K40 prices gone crazy?

[Toasty]

Has anyone noticed how high k40 prices have gotten lately?

I purchased my basic machine for under $800 a little over a year ago and that seller is now asking $1900. Most of the sellers on ebay shipping from within the USA are asking around that same price

What's the deal? That's a big jump from the last time I looked at them. Is shipping just getting so expensive that they have to charge that much now?

[Whiteylightning]

I bought one on ebay for much lower than that, its not even here, and I am wishing I had not bought it. I have decided to build one from a cnc router that was not yet finished. I just may send it back...usa seller.

[DJCustom]

They were around $600 just yesterday when i was looking now all of them on my watch list are $1900. Guess i will wait and see if they come back to reality.

[Tech_Marco]

Be honest to say, selling a K40 for $600 is really not making sense to me. The commission charged by eBay is about 10% (not counting on the listing fee) and 3.5% from Paypal. Plus, Paypal give low exchange rate when convert from US$ to ￥, lost another 5%. So, only the eBay + Paypal fee cost a seller almost 20%!

The shipping cost of a K40 from China to USA is running about $550~$650. But if it is shipped from USA, the cost is running about $200 which make sense. The cost of a K40 is about $500. So, you guys do the math see if it is making sens to sell the K40 for $600 or $800 with S/H. There are a lot of untold story behind the "curtain" and you will not able to see it but happening in China!


Marco

[todmaerin]

Seriously. I bought mine from a box-mover here in the states just a couple of weeks ago for $609 shipped. The listing from the same supplier is now 3x that $1899?

They're barely worth $600 considering the work, heartache, and additional investment required to make them even moderately useful. I've easily got $1500 invested after all of the DSP upgrades, replacement parts, build bits, and such. I probably owe Marco at least that in the time I've troubled him with answering my stupid questions on the phone (thanks again Marco, you're a saint!) I basically paid $600 for an enclosure, an "okay" but small XY table, a couple of cheap steppers, a sketchy 12V PSU, and a 35W CO2 tube.

What gives?

-Tod

[Toasty]

Seriously. I bought mine from a box-mover here in the states just a couple of weeks ago for $609 shipped. The listing from the same supplier is now 3x that $1899?

What gives?

Exactly. It's really strange. Why the massive jump all of the sudden? I understand that they were crazy cheap before considering how much it costs to get them here but It's like all the sellers got together one day and decided to raise the prices.

I think the k40 with the dsp kit is completely useful if you have reasonable expectations. I don't think a total of $1500 for a converted machine is bad at all. In fact I think it's pretty darn cheap.

But that massive price jump kind of makes the k40 not worth converting now. Most of them are now $1900. With the conversion you're pushing $3k.

I wonder if they're getting hit with some big fees for importing those now.

[Tech_Marco]

We're in the process of developing a new style small laser machine. Possible engraving/cutting size is 500x300. It may be running with a RF laser tube (10W) which is equivalent to 30W CO2 with better precision. RF doesn't need water cool and it doesn't need high voltage power supply. But the cost is much higher though. So, we may make two version: RF and CO2. For those who are in business the RF is the chose as it engrave much much better than a CO2. RF tube last 8000~10,000 hrs and driving by DC36V.

For that size, it should fit a standard (true) 1M 40W CO2 laser tube. We're discussing with a tooling company and planning to it on a linear guide like a standard laser machine. We're not planning to install a 2:1 reduction gear to lower the cost and lower the weight. Since it is small and with a very light laser head, the reduction gear is not very significant due to the backslash effect.

I don't have time line how soon it may come up. But I guess it will take 4~5 months.


Marco