Xtool F1 Ultra Review: 6 Months of Metal Engraving & Acrylic Cutting - The Real Pros and Cons vs. CO2 & Diode Standalones

If you've been shopping for a desktop laser engraver, you've probably seen the xTool F1 Ultra splashed all over the web—this "dual-laser" machine that supposedly does everything. But does it really work as advertised for cutting acrylic and engraving metal, or is it a jack-of-all-trades, master of none?

After six months of daily use—mostly prototyping small parts and doing custom awards—I'm here to give you the unfiltered breakdown. I'm not a laser engineer. I'm someone who's owned a standalone 10W diode ATOMSTACK, a 60W CO2 k40-style unit, and now the F1 Ultra. I've burned through a lot of material to get here.

This isn't a spec sheet comparison. This is a real-world, "I need to get this job done" comparison based on my actual experience managing production runs. It's going to be a head-to-head across specific use-cases, not a general "which is better" because frankly, the answer depends entirely on what you're making.

Bottom line: The F1 Ultra is a unique tool, but it has some serious trade-offs you need to know about before you spend $3,000+.

Comparison Framework: What We're Comparing and Why

To make this useful, I'm comparing the xTool F1 Ultra (20W Fiber + 20W Diode) against two dedicated setups:

• Setup A (The 'CO2' Baseline): A 60W CO2 laser (K40 style, modified). This is the king of non-metallic material cutting and engraving.
• Setup B (The 'Diode' Baseline): A high-power standalone 10W diode laser (like the ATOMSTACK A20 Pro). This is the budget champion for simple engraving on wood and leather.

I'm not comparing it to a dedicated 20W fiber unit (like the OMTech or LaserPecker LP5) because that's a completely different play. We'll get to that in a future comparison.

We're comparing three key metrics that matter for a production scenario, not a hobbyist playing once a month:

1. Metal Engraving (Deep Engraving vs. Marking)
2. Acrylic Cutting (Speed & Edge Quality)
3. Total Usability & Hidden Costs (Setup, Software, Waste)

My goal is to give you a clear picture so you can decide: Is the F1 Ultra's versatility worth the compromises, or should you stick to a dedicated machine?

Dimension 1: Metal Engraving – The Fiber Advantage is Real (Mostly)

This is where the F1 Ultra should shine. A 20W Fiber laser can engrave deep into metals like stainless steel, aluminum, and even hardened steel. A standalone diode can barely mark dark anodized aluminum by burning it, and a CO2 laser can't touch raw metal at all.

The F1 Ultra Experience (Fiber Mode)

For metal marking (like barcodes on steel or logos on anodized aluminum), the F1 Ultra is fantastic. We're talking 5-10 seconds for a 1x1 inch logo. It's a massive step up from my old diode that would take 3 minutes to leave a faint mark. For this one job, it's worth the price of admission.

However, for deep engraving—think stamping a serial number 0.5mm deep into a steel plate—the 20W fiber is underpowered for a production environment. It works, but we're talking 10-15 passes. It gets the job done, but it's slow.

Ref: Deep engraving speed, per our tests, was about 0.1mm deep per 20 passes at 400mm/s. For reference, a 50W MOPA fiber can do that in 4-5 passes. This isn't a failure of the F1 Ultra; it's a physics limit of 20W.

Standalone Diode Experience (10W)

Forget it. A 10W diode is basically useless for any raw metal. You can mark coated metals (like anodized aluminum or powder-coated steel) by burning the coating, but it's a surface-only effect. One scratch and it's gone. It's a marking tool, not an engraving tool.

Standalone CO2 Experience (60W)

Completely useless on raw metal. The CO2 laser beam is reflected. You can use marking compound (Cermark), but that's a messy, expensive process that adds a step. For bare metal, the CO2 is out.

Verdict: For surface marking on metals (logos, QRs), the F1 Ultra wins. For deep engraving, it's a tie with the CO2+Cermark route, but the CO2 is faster.

Dimension 2: Acrylic Cutting – The Diode's Achilles Heel

This is where my excitement for the F1 Ultra took a hit. A 20W diode is generally terrible at cutting transparent acrylic. The blue light (445nm) passes right through. The F1 Ultra's solution? You use the Fiber laser for the edge and the Diode for the fill? No, that's not how it works.

