Laser engravers under $750 compared

Watts of light, not watts from the wall

A diode laser’s headline watts should be the light it puts out. All3DP warned years ago that the wattage these makers advertised was often the power going into the laser head, not the light coming out ¹; the FDA requires a laser product’s label to state its power output ². The machines here now give both: the Falcon2 is 40 W of light and 240 W at most from the wall ^{3 4}, and the Phecda 10 W of light and 55 W from the wall ⁵ — ELEGOO’s FAQ spells out that the 10 W is the laser’s output, not the machine’s ⁶. The CR-Laser Falcon gives 5 W of light and no wall figure ⁷; the laser module’s page names 5 W without saying which kind ⁸.

Light is what cuts. ELEGOO rates the 10 W Phecda at up to 8 mm of basswood and the 20 W at 14 mm ⁵; Creality rates the 5 W Falcon at 3 mm in one pass ⁷ and the 40 W Falcon2 at 20 mm of wood in one pass ⁴. Those are the makers’ best cases on soft wood. Tom’s Hardware found the 5 W Falcon cut wood up to 5 mm thick, with several slow passes at full power for the thicker cuts ⁹.

1. Ortur Laser Master 2 Review: Big Laser, Little Power All3DP — updated 2021-07-27: 'the wattage that manufacturers of diode laser machines often advertise is misleading' - often the power going into the laser head, not the output
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Lasers U.S. Food and Drug Administration — 'The label must also state the power output and the hazard class of the product'
3. Creality Falcon2 40W Laser Engraver & Cutter CrealityStore — the maker's store page: 'Output Power of up to 40W and a Machine Power of 240W'; integrated air assist as standard; 'flame detector, bidirectional limit switch, safety lock, emergency stop button, and laser detection cover'; colour patterns on mirror stainless steel, ceramics and opaque glass; LightBurn and LaserGRBL; TF card
4. Creality Falcon2 40W Laser Engraver and Cutter Creality Falcon — the maker's page: optical power 40 W, machine power max 240 W; 455 +/- 5 nm; Class 4 (FDA); 400 x 415 mm; up to 25,000 mm/min; 'one-pass cutting of 20mm wood or 30mm acrylic' (the acrylic shown is black)
5. PHECDA Laser Engraver User Manual (2023-10-20) ELEGOO — the maker's manual: laser head 10 W / 20 W, machine power 55 W / 85 W; 455 +/- 5 nm; 400 x 400 mm; up to 8 mm basswood (10 W), 14 mm (20 W); smoke filtration, flame detector, tilt alarm; 'In case of an emergency, please turn off the power directly'; ventilated area; 'Do not operate the machine unattended'; goggles in the box; kit assembly
6. ELEGOO PHECDA: Frequently Asked Questions ELEGOO — the maker's FAQ (2023-06-29): '10w refers to the output power of the laser, not the power of the machine itself'; stops if a flame lasts two seconds; tilt stop at 15 degrees; no limit switch; clear plexiglass no, dark acrylic yes; bare brass or copper needs a fiber laser; goggles still needed with the enclosure
7. Creality Falcon 5W CR-Laser Engraver and Cutter Creality Falcon — the maker's page: optical power 5 W, no wall wattage given; 455 +/- 5 nm; Class 4 (FDA); working area 400 x 415 mm; 10,000 mm/min; '3mm basswood in one pass'; a tilt alarm; an acrylic shield said to filter 97% of laser light; LightBurn, LaserGRBL, Falcon Design Space
8. Creality Laser Module CrealityStore — the maker's store page: 1.6 W, 5 W and 10 W versions (the one we list is 5 W); 'Turn Your 3D Printer into a Laser Engraver/Cutter'; tagged for Ender-2 Pro, Ender-3, Ender-3 Max Neo, Ender-3 Neo, Ender-3 S1, S1 Plus, S1 Pro, Ender-3 V2 and V2 Neo; whether the watts are light or electricity is not said
9. Creality CR Laser Falcon Review: Affordable Desktop Laser Tom's Hardware — Denise Bertacchi, updated 2022-08-05, the 5 W unit at $349 then: cuts wood up to 5 mm, thicker cuts need several slow passes at 100%; goggles for 455 nm provided; under 30 minutes to set up; 'A good beginner laser with bare minimum safety precautions'

