What are the main features of the Hydra Nine?

The Hydra Nine has dual laser sources (RF and CO2), a robust build with a large work area, integrated camera for ease of use, high-speed motors, and advanced safety features.

How does it compare to other laser engravers?

It competes directly with machines like Glowforge and Thunder Laser, offering unique features like dual laser sources and a more advanced interface at a lower cost.

Is the Hydra Nine suitable for professional use?

Yes, with its industrial design, speed, and dual-laser functionality, it is a suitable choice for professional applications.

What safety features does the Hydra Nine include?

It has magnetic lid sensors, a thick polycarbonate cover, emergency stop button, and an air quality sensor.

Can the machine be upgraded?

Yes, you can add the RF tube later if you start with just the CO2 version.

What is the price range of the Hydra Nine?

The base price for the CO2 version starts around $5,000, with additional costs for upgrades like the RF tube.

How is the user interface designed?

It has a touchscreen with physical controls for easy navigation, jogging, and file selection, plus internal memory for saved projects.

What models are available in the Hydra series?

The series includes Hydra 7, 9, 13, and 16, varying by work area width.

What kind of support and warranty does One Laser offer?

One Laser provides support and warranty options, typically localized due to their design and support being based in the U.S.

The Last Laser You'll Ever Buy

00:26:58

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0YUu-4rx7A

Summary

TLDRThe Hydra Nine by One Laser is an innovative laser engraver and cutter featuring both RF and CO2 laser sources, allowing users to engage different laser technologies in a single job. With specifications promising 1200 mm/s speeds, 3G acceleration, and an expansive work area, it competes effectively against established brands. Notable elements include a robust build with significant Z-axis adjustment, an integrated camera for layout assistance, and a touchscreen interface for better user interaction. The safety features and ease of maintenance enhance its appeal for both hobbyists and professionals. Pricing is positioned attractively against similar machines, making it a compelling option for serious engravers and cutters.

Takeaways

🔍 Dual Laser Sources: The Hydra Nine combines RF and CO2 lasers for versatile applications.
⚙️ Robust Build: High-quality construction minimizes flex and ensures precision.
🚀 High Speed: Capable of 1200 mm/s, making it fast among industrial lasers.
🖥️ User-Friendly Interface: Touchscreen control with internal project storage simplifies operation.
🔒 Safety Features: Includes a polycarbonate lid, emergency stop, and air quality sensor for health safety.
📏 Adjustable Work Bed: Z-axis movement allows for more versatility with thicker materials.
🏗️ Easy Maintenance: Removable panels facilitate access to the interior for repairs.
📦 Transportable Design: Breaks down into layers for easier transport through standard doors.
💲 Competitive Pricing: Offers high-end specs without exceeding typical budget thresholds.
🌟 Reliable Support: Backed by One Laser's design and support based in the U.S.

Timeline

00:00:00 - 00:05:00
The Hydra 9 from One Laser is a new industrial laser engraver and cutter designed for professional use. The video introduces its features and compares it with competitors like Glowforge, XTool P2, and OM Tech. One of Hydra's standout features is its dual laser sources, which sets it apart from existing models.
00:05:00 - 00:10:00
The Hydra series includes four models: Hydra 7, 9, 13, and 16, based on the working area size. The Hydra 9 model is highlighted for its robust design, featuring high-speed capabilities, excellent acceleration, and a moving work bed, which provides more flexibility compared to desktop style machines.
00:10:00 - 00:15:00
The machine's Z-axis control is crucial for maintaining precision during engraving. Its design minimizes racking, ensuring fine engraving quality. The removable work bed allows easy access for cleaning. The unique locking system adds stability during repeated cuts.
00:15:00 - 00:20:00
The interface of the Hydra 9 is intuitive and user-friendly, combining touchscreen and physical controls. It supports local memory storage and file management, offering great convenience for users. Safety features include a polycarbonate lid and emergency stops for protection during operation.
00:20:00 - 00:26:58
A detailed comparison is made between the Hydra 9 and competitor models such as Thunder Nova 35 and OM Tech machines. The Hydra's pricing and dual laser sources are emphasized as its strong selling points, providing superior performance and value for professional users. The video concludes by inviting questions about the machine.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

What are the main features of the Hydra Nine?
The Hydra Nine has dual laser sources (RF and CO2), a robust build with a large work area, integrated camera for ease of use, high-speed motors, and advanced safety features.
How does it compare to other laser engravers?
It competes directly with machines like Glowforge and Thunder Laser, offering unique features like dual laser sources and a more advanced interface at a lower cost.
Is the Hydra Nine suitable for professional use?
Yes, with its industrial design, speed, and dual-laser functionality, it is a suitable choice for professional applications.
What safety features does the Hydra Nine include?
It has magnetic lid sensors, a thick polycarbonate cover, emergency stop button, and an air quality sensor.
Can the machine be upgraded?
Yes, you can add the RF tube later if you start with just the CO2 version.
What is the price range of the Hydra Nine?
The base price for the CO2 version starts around $5,000, with additional costs for upgrades like the RF tube.
How is the user interface designed?
It has a touchscreen with physical controls for easy navigation, jogging, and file selection, plus internal memory for saved projects.
What models are available in the Hydra series?
The series includes Hydra 7, 9, 13, and 16, varying by work area width.
What kind of support and warranty does One Laser offer?
One Laser provides support and warranty options, typically localized due to their design and support being based in the U.S.