In practice, the F1 Ultra can cut thin (up to 3mm) clear acrylic if you use the Fiber pulse setting, but it's not a clean edge. It leaves a frosted, textured cut that looks like sand was embedded in the edge.

The F1 Ultra Experience (Acrylic)

For thin colored acrylic (opaque, not clear), the 20W diode can cut it, but it's slow—about 1-2mm per pass max. For clear acrylic? Unusable for any job where edge clarity matters. I tried to make a simple sign with clear acrylic. The result was a mess. The fiber laser created a frosted edge that looked terrible.

Standalone CO2 Experience (Acrylic)

This is not a contest. A 60W CO2 can cut 6mm clear acrylic in one pass at 15mm/s. The edge is a beautiful, water-clear flame-polished finish. It's not just faster; it's a completely different league of quality. For acrylic work, the CO2 is the standard.

Standalone Diode Experience (Acrylic)

A 10W diode is even worse than the F1 Ultra. It struggles with any acrylic, clear or colored, that's thicker than 2mm. The edge quality is always rough. It's really only good for marking coated materials.

Verdict: If you cut ANY acrylic, I would strongly advise against buying the F1 Ultra for that purpose. It's a painful trade-off that the marketing doesn't tell you about.

Dimension 3: The Hidden Costs & Usability Wall

This is where the F1 Ultra's "all-in-one" promise meets reality. I've lost track of the number of times I tripped over its limitations.

Software & Workflow

The F1 Ultra uses LightBurn (which is great) but also its own software, XCS. The dual-laser switching requires you to physically swap a reflector or change the source in software. It's not automatic. I once forgot to switch it to Fiber mode for a batch of 50 keychains. The first 10 came out as a faint smudge from the diode. That error cost me $60 in scrap material plus 2 hours of rework. The checklist I now use is a lifesaver, but it's an extra step.

Air Assist & Ventilation

It's built-in, which is great. But the air assist is a small compressor that's loud and lacks the power of a dedicated external compressor. For cutting thick materials (like 5mm wood), the built-in air flow is insufficient to prevent charring.

The True Cost of Setup

The F1 Ultra is $2,999 (as of Jan 2025). But to get production-ready, you need:

• A rotary attachment (included, cool)
• A proper exhaust system (if you're in a garage, you might not need it, but for indoor use, you will). Expect $200-400 for a good inline fan and hose.
• Honeycomb bed for cutting: $80-150

Ref: Standalone diode + rotary + air assist (10W) can be done for $600. A 40W CO2 system (like the Comgrow Z1) is about $800. The F1 Ultra's $3K is a massive premium for the fiber capability.

Verdict: The F1 Ultra wins on convenience for metal marking. It loses badly on overall value if you need to cut anything, especially acrylic. The hidden costs of setup aren't huge, but the operational learning curve is real. I had a significant mistake in my first month: trying to engrave a stainless steel watch back with the wrong focal length. It took 5 minutes to engrave a circle that was out of focus. $80 wasted on raw material.

So, Who Should Buy the xTool F1 Ultra?

If you're a business that prints metal badges, tags, and battery covers 90% of the time and only occasionally cuts wood or paper (which the F1 Ultra does well), this machine is a no-brainer. It will pay for itself in months.

If you're someone who does mixed projects—like a hobbyist who wants to cut acrylic one day and engrave a steel flask the next—I'd be cautious. The F1 Ultra is not a replacement for a CO2. It's an addition to a setup that already has a CO2. It's a tool that specializes in metal marking but struggles with everything else.

In my experience managing custom awards for 3 years, I've learned that versatility often comes with a cost. The F1 Ultra is a fantastic metal marking tool with some cutting ability. It is not a universal laser cutter. If your primary material is acrylic or wood, save your money and buy a dedicated CO2 laser. The $2,000 you save will buy you a lot of material and a few years of rent.

But if you need to mark metal and occasionally cut cardboard or paper? The F1 Ultra is probably your best bet. It's a specialist in a generalist's disguise.