Glowforge vs Thunder Laser
Skip the hobbyist laser, go industrial-grade the first time.
Thunder’s build quality is that of an enterprise system at a hobbyist price. You are getting wayyyy more bang for your buck with a Thunder. Don’t try to save a few bucks and sacrifice a quality machine that will last you a long time and produce items much more efficiently.
Why People Choose Us Over Others
5x Faster At Engraving
Thunder’s are ridiculously fast at 1,000mm/s. The Glowforge clocks in at about a fifth of that, around 200mm/s. Get your engravings done faster and make more money!
Can Hold Larger Pieces. Cups Too!
Glowforge’s laser bed can’t move up and down. This greatly limits how large of items you can work with. Thunder is also capable of handling a rotary and even has a pass-through feature if the part is larger than the engraving area.
Thunder Has More Laser Power
More power means faster cuts and faster engraves. Our lasers will slice through materials like butter that the Glowforge will struggle to cut through. Our lasers prove to consistently be 2-4x faster at cutting than Glowforge.
How Are Thunder Laser Machines Different From Others
01
No Painful Alignments
All of our machines will arrive to you perfectly aligned. No painful adjusting required. Be up and running in no time! Poorly made machines often require periodic alignments, costing you precious laser time.
Read More
If you have to spend an hour or two aligning your machine every couple of weeks, what does that do to your productivity? Machine reliability is crucial if you are running a small business. Our machines only come out of alignment in the event of a head crash.
02
We Have Clear, Consistent Pricing
Our pricing is clear and upfront and includes everything you need to run a standard job. So you never have to worry if you are getting the best deal.
03
Don’t take our word for it, join Facebook groups and ask other users.
It’s hard to really know the differences in lasers without seeing them up close in action. We would encourage you to join different Facebook groups and ask the community about their machines. Visit our page.
04
No Cloud-Based Software. But Why Not?
Well, it takes time to upload designs to the cloud which slows down a production environment. Their server can go down, your internet can go down, who knows.
05
Thunder Has Wicked-Fast, US-Based Support.
When you need help, you need it fast. Like lightning fast. We typically respond in 3-5 minutes, often on weekends and holidays. Check out our reviews to see what others have had to say.
Often, you will only get one reply from Glowforge every 24 hours.
Glowforge Vs Thunder Laser Nova 35: Why We Upgraded?
“If you are considering either one of these machines, and want to know which laser should I buy… take a look at some of these comparisons. “
Glowforge vs Thunder Comparison
We don’t really like specs sheets, because they can be deceiving. It’s not always apples to apples. The overall build quality of the machine will be the best determining factor in how well a laser operates. But we do understand sometimes you need to compare different brands.
So we built this for you:
| Glowforge Pro | Thunder Bolt | Nova 24 | Nova 35 | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Price | $6,995 | $5,495 | $7,400 | $9,900 | |
| Working Area | 19” x 11” | 20” x 12” | 24” x 16” | 35” x 24” | |
| Speed | Not Posted (SLOW) | 1000mm/s | 1000mm/s | 1000mm/s | Thunder is 3-4x faster than Glowforge |
| Build Quality | Hobbyist Grade | Industrial Grade | Industrial Grade | Industrial Grade | |
| Tube | 45W Glass | 30W RF | 60W Glass | 80W Glass | 30W RF has cutting capacity of 45W Glass |
| Dual Stage Air | No | No | Yes | Yes | Different air volumes for cut vs engrave |
| Heat Alarm | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Safety feature for fire hazard |
| Red Dot | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | For locating the laser beam |
| Passthrough | No | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Chilling Needs | N/A | Air Cooled RF | CW5000 Water Chiller | CW5000 Water Chiller | Glass tubes need chilled water to extend life |
| Camera | Built-In | Built-In | Optional | Optional | |
| Rotary Capable | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Motorized Table | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Max Object Height | 2” | 4.3” | 6.1” | 9” | |
| Warranty | One Year | Two Years | Two Years | Two Years |
1000+ Five-Star Reviews
It’s hard to be modest when your products are this good.
Choose From Our Cutting Edge Options Of Laser Machines
Thunder Laser USA
Your Business Deserves Better Than “Good Enough”.
It’s time to invest in a machine that works as hard as you do.