Every one of these is a Class 4 laser on an open frame

Creality labels both Falcons Class 4 ^{1 2}, and Make: puts open-frame diode engravers in general in that class ³. The FDA describes Class 4 as an immediate eye and skin hazard from the direct or the reflected beam, and a possible fire hazard ⁴; OSHA calls it hazardous to view under any condition, directly or scattered ⁵.

That makes eyewear the first accessory, and not just any pair: it should be labelled with the wavelength it blocks and its optical density ⁵, and these lasers run at about 455 nm ^{1 6 2}. Make:’s Ryan Priore tested the free glasses that came with a 450 nm diode laser, measured protection under OD 2, and advises not to trust included glasses ³. ELEGOO puts goggles in the Phecda’s box ⁶ and Tom’s Hardware got a pair with the CR-Laser Falcon ⁷; budget for a labelled pair anyway.

Tom’s Hardware’s laser reviewer now goes further: she no longer recommends open-frame machines at all ⁸. If you buy one of these, plan where it runs as carefully as which one it is.

1. Creality Falcon 5W CR-Laser Engraver and Cutter Creality Falcon — the maker's page: optical power 5 W, no wall wattage given; 455 +/- 5 nm; Class 4 (FDA); working area 400 x 415 mm; 10,000 mm/min; '3mm basswood in one pass'; a tilt alarm; an acrylic shield said to filter 97% of laser light; LightBurn, LaserGRBL, Falcon Design Space
2. Creality Falcon2 40W Laser Engraver and Cutter Creality Falcon — the maker's page: optical power 40 W, machine power max 240 W; 455 +/- 5 nm; Class 4 (FDA); 400 x 415 mm; up to 25,000 mm/min; 'one-pass cutting of 20mm wood or 30mm acrylic' (the acrylic shown is black)
3. Laser Eye Safety in Digital Fabrication: Protecting Your Vision Make: — Ryan Priore (2025-02-07): non-enclosed diode laser engravers are Class IV examples; 'Do not trust inexpensive or included laser safety glasses!'; free glasses with a 450 nm diode measured under OD 2
4. Laser Products and Instruments U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Class IV: 'Immediate skin hazard and eye hazard from exposure to either the direct or reflected beam; may also present a fire hazard'
5. OSHA Technical Manual, Section III, Chapter 6: Laser Hazards OSHA — Class IV lasers are 'hazardous to view under any condition (directly or diffusely scattered)' and a fire and skin hazard; laser eyewear must be labelled with OD values and wavelengths
6. PHECDA Laser Engraver User Manual (2023-10-20) ELEGOO — the maker's manual: laser head 10 W / 20 W, machine power 55 W / 85 W; 455 +/- 5 nm; 400 x 400 mm; up to 8 mm basswood (10 W), 14 mm (20 W); smoke filtration, flame detector, tilt alarm; 'In case of an emergency, please turn off the power directly'; ventilated area; 'Do not operate the machine unattended'; goggles in the box; kit assembly
7. Creality CR Laser Falcon Review: Affordable Desktop Laser Tom's Hardware — Denise Bertacchi, updated 2022-08-05, the 5 W unit at $349 then: cuts wood up to 5 mm, thicker cuts need several slow passes at 100%; goggles for 455 nm provided; under 30 minutes to set up; 'A good beginner laser with bare minimum safety precautions'
8. Better safety features make laser engravers more popular than ever Tom's Hardware — Denise Bertacchi (2026-01-01): 'I've learned my lesson and no longer recommend open frame machines'; PVC and vinyl release chlorine gas

Smoke, fire, and the materials never to cut

A diode laser cuts by burning, which makes smoke and, now and then, flame. Stanford’s guidance for laser cutters is to run them only where a dedicated exhaust goes outside, never to leave one running unattended, and to keep a fire extinguisher close ¹. The makers say the same in their own words: ELEGOO’s manual says not to run the Phecda unattended and to use it somewhere well ventilated ², and Creality says the fire risk rises sharply when the Falcon2’s air assist is off ³.

