Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 review and buyer’s guide

Laser cutters and engravers are more accessible than ever, but there’s a big difference between budget laser diode models and large, expensive CO2 cutters like the ever-popular Glowforge.

The Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 seeks to hit a nice middle ground between the two, offering a laser diode cutter/engraver with great speed and power. Ortur is a well-trusted brand in the space, but is the Laser Master 2 Pro S2 worth the premium over cheaper models?

Over the past month, we put this model through the wringer, so find out in our Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 review below!

Note: Our test model was provided by SinisMall, an official distributor of Ortur-brand laser cutters. We tested the 10W LU2-10A laser module over the course of three weeks.

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What is the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2?

The LM2 Pro S2 is a mid-range laser diode laser cutter and engraver from Ortur. It offers faster cutting speeds and better build quality than previous models. With the release of the Ortur Laser Master 3, it’s no longer the most premium model the company offers, but it remains the most versatile.

Without going into too much detail on the specs (read the highlights below), the LM2 Pro S2 is really aimed at hobbyists or small business owners with a bit more to spend. It’s ideal for large or small engravings on a variety of surfaces, but still powerful enough to cut through different materials.

On that note, this model is sold with one of four different laser modules. Which one you select with have a big effect on the final price. We tested the LU2-10A, but here are the details on each (output wattage listed):

• LU2-2: This 1-1.6W laser is very weak and best suited to simple engraving on softer materials. However, it has the smallest focal spot at .07x.06mm, giving it excellent accuracy.
• LU2-4 SF: This “short focus” 4.5-5.5W laser is best for engraving harder materials at higher speeds.
• LU2-4-LF: This “long focus” 4.5-5.5W module has a longer depth of field, making it better for cutting. It’s also capable of engraving, but with slightly worse accuracy.
• LU2-10A: The most expensive 9.5-10.5W laser module is more powerful, offering faster engraving speeds and stronger cutting power.

It’s worth pointing out that you can upgrade your laser module after purchase. It’s held on with a simple thumb screw (unless you get the Z Axis add-on, which I definitely recommend if you switch materials a lot).

However, if you upgrade to the LU2-10A module, you will need a 3A power adapter, rather than the 2A power adapter that comes with the rest of the modules.

Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 specs

• Max speed: 15,000mm/min
• Max output: 10W
• Input: 20W
• Engraving area: 400x400mm
• Weight: 235g
• Safety features: Tilt detection, emergency stop, flame detector, exposure detector

Where to buy the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2

Since Ortur is a well-known and trusted brand in the space, there are lots of places you can buy its laser engravers online.

However, I highly recommend sticking to specialty stores and official distributors. They offer a level of after-market support that you won’t get from Amazon or other big retailers.

Plus, they tend to be cheaper. SinisMall (linked below) had the best prices I could find at the time of this review, and you can save an extra $60 with the code “TW60”.

Assembly and design

Now to our Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 review, starting with the process of opening the box.

The device is very well packaged, with lots of foam to keep it safe. These typically ship from China, so the extra protection is a welcome plus.

I won’t go into the full details of assembling the device, but it took about an hour from start to finish. If you can, I would highly recommend watching an assembly video on YouTube, as the images in the printed instruction manual are quite small and dark.

Once finished, the LM2 Pro S2 is a very solid piece of machinery. The aluminum rails and X gantry (where the laser sits) are very rigid, and it’s clear from the design that Ortur has iterated on and improved what has worked in the past.

This is an open-frame model, meaning that there is no enclosure around the device (although you can buy one separately). This has pros and cons, as it makes the device lighter and easier to move around the workshop, but makes it very difficult to effectively extract fumes.

In other words, use it in a well-ventilated area.

Another advantage of this design is that it can engrave surfaces that are larger than its 40 x 40cm (~15.75 x 15.75in) bed. For example, you can set the LM2 Pro S2 on top of a table, lower the laser module, and engrave directly on the table.

You can also buy an extension kit to bring the internal engraving area to a massive 40 x 80cm (15.75 x 31.5in), although at that point you’ll need a lot of space to store it.

Neither of these are things you can do with an enclosed CO2 laser machine, since they have glass components and tend to be heavier and more delicate.

Apart from that, my only complaint is that the cable that leads to the laser head hangs loosely above the bed. In most cases this isn’t an issue, but when working with lighter materials like paper it did tend to move them mid-cut.

