This was so helpful. I've been wanting a laser cutter for years but haven't felt like spending thousands of dollars. This machine is definitely going on the "to be considered" list. It has a lot of nice features and maybe the improvements you've suggested will be incorporated by the time I'm ready to buy. Even so, nothing you mentioned on the con side is a deal-breaker for me.
I checked out the XTool M1 link today. If anyone has been on the fence check out this link. Today there's a huge sale going on and I mean huge which includes the 10W model and accessories being amazing on sale. Not sure how long that sale will last. Sometimes when you see such sale prices this deep it means newer models or upgrades are soon to come out. But those are always much higher priced. So definitely if anyone has been on the fence because they wanted the 10W you'll be surprised at the prices. I certainly was. Unfortunately for me the Venting issues are too difficult to work around. My craft room is on second floor and sewing room and more craft space on the third floor above ground floor and though I have a fantastic 14x24" wood floored clean and painted white semi finished basement room with good day light it would be nearly impossible to vent either 5 or 10 W machines. But for those who can manage this machine and it's requirements I hope you can take advantage of these prices. Happy creating everyone.
Interesting. I am not currently in the market for a laser but I do like to be aware of what the market has to offer. Thank you for sharing pros and cons based on your experience.
How exciting! I bought a longer exhaust hose and have it venting outside my sliding glass door. It's not elegant but it works for now! I am actually getting the filter unit because it's not the best solution.
Thank you for sharing.. if you covered the back of clear acrylic with black repositioning vinyl, would it then not pass through the acrylic and actually cut? Of course my thought is then you remove the black vinyl and end with your finished item cut from clear acrylic.
This is new to me and such wonderful hybrid features for the hobby minded. I'd like to know how well it handles numerous vinyls because there is so many out there. So thinking about upgrading my obsolete Pazzle to a Cricut or Brother this definitely throws a curve ball in that thinking. For me the Con is that it requires venting and where to run that from my office/craft room wouldn't play out well. I do have a huge semi finished 12 foot deep basement space I fixed up years ago and has good natural lighting during mid day too. Venting is a snag again in how does one run a vent out of a 12 foot deep basement who's concrete is the type you can't drill into. Doubt the fan is strong enough to throw the debris up far enough 9 feet up to reach the wood walled areas. Thank you for a great coverage of the pro and con's of this gem. I can see it fitting the budget and creative spaces for many creative people both men and women. Price point is very attractive too. I cut a lot of textured vinyls some quite thick some transparent and thin. As much fun as the laser side would be I fear I'd be let down on the vinyl and acrylic media. Hope you feel better soon. Stopped by to watch when you sent your E link today saying your house had a bug invasion. This time of year those spring bugs can be meanies. Take care.
The price point here for all of the bells and whistles (we're talking rotary, riser box, air filter) on the 10W version is still about $1200 less than the Glowforge Basic, although the power is STILL considerably less. What are your thoughts on the Laserbox, which is more in line with the Glowforge? It's still thousands of dollars more than the M1, but it's also thousands less than the Glowforge Pro.
Try putting masking tape on acrylic and see if that helps with the clear. I dont have one but i assume that may help since colors are an issue. Ive done this with mirror acrylic as there is issues with reflection.
I haven't tried it myself, but others in the xTool group have reported it doesn't work very well. It may allow you to engrave it, but cutting all the way through the clear doesn't seem possible. But I'm still going to test it at some point!
For the acrylic clear or colors, can something be placed under the clear to allow the cut? light wood, paper, something light weight with a color that M1 likes?
Since I made this video, I found out that there are a couple methods that allow you to engrave the clear glass or acrylic (like painting it black and then scrubbing it off) but I haven't actually tried any of the methods. I still think cutting is out, but I'm not certain. It's on my list to do a bunch of research and put together a video, though!
I like that idea. I have to say I used my M1 for the first time yesterday and I love it. I have the 10W ( They supply you with a lot of material) not sure but it also has in the software to use their settings or set your own. Since I am new to this I just use their settings and so far the items have turned out great. I do have the riser and honeycomb so I don't need to use the lifters that it comes with. Also I have the air assist that actually leaves no burn marks on the items that I have cut so far. I am interested on seeing other materials that they have supplied and not sure what they are used for self-adhesive PVC sheet, colored glossy PVC sheet and transparent frosted PVC. I would love to know if it can cut through different color acrylics.
I’m new to this but want to cut acrylic and engrave tumblers. Can you mask clear acrylic with a black masking? Do you think that would allow the M1 to cut through it?
I don't think it would work, but it's definitely on my list of things to test. The light would still need to cut through the clear, so my guess is no, but hopefully I can report back soon!
The 10W M1 machines are the same on their site. The RA2 is the rotary tool (I haven't one but haven't used it yet) and then there's the smoke purifier that can replace having to vent the machine out the window. So it depends on what you might need! :)
@@deonagood9464 If you want to do tumblers, then definitely get the RA2 tool-that allows you to do rounded objects like tumblers. And know that you can't cut all colors of acrylic with the M1's diode laser. You can cut some, like black, yellow, and red. But if you want to cut all colors, including clear or blue, you'll need to upgrade to a CO2 laser like a Glowforge.
@@paulitadejesus318 Sorry I haven't been able to test it yet! Lots going on for the holidays plus our entire family got sick. Hopefully I'll be doing more with the xTool soon!
Thank you for making such a thorough video! Definitely the most helpful that I’ve watched so far! One question: If I didn’t already have an .svg of the design, can I create with this software or will I need a supplemental design software?
