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xTool's laser engravers come in four light-source families, and that — not the wattage on the box — is what decides whether a machine can touch the material on your bench. A blue diode will not cut clear acrylic and will not mark bare stainless. A fiber head will not cut a pine board. The letter in the model name tells you which family you are in; the number next to it tells you much less than it appears to.
The short version: diode for wood, leather, dark acrylic and coated metal; CO2 for clear acrylic, glass and thick stock; fiber for marking bare metal; the M line for craft work where colour gets printed before the cut. Two things the spec sheets bury matter as much as any figure in the product name — the laser class the machine is actually sold under, and where the smoke goes.
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The material decides the line, not the wattage
Almost every expensive mistake in this category starts the same way: comparing machines by power and price before checking whether the wavelength is absorbed by the workpiece. Wavelength is fixed per family, and no amount of extra watts changes what a given source can couple into a given material.
| Material on the bench | xTool line | What the beam actually does |
|---|---|---|
| Wood, leather, dark opaque acrylic, powder-coated metal | Diode (S1, M2) | 445–455 nm is absorbed and burns the surface or cuts thin stock; clear acrylic and bare metal are out |
| Clear acrylic, glass, thick hardwood, signage stock | CO2 (P2S, P3) | 10,600 nm couples into clear material that a diode beam passes straight through |
| Bare stainless, brass, aluminium, titanium | Fiber/IR galvo (F1 Ultra, F2, F2 Ultra) | 1064 nm marks the metal directly; a blue diode is reflected by bright metal |
| Glass and plastics that must not craze or char | UV (F2 Ultra UV) | 355 nm gives a cold, shallow mark inside a very small field |
| Full-colour artwork on wood or acrylic, then a cut line | M2 inkjet module | CMYK printing and a diode module in the same frame |
The most expensive version of this mistake is buying a diode machine for a metal-tumbler business; the second is buying a galvo head expecting it to replace a flatbed. A galvo steers a mirror instead of moving a gantry, so the field is 115 to 220 mm and the head marks far more than it cuts.
The S1: the enclosed diode most home workshops should start with
The S1 comes with a 20 W or a 40 W blue diode module at 455 nm, inside a steel enclosure with a lid-open stop, an e-stop, a key lock and flame detection. Work area is 498 x 319 mm on the 40 W (498 x 330 mm with the optional 2 W infrared module fitted), extending to 470 x 3000 mm with the conveyor and the extra rail. Quoted top speed is 600 mm/s.
Single-pass cuts per xTool: 18 mm cherry and 15 mm dark opaque acrylic on the 40 W, 10 mm and 8 mm on the 20 W. Those are the figures that matter, because the product page lists "laser power 40W" without stating a measured optical output — the name is a rated figure, not a meter reading.
Where it stops: clear acrylic and glass, bare metal without the 2 W 1064 nm IR module, and anything much beyond 18 mm of hardwood. The IR module is a marking tool — 0.03 mm spot, 3.6 mm focal depth, under 0.1 mm of depth per pass, no colour marking, and it cannot be swapped in with the machine running. It is for tags, tools and tumblers, not for cutting metal.
Two operational details that rarely make the product page: safety goggles are not included and xTool sells them separately, and LightBurn runs the S1 in a basic mode only, without module position or curved-material processing. The 40 W machine also asks for protective-lens cleaning after roughly half an hour of cutting, per xTool's own maintenance note. A rotary is a separate accessory — the RA2 Pro covers cylinders from 3 to 100 mm in a chuck, wider stock on rollers.
Check the xTool S1 20W bundle on Amazon
The M2: a craft machine that prints in colour before it cuts
The M2 carries three blue diode modules (10, 20 and 40 W at 445 nm), a 3 W 1064 nm IR module and a CMYK inkjet head inside one Class 1 enclosure. Work area is 426 x 320 mm, 426 x 312 mm on the 40 W module, with a 300 x 284 mm print area for the inkjet. One-pass cutting runs to 8, 10 and 15 mm of basswood and 3, 8 and 11 mm of black acrylic across the three modules.
The point of the machine is registration: print a full-colour design on a wooden blank or an acrylic blank, then cut the outline in the same frame, guided by a 5 MP panoramic camera and a 2 MP close-up camera for placing artwork on pre-cut blanks. That is a different job from engraving, and it is the one thing in the range nothing else does.
Three limits to accept before buying. The modules are not interchangeable with any other xTool machine. Software is xTool Studio only — no LightBurn, no XCS. And there is no blade: the M1 Ultra could cut vinyl, fabric and paper, the M2 cannot.
Check the xTool M2 Color Craft on Amazon
The P-series: CO2 for clear acrylic, glass and thick stock
A CO2 tube fires at 10,600 nm, invisible, and it is the only xTool line that cuts clear acrylic and frosts glass properly. Both P machines need two things a diode does not: a coolant loop, and a permanent exhaust route to a window or a purifier.