View more video summaries

Get instant access to free YouTube video summaries powered by AI!

Subtitles

Auto Scroll:

00:00:00
so this is the Hydra nine from one laser
00:00:02
the latest industrial style big boy
00:00:04
version of a laser engraver as well as
00:00:07
cutter now we're going to walk through
00:00:08
all the features of this machine and I
00:00:10
want to compare it directly with some of
00:00:11
the competition so if you are in the
00:00:13
market for a more professional style
00:00:15
machine like this you can know if it's
00:00:16
the right one for you but before we
00:00:18
start with that let's start with this
00:00:20
guy right here this is the one laser X
00:00:22
Series specifically this is the xrf
00:00:24
which is an RF tube they have on the
00:00:26
back um they have a CO2 glass tube
00:00:29
version as well but it's like one lasers
00:00:31
glow Forge xtool P2 om Tech polar style
00:00:35
competitor now there's two different
00:00:36
versions of that machine there's two
00:00:37
different types of laser tubes it's got
00:00:39
on the back there's only one version of
00:00:43
this machine because the most unique
00:00:45
feature about this laser actually has
00:00:47
two different laser sources inside of it
00:00:49
and that is a feature I have not seen on
00:00:51
any other machine that I've reviewed in
00:00:53
my shop but before we talk about the
00:00:55
Laser Source let's talk about the Hydra
00:00:57
in general as like a product line so
00:00:59
there's four different versions that
00:01:01
they offer you've got the Hydra 7 9 13
00:01:05
and 16 and those numbers relate to the
00:01:07
distance in the X so the Hydra 7 is 700
00:01:10
mm wide in this case this is the Hydra 9
00:01:12
or 900 mm wide and then it goes up from
00:01:15
there and even though this is the first
00:01:17
industrial style machine from one laser
00:01:20
they pretty much have packed in all of
00:01:22
the features that you find from other
00:01:23
manufacturers directly into this machine
00:01:26
and if you're not familiar with one
00:01:27
laser they basically launched both of
00:01:28
these machines in late 2024 there is a
00:01:31
pretty close relationship with one laser
00:01:34
and thunder laser and if you do watch
00:01:35
The X Series Desktop review I go through
00:01:38
some of the specific features that are
00:01:39
like identical to the Thunderbolts and
00:01:41
so there's actually a lot of crossovers
00:01:43
between those two Brands so I know a lot
00:01:45
of times when people see these new
00:01:46
manufacturers they get a little bit
00:01:48
nervous like is this going to go away I
00:01:49
definitely have seen my fair share of
00:01:50
companies that have disappeared in the
00:01:52
past but I do feel pretty confident
00:01:54
about them because there is a good bit
00:01:55
of crossover with existing laser
00:01:57
manufacturers specifically Thunder laser
00:02:00
they're basically using Thunder's
00:02:01
production capabilities uh to
00:02:03
manufacture all these but then they also
00:02:05
design and support all their machines in
00:02:08
the United States their offices are
00:02:09
actually in California but regardless of
00:02:11
the company what really matters is the
00:02:13
machine you wind up getting uh and this
00:02:16
is one beefy machine uh it got shipped
00:02:19
to me on a massive pallet caveat with
00:02:21
this this is actually a pre-production
00:02:23
unit so some things might look visually
00:02:25
different than the one that is being
00:02:27
manufactured um I've got an affiliate
00:02:28
relationship with one laser so if you
00:02:30
decide to pick any of these machines up
00:02:32
I'll get a kickback pretty much all of
00:02:34
the lasers that I talk about I have
00:02:35
affiliate relationships with so I try to
00:02:37
stay as unbiased as possible but keep
00:02:39
that in mind as we're going but in
00:02:41
general it's basically the same form
00:02:42
factor you're going to find in these
00:02:43
other cabinet style machines with a nice
00:02:45
high-end components internally
00:02:47
specifically on the speed side of things
00:02:49
so they internal gamry and Motors um
00:02:52
you've got a topend speed of this at
00:02:54
1200 mm/ second that's basically at the
00:02:57
top end especially at this price price
00:03:00
and it's got an acceleration of 3G which
00:03:02
is also going to be at the top end and
00:03:05
basically you can't get anything faster
00:03:08
with this style machine uh until you get
00:03:10
like well over $10,000 so like the new
00:03:13
Aon Redline series um if you get their
00:03:16
topend specs which I think use Servo
00:03:18
Motors and you actually have to get a
00:03:19
ceramic tube on the back so it's going
00:03:21
to be even more expensive you are
00:03:23
thousands and thousands of dollars more
00:03:25
expensive than what you can get for this
00:03:27
and we'll do some price comparisons here
00:03:28
in a second now that's starting to be a
00:03:30
lot more common is an inline red laser
00:03:33
beam so hopefully you can see that red
00:03:34
laser beam right there on my hand that
00:03:37
isn't the actual laser that's going to
00:03:38
be cutting that's like a little red
