LaserPecker LP5 smart dual laser cutter/engraver – groovy man (review)

LaserPecker LP5

LaserPecker LP5 is a smart, app-driven, dual 20W Fibre and Diode Laser engraver that works on almost any material.

Before the review, we need to paint a picture of what the LaserPecker LP5 can do and its uses, because most readers will not rush out to buy one. Plus, you may need a few accessories, like a safety enclosure, 3D rotary extension (for drink glasses and round items), slide extension, and more.

It can engrave, 3D greyscale emboss, and cut on a host of metal, plastic, leather, glass, paper, rubber, and other materials.

The handheld laser unit fits onto a powered height-adjustable stand (supplied). Optionally, an EU Class 1 laser safety enclosure with safety-switched doors, an exhaust fan, an integrated camera, and an electrically adjustable work plate can be used for more permanent indoor installations.

Not only does it replace hand engraving, but it also opens many new opportunities that you could use to extend the offerings of screen printing, sign writing, engraving, trophy, or promotional items businesses.

It is perfect for quickly producing short-run personalised coasters, keyrings, air tag cases, metal business cards, security tags (which can be engraved straight onto the item), pens, jewellery, wooden ornaments, ID bracelets, house numbers/names, dog tags, and so much more.

How we reviewed the LaserPecker LP5

I admit to being a little apprehensive about reviewing this. Sure, I am handy around tools and understand the basics of drawing apps, but it is not my bailiwick.

I enlisted the assistance of Pete Smith, based at Gosford on the NSW Central Coast. He provides custom glass swimming pool fences, aluminium ‘anything’ constructions, and custom ‘inventions’ to suit Ute trays, camping, caravans and more. He has used the device for a couple of weeks, and we then got together to see how I, as a novice, could use it.

It was so easy that I felt embarrassed that I hadn’t tried it first.

Most of the review are Pete’s words – I just wrote it up.

Australian Review: LaserPecker LP5 smart dual laser cutter/engraver

WebsiteProduct page (care – US pricing)  
User Guide
Manual
Rotary extension
Slide extension
PriceDouble for A$ pricing (.64USD and 10% GST) LaserPecker LP5 $3229
LP5 + Rotary Extension + Slide Extension $3999
LP5 + Rotary Extension + Slide Extension + Air Purifier (not safety case) $4399
Safety Enclosure $699
FromLaserPecker Australian warehouse and R-NZ C-tick approved products. LaserPecker, an Australian specialty retailer
Warranty12 months. We consider this too short and are unsure if the ACL warranty applies. Warranty policy here. We are uncertain of local support and warranty returns
Made inChina
CompanyLaserPecker was established in the USA in 2017 and has over 200,000 global users in 170 countries.
LaserPecker LP5

First Impression

The packaging was impressive, with all components encased in solid foam. As this was my first experience, the User Manual was the bible.  Putting it together using the well-illustrated guide was simple – 10 minutes, and the LP5 was ready.

It seems very well-made and has a simple, safety-focused design. The only controls are a preview button, an Emergency Stop button, and a pause button (long press for off).

This is unique in that it has dual lasers.

Setup

Next, download LaserPecker Design Space (LDS) for Windows, MacOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Android or iOS.

Connect to the LP5 by Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Bluetooth or a USB cable.

Find a photo, clipart, text or make your own; the app does it all for you. I won’t detail the app’s features as the operations guide does a far better job. In brief:

  • Start a new project (or access ones already created)
  • A Grid workspace appears where you can insert/edit a picture, clipart, text or hand-drawn image. Artistic ability is not required!
  • Select the type of material. The app will determine which laser to use, how much intensity to use, how deep to engrave, and how many passes are necessary (parameters). You can change these parameters.
  • Make sure the Safety Key is inserted
  • Place the material on the workspace
  • Adjust the height/focus by converging two red laser dots.
  • Preview
  • Engrave

Depending on the material, a drink coaster size can take from <1 minute to a few minutes – it is that quick.