The P2S is the 55 W-named desktop with a 600 x 305 mm bed, a one-pass rating of 18 mm basswood and 20 mm acrylic, a lid-open stop, an e-stop, tilt detection and AI fire detection. It is stated as a Class 4 device on its own product page, which is worth repeating because the enclosure makes it look like an appliance. The rotary handles cylinders from 3 to 42 mm with the baseplate in place, LightBurn runs it but without camera, autofocus or framing, and xTool recommends cutting runs under four hours. The P2 it replaces is now an older or refurbished purchase, and its accessories fit the P2S but not the P3.
The P3 is the production machine: 80 W of working output at 10,600 nm, a 915 x 458 mm bed, 20 mm wood and 25 mm clear acrylic in one pass, a tube rated around 10,000 hours, 400 mm/s vector speed and a 1,400 W draw on a 110 V outlet. It is Class 1 overall with a Class 4 source sealed and interlocked inside — and Class 4 again the moment you fit the conveyor feeder. There is no built-in exhaust fan; the IF2 2.0 inline fan ships in the box. xTool's support pages say it runs xTool Studio only, not LightBurn (the product page lists LightBurn, so confirm), and its lenses, mirrors and accessories do not interchange with the P2S.
If LightBurn is part of your workflow, the P2S is the safer choice of the two, for flat work without camera, autofocus or framing. If the job is production runs on a 915 x 458 mm bed and Studio-only software is acceptable, the P3 is the machine.
The F-series: a galvo head marks metal, it does not cut boards
Galvo heads are fast because a mirror does the moving, and they are small because the field is fixed. Everything in the F line is built around marking: the fiber source at 1064 nm is what marks bare stainless, brass, aluminium and titanium, and it will not cut a board for you.
The F1 Ultra pairs a 20 W fiber source with a 20 W diode in a 220 x 220 mm field, 220 x 500 mm with the conveyor. Fiber spot is 0.03 mm against 0.08 x 0.10 mm on the diode; the fiber side cuts 0.4 mm brass, 0.3 mm stainless and 0.2 mm aluminium through repeated passes, while the diode cuts 12 mm basswood and 12 mm black acrylic. Maximum part height is 145 mm, the RA3 rotary handles cylinders, and two limits bite in practice: autofocus tolerates only 0.5 mm of thickness deviation, and batch processing cannot follow a curved surface, so tumblers need the rotary rather than a grid of copies. Thin metal warps under heat and takes the focus with it. The product page states Class 4; xTool's support documentation also lists an enclosed Class 1 build and a Class 4 build that can run with the lid open, so the variant you buy decides the goggles and the room.
Check the xTool F1 Ultra on Amazon
The original F1 is a 10 W diode plus 2 W IR in a 115 x 115 mm field with goggles sold separately — a used or refurbished purchase now, and a capable small marker if the price reflects that. The F1 Lite drops the infrared source entirely, which makes it a diode marker with no metal capability; do not confuse the two when comparing listings.
Check the xTool F1 Lite on Amazon
The F2 is the newer portable: 15 W blue diode plus 5 W IR, 115 x 115 mm (115 x 400 mm with the slide extension), 120 mm maximum part height, and Class 4 because it can be operated with the enclosure open. xTool Studio runs it; LightBurn compatibility appears in one xTool document and not in another, so it is not a feature to buy on.
The F2 Ultra is the production marker: 60 W MOPA fiber at 1064 nm plus a 40 W diode, 220 x 220 mm, up to 15,000 mm/s, stated Class 4, with output that may vary up to 15% from the rated value. The MOPA source is what enables colour marking on stainless and titanium — not possible on the fixed-pulse fiber of the F1 Ultra. The F2 Ultra UV takes the other niche: 5 W at 355 nm, Class 4, a 70 x 70 mm inner field on a 200 x 200 mm surface, rotary to 150 mm diameter, Studio only, for glass and plastics that a CO2 would craze.
What the number in the name actually measures
xTool names modules and machines by a rated figure, and its product pages mostly do not publish a measured optical output. The S1 page reads "laser power 40W". The discontinued D1 Pro's 40 W came from eight 5.5 W diodes combined into one beam, which xTool explained itself. An xTool P3 support page lists a maximum working output of 80 W at 10,600 nm; the product page read on 06/11 states no optical figure.
Two consequences. First, a name figure is not comparable across brands — some manufacturers publish an optical column, others publish the number in the model name, and the two are not the same measurement. Second, laser output is not electrical draw: a 2 W infrared module sits in a machine that pulls far more from the wall, and reading the supply figure as beam power is how people conclude a laser is four times stronger than it is.
Class 1 is a condition, not a property
Sold as Class 1 means the enclosure, the interlocks and the operating conditions keep the beam out of reach during normal use. It does not mean the source inside is weak, and on xTool's own pages the label comes with strings attached.