00:03:40
laser pointer laser um but you're going
00:03:42
to use that for positioning um so
00:03:44
especially when you're framing which I
00:03:46
can do right
00:03:47
here you're going to get a red laser dot
00:03:49
to see where that's going to go now
00:03:51
cheaper machines a lot of times that's
00:03:52
going to be like offset from the laser
00:03:54
head itself I know my budget style
00:03:56
bigger M Tech 60 W unit that's the case
00:03:58
where in this case that red dot is in
00:04:00
line with the actual beam path itself
00:04:03
now again the Hydra 9 specifically is
00:04:04
900 mm by 600 so a very large uh work
00:04:09
bed and then when you move into machines
00:04:11
like this versus desktop style machines
00:04:14
typically to have a higher Z axis like
00:04:17
if you want to do rotary stuff or you're
00:04:18
working with like thicker material you
00:04:20
have to wind up having some type of
00:04:22
external accessory in this case you can
00:04:23
get a riser or one laser calls it a base
00:04:25
boost which is what's underneath this
00:04:27
machine the xtool P2 has a pretty Sim
00:04:29
similar setup but with this there is no
00:04:31
Riser uh because you have a very large
00:04:34
z-axis underneath to where this entire
00:04:36
work bed will drop down that's opposed
00:04:40
to the laser head itself moving up and
00:04:42
down which you typically will find on
00:04:44
the desktop style machines what's good
00:04:46
about the work bed moving is you have a
00:04:48
lot more room for it to go up and down
00:04:50
versus having like a laser head that
00:04:52
would have to go like way up here and
00:04:53
then way down the bigger industrial Pro
00:04:55
style machines um this is normally the
00:04:57
way they do it to where the entire work
00:04:59
bed will adjust and then another element
00:05:02
about the work bed I wanted to point out
00:05:04
is actually the movement of the z-axis
00:05:06
so again you've got all those controls
00:05:08
right here so I can drop the Z down and
00:05:10
when I do that this entire bed is moving
00:05:14
down um you've got these screws on all
00:05:17
four sides um that's driving that
00:05:20
movement um but with some designs you
00:05:23
can actually get a good bit of racking
00:05:25
especially with a larger work bed like
00:05:27
this to where the stipper motors that
00:05:28
are driving those screws um aren't
00:05:30
completely in line so it's going to get
00:05:32
a little bit off especially if you're
00:05:34
doing some fine engraving which you
00:05:35
definitely will with this machine but I
00:05:37
just pulled the bottom tray out to give
00:05:38
you a better idea what's going on you
00:05:40
can see how we've got a single belt uh
00:05:42
that is going throughout the entire
00:05:44
worked so that one belt is driving all
00:05:47
four of those screws that bring that bed
00:05:50
up and down and it actually goes to the
00:05:53
stepper motor but this stepper motor is
00:05:55
what's driving that entire system and
00:05:58
this is a really nice thick belt and if
00:06:00
we take this up and down you can see
00:06:03
that we're getting movement throughout
00:06:05
the entire system and since it's all
00:06:07
being driven by the same motor that is
00:06:09
synced and with how the belt is routed
00:06:12
to all four of these screws you're not
00:06:14
going to get racking so everything's
00:06:15
always going to be aligned um as we
00:06:18
bring this up and we bring this down
00:06:20
speaking of the work bed itself as I
00:06:23
bring this all the way back up um you've
00:06:25
got a few different options right now um
00:06:27
I have the slats inside of it and so
00:06:30
these are removable but there are slots
00:06:32
on the front and the back and then this
00:06:35
also comes with a honeycomb work bed is
00:06:38
a large metal frame and then you've got
00:06:41
your work bed underneath uh but
00:06:43
hopefully this gives you a little bit
00:06:44
better idea of just the size that you're
00:06:47
getting with uh specifically the hydro 9
00:06:49
and then what's nice about this and this
00:06:51
is also something you're going to find
00:06:52
on their desktop series are these pins
00:06:55
these are basically like index locking
00:06:56
pins and so you've got a couple holes
00:06:58
drilled into the frame itself that those
00:07:00
pins will sit down on um which will lock
00:07:02
the bed to the machine itself and that's
00:07:05
real nice especially if you're doing
00:07:06
repeat cuts to where you need the work
00:07:08
bed to stay in the exact same position
00:07:10
you maybe have a jig set up in there and
00:07:12
running the same thing over and over and
00:07:13
over again I'm being able to lock
00:07:15
everything to the bed itself is great
00:07:17
but if that bed can move around which it
00:07:19
can on a lot of other types of machines
00:07:22
um then it's really easy to get it
00:07:23
knocked off you can see there's a pretty
00:07:24
beefy aluminum bar that these actually
00:07:26
lock into and both the front and the
00:07:29
back uh and that just helps add overall
00:07:32
rigidity to the frame um so when this is
00:07:34
running at like high speeds you're not
