Small engraving jobs need only a small laser engraver to perform the easily accomplished job for the experienced engraver out there. Having the best mini laser engraver will start you on an incredible journey into the “maker world”. Yet, engraving machines will always have a learning curve to them for better user experience and for anyone to use it to their advantage.
Laser engravers also come with a substantial price tag and might be out of range of many people. But for the serious engraver out there, this will not pose a problem if considered that it could pay for itself.
In this review, we take a look at some of the more affordable mini laser engravers that are at your disposal.
If you are looking for a more powerful laser engraver click here.
Best Mini Laser Engraver Reviews
KKmoon Desktop Laser Engraver
Here you get a very compatible engraver with lots of downloadable images from the cloud of the supplier for a wide reference framework.
Review
For a much greater range of available images, this laser engraver can be connected with any PC or Laptop. This will greatly increase your database possibilities, and there is a myriad of available images that can be downloaded for use. It can also process images that are created in different formats than the native software for much better compatibility.
With the gyroscope protection that is built into the laser engraving machine, it will record the beginning of the working position. This will help to provide protection if there is interference with the operating of the laser engraver while in process. In this case, the laser engraving machine will automatically stop all work to prevent accidents that may occur that may cause harm.
The Neje scanner app is supported to help in the creation of and the collection of high-quality images through photo scanning. This is also a great way to broaden your personal experience as well as enlarging the image database with high-quality images. It will also take the images from a camera and send it to the operating system for processing.
Features
It is a true lightweight and portable unit that can be used for many different applications in many different locations. This laser engraver can easily be used as a backup engraver for the professional workshop to process off-site engraving jobs. And it can be used by the amateur engraver to do the engraving jobs on the go.
This laser engraver will only operate with the native software that comes with the device with a quick conversion of the image. The image can be created in different software, but you need the software that comes with the engraver. It can easily be downloaded from the website of the supplier for free and will only need some of your time.
It is not easy to operate this laser engraver, and it will need some time to get used to, even for the experienced engraver. But do not be disheartened by the difficulty of the device, if you put your heart to it, you can do it.
PROS
- Compatible with PC
- Gyroscope protection included
- Supports the Neje scanner app
- Lightweight and portable
CONS
- Will only work with native software
- A bit difficult to operate for beginners
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TopDirect Laser Engraver
You get a great, easy to use and versatile laser engraver and printer that is portable and compact for easy transport.
Review
This laser engraver and printer comes with quite a low price to make it affordable for many. Though it comes with lots of extra features, it is a bit slow on the output, but you pay for what you get. In the case of this laser engraver, you get more than what you pay for in the high precision.
More than anything, this laser engraver is small and compact and is lightweight to easily use it as a mobile unit. This will significantly improve your credibility if you can bring the job to the customer and save them time. You only need to take your laser engraver together with a laptop, and you are set for the job.
When you receive the laser engraving unit, there is only a small amount of assembling needed before it is operational. This makes the device a very easy-to-use laser engraver in different locations for a quick and easy engraving job. The software that comes with the laser engraving device is very easy to use and can be freely downloaded.
Features
It can be used with Windows as well as with the Mac operating systems and is very easy to install. That means the software and laser engraver can easily be used by the experienced engraver and the beginner as well. Some difficulty may be encountered with the instruction, but that can be overcome with ease and leave you with great user experience.
Unfortunately, this laser engraving machine cannot be used with non-reflective surfaces like glass or other typical surfaces such as crystals. In most cases, laser engravers cannot be used on these surfaces, but there are some that can be used with it.
The laser engraver from TopDirect also has only a small engraving surface, which places it in a small engraving job range. That means you can only use it for the low-end engraving jobs that are reserved for these types of engravers.
PROS
- Low price tag
- It is lightweight and compact
- Easy to assemble and use
- Engraver is compatible with PC
CONS
- Can not be used on non-reflective surfaces
- Small printing area
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KKmoon 15W Laser Engraving Machine
This is a very popular choice, thanks to all the features you can expect from the KKmoon 15W engraving machine. It is a portable machine that is easy to install and safe to use. Add to that the ease of use, and you’ve got yourself a winner that ticks all the right boxes.
Review
The KKmoon is manufactured to be hardy and durable — it is made for long-term use without losing what makes it great. Should one of the components act up, however, they are fairly easy to replace. You won’t have to worry about finding the right thing and putting it in the right place. Special tools aren’t even necessary for replacements.
The accuracy of this engraving machine can go up to 0.05mm, which is pretty impressive. It is able to engrave photos or words and texts very clearly. This is also done very quickly and quietly.