Also, the green laser glasses included in the box are very bad. This is particularly an issue since the laser guard is a bit too high to block the laser while in use. If you value your eyesight, I highly recommend buying a good pair of OD 6+ laser glasses like these.

Performance

We tested a variety of materials and tasks for this Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 review, and we’ve listed our results below.

If you want to skip this section, suffice it to say that the LM2 Pro S2 is one of the most powerful and versatile laser diode machines on the market.

However, if I had to pick a few things to improve, a big one would be the flame detection module. It’s very sensitive. It went off in nearly every test we performed, regardless of the material.

Thankfully you can resume engraving by pressing the power button once the smoke has cleared. You can also change the sensitivity in your laser engraving software, or just put a piece of tape over the sensor if you’re going to stay nearby.

Speaking of software, you can use the free LaserGRBL for basic tasks, but I used paid software called Lightburn. It isn’t cheap at $60 for a lifetime license, but it has a lot of design options and I find it easier to use.

Now for our Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 review test results using the LU2-10A laser module. Note that most of these results can be achieved with the LU2-4 SF or LU2-4 LF modules, but they will require more passes.

Engraving

We tested the LU2-10A laser module, which is honestly overkill for most engraving tasks. Nevertheless, it performed very well in our testing.

Our tests were focused on engraving plywood, and this machine was capable of engraving at max speed with good results. We got our best results at 8000mm/min with 75% power, although you could probably go faster with more optimized files.

Note that the tags in the image above are 55x25mm, and the thinnest piece of the text measures less than .5mm. It was also done from a PNG and not a vector file, which would offer better accuracy and resolution.

Again, these results are with the LU2-10A module, which is overkill for engraving. Weaker laser modules may need to run a bit slower or use multiple passes, but the results will still be great.

For engraving on materials like stone or metals like aluminum, copper, brass, and stainless steam, the extra power of the 10W laser will make a much bigger difference.

The rest of the results below are for cutting. We’ve listed the general settings used where possible, but we’re also putting together a full cheat sheet of Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 material settings, so stay tuned for that soon.

Paper

• 3000mm/min
• 90% power
• 1 pass

Starting with the lightest material, we tested the device on a number of paper thicknesses and colors. You might think that plotter cutters and other cutting machines from Cricut or Silhouette are better here, but laser engravers are more than capable of tackling this material, too.

Here, the name of the game was speed. We used a test file from a Domestika course for paper sculpture and set design, and the results were excellent.

For reference, each of the tiny blades of paper grass above measures .5mm. Some of the inside corners show a bit of rounding, but that can likely be eliminated by adjusting the file and speed settings.

Cardboard

We tested two types of cardboard: a thin cereal box and corrugated cardboard. Both cut very easily using the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 in a single pass.

With thinner materials like these, there’s very little noticeable burning. However, you do need to be careful with what’s underneath the material. If it rests right up against a solid backing material, you will experience much more burning.

The easiest remedy to this is to suspend it in the air on something long and thin. A few pencils will do the job cheaply and effectively at first. For better results, consider getting a honeycomb platform.

Plywood

Getting into more difficult materials, we tested the cutter on several thicknesses of plywood. Thicker plywood required slower speeds or more passes.

Generally, we found that more passes produced cleaner results. While the machine was capable of cutting 10mm ply in one pass at 100mm/s, the cut was much cleaner running at twice the speed for two passes, or more passes at an even lower power.

If you’re going to use the Ortur LM2 Pro with an air pump, you will see significantly less burning. This should allow you to run at full power on lower speeds without issue.

We were able to produce clean cuts in both 5mm and 10mm ply, and we attempted to cut 15mm ply as well (for science).

However, we were not able to complete the cut (see left above), likely due to glue density. Note: don’t try this at home.

Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 review: Is it worth it?

I would definitely recommend the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 to any beginner or intermediate laser engravers out there. When it comes to laser diode models, it’s right up there with the best of the best.

However, my main advice when purchasing is to study and decide which laser module will best suit your goals. If you’re an absolute beginner you can have a lot of fun with the LU2-2 module, but if you’re a small business wanting to push new products, it’s worth investing more in more powerful modules to speed up your work.

The good thing about Ortur’s ecosystem is that it’s easy to upgrade later on. You can always buy a more powerful laser, an extension kit for larger materials, or an air pump for cleaner cuts. More on this in the section below.