Flame sensors help less than the name suggests. ELEGOO says the Phecda stops when a flame lasts two seconds ⁴, yet GamingTrend’s 20 W review unit did nothing when a fire started ⁵. Creality lists a flame detector, limit switches, a safety lock and an emergency stop on the Falcon2 ⁶; for the Phecda, ELEGOO’s advice in an emergency is to cut the power ², and it has no limit switches ⁴.

Some materials must never go under any laser. PVC and other chlorinated plastics — vinyl, pleather and some artificial leathers — give off chlorine gas, and ABS gives off hydrogen cyanide ^{1 7}. Creality’s store page for the CR-Laser Falcon still lists PVC among its materials ⁸; the safety guides say never.

1. Laser Cutters Safety Guidance Stanford Environmental Health & Safety — rev. 2024-09-26: well-ventilated areas with a dedicated exhaust to the outside; never PVC (chlorine gas, HCl), PTFE, ABS (hydrogen cyanide); 'Never leave an operating laser cutter unattended'; a fire extinguisher close by
2. PHECDA Laser Engraver User Manual (2023-10-20) ELEGOO — the maker's manual: laser head 10 W / 20 W, machine power 55 W / 85 W; 455 +/- 5 nm; 400 x 400 mm; up to 8 mm basswood (10 W), 14 mm (20 W); smoke filtration, flame detector, tilt alarm; 'In case of an emergency, please turn off the power directly'; ventilated area; 'Do not operate the machine unattended'; goggles in the box; kit assembly
3. Safety protection of Falcon2 Creality Falcon — the maker's blog (2023-09-19): the module's protective cover uses filter glass; without air assist 'the risk of fire will be greatly increased'; a dirty lens raises the risk of burning
4. ELEGOO PHECDA: Frequently Asked Questions ELEGOO — the maker's FAQ (2023-06-29): '10w refers to the output power of the laser, not the power of the machine itself'; stops if a flame lasts two seconds; tilt stop at 15 degrees; no limit switch; clear plexiglass no, dark acrylic yes; bare brass or copper needs a fiber laser; goggles still needed with the enclosure
5. Elegoo Phecda 20W Laser Engraver review GamingTrend — Mark Julian, 2024-04-30, the 20 W version, unit provided by ELEGOO: 'I did have a fire, and the machine did not react at all'; 'The fire sensor didn't appear to work'; burns a dark image; MDF hard to cut; wants an enclosure and serious ventilation indoors
6. Creality Falcon2 40W Laser Engraver & Cutter CrealityStore — the maker's store page: 'Output Power of up to 40W and a Machine Power of 240W'; integrated air assist as standard; 'flame detector, bidirectional limit switch, safety lock, emergency stop button, and laser detection cover'; colour patterns on mirror stainless steel, ceramics and opaque glass; LightBurn and LaserGRBL; TF card
7. Laser Cutter Safety (FAQ sheet) Columbia University EH&S — never PVC or chlorinated plastics (vinyl, pleather/artificial leather, Sintra, Kydex), polycarbonate, PVB; never leave a laser cutter unattended
8. 5W CR-Laser Falcon Engraver CrealityStore — the store page we track (a limited flash sale): lists 'wood, PVC, bamboo, acrylic, matte stainless steel' among materials to engrave

What a blue diode laser cannot do

Clear acrylic and glass are out of reach for all of these. Make:’s chart of what cuts what lists a blue diode laser as unable to cut or engrave clear acrylic, glass or bare metal, while it can engrave coated metal ¹, and ELEGOO says the same of the Phecda: dark acrylic yes, clear no, and bare brass or copper needs a fiber laser ². More power stretches the edges: Hackster engraved stainless steel with the 22 W Falcon2 ³, and Creality says the 40 W colours mirror-finish stainless and engraves opaque glass ⁴.

