Burning Laser Recommendations for a Newbie Needed

[Arayan]

Are dragon lasers or wicked lasers any good?

http://laserpointerforums.com/f41/dragon-lasers-vs-wicked-lasers-54337.html

 

[Daz]

Here's the confusion I'm finding so far from reading up. Green laser pointers of similar power range in price, and I'll keep it in dollars, from $50 to $500. Why?

All I want to know is what LP (see, I'm using acronyms already!) I should buy for under $160 and from whom.

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

Already recommended one to you, refer to my earlier post.

The price range is there because some companies will sell lasers and basically guess about the output, they are just resellers and often don't know or care about lasers in the least. They could on the fact that most people don't have laser power meters so to them even a very underpowered laser can appear as powerful... a 100mW laser can burn if focused properly, and even 50mW of green produces a nice beam.

Other companies at the expensive end offer lasers that are individually tested and certified. Of course you also have flat out scammers to deal with as well.

 

[qumefox]

Here's the confusion I'm finding so far from reading up. Green laser pointers of similar power range in price, and I'll keep it in dollars, from $50 to $500. Why?

All I want to know is what LP (see, I'm using acronyms already!) I should buy for under $160 and from whom.

Two reasons. 1)DPSS lasers are more complicated in both how they work, and to manufacture, and thus cost more per mW. and 2) You get what you pay for.

Cheap DPSS lasers are going to be just that. Meaning if they happen to actually work, they won't be anywhere near spec, (unless your talking about 5mW pointers anyway) and will be unstable in both beam modes and output power.

To get a *reliable and good quality* 532nm pointer, figure on paying roughly $1/mW at minimum if buying a new complete laser.

I actually have a 150mW 532nm laser for sale right now but it's not focusable so it's uses for 'burning' would probably be limited.

My advice, stick with 405nm or 445nm diode builds. 405 will burn better than 445, but has less beam visibility. (but a cooler color, at least to me.)