00:07:37
getting Flex in the frame itself and
00:07:40
that is actually
00:07:41
compared uh to the other large machine
00:07:44
that I have in the shop and that is
00:07:46
going to be uh the M Tech Pro uh if we
00:07:49
look inside of its work bed um you can
00:07:52
see that the slots on this guy are a
00:07:54
good bit smaller and so uh they're a lot
00:07:57
easier to flex but especially how they
00:07:59
connect to uh the work bed um this is a
00:08:03
really thin rod so I find that
00:08:05
especially over this work area which is
00:08:07
a good size that I do get some Flex so
00:08:10
the design of this is a lot more robust
00:08:12
and there's a lot less Flex in the
00:08:14
system and then pretty much all of the
00:08:16
panels on this machine are removable uh
00:08:18
so it's really easy to get to the
00:08:20
electronics get to the laser system for
00:08:22
maintenance or if you need to adjust
00:08:24
things uh but one of the things you can
00:08:25
also remove is this front panel right
00:08:28
here uh there's another one on back as
00:08:30
well and this will pop out and this is
00:08:33
your pass through so if this door was
00:08:34
shut it's actually going more than the
00:08:36
full width of the machine with a good
00:08:38
bit of clearance in the z-axis I believe
00:08:40
it gives you like a Max of 1 and 1/2 in
00:08:44
in terms of thickness to where it can
00:08:45
still fit underneath the laser head
00:08:47
itself um so pass through front as well
00:08:50
as on the back so you can slide material
00:08:52
all the way through the machine if
00:08:54
needed now another panel that can open
00:08:57
right up is down here at the bottom and
00:08:59
with this fully out U this bed bottom is
00:09:02
actually on rollers uh and this is
00:09:05
removable you got handles on the sides
00:09:07
you can see I've already got a bunch of
00:09:08
debris and stuff that gets cut out
00:09:09
especially when I'm using the slats I'm
00:09:11
doing smaller stuff so really easy to
00:09:14
take that entire tray out uh to dump
00:09:16
things out and clean it out I'm really
00:09:18
really easy to get to versus kind of
00:09:20
having to get in there with a vacuum and
00:09:21
dig around now another feature that is
00:09:23
starting to be a lot more common
00:09:25
especially on the desktop style machines
00:09:27
is integrated cameras in this cas you've
00:09:29
got a camera right here at the top of
00:09:32
this lid kind of the only drawback with
00:09:34
that is you can only take a picture of
00:09:35
the work bed when the lid is open um so
00:09:38
that it is shooting straight down you're
00:09:40
going to be using lightburn as your
00:09:42
software there's a few different
00:09:43
walkthroughs that you'll use to
00:09:44
calibrate the camera so you get an
00:09:46
accurate view of what's going on uh but
00:09:49
because it's a lightburn camera and this
00:09:51
is kind of a drawback of any lightburn
00:09:53
based systems which basically all of
00:09:55
these are um other than the xtool P2 is
00:09:59
uh in addition to having just a normal
00:10:01
Computer Connection there's also another
00:10:03
USB port out that is your camera
00:10:05
connection so if you want to be
00:10:06
connected to the camera you have to
00:10:08
hardwire into the machine itself versus
00:10:11
some of the other desktop style machines
00:10:12
that are totally Wi-Fi we're going to
00:10:14
get a camera feed as well and a lot of
00:10:16
times that camera feed can be live um or
00:10:20
will update when the lid is closed uh so
00:10:22
like the xtool P2 um their camera is
00:10:25
actually in the back attached to the
00:10:27
frame itself not to the lid um so
00:10:29
regardless of what the lid's doing you
00:10:31
kind of know what's going on inside but
00:10:33
I actually find when you get into these
00:10:35
larger machines um your use of a camera
00:10:37
is going to go down further and further
00:10:40
because a lot of the positioning stuff
00:10:41
you're going to be doing is going to be
00:10:43
happening with the actual interface
00:10:45
itself it has built into the system um
00:10:47
so using that red laser dot to do
00:10:49
framing um setting different origin
00:10:51
points all that kind of stuff you
00:10:52
normally would have to do on a computer
00:10:54
um with this machine you can do it all
00:10:56
from the machine itself so if you want a
00:10:58
camera you definitely got it but you
00:10:59
don't have to use it and actually I wind
00:11:01
up not using the camera much myself all
00:11:03
right but let's actually talk about this
00:11:04
interface itself as of today this is the
00:11:08
nicest style interface that I've seen on
00:11:11
pretty much any machine um this is more
00:11:13
or less the same one that you're going
00:11:14
to find on uh the Thunderbolt not only
00:11:17
is it a touchcreen so you can kind of
00:11:19
jump around to all those different parts
00:11:21
on the menu um but um you have physical
00:11:24
controls um which are great for jogging
00:11:26
so you have access to jogging the
00:11:28
machine really quick
00:11:29
really easy as well as the z-axis so I
00:11:32
can drop this up and down uh then you
00:11:34