The other two items are parts, not machines. The laser module replaces the hotend on Creality’s Ender-3 family — Creality tags it for the Ender-2 Pro and the Ender-3, V2, Neo and S1 models ⁵ — and All3DP’s guide to the swap warns it is not the most powerful laser and costs some build area ⁶. The protective lens fits only the Falcon2 series ⁷: a dirty one weakens cuts and leaves burn marks, and Creality says to replace it when it is cracked, cloudy or burned ⁸.

1. What Cuts What? Lasering Different Materials Make: — Matt Stultz (2025-09): a blue diode laser cannot cut or engrave clear acrylic, glass or bare metal; engraves coated metal; cuts thin wood
2. ELEGOO PHECDA: Frequently Asked Questions ELEGOO — the maker's FAQ (2023-06-29): '10w refers to the output power of the laser, not the power of the machine itself'; stops if a flame lasts two seconds; tilt stop at 15 degrees; no limit switch; clear plexiglass no, dark acrylic yes; bare brass or copper needs a fiber laser; goggles still needed with the enclosure
3. Review: Creality Falcon2 Laser Cutter/Engraver Hackster.io — Cameron Coward, the 22 W Falcon2, unit provided by Creality: engraved stainless steel; sensors for air flow, fire and lens clarity; 'lacks an enclosure/shield'; recommended with the caveat that you must understand the danger
4. Creality Falcon2 40W Laser Engraver & Cutter CrealityStore — the maker's store page: 'Output Power of up to 40W and a Machine Power of 240W'; integrated air assist as standard; 'flame detector, bidirectional limit switch, safety lock, emergency stop button, and laser detection cover'; colour patterns on mirror stainless steel, ceramics and opaque glass; LightBurn and LaserGRBL; TF card
5. Creality Laser Module CrealityStore — the maker's store page: 1.6 W, 5 W and 10 W versions (the one we list is 5 W); 'Turn Your 3D Printer into a Laser Engraver/Cutter'; tagged for Ender-2 Pro, Ender-3, Ender-3 Max Neo, Ender-3 Neo, Ender-3 S1, S1 Plus, S1 Pro, Ender-3 V2 and V2 Neo; whether the watts are light or electricity is not said
6. Ender 3 (V2/Pro/S1) Laser Engraver: How to Upgrade All3DP — editorial guide (2023-10-30): 'it's not the most powerful one'; 'you'll lose some build area'; wear proper eye protection
7. Falcon2 Replace Protective Lens CrealityStore — the maker's store page: tagged for Falcon2 12W, 22W, 40W and Falcon2 Pro 22W, 40W, 60W; no description text
8. CrealityFalcon General Maintenance Guide Creality Falcon — the maker's guide (2023-12-25): a dirty lens 'can reduce laser power, cause weak cuts, create burn marks, or overheat'; check when the LENS light flashes; replace when cracked, chipped, burned, cloudy or scratched, or on repeated warnings after cleaning

What these prices mean

Each price here is the one we last checked on that product’s own page, and each page says the date. All five are the makers’ own prices, read every day from the product feeds Creality and ELEGOO give their affiliates; none has moved since we started reading them — Creality’s on September 23, ELEGOO’s on September 28, 2026 — and we have not seen any of them charged at its list price. The laser module we list is the 5 W version and the Phecda the 10 W with the air-assist set; the CR-Laser Falcon is a limited flash-sale page.

For scale: the Falcon2 40W launched at $1,699 in 2023 ¹, and the CR-Laser Falcon cost $349 when Tom’s Hardware reviewed it in 2022 ².

1. Creality Launches new Falcon2 40W laser engraver 3D Printing Industry — news (2023-05-30): pre-orders 'Starting at $1,699'
2. Creality CR Laser Falcon Review: Affordable Desktop Laser Tom's Hardware — Denise Bertacchi, updated 2022-08-05, the 5 W unit at $349 then: cuts wood up to 5 mm, thicker cuts need several slow passes at 100%; goggles for 455 nm provided; under 30 minutes to set up; 'A good beginner laser with bare minimum safety precautions'