About MakerWise: Who We Are and How We Research
What MakerWise is, how we research laser engravers and hobby CNC machines without inventing tests, where our numbers come from, and how to send a correction.
MakerWise exists because most advice about laser engravers and hobby CNC comes from the companies selling the machines. Brand blogs rank their own models first, and many “best of” lists are thin rewrites of those blogs. This site compares across brands, by the job you want to do, and says plainly what each machine cannot do.
What is MakerWise?
MakerWise is an independent editorial site for hobbyists and small-shop makers choosing a laser engraver or a CNC machine. It covers diode, CO2 and fiber lasers, hobby CNC routers, desktop mills and plasma tables, the software and bits that go with them, and the safety equipment every shop needs.
The site also runs a free laser and CNC settings calculator that turns published manufacturer and tooling charts into starting settings for your machine, with every source shown.
Where do our numbers come from?
Every specification, price and setting on MakerWise comes from a source a reader can check:
| What | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Machine specs | The manufacturer’s own product page or manual, checked in the month of writing |
| Prices | US list or common street prices on the seller’s page, stamped with month and year |
| Laser settings | Published manufacturer and dealer settings charts, named on each row |
| CNC chiploads | Tooling and machine makers’ published chipload charts |
| Owner experience | Long-running owner forums, reported as forum consensus, not as our test |
We do not run hands-on tests and we do not pretend to. When sources disagree, we say so and show both numbers.
What are our editorial rules?
Optical watts, not marketing watts. Diode lasers are compared by the optical power that reaches the material, never by the electrical input some listings print.
Say what it cannot do. A blue diode cannot cut clear acrylic, a CO2 laser cannot mark bare steel without a marking compound, and a 3018-class router is an engraving and PCB machine, not a sign maker. Every buying page names these limits.
Who it is not for. Every recommendation says who should skip it.
Safety without shortcuts. We point to the manual, the standard and a licensed electrician for anything electrical. We do not publish wiring instructions for 240 V circuits or spindle drives.
How does MakerWise make money?
Today it does not: no links on this site are affiliate links. If that changes, the affiliate disclosure will name the programs, and commissions will never decide a recommendation.
How do corrections work?
We would rather be corrected than confidently wrong. If a spec, price or setting here does not match the manufacturer or your own machine, tell us what you found and where. We check it against the source and update the page with a new date.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to what readers ask us most
Is MakerWise affiliated with xTool, Glowforge, Carbide 3D or any other machine maker?
No. MakerWise is independent and is not sponsored by any laser, CNC or tooling company. Machines are compared across brands in the same tables, by the same criteria.
Does MakerWise test machines hands-on?
No, and we say so on every page. Our comparisons come from manufacturer specifications, manufacturer material libraries and settings charts, published tooling charts, owner forums and prices checked on the seller's page in the month of writing.
Are the prices on MakerWise current?
Every price is a US price stamped with the month and year we checked it. Laser and CNC prices move with bundles and sales, and regional stores price differently, so confirm on the seller's page before you buy.
How do I report a wrong spec or setting?
Send the page, the number that is wrong and your source. We check it against the manufacturer page or chart and update the page with a new date.