Which Laser Tube Does My OMTech Take? A UK Buyer's Guide

You need a new laser tube. The OMTech website says out of stock, Amazon has nothing, eBay draws a blank, and your machine is sitting cold while orders pile up. We've been there — twice. This guide is what we wish had existed when we were searching.

If you're new to CO2 lasers altogether, it's worth reading what laser engraving is and how it actually works before you get into tube specs — it'll make the rest of this guide easier to follow.

Step one: find out what tube your machine actually takes

Open the lid and measure the glass tube: its length and its diameter. Write both numbers down before you do anything else.

Don't rely on the product page, the spec sheet or even our post — tube sizes have changed between production runs of the same machine. Our two OMTech 80W lasers are a perfect example: the older one takes a 1250mm × 80mm tube, the newer one (bought June 2024) takes a 1250mm × 60mm — yet the current listing for the equivalent machine quotes 1250 × 80mm. If we'd ordered from the spec sheet we'd have the wrong tube. Measure first, every time.

What tube brands are worth buying?

The CO2 laser tube market has a clear quality ladder:

Reci is the benchmark that serious laser users refer back to — well-built, consistent beam quality, and widely available. The W2 model covers the 80W-90W range (1200–1250mm × 80mm). If you're running a machine commercially and want the least risk, Reci is the name to reach for. Prices have risen lately, which brings us to the next options.

Cloudray is currently our best-value choice for the 80mm tube. They stock Reci tubes as well as their own branded tubes, have a UK warehouse with fast shipping, and the quality has been solid in our experience. Worth checking their site and Amazon listing before anywhere else.

MCWlaser is one we've bought and can personally recommend. Their 80W CO2 glass laser tube (1250mm × 80mm) on Amazon UK arrived well packaged, was good quality and came with a metal head and pre-connected cables which makes fitting straightforward. A solid choice when you want fast Amazon delivery and a brand you can trust.

Yongli is what OMTech fits to their machines from the factory — the tube in our newer machine is a Yongli H2. It's a decent mid-market tube and perfectly usable as a replacement if you want to match what came out. More on sourcing it below.

Ten High is budget-end. We've used it on the older machine in a pinch — it works, but if you're running commercial production we'd spend a little more on Cloudray, MCWlaser or Reci.

Avoid unbranded tubes with no manufacturer listed. Some sellers rebadge defective tubes as new — it's a false economy when you factor in the downtime of fitting a dud.

Where to buy — in order of preference

1. Phone OMTech UK directly first
We cannot stress this enough. When our 1250 × 60mm Yongli H2 tube needed replacing, the OMTech website showed out of stock. So did Amazon and eBay. We eventually found the same tube on AliExpress for £198 with a three-week lead time and placed a reluctant order. Then, as a last resort, we rang OMTech customer service — and they were brilliant. The UK warehouse called us back, confirmed stock, and the tube arrived two days later at £260. More expensive than AliExpress but here almost immediately, and the correct tube confirmed by the manufacturer.

• OMTech UK phone: +44 7456 791497
• OMTech UK email: support@omtechlaser.uk
• OMTech tubes page: omtech.uk/collections/laser-tubes (often shows out of stock online — phone anyway)

2. Amazon UK
For the 1250 × 80mm tube, Amazon is a strong option. The MCWlaser 80W tube is one we've used and can recommend — fast delivery, well packaged, good quality. Cloudray also sell through Amazon. Always confirm the exact dimensions before ordering.

3. Cloudray UK warehouse
Fast shipping from their UK stock, good range of sizes, competitive on price. For the common 1250 × 80mm tube this is currently our first stop when OMTech is out.

4. eBay UK
More variable in quality. Stick to established sellers with strong feedback and always confirm dimensions.

5. AliExpress — last resort, but it works
We ordered our 1250 × 60mm Yongli H2 tube from AliExpress at £198 while simultaneously trying to source it through OMTech UK. The OMTech tube arrived first (two days, £260), but the AliExpress tube arrived approximately three weeks later — and we're pleased to report it was exactly as described. A genuine Yongli H2, beautifully packaged in a double-boxed carton with dense foam blocks throughout the full length of the tube. It arrived undamaged and in perfect condition. So AliExpress is a legitimate last resort for the harder-to-source tube sizes — just not a fast one. Budget three weeks minimum and don't use it when your machine is already down.

How to know your tube is dying

Tubes rarely fail overnight. The pattern is gradual:

• Cuts that used to go through cleanly in one pass start needing two.
• You find yourself increasing power or reducing speed to compensate — and it works for a few days.
• Then the same problem returns at the new settings.
• If this cycle keeps repeating, the tube is going. Order the replacement now, before it stops working entirely.

Power supply failure is different and more sudden: the machine is cutting fine one day, and the next it won't cut through at all — and changing power or speed settings makes no difference. That's the power supply, not the tube. Read our laser power supply guide for the full diagnosis and replacement process.

Fitting it yourself

On the older-generation machines with a perspex lid, a tube swap involves a little wiring and some soldering — straightforward if you've used a soldering iron before. On the newer Turbo-series machines the connections are plug-in, so no soldering is needed at all. OMTech's YouTube channel has the tutorials and they're genuinely good.

Safety first: the laser power supply holds lethal voltage and can retain a charge after the machine is switched off. Unplug, wait, and follow the guide to the letter. If you're not confident, book a video call with us and we'll walk you through it on camera.

Prevention: the habit that extends tube life

Tubes die faster when they run hot and dirty. Keep your chiller topped up with distilled water and set to the right temperature, run air assist on every job, and clean the lens and mirrors weekly. It's the maintenance routine behind our thousands of commercial running hours — and it's why our older tube averaged 13 months per replacement rather than six.

Not sure what you need?

Both our machines are running at our showroom in Buckley, North Wales — come and have a look, or drop us a message with your machine model and we'll tell you what we know. And if you haven't bought your machine yet, our OMTech discount code saves you 4% at omtech.uk.

Disclosure: Cherry Grove Craft is part of OMTech's official showroom and referral programme. Links to omtech.uk are affiliate links. Amazon links in this post are also affiliate links — we earn a small commission if you buy. All recommendations are based on genuine personal use.