Laser Lifetime

[XD001]

So... I am kind of new to lasers and was wondering what is the expected life time of a laser? I recently purchased two lasers a 1.3-1.7W (I think) Sci-Fi Laser (from Thejoker) and a red 5mW laser on eBay, does it just depend on the quality of the laser or the power, I am wondering.. Just because the red laser was $3 and then the blue was $120 (+$10 shipping) I really don't care, but really want to know, at the same time.. LOL, I think I read that Wicked Lasers have a lifetime 2000 hours, but I don't want to EVER buy from them again. Anyways, thanks for looking and if you can answer these questions, thanks!

P.S.: I highly recommend Thejoker (Sci-Fi Lasers), it has been a great buying experience so far.

Anyways, thanks for looking!

 

[IsaacT]

Most laser diodes are rated for something along the lines of 5000 hours when operated at the designated current on its spec sheet. We overdrive them and so we will see a drop in the lifespan. The amount of drop depends on factors like luck and the amount of overdrive. If I run a 1A rated diode at 1.1A, I may see a drop of a few hundred hours. But if I run the same diode at 1.9A, I will likely see much more, such as a thousand or more hours lost. It is a big luck thing.

 

[XD001]

Most laser diodes are rated for something along the lines of 5000 hours when operated at the designated current on its spec sheet. We overdrive them and so we will see a drop in the lifespan. The amount of drop depends on factors like luck and the amount of overdrive. If I run a 1A rated diode at 1.1A, I may see a drop of a few hundred hours. But if I run the same diode at 1.9A, I will likely see much more, such as a thousand or more hours lost. It is a big luck thing.

Hmm, never thought about luck! But that seems right. Thanks!

 

[DrSid]

Anyway, with hobbyist lasers, you don't really operate them on hourly basis. More like seconds. Minutes per day when the laser is new. If you just burn stuff, or occasionally blast it outside, you will have troubles reaching laser lifetime. I recharge batteries in mine like once a year.
Using diodes in projectors or cutters, that's different story.