This system makes it perfect for DIYers on a budget, but if you’re not comfortable tinkering and have a much bigger budget, you might be better off with an all-inclusive laser cutter like the Glowforge.

We’ll keep testing new materials and update our Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 review in the coming months.

Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 accessories

If you want to make the most out of your Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2, there are a number of optional accessories to make the experience faster, safer, or both.

Extension kit

As mentioned above, you can double the bed size of your Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 with a simple extension kit. Essentially, this just replaces the two vertical bars and cable setup of the original kit.

There’s a lot you can do with this added surface area, but make sure you buy the right extension kit for the model you have. There are slightly different versions for the LM2, LM2 S2, and LM2 Pro S2.

Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro enclosure

Fumes are always an issue with laser engravers and cutters, and open-frame models like the LM2 Pro offer little protection. This enclosure measures 70 x 72 x 37cm (~27.5 x 18 x 14.5 inches), meaning it will fit any Ortur machine, but requires a lot of surface area.

It’s made from a flame-proof fiber material and features a built-in extractor fan. There’s also a laser-defusing window and LED lamp so you can see when your project is finished. If you can afford to spend a bit more, there’s also a metal enclosure kit with an exceptionally premium look.

It should go without saying, but these enclosures cannot be used with the extension kit.

Honeycomb platform

When cutting through materials, you need to pay special attention to what’s underneath the cut. If it’s something solid, it can burn the underside of your piece.

The best thing to prevent this is a simple honeycomb platform. Ortur’s official model is light and measures 40 x 45cm to fit neatly under the machine, and it will not only prevent damage to your piece (or table), but also helps with heat and fume dissipation.

This is a must for anyone who wants to cut through materials with the LU2-4 LF or LU2-10A laser modules.

Z-axis lifting device

Adjusting the height of the laser module on the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 is a bit finicky, but this accessory makes it an absolute breeze. Instead of tightening and loosening a thumb screw, you just need to rotate the dial to adjust the Z axis.

Note that adding this accessory will make the laser module stick out a bit more, meaning you lose about 2cm of Y-axis cutting. You will need to change the settings in your laser engraving software of choice, too.

Air pump

Laser cutting modules like the LU2-4 LF and LU2-10A produce a lot of residue when cutting, but a simple air pump will make a world of difference in the final results.

This pump has an adjustable airflow up to 50L/min, which blows away fumes and residue to produce a nice, clean cut. The model I’ve linked below is made by Ortur, but others (like those found in airbrush kits) will work as well. However, only the LU2-4 LF and LU2-10A laser modules are suitable for use with pumps.

Rotary rollers

If you want to engrave cylindrical objects like glasses, rolling pins, or coffee mugs, this simple Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 accessory will do the job. It’s compatible with objects from 19-60cm long, with a maximum diameter of 10-15cm (depending on the shape).

Thankfully, the device connects directly to the Y-axis controller of the LM2 Pro S2 and is fully compatible with a range of engraving software options.

If you need to engrave more irregular cylindrical objects or spheres, Ortur also makes a version with a rotary chuck. It’s much more difficult to use, but the possibilities are endless.

Other FAQs

Can the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 engrave glass?

Yes. Although we didn’t test it for this Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 review, the device is capable of engraving glass. However, for clear glass you will need to paint it black first, then remove the paint after engraving.

Is it hard to assemble the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2?

It’s slightly more complicated than assembling Ikea furniture, but it shouldn’t take more than an hour. Still, I recommend watching the assembly video on YouTube for assistance, as the included manual isn’t great.

How do you focus the laser on the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2?

Most laser modules come with a metal rod (called a focal gauge). Just set it on the material and move the module until it rests flush with the rod. For the LU2-10A module, there is a plastic rod integrated into the module itself. You can also focus your laser manually with software like LaserGRBL or Lightburn.

How does the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 connect to a computer?

The LM2 Pro connects via a USB cable. There is also an Offline Controller add-on (sold separately) that allows you to connect via Bluetooth and control your machine from there.

Where is the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 made?

Like all Ortur products, the LM2 Pro is made in China and shipped all over the world.

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That’s it for our Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 review and buyer’s guide! We’ll continue testing and update our review over time, but if there’s anything we missed let us know in the comments below!