Laser cutting disadvantages include: limitations on material thickness, harmful gases and fumes, high energy consumption, and upfront costs.

Exposure to laser beam can cause severe eye damage or skin burns. Sharp edges could result in lacerations, and puncture wounds.

Although laser cutters are renowned for their speed and precision, their cutting depth is limited to a few millimeters. This makes them ideal for thinner materials or when only surface etching is required. On the other hand, CNC machines, equipped with penetrating router bits, can handle much greater depths.

The biggest risk with working around lasers is having any of these types of exposures enter the eye unprotected. In the human body, the eye is the most sensitive to light. When the eye is exposed to a laser beam, the lens in the eye focuses the beam into a tiny spot. This can actually burn the retina of the eye.