Getting started with the engraver doesn’t prove to be difficult. It has a plug-and-play design, so as soon as you plug it in, you’re set to get started. Simply connect the USB cable to the board, let the software install, and that is it. You can start using your engraving machine.
Features
The software is independently developed, and while this is great, it can have some drawbacks. The unique software could become buggy sometimes; it could lead to unexpected difficulties or problems in using the engraver. That shouldn’t happen, but it’s best to be prepared.
The grayscale engraving effect offered by this machine is really impressive, as is the precision. It is possible to change the font format and size if you’re not happy with the text being engraved.
The engraving machine works on nearly all surfaces except aluminum raw material, aluminum black anode, and copper. For all other materials, you’ll be able to do a fine job.
It comes with a built-in gyroscope protection device. The gyroscope will record its position at the start, and if something goes wrong, it will stop to prevent accidents. An accidental touch or displacing of the machine will trigger this. Thanks to the file processing algorithm, your design will not be lost, but rather it will be restored.
PROS
- Very good accuracy
- Easy to set up and use
- Made for long-term usage
- Saves designs to prevent sudden loss
- Comes with gyroscope protection feature
CONS
- Doesn’t work on certain materials
- Unique software can be unreliable sometimes
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Wisamic Off-line Laser Engraving Machine
This engraver is able to boast with a very large engraving area of 155 x 175cm. This already makes it stand out amongst its competition. The mini laser engraving machine is also able to work very fast — up to 3 times as fast as some other similar or older models, making it an efficient choice.
Review
The software that is included with the Wisamic engraving machine enhances one’s overall experience. It makes the engraver all that much easier to use, and it will not be necessary to have a mathematical degree to work this unit to its full potential.
It is very versatile and can work on just about any material — rubber, leather, wood, paper, plastic, and even bamboo is no problem for this guy. If that’s not enough to convince you, consider that this engraving machine can also work offline.
Features
The software that comes with the engraving machine isn’t as amazing as one would hope. It is possible to find an alternative on the internet, but this can take quite some time.
This is useful if you’re in a hurry and aren’t able to be online for whatever reason. You simply plug in your USB drive and select your design with the touchscreen controls. However, it should be noted that the USB connection can be difficult to achieve sometimes. This might be a faulty software problem.
The engraving machine’s laser head is notably stable and gives very accurate engraving performance.
While the Wisamic is reasonably easy to use, the manual could prove to be difficult to understand. It is multi-lingual, but the English instructions aren’t very reliable. You might be better off finding instructions online.
PROS
- Able to work efficiently on many different materials
- Fast and reliable performance
- Large engraving surface
- Accurate engraving
- Working offline is easy and simple
CONS
- Sometimes fails to read USB connections
- Manual is vague and not useful
- Included software is unreliable
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TopDirect CNC 3018 Pro Engraving Machine
The TopDirect CNC 3018 is an improved version of a previous model and offers better performance than its predecessor. The accuracy is much higher, and the installation speed has been improved upon. There is no need to be connected to a computer to be able to use this engraving machine.
Review
The laser focus of this engraving machine is quite admirable — it boasts an accuracy of about 0.01mm. That said, engraved fonts are very visible and look very attractive.
The machine responds well to instructions and will leave you pleased at the engraving job that it achieves. It is able to work just fine on a large number of different materials. Engraving on aluminum, PBC, copper, plastic acrylic, and wood is no problem at all. However, you won’t be able to engrave any hard stone such as jade, and materials that have very hard textures.
You may find a lot of dust and noise present when using the engraving machine, but that is to be expected.
Features
This TopDirect promises easy assembly, but this can be difficult for beginners or someone not versed in the ways of the engraving machine, The assembly instructions do not give sufficient information. Details about leveling and how to put the machine together correctly are few.
Despite this, this engraving machine still performs very well making it one of the best mini laser engraver options available.
PROS
- Impressive level of engraving accuracy
- Works great on a number of materials
- Able to perform well even when offline
- Responds well to given instructions
- Delivers good results once running
CONS
- Not suitable for hard metal textures
- Assembly instructions are not helpful
- Noisy while in operation
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FINAL VERDICT
After some consideration, the best mini laser engraver is the KKmoon desktop laser engraver with all its great features. It comes at a reasonable price but with a high output laser head and comes with lots of ongoing support from the supplier.
A second choice to the KKmoon engraver, can be the remarkable little TopDirect laser engraver at quite a lower price point. It may have a smaller working surface, but it is also very lightweight and compact to be used as a portable laser engraver.
