Selecting and Buying New Tubes for a Laser System
Modern laser systems are typically based on fairly modular designs where important components can be swapped in and out easily and as needed. In addition to making repairs a lot simpler, this approach also helps ensure that a given laser system will be straightforward to maintain over the years, particularly in terms of parts that have more or less well established service lifetimes.
Deciding on the right type of laser tube at 100 watts for a given system can therefore be one of the most important steps of all. Because these are the parts that are responsible for generating the light-focused energy that makes such systems useful, they always play a fundamental role in determining how much utility a given setup can ultimately deliver.
Glass Versus Metal: An Important Distinction
With regard to lasers based on carbon dioxide oriented technology, there are two general types of tube in wide use:
Glass tubes seal in the gas and other elements much like the vacuum tubes they vaguely resemble, with the unique properties of glass making it an especially capable choice in this respect. On the other hand, even if it does an excellent job of permanently sealing a gas in or out, glass is also inherently fragile and will eventually succumb to the stresses put upon it.

Metal tubes consist of much more rugged enclosures that serve the same basic purpose, but do so in a more complicated way. While a metal tube will generally hold up better to stress, shocks, and wear in general, it will never be as capable as a simple, perfectly formed glass vessel of keeping a charge of gas in place for years at a time.
In practice, tubes made of glass therefore tend to reach the ends of their service lifetimes more quickly, while costing less to buy upfront. While metal tubes will often last for years longer, they also typically cost quite a bit more and need to be recharged with additional gas every so often.
Other Considerations Also Impact Price
This distinction typically turns out to be one of the most influential of all when it comes to co2 laser tube price. On the other hand, other differences like power rating will inevitably make a difference, as well.
As such, the cost of a 150 watt laser tube made from glass can sometimes be less than a 40 watt laser tube made from metal. On the other hand, the fact that a tube designed to generate and handle higher power must be built from stronger materials will often drive its costs up significantly, as well.
