I keep seeing posts where people claim the laser feature on the H2D is pointless and that buying one is a mistake. But honestly, this setup is exactly what I needed. I only do light engraving work every now and then. I’m not trying to slice through thick materials with it, and I definitely don’t have room for a separate laser cutting machine in my workspace.
Having one device that primarily does 3D printing but can also handle some basic engraving when I need it is really convenient. Plus the drag blade attachment is great for cutting adhesive felt material that I use on my printed storage boxes.
I totally understand why people say using the H2D for heavy laser cutting would be bad because all that smoke would mess up the printer components. If you need serious laser cutting power, then yeah, get a dedicated machine. But for someone like me who just wants occasional engraving capability, this combo works really well even though most people seem to disagree.
People expect it to work like a commercial laser cutter, but it’s just an add-on feature. I’ve used mine for six months - mostly personalizing stuff I print like keychains and nameplates. You need proper ventilation and cleaning after (takes maybe five minutes). What sold me was the workspace efficiency you mentioned. My desk can’t fit two machines, and I usually laser stuff right after printing anyway. It works on most of the same plastics I print with too. Won’t replace a real laser for production work, but for hobby projects it cuts out all the handling and repositioning between machines.
Had the same doubts before buying mine, but you’re right - it’s all about the use case. Most complaints come from people pushing these lasers way past their limits. I’ve had mine for eight months, mainly marking serial numbers on prototypes and adding designs to wooden phone stands I print. The convenience is amazing when you just want to slap some text or graphics on a project without switching machines. You just need to know the limits going in and work with them instead of expecting industrial performance. For hobby engraving, especially mixed with regular printing, it hits a sweet spot that dedicated machines can’t touch for space and workflow.