Choose laser technology based on what you need to cut.
Fiber and CO2 are not competing versions of the same machine — they cut different materials. Settle the technology first and the spec sheets get much shorter.
Already know the category you need?
Metal cutting usually points to fiber. Wood, acrylic, leather, plastics, and engraving usually point to CO2. Jump straight there, or use the material cards below if you are not sure.
Choose a fiber laser cutter.
Fiber cutters are built for metals. If the part you need to cut is steel, stainless, aluminum, titanium, brass, or copper alloys, this is usually the right starting path.
Choose a CO2 cutter / engraver.
CO2 systems are the better fit for organic materials, acrylic, signage, products, engraving, and mixed shop work where cutting metal is not the main job.
Two options when the answer is “both.”
Metal or non-metal is the right first question, but it is not always a clean split. Two Boss platforms straddle it — with real trade-offs worth knowing before you assume one machine does everything equally well.
HP Series Hybrid CO2
For shops whose main work is still CO2 cutting and engraving, but who need added capability for thin metal work.
FC FlexCUT
For the narrower group that truly needs fiber metal cutting and CO2 material processing in a shared work area.
CO2 choices mostly come down to size, power, and production level.
The CO2 lines overlap in what they cut, so the material rarely decides it. Bed size, wattage, and the motion package do — which comes down to how much you run.
Need to engrave round work too?
Every LS and HP cutter can run a PiBurn rotary for tumblers, glassware and bats. See what a rotary does, then the six machine-and-rotary packages.
EVO Desktop
Compact CO2 for makers, Etsy shops, schools, and first serious laser buyers who need a capable desktop footprint.
- Best for light production and smaller goods.
- Front and rear pass-through support longer stock.
LS-1420 / LS-1630
Step-up CO2 platforms for users who need more capability than desktop machines without jumping to a large bed.
- Best for growing shops, schools, and product makers.
- Hybrid servo motors and optional pass-through workflows.
LS-2440 / LS-3655
Large-format CO2 workhorses for signage, furniture parts, fixtures, templates, puzzles, and production cutting.
- Mach4 upgrade available for tighter motion control.
- Strong fit for accuracy-sensitive CO2 production.
HP-2440 / HP-3655
High-power CO2 systems for larger work, thicker non-metals, and CO2-first buyers who also need thin metal capability.
- Not a replacement for fiber if metal is the main job.
- Good bridge for CO2 shops with occasional metal needs.
RF Series
Upcoming higher-power RF CO2 path for buyers who care about fine detail, repeatability, and tighter tolerance work.
- Strong future fit for puzzles, inlays, and precision CO2 parts.
- Frame as accuracy-forward CO2, not a fiber substitute.
FC FlexCUT
A shared-bed option for shops that truly need both CO2 and fiber capability in one workflow.
- Best when both material categories are revenue drivers.
- Consider separate systems for high-volume dedicated work.
With fiber, wattage is the smallest part of the decision.
Platform design, enclosure, precision, automation, and whether you cut sheet or tube can each change the answer more than another kilowatt would.
FC EcoCUT
An accessible open-platform fiber cutter for shops entering metal cutting with serious components and lower total entry cost.
- Good first dedicated fiber path for metal-first buyers.
- Open platform means safety and workflow planning matter.
- Compare against enclosed systems when operators or environment require it.
FC AccuCUT
Precision-focused small-format fiber cutting for tight-tolerance metal parts, detailed work, and high-mix production.
- Best when accuracy and repeatability are the buying reason.
- AccuCUT SS uses a 24″ x 24″ compact high-precision format.
- Larger AccuCUT platform supports 51.2″ x 51.2″ work.
FC AutoCUT
Production-focused fiber cutting for shops that need enclosed operation, higher power, and material handling efficiency.
- Better fit when throughput and operator workflow matter.
- Enclosure helps with production environment control.
- Moves buyers beyond entry-level metal cutting.
FC PipeCUT
Dedicated or dual-purpose fiber systems for round, square, rectangular, oval, and specialty tube profiles.
- Best when tube or pipe is not a side project.
- Use when rotary add-ons are not enough for production.
- Elite PipeCUT supports sheet and pipe workflows.
FC FlexCUT
A true combination machine with a fiber cutter and CO2 in one platform, for shops that need metal cutting and CO2 material processing in a shared work area.
- Both material categories in one machine.
- Best when CO2 and metal work are both revenue drivers.
- Consider dedicated systems for high-volume single-material work.
Find the FC platform built for your work.
Each FC series exists for a reason — cost of entry, precision, throughput, or tube. Read across the row that describes your shop.
Laser cutting FAQs
Questions that come up before the model numbers.
Which laser suits which material, where CO2 stops, what separates cutting from marking, and how much power the work actually takes.
QWhat type of laser cutter do I need for metal?
Most metal cutting buyers should start with a fiber laser cutter. Fiber is designed for steel, stainless, aluminum, titanium, brass, copper alloys, sheet, plate, tube, and pipe.
QWhat type of laser cutter do I need for wood or acrylic?
Start with CO2. CO2 laser cutters and engravers are the normal path for wood, acrylic, leather, paper, rubber, glass marking, and many safe plastics.
QCan a CO2 laser cut metal?
Standard CO2 systems are not the right metal-cutting tool. Boss HP systems add thin-metal capability, but dedicated metal production should usually move to fiber.
QWhat is the difference between cutting, engraving, and marking?
Cutting separates material. Engraving removes material depth. Marking changes surface contrast. The right laser depends on which result you need — see our guide on marking vs. engraving metal.
QHow much laser power do I need?
Power depends on material, thickness, speed expectations, edge quality, assist gas, and workload. For fiber, power changes capacity and throughput more dramatically — our fiber laser power guide walks through sizing it.
QWhen should I ask about RF CO2?
Ask about RF CO2 if you need high-power CO2 cutting with tighter tolerance expectations, such as wooden puzzles, inlays, fit-up parts, fixtures, or repeatable detailed work.
Still not sure which laser fits?
Start with the material, not the model.
Tell us the material, thickness, part size, and production goal. Boss can help narrow the technology before you compare models.