It also has a batch creation mode for repetitions, which is handy for multiples of the same item.

The default mode is flat-surface engraving. By adding the electric roller, rotary extension, or slide extension, you can engrave/cut 3D items like drink cans and glasses. The app converts the 2D flat image to a 2D curved image.

The software lets you download, create, or use existing clip art, design or photo libraries. I was genuinely surprised by how easy it was to produce something individually creative.

It supports:

  • PC Software – G-code/JPG/PNG/BMP/SVG/DXF and more
  • Mobile App – G-code/JPG/PNG/SVG
  •  Operating Systems – iOS 9.0+, Android 7.0+, macOS 10+, Windows 10+ for compatibility with LightBurn.

Image area and materials

Up to 100 x 100 mm square and 120 x 160mm ellipse. You can extend the length by using a slide accessory.

The app has recommended parameters for

  • Metals (20W 1064nm Fibre laser): Stainless steel, aluminium, brass, silver, platinum, titanium and plastic.
  • Other (20W 450nm diode laser): Wood, Acrylic, Leather, Paper, Rubber, Glass, and rock.

For my first engraving, I watched a YouTube LaserPecker5 Tutorial.  This was simple for a novice engraving on Timber, Vinyl and Aluminium. I then tried different materials with different designs.

LaserPecker LP5

Previews – see what you will make

  • Rectangle Preview – idea of size and position.
  • Outline Preview – how the image sits on your project before starting the laser
  • Centre Point Preview – Position materials and see the exact centre.
  • Camera Mode– Screenshot of projects for positioning

Engraving

I could not fault the engraving—it does what it says. I would have liked to try composite plastics with a coloured top layer and white base to see how effective contrast engraving is.

Pete’s comment reflects its versatility, but there are few options for different colours—it is basically engraving onto a single-coloured material. I noticed he had tried putting a fine cross-hatch behind the image to be engraved, adding some contrast.

Cutting

  • 1mm brass, stainless steel, aluminium, and titanium sheets.
  • 15mm Acrylic
  • 20mm soft woods

We tied it on leather, PU (fake leather), and even canvas, and all worked well.

This has excellent potential for cut-out lettering and even scrapbook artworks.

Free mode (Hand-held), stand mount or safety enclosure.

The laser unit is portable at 255 x 98 x 183mm x 3.36kg plus the mains power ‘brick’. It must be used with the conical protective cover and a removable safety window. This is a powerful laser, and you must take appropriate safety precautions.

It can be used as a handheld device. For example, it could be used to engrave logos on walls, safety tags in situ on hardware, logos on hat brims – anything with a flat surface.

The stand mount is 198 x 286 x 323mm x 3.8kg and has an electrically adjustable platen height (for laser focus), manual tilt and a metal platen work area. You never cut on the work area, but use a metal cutting plate. It is easier to use, allowing 360° access to the material used. When focused, the protective hood prevents fingers from accessing the work area. It also has a smoke removal fan/outlet that can be directed to a window.

You remove the protective cover and attach the body to the safety enclosure. It has front and rear doors with safety locks, smoke extraction and an emergency stop button. You focus the laser (two red dots converging) via a motorised work plate. The built-in camera supports n-ups for bulk engraving (or say key tags).

The safety enclosure offers additional safety in a kiosk or shop situation. Its setup and use were well documented. It is handy for batch use.

Maintenance

Engraving and cutting involve burning, and certain materials, like wood, can produce a lot of smoke and dust.

Most items require a simple wipe-over, and there are filters/fans on the protective cover and safety enclosure. Like all precision tools, look after this, and it is a keeper.

We don’t know the actual life of the 20W lasers, but each should last at least 10,000 hours.

Power Use

The power brick is 240V/2.5A/600W and outputs 24V/7.5A/180W (DC). We could not test every setting for power use, but it ranges between 40-60W (AC) on 100% power and single and dual passes. We ran it off a 600W portable power bank with no issues – no worse than a 60-100W light bulb.

