Hello everyone ,
I’m in the market for a new laser welder and have it narrowed down to a Sisma sold thru Gesswein and a unit from B & D in Rhode Island.
My understanding is that they are both Italian made machines. I was wondering if any of you have any experience with either of these machines and their quality and also the quality of the service departments.
Thanks for your help.
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I have a Orotig countertop laser from B&D that I’ve had for 5-6 years. I also bought a floor model laser from B&D in the late 90’s that I later sold. I was and am very happy with both. This particular countertop laser is pretty stripped down to the basics but is perfectly adequate for gold and platinum work. I’d need a more powerful model if I did more with silver. Going from the German made floor model to the Italian made countertop version was like going from a loaded BMW to a pretty basic Jetta. The biggest negative is that the work chamber is smaller. That said, I’d never go back to a floor model mostly because they are so hard to move. I like that the countertop one is portable and ships without much trouble (plus it’s cheaper). I also have direct knowledge of the purchase of 5 other lasers from B&D for business associates and friends. They are all very happy with the units.
A note about who you get it from. I’ve been in this business full time since 1978. In all those years B&D has given me the best customer service BY FAR of any equipment supplier I’ve used. You spend a lot of money on a laser and things are going to happen no matter which one you get. When something goes down you need to get it fixed and fast. B&D will talk you thru it, send you color coded diagrams with tools and parts, possibly even fly someone out to fix it. Their customer service has been astoundingly good.
Gesswein on the other hand has been less than helpful on several occasions. I’ll leave it at that.
I am currently using a Crafford BrightStar laser that I purchased @10 years ago.
Prior to that I was using a Laser Star laser, also by Crafford, at a previous employer.
Both have been great machines, and Crafford service has always been there when I had question, issues, or needed supplies or parts.
I have been using the laser for roughly 20 years now, and would-be lost if I suddenly no longer had access to one of these machines
Thanks Mark,
I do have to say talking with the guys at B & D they did stress their service. I really appreciate that, it’s certainly not the cheapest price I’m looking for more so a good build and great service because as you stated something will fail at some point.
Thanks again
Michael
I use a Sisma and it’s a decent machine, my only complaint is that it uses a screen/camera as opposed to a microscope that I’ve used on other machines. The camera just can’t match resolution of your eyes and I find myself struggling without the depth perception that good optics provide. As far as the machine itself, it’s a good piece of equipment and Sisma does offer it with a microscope.
Thanks for the info Bruce. I had a nice discussion with Pat from B & D and was impressed. They are located in Rhode Island which is about 4 to 5 hour drive for me should I ever need to bring it there. I like their focus on service and they have the Same machine Rio Grande sells although some things on each machine are slightly different. The machine from B & D is also Italian made is is a little more money than the Sisma but Pat offered to deliver it him self and train me on it. I have been using a 60 joule laser star desk top so I am familiar with laser welding but I would want to get up to speed quickly on the new machine. Always ready to learn new tricks!!
I’m leaning that way but still want to do a little more research.
Thank you to everyone for the replies, it’s greatly appreciated!!
My laser is 60J maximum power. If I was buying a new one I’d get more power. This one does the job but I occasionally have it cranked up all the way for silver. I’ve never had a pulse shaping feature either. I’m not sure how valuable that would be? Even if I had it I think I’d almost always want it round? I also never use an inert over gas. I tried argon but found that using specialized laser wire alloy, like Stullers 19K white, combined with proper settings, minimized and sooting issues. I’ve come to believe the overgas is unnecessary. Maybe that’s just me.
My main point is to suggest that you buy as much machine as you can afford. I wish I was you, it’s fun to get a new laser!
Mark
Hi Mark
I got lucky and Pandora bought me out and gave me a nice check for my inventory and my accountant recommended to buy a piece of equipment for the shop if I needed to, so me being a tool freak jumped all over it.
I’m looking at 100 and 125j. The guy at B & D suggested the 100.
He said because I mostly do gold and platinum the power can be scaled down more on the 100 for delicate items. I don’t deal with a lot of silver because people don’t want to pay for the job example 80.00 ring 40.00 to fix.
Also I was thinking about a pulse arc welder to deal with the silver that I can’t use my torch with. I’ll first see how the new laser works before I pull the trigger on that.
There is about a thousand dollar difference between the 2 machines so it’s not the money but if I can save a thousand and it’s a better fit for me than that’s good.
I also have a 60j and do silver but it’s a pain.
Thanks for your input.
I had looked art a Sisma machine a couple of years ago. There was a local dealer, but the tech guy for my area (Los Angeles) was located in Mexico City. The cost of a service call would have been horrific. That kind of killed the idea for me, but I did consider learning Italian and becoming an owner and tech for a short burst of time (5 nano seconds). The situation may have changed by now.
Eileen
Hello Eileen
The gentleman I spoke to from Sisma told me they have remote capability to diagnose almost any problem. Pat from B & D also said in most cases they can send a part and walk you thru the process.
Also I was thinking about a pulse arc welder to deal with the silver
that I can’t use my torch with. I’ll first see how the new laser works
before I pull the trigger on that.
I’ve worked on silver with a pulse arc and I’ve used a laser, and believe
me the laser is way better for everything including silver. Either way you
need to blacken the silver, but the laser is faster and better in every way
except price.
Thanks for that info Noel. I’m going to definitely get the laser , which one I’m still not sure. I have a little more research to do and hopefully make a decicision next week.
Thanks again
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Looking for a laser welder for your jewelry projects? We recommend:
Hi, Mark
Could you describe what kind of problems you had with silver welding? I am offered used welder BD-30-ML about 6 years old. It has even less power than yours 60 J. Wondering if it makes any sense to buy 30 J at all. I am not doing repairs, but making one of a kind jewelry and need to attach delicate small gold elements to silver base or gold base. I will not be welding very thick silver, but would like to have a capability for example to attach small gold bezel to a thick silver ring or small gold ball or a small gold ring to a large silver pendant. Something like that.
Thank you
Nina
Hi Nina,
I forgot, the silver takes more power to weld, they recommend using a black marker where you weld because of the properties of the silver metal.
My first machine was a laser star 60joule.
A couple years ago i purchased a 100joule B&D laser welder.
The people at both companies were really nice.
Both machines work well , I just felt that I’m doing a lot more work on silver and the more power the less stress on the machine.
If your not doing a lot of work you may get by with the 30joule but I would definitely try it out first.
Thank you very much for your reply. 60j is a little more expensive that I can afford, will look at some used options. Unfortunately, cannot try one, there are no distributors close to Seattle.
Let me know if someone is going to sell this kind of laser, please. Thanks again.