Rating at this point A+

3/30/2015 Sent 30% down payment wire transfer
3/25/2015 Began e-mail inquiry with [email protected]

Machine:
Make- Thunder Laser
Model- Mars 90 130 watt

Options:
HR high resolution head
4 inch head
Water Chiller

Why I chose Thunder Laser

2fast4u66 started this post http://www.cnczone.com/forums/genera...55378-cnc.html and I liked what I saw. I liked his post so much that I decided to use the same format.

I spent many days and nights researching the web on every manufacturer and seller out there. It didn’t take me long to realize that I could not afford to buy a U.S built machine so I started looking at imports. At that point I started comparing features amongst the machines and started reading the forums for complaints and quality control issues on each manufacturer. I narrowed it down to Boss, Morntech, and Thunder Laser. I liked that Boss and Morntech import the machines and then upgrade and check for quality control issues. There are no duty taxes and import fees to worry about. More about that later. Understandably the Boss and Morntech lasers come in at a higher price. Thunder Laser on the other hand has its own quality control. In fact they say that they test run the unit for 2 days working out any bugs or alignment issues. You do have to pay the import fees and shipping but overall you can get more features for the same or less money. I failed to find much in the complaint department in the forums from Thunder Laser users. So I decided to contact them.

I emailed [email protected] and asked him to quote me prices. He replied with list of questions asking what my intended use of the laser was and how many hours a day it would operate. I replied that I am was more interested in cutting thick wood ¼ inch to ¾ inch and doing deep detailed engraving. I was not interested in photographic engraving. He said that 100 to 130 watts would be close to what I was looking for but I needed to understand that even 130 watts could have problems cutting some thick woods. I appreciated his honesty. He said that a higher powered air assist could also help. I realized too that I wouldn’t need to push the 130 watt machine as hard and the laser tube could last longer under normal conditions. We then discussed the different heads available. The unit comes with a standard 2 inch head. I also wanted a 4 inch head for deeper cutting and a HR high resolution head for more detailed engraving. I also ordered the water chiller.

Next we got down to the details that I was unsure of.

Shipping, duty fees, tariffs and taxes. Nolan explained that it wasn’t as difficult as most people think. He just needed to know what my closest shipping port was. A quick google search showed me that the Port of Houston was the closest to me. He then sent me a link showing me a breakdown of the different fees. HS Tariff codes for 8456.10 for 122 countries | DutyCalculator I would be responsible for the fees, and the trucking to my address. He would be responsible for getting it to the Port of Houston. He sends out all of the necessary paperwork. Once the unit arrives at the port, they will contact me to make arrangements for trucking it to me. At this point in time some of cost is a guess but I figure around 600.00 from the port to me for trucking and maybe 500.00 or so for fees but this is all just a guess.

Nolan then sent me an invoice showing exactly what I was ordering and also included the shipping fees to the port. He also sent a document for sending a wire transfer. I needed to pay 30% up front and they would start building my machine. There were three ways to pay. Wire transfer, Western Union, or PayPal. If you pay by Paypal you have to add 4.5% of the cost. I didn’t even check on Western Union. My bank charged me 45.00 for the wire transfer so that’s what I did. After I sent the payment (which was very easy to do) I sent Nolan a receipt of the transfer. He replied back and said they were starting the build. When the build is complete they will test it and send me a video of it in operation. After that I pay the remainder of the balance and they ship it.
So far it has been a pleasant experience. There is gradual buildup of trust from both of us and so far it has been very professional.

For me the reasons of choosing Thunder Laser over the competition were

The machine itself.
DSP controller, servo motors, custom built. Comes complete with the exhaust, air assist and water pump. I upgraded to the chiller and added the extra lenses (heads)
.
The Professionalism of Nolan.
He has really helped me out and answered all of my questions and concerns to my satisfaction.

Thunder Lasers website.
 The website is informative with many articles, videos, and instructions. They put a lot a lot into this site including how to articles for software and maintenance. They just make me feel like I’m doing business with a reputable company.

2fast4u66
 His post gave me the confidence to even think about importing a machine in from China.

I will keep this post updated as it progresses from here.

Gozzie