can fire it and then if you had a rotary
00:11:36
setup um you could also control it from
00:11:38
here as well then on the actual touch
00:11:39
screen itself you have access to like
00:11:41
all of the controls that you would
00:11:43
normally need uh with autof Focus right
00:11:46
here really easy to get access to as
00:11:49
well as setting your origin uh and then
00:11:50
you can also frame it uh really easy as
00:11:53
well so if I hit the frame button you
00:11:54
can see that fire real quick uh and then
00:11:56
you can just jump in here and run it I
00:11:59
also has a full file system so you've
00:12:00
got internal memory built in um the
00:12:03
previews on mine are being a little bit
00:12:04
wonky um but they normally do work and
00:12:06
you can go in and select whatever you
00:12:08
want to run hold it down it's going to
00:12:10
load that file up and then um you're
00:12:12
going to be able to run it from there
00:12:13
now this is a DSP style controller
00:12:16
versus like a straight G-Code style
00:12:17
controller that you're going to find
00:12:19
with the X tool P2 some of the more
00:12:21
budget end machines they can just
00:12:23
process stuff faster they're nicer to
00:12:25
work with and they have more internal
00:12:26
inbuilt memory which is good as well
00:12:28
because you you can upload a file to
00:12:30
this machine either by Ethernet or by
00:12:32
direct Computer Connection U but then it
00:12:34
saves it to local memory and then you
00:12:36
can go through like all of your past
00:12:38
files that you've used and then run it
00:12:39
directly from the machine itself without
00:12:42
having to be connected to anything
00:12:43
whatsoever and it kind of show you how
00:12:45
fast this goes to get something uh going
00:12:48
so uh I'm going to put this out of focus
00:12:50
I'm actually dropping this down uh right
00:12:52
now I'm going to load up a file real
00:12:54
quick I am going to autofocus it so you
00:12:57
can do all that again directly from the
00:12:59
machine itself uh I'm going to set the
00:13:00
origin point because that might change
00:13:02
I'm going to hit frame you can see it
00:13:04
framing right there and then I actually
00:13:06
have some safety features turned off
00:13:07
we'll talk about safety here in a second
00:13:09
so I can run this um with the lid open
00:13:11
but normally you can't uh which you
00:13:13
normally don't want to uh so you don't
00:13:15
want to do what I'm doing right now and
00:13:16
you can see it's already started going
00:13:19
that's going to do a fast engrave and
00:13:21
actually I believe this one right now is
00:13:22
at uh like 900 mm/ second so kind of
00:13:25
pushing the top end that's actually
00:13:27
using the rf2 tube which we'll talk
00:13:29
about here in a second now it's
00:13:31
switching over to the CO2 glass tube to
00:13:33
cut which is what it's doing right
00:13:37
now and it's going to cut that piece out
00:13:40
and we're good to go so really really
00:13:42
easy to load something up move stuff
00:13:44
around reset origin points frame it and
00:13:46
start it all directly from the
00:13:48
controller itself and speaking of safety
00:13:50
you should have safety features turned
00:13:52
on and the big one is the lid uh so you
00:13:55
don't want to run a laser without the
00:13:57
lid shut but the lid has magnetic
00:13:59
sensors on the side which have to be
00:14:02
engaged for it to run and then the lid
00:14:04
itself is coated even though the beam
00:14:06
itself is invisible um this is going to
00:14:09
give you extra protection this is like a
00:14:10
thick polycarbonate lid uh versus like a
00:14:13
straight glass lid uh glass still feels
00:14:15
a little bit nicer but what I like about
00:14:17
these polycarbonate and it's kind of
00:14:19
hard to tell with the way I have things
00:14:21
lit up even though it's tinted you have
00:14:22
visibility into pretty much the entire
00:14:24
work bed uh because you don't have like
00:14:26
a frame structure right here uh so you
00:14:28
can kind of always look around the
00:14:30
machine and see what's going on and you
00:14:32
also have this big red emergency stop
00:14:34
button right here at the top now this
00:14:36
one actually just cuts power to the
00:14:38
laser so you might have just heard the
00:14:39
fans turn off but not power to the
00:14:42
machine itself they're on like different
00:14:43
circuits so I still have the machine off
00:14:46
giving me an error saying that I've got
00:14:48
the emergency stop turned on so if I
00:14:50
flip it back the laser is going to reome
00:14:53
itself and be good to go so there's a
00:14:55
lot of times you might accidentally
00:14:57
forget that your emergency stop is Eng
00:14:59
engaged but since you can still turn the
00:15:00
machine on it's going to tell you hey
00:15:02
you may want to turn it off if there's
00:15:04
no emergency but you can still turn off
00:15:07
the machine itself uh and not only does
00:15:09
it have a switch but uh that switch uh
00:15:12
is on a key so something really handy
00:15:15
especially if you're in a situation
00:15:16
where you just don't want people turning
00:15:17
the laser on itself maybe you got kids
