A glass tube, a water loop and an exhaust, all bought together
A CO2 engraver fires a gas laser from a tube along mirrors to a head, and it cuts clear acrylic and thicker wood that a diode machine cannot. Everything around the tube is part of the purchase. Tube power is quoted in watts and describes the tube rather than what arrives after the mirrors; tubes are also consumables, and makers publish an expected life where they are candid. Bed size is the declared working area inside the case, and a pass-through door front and back lets longer material slide through. Cooling is the specification buyers forget: the tube needs a water loop, either a chiller or a pump and reservoir, and the listing says which is included. The exhaust is not optional — engraving smoke has to leave the building through a duct or be filtered by a unit the maker names — and the instructions decide how. A built-in camera for placing designs on the material saves test runs. Then the protection published: laser class, a lid interlock that stops the beam when opened, and an emergency stop. This site reports what the maker states and does not call any arrangement safe. We compare tube power, bed size, cooling, exhaust provision, pass-through, camera, interlocks and published laser class.
Desktop CO2 laser · 45 W · 12 × 8 in work area · up to 300 mm/s · 45° air assist · LightBurn and LaserGRBL
A desktop CO2 laser with a 45 W tube and a 12 × 8 inch workspace, rated to cut 0.4 inch acrylic and 0.31 inch wood, with LightBurn support.
Best for: A hobbyist who wants a real CO2 machine at the lowest cost.
≈ $800
Desktop CO2 laser · 55 W · 20 × 12 in · 5 MP camera · auto focus · water pump · rotary axis · LightBurn, RDWorks
A desktop CO2 laser with a 55 W tube and a 20 × 12 inch work area, shipped with a 5 MP camera, a water pump and a rotary axis.
Best for: A buyer who wants a complete CO2 kit and accepts little buyer feedback.
≈ $2260
Desktop CO2 laser · 55 W · 26 × 14 in bed · up to 600 mm/s · Auto-Passthrough to 118 in · AI fire detection · emergency stop
A smart desktop CO2 laser with a 55 W tube, a 26 × 14 inch bed and Auto-Passthrough for material up to 118 inches, with AI fire detection.
Best for: A small studio that cuts long or acrylic work on a desktop.
≈ $2919
Large CO2 laser · 80 W · 20 × 28 in · 19.7 IPS · 2-way pass · air assist · LightBurn, CorelDRAW, AutoCAD
A floor-standing 80 W CO2 laser with a 20 × 28 inch bed and 2-way pass-through, for shops that have 282 pounds of floor space to spare.
Best for: A shop that can install and maintain a large machine itself.
≈ $2530
Large CO2 laser · 100 W · 24 × 35 in · 19.7 IPS · 2-way pass · air assist · LightBurn, CorelDRAW, AutoCAD
The largest machine on this shelf: a 100 W CO2 laser with a 24 × 35 inch bed, 2-way pass-through and a shipping weight of 551 pounds.
Best for: A workshop producing large panels that can receive freight.
≈ $3030
Flagship CO2 laser · 80 W · 36 × 18 in · LiDAR autofocus · dual HD cameras · AI nesting · Class 1 enclosed · conveyor feeder optional
A flagship 80 W CO2 laser with a 36 × 18 inch workspace, LiDAR autofocus, dual cameras and a Class 1 enclosure, at a small-factory price.
Best for: A business producing in volume, with space and budget to match.
≈ $6599
The wavelength differs, and therefore the materials worked. The published specifications of the two families do not compare directly.
It has a finite service life. The published tube power is also what sets the cost of replacing it.
The arrangement the manufacturer provides for the tube. This site reports it without describing an installation.
Devices declared by the manufacturer, often tied to opening the lid. This site publishes them without drawing a safety conclusion.
Working pieces longer than the machine. Its presence is published.
It serves to place the design on the material. Its presence is published listing by listing.
The published exhaust provision describes what the machine integrates. This site describes no installation and no ducting.
The classification declared by the manufacturer, reported as stated. It makes no machine safe by itself.
Plan the exhaust route, the cooling and the delivery before the machine. A CO2 laser that has nowhere to send its smoke cannot be switched on.
Four machines in five must publish the value before a column is raised. Below that, it would be comparing absences.
| Model | Price | Tube | Weight | Software | Work area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OMTech K40+ | $800 | 45 W | 81.8 lb | LightBurn, LaserGRBL | 12 × 8 in |
| VEVOR 55W desktop | $2260 | 55 W | 120.6 lb | LightBurn, RDWorks | 20 × 12 in |
| VEVOR 80W | $2530 | 80 W | 282 lb | LightBurn, CorelDRAW, AutoCAD | 20 × 28 in (500 × 700 mm) |
| xTool P2S | $2919 | 55 W | 130.7 lb | — | — |
| VEVOR 100W | $3030 | 100 W | 551 lb | LightBurn, CorelDRAW, AutoCAD | 24 × 35 in (600 × 900 mm) |
| xTool P3 | $6599 | 80 W | 317 lb | AI Smart Nesting, 98.7% material use stated | 36 × 18 in |
Specifications: manufacturer sheets for maker machines and tools and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure in this table names its source.
Most recent revision in this category: November 1, 2026.
A price quoted in the text of a MakerVerdict page dates from the day that page was written; the live figure beside each product is fetched while you read and replaces it.
