Laser cutting is a very productive process and certainly has its place. Waterjets do have advantages over them in several areas: a. There are no thickness limitations. b. There are no problems with reflective materials such as brass and aluminum. c. There is no heat input, so there is no burning or heat affected zone. d. When you change materials, the only thing you change is the cut speed. No gases, optics or anything else to change. e. Multiple heads are easily added for increased production. f. Maintenance is more specialized and harder to perform on laser equipment. g. You can get started with a full system for 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of laser.