00:15:19
or just people you don't want using your
00:15:21
machine you got to have a key you can
00:15:23
turn it on and then everything will boot
00:15:25
up and you're going to be good to go now
00:15:27
a couple other unique features to the
00:15:29
Hydra specifically one is going to be
00:15:32
this visual indicator and actually if I
00:15:34
just rerun that file you can see this
00:15:36
panel right here is a red LED light uh
00:15:39
that is going to I believe pulse yes it
00:15:42
is pulsing uh while this is running it's
00:15:44
kind of hard to see with the lights that
00:15:45
are set up um so you can visually see
00:15:48
when this thing is going versus when
00:15:49
it's not when it's staying a solid state
00:15:52
and over here on this left side uh they
00:15:54
have a bubble level makes it really easy
00:15:56
to figure out how to level your machine
00:15:58
because underneath it you do have this
00:16:00
on Wheels so this can move around fairly
00:16:03
easily as you can see right there to
00:16:04
wherever it's going to live in your shop
00:16:06
and then finally you have an air quality
00:16:08
sensor readout that is what you've got
00:16:10
right here that's something they also
00:16:12
have on the X Series that sensor lives
00:16:14
inside of the laser itself so you always
00:16:17
get an idea especially when the lid is
00:16:19
closed how much like slit and stuff you
00:16:21
have in the air and how you know when
00:16:22
it's safe to have everything opened up
00:16:24
and the air quality brings us to what
00:16:26
I'm calling the trifecta of accessories
00:16:28
that you're typically going to find with
00:16:30
machines like this one is going to be a
00:16:32
water chiller slw waterer pump that's
00:16:34
going to be for the glass tube on the
00:16:36
back to keep it from heating up and the
00:16:37
one that comes with it is nice to where
00:16:39
not only does it receive power from the
00:16:40
unit itself actually like a data
00:16:42
connection throw an air to the overall
00:16:44
machine itself and not let it run if it
00:16:46
sees it doesn't have any water flow um
00:16:48
or if like the water temperature is too
00:16:50
high you might be in danger of damaging
00:16:52
your machine but then the other two
00:16:53
things that you also are going to have
00:16:55
included with this machine one is going
00:16:57
to be an air pump or like air compressor
00:17:00
uh that's going to be for the air assist
00:17:01
uh that is coming right here through
00:17:03
this tubing that's giving you really
00:17:04
clean especially Cuts uh you're not
00:17:06
going to use it with engraving as much
00:17:09
and then finally the third one is going
00:17:10
to be an inline fan so this is a fan
00:17:13
that will just be in line with the
00:17:14
ducting that you have with the machine
00:17:16
to where you'll be either venting
00:17:17
outside or into some type of filtration
00:17:19
box but again that power is connected
00:17:22
directly to the machine compressor to so
00:17:24
those aren't running until they need to
00:17:26
be and all that is controlled by the
00:17:28
software now one last thing before we
00:17:30
get into the Dual Laser Source feature
00:17:32
of this is the fact that these are
00:17:33
larger machines and you may not be like
00:17:36
in a garage or like in a big shop space
00:17:38
with big doors uh it may be a lot more
00:17:41
difficult to get this inside of your
00:17:43
house especially if you're going through
00:17:44
a normal doorway and they're saying even
00:17:46
with the Hydra 16 which is a massive
00:17:49
machine you could still fit that through
00:17:51
a normal doorway because this is built
00:17:53
kind of like a layer cake to where
00:17:55
you've got three different layers um
00:17:56
you've got your base layer right here uh
00:17:59
you've got your middle layer right here
00:18:01
which basically comes up to like right
00:18:03
above your red LED and then finally your
00:18:05
top lid layer um all of those can be
00:18:08
taken apart and be brought in separately
00:18:10
and then reassembled inside it's not
00:18:13
just like one huge box you got to figure
00:18:14
out how to get inside of your shop space
00:18:16
you can break this down to get this
00:18:18
inside of smaller spots as needed so
00:18:20
let's talk about the Laser Source
00:18:21
sources and where the Hydra name comes
00:18:24
from just like with Hercules Hydra has
00:18:26
multiple heads all within one body
00:18:29
multiple laser sources all within one
00:18:31
frame and structure so we've got our
00:18:34
glass tube on the very back that's
00:18:36
pretty standard if you've seen machines
00:18:37
like this it's actually sticking off to
00:18:39
the side over here on the left side
00:18:42
because this is the 100 watt version and
00:18:44
they also have an 80 watt version for
00:18:46
the hydron as well but then you also
00:18:49
have a 38 watt RF tube that is a metal
00:18:53
RF tube that's actually kind of the fans
00:18:54
that you're hearing right now that's
00:18:56
kind of living where uh the left back
00:18:59
leg is it's actually shooting up and
00:19:01
what's really cool about this is you can
00:19:04
tell which Laser Source you want to use
