Atomstack A5 Pro 40W DIY Laser Engraver & Cutter - 5.5W Output Power with Eye Protection & Fixed Focus - Easy Assembly Blue Laser Engraving Machine for Wood, Metal, Acrylic - Perfect for Home DIY, Craft Projects & Small Business

On the good:1. The bags of parts are numbered to match the assembly step numbers, which was a huge help.2. The extrusions are cut quite precisely and fit together very well.3. Positioning accuracy is great - repeating the same pattern multiple times does not blur the pattern.4. It can engrave non-white plant plastic plant tags quite effectively (at least the PVC ones I ended up with)On the bad:1. My unit cannot engrave bare mirror-finish 304 stainless steel or any other metals I've tried (they only claim the mirror finish specific stainless alloy)2. The unit cannot engrave white plastics easily (TiO2 filled PVC plant tags, for example)3. There are no homing or motion stop limit switches on the unit, it will run right into the frame if you let it.4. I do not trust the googles it comes with. I can see the blue beam scatter through them. I have my own high quality laser goggles and use them.All in all, for an inexpensive entry level unit I am pleased.Ok i'm going to start by saying I do have experience with laser engravers of the larger type. This is the first one I have owned myself, and I love it. You don't have to be an engineer to put it together, but if you aren't somewhat mechanically inclined you may need help. It took about an hour to assemble, it came with everything you need to assemble it. The bags are marked with the steps, you just have to be able to look at pictures and match everything up. The program is kind of a pain to use, I couldn't get it to engrave the first couple of times I tried. After I got out working finally the first engraving was good, not great. After messing with some of the settings and dialing it in, I am completely amazed at how well this machine does. It does just as well as the large engraver I use. I'm only giving it 4 stars because I think they could improve the programming, but for a free program it does the job.I have already contacted support and they responded quickly and were very helpful. Great all around product!I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly I was able to assemble the machine and get up and running with my first project. Within an hour of my initial unboxing, I was already up and running with my first project.ASSEMBLY:The A5 pro arrives partially assembled in a box and requires you to assemble the frame and attach the y-axis belts. The x-gantry arrives pre-assembled and needs only to be slid onto the assembled frame. Once that is done you attach the laser module and calibrate the distance using the 20mm aluminum column that is provided.The entire assembly process went smoothly thanks to the well written and illustrated instruction manual, as well as the clearly labeled parts. All parts were labeled with part names as well as numbers that corresponded to the specific stage of the step that they are required for. The instruction manual is truly the best I've seen.HOW TO USE IT:Once you have the machine assembled, connect it to your computer using the USB cable that is provided. If you don't already have LaserGRBL installed, you'll need to install it. I just searched for "LaserGRBL" and went to their website to download the latest version.The software is fairly simple and easy to use, even for a first timer like myself. I ended up using my desktop background image of my dog as a test photo, which isn't ideal in terms of contrast but I figured it was good enough.I opened the .jpg file of my dog in LaserGRBL, which pops up a window that gives a few different options for image rendering and minor contrast/brightness adjustments. Once you have those options selected, you're taken to another window that allows you to change the material and machine settings (cut or engrave).After you select those options, the project loads with a preview on the screen, and all you have to do is press play and the machine starts working.RESULTS: I was pretty amazed with how quickly I was able to get the photo of my dog etched onto some wood panels. There's definitely more fine tuning to be done, but not bad as a starting point. Great machine for beginners.FINAL VERDICT:The build quality is so much better than other similar machines I've come across. That coupled with how easy it is to get started with this machine make it a fantastic choice for beginners and experienced users alike.First off, I’m going to admit that this product was my first experience using a laser engraver. As a beginner, I would have liked more information included about how to actually use the laser engraver. It comes with a booklet, but that was mostly assembly instructions. Someone more familiar with laser engravers would probably need less assistance, but I feel like it’s been a lot of trial and error for me. The booklet provides a link to a free program that works with the engraver - the program is functional but also has a 90’s era feel to it. The first time I tried to engrave on a piece of the test wood provided, I used too high of an intensity and actually created a flame. Some guidelines about recommended intensities for different materials would be very helpful.All that said, the laser engraver itself seems to be a good product. It requires assembly, but includes well-organized parts and all necessary tools. When properly calibrated, I’ve been able to successfully engrave on wood pieces to make a finished project.