Falcon2 22W Laser Engraver and Cutter

Works great, easy to set up and use. Just remember to clean head often if you do a lot of cutting.

Set up took a bit but once the software was figured out, worked great for our cub scout plaques!

I picked this up to replace my 10w Creality Laser Falcon, which I've had for about a year. Directly comparing the two, this machine is slightly larger (the 10w Falcon has a roughly 20x23" footprint, while this 22w Falcon2 is around 23x25"). In terms of assembly, this machine was much simpler than my Falcon as the frame comes fully assembled with the gantry and belts preinstalled and ready to go (the original Falcon required you to assemble the frame and install the Y belts yourself, which was time consuming and not beginner friendly)- all you have to do for assembly on this one is screw in the feet, connect the air assist and attach the laser module.

Now in terms of a few features- this model has integrated air assist, which is huge because you can easily control it through Lightburn or whatever laser software you're using, in addition to manual control if you choose. The ability to have your software turn it on while cutting and off while engraving is wildly helpful and gives much better results overall. The transparent safety screen over the laser nozzle is an integrated part of the laser module on this machine, vs a separate piece attached with magnets on the the original Falcon. The Falcon2's frame also has more manual control buttons, which I know was a common complaint about the original model Falcon- you can easily home and move the head manually using the buttons on the frame rather than strictly through your software, as well as a manual control dial for the air assist. It's also got a couple of extra safety features including a huge red abort button and a keyed safety lock so you can lock down the machine when not in use- handy if you have kids or pets.

Leveling and operation are pretty much the same as the original Falcon- you're provided with a metal guide to manually adjust the distance of the laser from your material based on thickness. Operation wise, little difference- I highly recommend ponying up the money for a Lightburn license, it's affordable and an excellent program. You'll need to tinker with different power/speed settings depending on your materials. I LOVE that this machine automatically turns off the air assist and fans when it's not actually doing a job- makes it so much quieter.

I got the basic package and it is missing a few things you'll probably want- primarily a honeycomb bed and an enclosure. You will have to buy these separately. That said, bang for your buck this a great machine- leaps and bounds better than the first gen Falcon. I've been a Creality customer for a long time (started with their 3d printers, I currently have about a dozen of them) and you do need to have patience and be willing to tinker once in a while, because if something goes wrong you're going to get minimal support- thankfully there's a pretty good user base on social media and you can usually find help there or on Youtube. But for the capability you get, they're a pretty good value.

As someone who has experience with less powerful laser engravers, this machine wowed me straight out of the box. This machine is incredible!

Pros:

• Easy to assemble
The gantry comes fully assembled, so this machine takes less than fifteen minutes to set up, including unboxing and reading through the included literature. The laser module easily slides into the support, and the air asssist connects to a pre-assembled hose. This comes with multiple supports than can be adjusted based on the workspace, so this machine is easy to level. I've only ever used machines that must be assembled piece-by-piece, so this was a breeze in comparison.

• Safety features
My favorite thing about this machine is that it has plenty of built-in safety features. The laser module is mostly enclosed with a safety shield across the front. This comes with ANSI rated safety goggles as well. As someone with children and pets in the house, I especially like that this comes with a key to run this off and on as well as an emergency stop button. There is a pause button as well as the emergency stop. If someone comes into my workspace who isn't wearing proper eyewear, I can quickly pause my project. This has a flame detection sensor which will automatically turn off the machine if a material ignites. It also has a lens sensor that indicates when the lens must be cleaned as well as an air assist monitor that turns yellow when the airflow is low and red when it is off. In addition, the laser will stop if the machine detects a sudden change in orientation. If it gets bumped off a surface, the laser will automatically turn off, reducing the risk of the laser firing in an unintentional direction.

• Compatible with Lightburn software.
The other lasers I own are Lightburn compatible, so I can run projects I've previously created on this machine, saving design time. Lightburn is fairly inexpensive and is fairly powerful, though it isn't always the most intuitive. This laser operates with g-code, so theoretically, other software could potentially be used, though I haven't tried it.

• Full offline features
I don't always like to use my computer in my garage, so I really like that this laser is easy to operate offline. It has auto-homing and framing buttons as well as X-Y controls which allow me to easily align the laser with my project. The only issue I've had running projects offline is that the TF card doesn't always read the most recent file in the root directory, so I've made it a best practice to delete previous projects prior to loading new files onto the card.

• Powerful, precise and fast
With a twenty-two watt optical output and the ability to operate at up to twenty-five thousand millimeters per minute, this machine can efficiently engrave and cut through a variety of materials. It cuts three millimeter plywood like butter, leaving a crisp edge with no burnout whatsoever. I've successfully engraved stainless steel and was shocked at the depth of the engraving. Most diode lasers can mark steel, but this can remove metal and can color-engrave based on the power and speed set in lightburn. Not only is this powerful, it is also precise. I was able to engrave a coated paper to reveal the white inner layer and to cut the outer shape as well. This would work to create intricate
filigree paper cuttings. I successfully engraved and cut through cast black three millimeter acrylic in one pass. I didn't have a piece of fifteen millimeter basswood on hand, so I tested an eleven millimeter piece of plywood. The laser almost cut through in one pass, but I had to cut the back side of the project with a knife. I'll keep testing, but this likely requires additional passes to cut thicker materials. I'm still impressed. In comparison to my five and ten watt lasers, this can cut much more material in much less time. In addition to metal, wood, paper and acrylic, I've also used this on slate. I haven't yet tested leather or fabric, but expect great results based on my experience with other materials.

• Includes integrated air assist
I absolutely love the integrated air assist feature! My projects come out with no charring, so there's less cleanup and post-processing involved, saving me lots of time. The air assist seems to automatically adjust to the project, so my engravings come out with nice detail while my cuts are clean.

• Additional accessories available-
While this model doesn't come with a rotary module, they are available. I would love to expand this laser's capabilities to engrave on curved surfaces by purchasing the rotary module in the future.

Cons

• Lacking an enclosure and ventilation system-
This laser must be operated in a well-ventilated area such as an open garage. In the future, I would like to build an enclosure with a dedicated ventilation, since this generates smoke and other vapors as the laser sublimates the materials.

• Requires several small, easily-lost accessories-
This laser comes with a three-lev...

This is the first one I have ever used but the setup was easy and just spending time figuring everything out. But the test pieces I have done look amazing. I will add pictures once I get this dialed in.