00:19:06
inside of light bur all within the same
00:19:08
job so these little like one laser
00:19:10
rectangles I was cutting out until one
00:19:12
laser engrave was with the RF source and
00:19:14
then the outside was with the glass tube
00:19:17
and inside of lightburn you can assign
00:19:19
different laser sources to different
00:19:20
layers so I sent this entire file and
00:19:23
ran it then it engraved then
00:19:25
automatically switched to the glass tube
00:19:27
and then ran it from there so it's
00:19:29
really cool not only do you have the
00:19:30
option to do two different lasers but
00:19:32
the two different lasers can be
00:19:33
controlled from the software itself okay
00:19:35
so doing a quick tour of the laser path
00:19:39
on this machine this is where the laser
00:19:42
comes out uh it bounces through this
00:19:45
point right here and then comes over to
00:19:47
our laser head and they're doing a good
00:19:49
job of making the alignment of the
00:19:51
mirrors pretty easy so you have all of
00:19:53
these thumb screws um at each of these
00:19:55
points uh as well as on the flip side of
00:19:58
this but this is where it gets very
00:20:01
interesting um with this machine so this
00:20:05
is the Hydra 9 which is a 100 wat CO2
00:20:10
glass tube that is what we've got here
00:20:12
on the back this is the interesting part
00:20:15
so this actually combines two different
00:20:16
laser sources again the glass tube is
00:20:18
coming right here bounces and then is
00:20:20
going through the hole right there but
00:20:22
if we look down you can see we've got
00:20:24
another hole right down there uh and if
00:20:27
we flip all the way around to the other
00:20:29
side of the
00:20:30
machine this is our RF tube it's
00:20:33
actually identical to the one they've
00:20:34
got on the xrf right there but what's
00:20:36
cool is the laser gets generated there
00:20:38
bounces through there and then goes up
00:20:41
through that laser path to where comes
00:20:43
up and bounces on that mirror and then
00:20:45
through the system so the RF tube is
00:20:47
actually firing right now and in just a
00:20:50
second we're going to see this entire
00:20:52
symol move down so you can see that drop
00:20:55
down now the glass tube is about to
00:20:57
switch on
00:20:59
and it might be hard to see with the
00:21:00
light uh but there is light going
00:21:02
through it and so now that is firing and
00:21:05
then we are done so really cool you can
00:21:06
have both the RF and the glass tube
00:21:08
firing in the same file RF you're going
00:21:10
to use more for Engraving and fine
00:21:12
detail and then glass you're going to be
00:21:13
able to get some really nice cuts from
00:21:15
it so how does this compare to the
00:21:17
competition first let's compare it
00:21:19
directly to the other machine that one
00:21:21
laser offers and actually I think the
00:21:22
Hydra 7 would be the more interesting
00:21:24
thing to compare it to uh because it's
00:21:26
going to get a lot closer in terms of
00:21:28
price so the hydro 7 just the glass tube
00:21:30
is going to be 5,000 bucks and you don't
00:21:33
actually have to get this machine with
00:21:34
the RF tube that's something you could
00:21:36
actually add in the future you're just
00:21:38
going to add $2,000 for that RF tube to
00:21:41
any of these configurations so just keep
00:21:42
that in mind as we're going so looking
00:21:44
at just the glass tube we're talking
00:21:47
5,000 bucks for the Hydra 7 versus the
00:21:49
one laser XF which is also the glass
00:21:51
tube version is going to be
00:21:54
$3200 now most of the features are going
00:21:56
to be pretty similar between the two the
00:21:58
seven you're going to have a bigger tube
00:22:00
at 880 watts versus 55 watts and then
00:22:02
the seven is going to have a much bigger
00:22:03
work area about 100% larger than what
00:22:06
you're going to get with the desktop
00:22:07
unit then if you compare it with the xrf
00:22:09
so the RF version of this uh the price
00:22:11
is going to go up but again you would
00:22:13
have to add 2,000 bucks to the seven to
00:22:16
get that same RF tube inside of it but
00:22:18
then you're also getting the big glass
00:22:19
tube and the bigger work area so
00:22:21
honestly really it's going to be more of
00:22:23
like a form factor so like what types of
00:22:25
things are you making and like how much
00:22:26
do you really need to make them because
00:22:28
you can make more or less the same
00:22:30
products between the two especially if
00:22:31
you have the base boost so you have that
00:22:33
additional z-axis but obviously like
00:22:35
with a bigger work area you can make
00:22:36
more all at once um and if you're doing
00:22:38
a lot of cutting being able to go from
00:22:40
like 55 watts to 80 watts is going to be
00:22:42
a pretty substantial jump uh and that's
00:22:45
at the low end you can go way up from
00:22:48
there oh and quick plug all of these
00:22:49
comparison charts I'm pulling from
00:22:51
machines for makers.com I pretty much
00:22:53
took the database of all the machines
00:22:55
that I know about that I use to make
00:22:57