- The S1 is Class 1 only with the baseplate installed, or with the riser base and its doors closed. Fit the riser base plus the conveyor feeder and it is not Class 1, and xTool's procedure for that configuration is a Class 4 one.
- The P3 and the M2 are Class 1 — the M2 certified by TÜV SÜD — but the P3 returns to Class 4 with the conveyor fitted.
- The P2S, F1 Ultra, F2, F2 Ultra and F2 Ultra UV are stated as Class 4 on their product pages.
Eyewear follows the wavelength, not the brand. xTool lists OD6+ for the S1, F1 Ultra, F2 and F2 Ultra, and OD5+ for the F1 and the CO2 machines at 10.6 µm; glasses whose range stops at 450 nm may not cover a 455 nm module at all. The nominal ocular hazard distance is 4 m for the F1 and 4.1 m for the F1 Ultra — these are not machines to lean over while they run. And any enclosure with the lid ajar, a rotary fitted or oversize stock through the pass-through can leak diffuse reflections, which is exactly the case the class label stops covering.
Where the fumes go, and what must never go in the machine
An enclosure contains the beam, not the smoke. Every machine here needs its exhaust ducted outdoors or run through a qualified purifier; xTool's own F2 Ultra documentation forbids indoor discharge outright. In practice that is a window route or a SafetyPro AP2/AP2 Max purifier, plus the IF2 2.0 inline fan on machines with no fan of their own, which includes the P3. An open window on its own is not extraction.
Prohibited materials, all models: PVC, vinyl and anything chlorine-bearing. The beam releases hydrogen chloride, which becomes hydrochloric acid on contact with moisture and attacks rails, optics and electronics — and much faux leather and sign vinyl falls into the same category. Polycarbonate and ABS are on xTool's do-not-cut list, and an unknown material should be treated as unsafe until proven otherwise.
Fire is the other half of the problem. Acrylic vector cutting is the classic ignition path, flame detection is a backstop and not a licence to leave a job running — never leave a running laser unattended, and a CO2 extinguisher beside the bench costs less than the machine. Bare metal on a diode machine needs marking spray or marking paper; a powder-coated tumbler works because the laser strips the coating, not because the diode marks steel.
Software: Studio is the default, XCS is frozen, LightBurn is partial
xTool Studio is the current application and xTool states it supports every device in the range. XCS, the previous app, ended at version 2.7 in June 2025. xTool's support pages list the P3, F2, F2 Ultra, F2 Ultra UV and M2 as Studio-only. The F2 Ultra product page nevertheless lists LightBurn v2.2.0 and later, and the P3 page lists LightBurn next to XCS, so confirm with xTool before counting LightBurn in or out on those models; the M2 is not supported.
LightBurn coverage is real but uneven: D1 and D1 Pro, F1 and F1 Ultra, P2 and P2S for flat work without camera, autofocus or framing, and the S1 in basic mode minus module position and curved-material processing. It is not supported on the P3, the M2 or the M1 Ultra.
The practical rule: if LightBurn is central to how you work, that rules out the P3 and the M2 outright. If you are content inside xTool's ecosystem, Studio is free and competent — but a Studio-only machine has no third-party fallback if the app, the account or the firmware has a bad week.
The models to buy used, or not at all
The D1 Pro was discontinued on 1 January 2025, with accessory support promised to 1 October 2026 and no successor named. It is an open-frame Class 4 diode machine, so a used one needs an enclosure, extraction and OD6+ eyewear before it becomes a home tool; the S1 is the closest current equivalent.
The F1 no longer has a live US product page, so treat it as a refurbished or second-hand purchase, with the F1 Lite and the F2 covering the portable end of the range today. The M1 line has been announced as discontinued and the M2 replaces it — but the M2 has no blade, so if cutting vinyl, fabric or paper matters, a used M1 Ultra is the only route in the family. The P2 has been superseded by the P2S; their accessories interchange with each other and not with the P3.
Which xTool fits which buyer
First machine, one room, wood and leather and dark acrylic, and you want the beam behind a lid: the S1 in 20 W. It cuts 10 mm cherry in a single pass, runs off a normal circuit, and the enclosure, interlock and flame detection do most of the safety work — provided you still add goggles and an exhaust route.
Clear acrylic, glass, thick hardwood or signage: the P2S. It is Class 4, it wants a coolant loop and a permanent vent route, and LightBurn runs it without camera or autofocus. Move to the P3 only if the bed size and the 80 W source justify giving up LightBurn entirely.
Metal that matters — tags, tools, tumblers, jewellery: the F1 Ultra if metal is half the business and wood the other half, the F2 Ultra if you are colour-marking stainless at volume, the F2 if the work travels between locations. Craft and colour: the M2, with the caveat that it prints and cuts and does not blade-cut.
Three combinations to avoid: a diode for bare metal or clear acrylic, a galvo for cutting boards, and a CO2 machine with no permanent exhaust route.