Today, we will be reviewing something new for BGeek, as this is the first product of this category to be reviewed. And that’s nothing else than the laser engraver Nano Pro 12w by Longer. This is a small and portable engraver with many capabilities, especially the version Max, which comes with 2 additional extensions, slide and rotary!
Regarding the company, Longer is a Chinese company based in Shenzhen and was founded in 2016. The areas of their specialization are around 3d printing, both FDM and resin printers, and laser engraving machines.
Packaging – A “laser-focused” packaging!
The packaging of the Longer Nano Pro 12W is really on the high-end according to the industry standards. The boxes are made of a high-quality carton with a glossy finish and with printed pictures.
When you open the boxes, everything is well packed, in labeled bags, each bag in its own slot.
Everything is surrounded by a protective black foam with a snaggy fit.
Each box contains all the components needed for the specific unit to be operational. There is no mix-up between the boxes. More specifically, the boxes contain:
Laser box: The beast
- Longer Nano Pro 12W
- Mount
- Base
- Removable plate (on the base)
- Power supply for the main unit
- USB-C cable to connect the laser unit to the base
- Protective googles
- Box with accessories
- Instructions booklet
Slide extension box: Make it longer
- USB-C cable to be connected with the Longer Nano Pro 12W unit
- The base
- The sliding desk (2 pieces)
- A metallic plate (it connects the desks together)
- 2 rulers (they also connect the desks)
- 3 clamps
- Mounting extension for the laser unit
- Miscellaneous (3 bags that contain screws, nuts, knobs, legs)
- Instructions booklet
Rotary extension box: Round and round we go
- USB-C cable to be connected with the Longer Nano Pro 12W unit
- Bag with Allen wrenches
- Bag with screws
- Bag with 3 different attachment options
- Bag with additional USB-C cables
- Miscellaneous bag (water level, knobs, etc.)
- Instructions booklet
- Mounting extension for the laser unit
- Rotary attachment (2 pieces)
Overall, I would rate the packaging 10/10. It is very pleasant to see that there are companies out there that really pay attention to the packaging, ensuring that the first impression of the product and furthermore of the company, is absolutely positive.
Instructions: Some assembly, some guessing?
Similarly, as with the packaging, the instructions are made out of high-quality materials. Glossy, thick paper and very good print-outs. Unfortunately, that’s where the good news about the instructions ends.
The instructions are simple; they cover the vast majority of the functionality of the Longer Nano Pro 12W, but without getting into depth, which, in my opinion, was needed for a device with such a wide range of functionality. There are a few references to other instructions that are either on the SD card or in the provided links/ QRs. I can see some people being fond of the references and some not.
Once I found the instructions on how to connect the Longer Nano Pro 12W with a desktop via Wi-Fi, I was still not able to make it happen, even after spending several hours on it. Following the instructions step by step, it was impossible to do so; therefore, I stopped trying. Unfortunately, the instructions on the longer website are outdated and do not reflect the newer versions of the software used.
Some parts that are not listed in any of the instructions (such as the rubber legs) might be self-explanatory on where they get screwed on, but then it raises the entire height of the Slide extension, which causes many other problems with the functionality, which will be addressed later on in the extensions review.
Lastly, there were some grammar mistakes and some words with questionable translation or naming (i.e., skateboard for the connecting plate), but generally not many.
Overall, I would rate the instructions with a 7/10. While they pay attention to the quality of the materials used for the printouts, there is some work to be done, especially when the product is advertised as beginner-friendly. A collaboration with a Tech-Writer and a UX engineer could benefit greatly in this case.
Design: The beauty and the beam
The design of the Longer Nano Pro 12W is very minimalistic; it has just a few buttons placed 3 on the top and 2 on the back (adjust the height of the laser). The lines are symmetric and straight, and it is very pleasant to the eye. Definitely wouldn’t mind if it was constantly displayed on my desk (if I had enough space :D)
When it comes to the extensions, they look very industrial. The Rotary reminds me of a lathe machine, and the Slider is a miniature version of a proper industrial heavy-duty laser bed.
The Longer Nano Pro 12W, as well as the extensions, have a high-quality finish, made out of durable materials, and are very well refined.
Functionality: How does it (or should) work?
Laser unit:
Generally, Longer Nano Pro 12W is easy to use for simple jobs, especially if you are operating it via mobile, as the options are more limited. When it comes to operating it from a desktop, things are getting more complicated. The entire setup takes approximately 30 mins while on the mobile phone under 5. You can say that using a mobile phone is an out-of-the-box experience.
