Review: xTool F1 Laser Cutter

Manufacturer: xTool

Price as tested: $1,999

Link: https://www.xtool.com/products/xtool-f1

The phrase “small but mighty” might have been created to describe the xTool F1. Fully enclosed, it will only take up a small corner of your desk while still giving you dual blue and IR diode lasers. If you’re a craft person looking to take a laser to events to personalize items during the event, keep reading, because you’ve found your laser.

While the cutting area of the F1 isn’t large, it’s capable of cutting to the majority of its footprint thanks to its mirror-based galvanometer laser instead of traditional XY gantry-based lasers. Galvos use two mirrors that rotate back and forth to bounce the laser beam between them, drawing shapes quickly. This is the same kind of system used for laser light shows but the F1 employs it with its dual diodes to engrave a wide range of materials.

The working area is enclosed by green laser-blocking acrylic, and a fan in the back of the unit provides ventilation to the provided hose. Want to engrave something too large to fit in the machine? No problem, simply remove the base plate from the F1 and set the whole unit on top of the item you wish to engrave. The F1 adjusts the head of the unit up and down with a motor allowing you to tune in focus to nearly any thickness of material.

Optional accessories include a rotary attachment for engraving on round items such as glasses and tumblers, along with a slide platform for batch production of items.

The F1 uses the intuitive xTool Creative Space for software, but since this machine is G-code based, other software options are available too. You can control the F1 via USB or connect over Wi-Fi, allowing you to run the machine from your phone or tablet, which combined with the built-in top handle makes the F1 perfect for operation on the go.