll be able to use it. You can choose from small and compact machines to very large laser welders with a bulkier build.
"Higher-end machines can also offer control over the height of the microscope and the welding chamber to adjust to the jeweler's height."
Smaller machines, like the Neutec® PulsePoint™ Plus 20, have a smaller opening and aren't suitable for larger pieces of jewelry.
On the other hand, big machines like the Neutec® PulsePoint™ offer a lot more working space.
Additionally, higher-end laser welders can also offer control over the height of the microscope and the welding chamber, and they can be adjusted to suit the jeweler's height. This allows more comfort, especially in situations where you need to use your laser welder for several hours.
Optics
Yet another thing to consider is the microscope used in the laser welder machine. While all of our recommendations come with a high-quality Leica® 10X stereo-microscope that allows you a clear, crisp view of what's happening in the chamber, some cheaper or lower-end laser welders might come with low-quality microscopes.
A: A laser welder works by joining together metals or thermoplastics to form a weld using a laser beam (a very high heat source concentrated on one spot). (1) This process can happen in one of two ways: conduction limited welding and keyhole welding. Each laser welder machine has specific programs you can set it to depending on what you're working on.
A: The difference between continuous and pulse wave is in the energy delivery. As the name suggests, continuous-wave lasers deliver continuous, uninterrupted energy. Pulse wave lasers deliver a pulse of energy, which is typically ten times higher than their average power and offers higher precision when working on smaller pieces, like in jewelry-making. All of our reviewed products are pulse-wave laser welders.
A: Yes, platinum, gold, silver, and diamond materials can be laser welded. However, each material requires a different setting and method. Make sure to read our article on The Art Of Laser Welding, where we explain how to use a laser welder in detail. (2)
What's Next?
We hope that our laser welder reviews and buying guide will help you find the best product for your specific needs. By now, you should have a better idea of what you're looking for and what laser welder would be the right fit for your jewelry studio and jewelry-making practice. If you're still in doubt, make sure to follow the title links to find out the specific prices, in-depth specifications, and customer reviews about each of our recommendations.
And while you're here, check out our other jewelry equipment reviews for even more great jewelry-making tools you might still be missing in your jewelry studio.
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