Also, as I mentioned previously, any attempt to connect remotely to Longer Nano Pro 12W from a desktop or laptop is nearly impossible, so count on having a USB cable connected as the only way to go. I even opened a case with Longer support, they promised they would check with the technical department, but several weeks later and still no response.
When it comes to the engraving, not only the quality but also the speed is remarkable! The BGEEK logo you see in the picture, it took approximately 6 minutes at 80% power and 7000 mm/second (based on the recommendations for this particular material). While the recommendations on the materials help for the initial setup and to get familiar with the entire process, further experimentation on speed/ power is highly recommended for achieving the optimal results with the Longer Nano Pro 12W.
The only area for improvement would be the ventilation system of the Longer Nano Pro 12W. While the fan is powerful enough to extract the fumes (and there are a lot! especially when engraving soft materials), there is no filter or a hose to redirect the fumes further away. This is very easily fixed with minimal additional cost.
Rotary extension:
I am very impressed with how easy it was to set it up and start engraving with it. Of course, I wasted 2 bottles with failed engravings, but this was purely on the user’s fault, but I prefer to call it a learning curve.
Once you understand the basics, it is a very smooth process with very impressive results. The only change you need to make in the app is to select the option “claw” and insert the diameter of the object you are engraving on. The rest of the settings are the same.
Slider extension:
The design of this seems not to be so well thought-through, as the provided rubber legs for the slider extension seem to cause some issues. According to the instructions, you should use the small provided corners as a stop point for the slider, but the legs raise the unit above the height of the corners, so technically, you can not use the corners as stoppers as per the recommendations.
Additionally, the Slide cannot go underneath the Longer Nano Pro 12W as it should because the frame is blocked by the tightening bolt. An easy workaround is to screw the bolt from the opposite side so the knob stays on the top.
Lastly, again, because of the legs, the slider cannot reach the full slide length because one of the bolts from the ruler is hitting the laser head. You can remove the bolt to make it functional, but this is clearly a design mistake.
Once you bypass all these issues, getting it to work is very straightforward; similarly to the rotary, you just select the option “slide,” and the rest is the same.
The quality of the engraving is really good!
Software: From “click” to burn
Software: While Longer recommends using LightBurn or LaserGRBL while trying to connect to your Longer Nano Pro 12W from computers, they do not own them, so they won’t be part of this review.
The only software they support is the mobile app LaserBurn, which is free to download from the marketplace. The app is fast, smooth, and works pretty well for simple jobs.
You need to be aware that from the mobile app, you are very limited on what you can engrave, as it supports only image files and not vector files. For example, I tried to engrave a PCB layout with a PLT extension, and it was not possible to do so.
Another thing that is worth mentioning is that the connectivity process of the app to Longer Nano Pro 12W is done in a weird way that you need to connect to the Laser’s Wi-Fi, and to do so, you have to drop any other connections, so while you are connected to it, you can’t be connected to the internet.
Specifications: The Geeky stuff
- Power: 12w
- Cutting depth: 10mm wood
- Engraving speed: 5000mm/second
- Support App: LightBurn, Laser GRBL, LaserBurn
- Engraving precision: 0.01*0.01 mm Precision with field lens
- Working area: 100mm * 100mm, with the slide extension 100mm * 300mm
- Preview speed: 32000mm/ second
- Laser source: Two diode lasers, FAC + high-speed galvanometer + F-theta field lens
- Input power: 12v 5A/110 240v/50-60Hz
Conclusion and verdict of the Longer Nano Pro 12W
Firstly, we would like to thank www.longer3d.com for providing us with the Longer Nano Pro 12W unit so we can review it and share our experience with all of you.
Generally, we really liked working with the Longer Nano Pro 12W. It is ideal for little projects and a great helper for DIY. Is it something that you really need and you cannot live without? No, it is not.
Is it something that you can find a use for almost every single thing you are doing? Absolutely yes! Once you have it, you will start thinking in a different way. You won’t see the objects in the same way again, as your constant question would be, “Can I engrave it? “
You can customize and personalize almost everything you own, and that is something powerful!
There are some cons, but we would say that overall, it is a great tool to have around!
If you liked the review of the Longer Nano Pro 12W and are interested in any other hardware review, make sure you have a look at the rest of our hardware reviews!