The Atomstack A5 M40 is very easy to set up out of the box. Do it at a slow pace for about 30 minutes to make sure everything is right. Happily, all the tools needed for assembly are included. One problem I had was when I installed the belt for the x-axis, one track was slightly ahead of the other, causing one side of the guide arm to tilt, so the laser head stopped at zero. Basically the x and y axes are not at right angles to each other. I was able to fix this by loosening the screw on the compression fitting that holds the rod opposite the stepper motor and allows the rod to rotate. This allows me to balance the sides and make the track align better.

LaserGRBL is very easy to install and the laser can be connected directly in Windows. Just make sure to follow the instructions to install the driver and restart the software.

I find it easiest to place my workpiece in the cutting or engraving area and manually move the laser to the edge or center of the workpiece. Use Ctrl Z to set the starting point, then use perimeter tracking to see where the sculpted edge is. Adjust the workpiece as needed and repeat the process.

One of the things I did was cut 3/4 of the hard wood ply wood for the base and carved a grid into it to help align the parts. You can create your own or find some downloads in online groups.

After heavy use engraving or cutting wood, you will find that the laser enclosure is accumulating residues of smoke and sap. Difficult to clean up. I found some videos and cleaned the inside of the case and protective lenses with some cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol. I'm not sure if this new design allows you to take the laser housing apart to clean the lens. Maybe I need to make a video because the only cleaning video is for the old A5!

Overall, this is probably one of the best entry-level laser engraver out there. I find it great for carving wood and other materials, but lacks the ability to really effectively cut 4mm thin plywood. If most of the work you'll be doing is sculpting like me, it works great!

It has a large cutting area. It's durable and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. This is a good machine to learn. Once you've found the software you like, it's a breeze to use and operate. I recommend ignoring the recommended software and researching what is the best software for yourself. There are plenty of free and paid options out there. I light the Lightburn. I do a lot of sculpting and some projects take time. I have 3 of these precise carvers. One is about a year old and still going strong. Again, these are great engravers, but they're limited to the hardware out there. Make sure it has the functionality it needs to do what you want it to do. If you want to cut hard steel, this engraver is not capable. You will need something more powerful. It etches stainless steel well.

Again, good laser engravers, but there are limitations here. For the price point and how big of a community there is, it goes without saying at this price point.

https://www.atom-stack.com/blogs/news/best-10w-diode-laser-engravers-of-2022

https://www.atom-stack.com/blogs/news/atomstack-m50-50w-review