these reviews and I tried to make a lot
00:22:58
more easy to use for anybody and
00:23:00
hopefully be able to compare a lot of
00:23:02
different machines quickly against the
00:23:04
same type of spec also like different
00:23:06
promo codes and Deals I've got up there
00:23:08
as well let's go on the top end
00:23:10
comparison uh so actually with thunder
00:23:13
so this machine the Hydra 9 versus the
00:23:16
Thunder Nova 35 that is basically this
00:23:19
style machine with the glass tube and
00:23:21
then after the success of the
00:23:23
Thunderbolt which is their RF machine
00:23:26
they're kind of introducing RF
00:23:27
technology the rest of their line as
00:23:29
well and so that is what the Thunder
00:23:31
Nova plus 35 is that's more or less the
00:23:34
same machine as the Nova 35 with an RF
00:23:36
tube as well as with some upgrades with
00:23:38
motors and cameras and stuff like that
00:23:40
now the price you're seeing here again
00:23:41
is just for the glass tube uh but you
00:23:43
can see even if we were to jump from 7
00:23:46
to $9,000 that's still going to be less
00:23:49
than even uh the Thunder Nova which is
00:23:51
just going to be that glass tube and the
00:23:53
specs are going to be pretty comparable
00:23:56
across the board the Nova is a little
00:23:57
bit older so the speeds aren't going to
00:23:59
be quite as high also it doesn't have an
00:24:01
integrated camera I actually have the
00:24:02
Nova 24 in my shop one feature I really
00:24:05
do like about it is it's got a red light
00:24:07
and a green light on the top it'll be
00:24:09
like green or red depending on what the
00:24:10
machine is doing the pulsing beam is
00:24:12
nice but it's just easier to see like an
00:24:14
actual red or green light from across
00:24:16
the shop but still not a huge deal now I
00:24:18
haven't been handson with a Nova plus
00:24:20
but I'll say overall the build's going
00:24:23
to be pretty similar to what you're
00:24:24
finding with this machine but at the
00:24:26
time of this video I would have a hard
00:24:28
time recommending uh just the straight
00:24:30
Nova 35 versus this now I believe you're
00:24:33
also going to be able to get a 75 watt
00:24:35
RF version of this versus just the 38
00:24:38
watt but that price is also going to
00:24:39
bring it a lot closer to that 10K Mark
00:24:42
now another interesting comparison is
00:24:43
going to be between this and om Tech and
00:24:46
also kind of mport because a lot of
00:24:47
their industrial style machines are
00:24:49
pretty much the same thing as om Tech
00:24:51
just with a different name but we're
00:24:52
going to look at two different ones one
00:24:53
is going to be the AF 2440 their 100
00:24:56
watt version and then also their new
00:24:58
Pronto 45 another 100 watt version and
00:25:01
really the Pronto is kind of like their
00:25:02
upgraded line now one caveat with that
00:25:05
is the Pronto seem to be shipping out
00:25:07
really slow so I don't know if there's
00:25:08
some issues going on there now for this
00:25:11
we're basically taking the RF piece of
00:25:12
this completely out of the equation all
00:25:14
of these are glass tubes uh the hydr 9
00:25:17
is going to be the most expensive at
00:25:18
7,000 Bucks versus about 6,000 uh for
00:25:21
the Ponto and then about $4,500 for the
00:25:24
AF but I will say having a version of
00:25:26
the AF in the shop I have a 60 version
00:25:28
that's a manual focus but basically the
00:25:30
frame is the same the build on this is
00:25:33
much much nicer and then the internal
00:25:35
components are much nicer as well and
00:25:37
you can see that reflected especially in
00:25:39
the speed to where we've got like 3G
00:25:41
acceleration and 1200 mm/ second versus
00:25:44
a th000 as the Max on the Pronto and
00:25:46
then the 600 on the AF and then you're
00:25:49
not going to have some of the bells and
00:25:50
whistles as like cameras and stuff like
00:25:52
that as well so overall what are my
00:25:53
thoughts of this machine for the price
00:25:56
point this thing is really really hard
00:25:58
to beat especially versus like the
00:26:00
direct competition really to get a
00:26:01
machine that is spec like this you're
00:26:03
going to have to go well over 10,000
00:26:05
bucks and so the price for this even
00:26:07
just for the CO2 version of it is really
00:26:10
cool but then when you add on the Hydra
00:26:12
aspect of it the Dual Laser Source that
00:26:14
you can use all within one file that I
00:26:16
pretty much haven't seen on any other
00:26:18
type of machine that feature is very
00:26:22
very cool it's also very cool you don't
00:26:24
have to have the rf2 from the jump you
00:26:26
can like upgrade to that in the future
00:26:28
so the dual head Hydra nature of this
00:26:30
for the price makes this thing really
00:26:32
hard to beat now I know this is a brand
00:26:34
new machine a lot of people haven't been
00:26:36
hands on with it if you have questions
00:26:38
specific to it be sure and drop it down
00:26:40
in the comments I would love to answer
00:26:41
all that I've got all right until next
00:26:43
time go make or break something in your
00:26:45
shop see you guys
00:26:47
[Music]