Pete’s observations

The app is all you need and has presets for each material. Most worked well, but you need to experiment with non-standard materials.

It is all about experimentation and learning from mistakes (amazingly, very few). For example, I used PU fake leather with the wrong setting and cut right through. This gives it craft and signage cutting capabilities. I used laminated plastic (black top and white substrate) and got a very impressive effect.

It is very accurate – once the two red dots converge, it is .0027mm.

It was not long before the local hotel wanted engraved drink coasters (black printed on white cardboard), the pet store wanted individual dog tags, and I had thought of hundreds of uses to enhance my business. For example, I could now engrave my contact details and place permanent instructions for care and use on my glass or metal constructions.

Family and friends will be getting personal coasters, keyrings and more for birthdays and Christmas.

It is exceptionally well made, easy and safe to use and only limited by your creativity.

We would have liked to try more of the accessories – perhaps LaserPecker will oblige😁.

Economics

It is not a plaything unless you have bags of money and too much time on your hands. Remember it has a 100 x 100 engraving area (more with accessories)

We will use US$ prices—you can almost double these to convert to $A, including GST. Prices are as of 30/4/25 and exclude any promotions or sales.

  • LaserPecker LP5 $3229
  • LP5 + Rotary Extension + Slide Extension $3999
  • LP5 + Rotary Extension + Slide Extension + Air Purifier (not safety case) $4399
  • Safety Enclosure $699

Laser engraving and cutting have a huge market and potentially high earnings. But given that you could spend A$8-10K on machinery, you need a good business plan to market one-of-a-kind home decor items and personalised gifts.

To put that in perspective, 100 coasters require a time investment of about 1 minute per coaster, or 1.66 hours ($41.50 at minimum wages) plus the cost of the material. If you sell these at $1, you will make about 100% profit! But remember, you need to sell 10,000 coasters to cover capital costs!

Space needs

The stand-mounted unit is 198 x 286 x 323 mm.

The safety enclosure is 310 x 350 x 345 mm x 8.9kg, plus the LP5 on top. It has safety doors that open front and rear.

CyberShack’s view: LaserPecker LP5 smart dual laser cutter/engraver does what it says with style

First, LaserPecker USA approached us to do a review. Reviews are free and 100% independent, so we asked about electrical certification, local support, warranty, etc. The answers were US-centric, but it has Australian certification and local shipping. Our research shows this is a reputable company with 4.8/5 from Trustpilot.

Next, never having reviewed a laser cutter/engraver, I enlisted help, and Pete was excellent at showing how simple it was to use. His sage advice is that it will take experimentation to get laser power, cutting depth, and passes right for your material, but the app presets are a good place to start. There were very few fails, and you can simply run it again if it’s underpowered or needs more passes.

Finally, Pete is in a related business and more attuned to the money-making aspects of this device. We agree that it is far more than a hobbyist machine with decent margins on engraving (Mr Minute charges $20 for a simple hand engraving and up to $200 for more complex engraving). This beats hand engraving hands down.

LaserPecker LP5  Rating

We can’t rate it formally as we don’t have any benchmarks, but it’s at least 90/100!

  • Features: It seems to have every feature you need, including software. The safety enclosure is probably overkill, but it has advantages.
  • Value: I can see the value, but a A$8-10K is not a hobbyist device
  • Performance: Cuts and engraves hundreds of materials.
  • Ease of Use: After the initial apprehension, I was engraving like a Pro!
  • Design: Interesting, well-made, safe and functional.

Pro

Fibre and Diode Lasers for almost any material

Fast and portable, with a stand or a safety enclosure

The app is comprehensive and all you need. Supports other cutting app interfaces

Far easier to use than expected

Potential for business use

Con

Relatively small engraving area.

App-driven – no LCD interface.

Needs perfectly flat material unless you get accessories

Videos

If you have made it this far, we have a curated set of video tutorials to show you how to do things.

Brought to you by CyberShack.com.au

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