There are some super basic design tools in xTool Creative Space (shapes, text, etc.) but if you want to create anything more than basic designs, you'll want another design software. Illustrator and Inkscape are both great choices because they work in vector format (SVG), which makes them perfect for cutting and engraving on a laser!
Based on your review, I know cutting is not the main feature of this machine but looking to get it for the laser. However I would like to know how precise are the intricate designs cuts. I guess it still need settings adjustments.
Thank you so much for the informative video, what was the engraving time for the dog tag? What is the estimated grieving time if you wanted to laser cut wording on a 4 x 6 piece of card stock paper🤣
Thanks for sharing the video. I saw this on Amazon, and it’s got my mind racing!! I used to cut sheets using a CAD controlled cutter (Zund), that system had a camera that would register its position on some x and y co-ordinates on the sheet, then it’d trim them out with a knife. Can I cut ‘pre-printed’ sheets on this machine? Assuming my print position on the sheet is consistent? (Thanks in advance) Tim
@@HeyLetsMakeStuff print and cut basically. Pre-printed sheets, cut out with the laser or the blade? I wonder how easy it is to position the cut so it’s accurate to the printed sheet
@@timthompson5644 Oh gotcha! Like Print then Cut on a Cricut. So after I made this video, there was an update to Creative Space. There's now a "Print then Blade Cut" option in the operation dropdown. I haven't had a chance to test it myself, but this does make me think that this is a possibility! It's on my list of things to try out soon!
Yes, you can engrave both but I believe both require an extra step (some kind of carrier agent on the ceramic and a color backing for the glass). I haven't done either, but in the official xTool group, folks have done both.
The biggest issue for me is the shockingly poor internal camera. The camera was the main selling point for me, theoretically making image placement a breeze, but it is totally inaccurate rendering it essentially useless. There is a framing option, but it moves way too fast to allow any sense of accuracy when placing an image for engraving. I've been extremely disappointed with this product and the sub-par customer service since purchasing. Promises a lot but delivers little.
This is good feedback. I haven't had an issue but I've also just been testing simple cuts and engravings. They seem to be accurate for me so far, but I also haven't done anything super precise beyond the dog tag.
This was so helpful. I've been wanting a laser cutter for years but haven't felt like spending thousands of dollars. This machine is definitely going on the "to be considered" list. It has a lot of nice features and maybe the improvements you've suggested will be incorporated by the time I'm ready to buy. Even so, nothing you mentioned on the con side is a deal-breaker for me.
Some of them have been added actually! You can now buy an air assist separately, and it does help with the charring.
I checked out the XTool M1 link today. If anyone has been on the fence check out this link. Today there's a huge sale going on and I mean huge which includes the 10W model and accessories being amazing on sale. Not sure how long that sale will last. Sometimes when you see such sale prices this deep it means newer models or upgrades are soon to come out. But those are always much higher priced. So definitely if anyone has been on the fence because they wanted the 10W you'll be surprised at the prices. I certainly was. Unfortunately for me the Venting issues are too difficult to work around. My craft room is on second floor and sewing room and more craft space on the third floor above ground floor and though I have a fantastic 14x24" wood floored clean and painted white semi finished basement room with good day light it would be nearly impossible to vent either 5 or 10 W machines. But for those who can manage this machine and it's requirements I hope you can take advantage of these prices. Happy creating everyone.
You can work around the venting issues with the air purifier ;-)
Interesting. I am not currently in the market for a laser but I do like to be aware of what the market has to offer. Thank you for sharing pros and cons based on your experience.
My pleasure!
Great review. Santa left this for me underneath the Christmas tree yesterday. I wish you had showed how you have it vented.
How exciting! I bought a longer exhaust hose and have it venting outside my sliding glass door. It's not elegant but it works for now! I am actually getting the filter unit because it's not the best solution.
Thank you for sharing.. if you covered the back of clear acrylic with black repositioning vinyl, would it then not pass through the acrylic and actually cut? Of course my thought is then you remove the black vinyl and end with your finished item cut from clear acrylic.
This is a great question! Something I will definitely need to test.
This is new to me and such wonderful hybrid features for the hobby minded. I'd like to know how well it handles numerous vinyls because there is so many out there. So thinking about upgrading my obsolete Pazzle to a Cricut or Brother this definitely throws a curve ball in that thinking. For me the Con is that it requires venting and where to run that from my office/craft room wouldn't play out well. I do have a huge semi finished 12 foot deep basement space I fixed up years ago and has good natural lighting during mid day too. Venting is a snag again in how does one run a vent out of a 12 foot deep basement who's concrete is the type you can't drill into. Doubt the fan is strong enough to throw the debris up far enough 9 feet up to reach the wood walled areas. Thank you for a great coverage of the pro and con's of this gem. I can see it fitting the budget and creative spaces for many creative people both men and women. Price point is very attractive too. I cut a lot of textured vinyls some quite thick some transparent and thin. As much fun as the laser side would be I fear I'd be let down on the vinyl and acrylic media. Hope you feel better soon. Stopped by to watch when you sent your E link today saying your house had a bug invasion. This time of year those spring bugs can be meanies. Take care.
We're on the mend! Thanks for your sweet words.
Super informative! Thanks Cori.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you I have been looking at the Glowforge but it is expensive. I will have to look into the xTool M1.
You're welcome! I hope this was a helpful comparison for you as you make a decision! :)
The price point here for all of the bells and whistles (we're talking rotary, riser box, air filter) on the 10W version is still about $1200 less than the Glowforge Basic, although the power is STILL considerably less. What are your thoughts on the Laserbox, which is more in line with the Glowforge? It's still thousands of dollars more than the M1, but it's also thousands less than the Glowforge Pro.
I don't have the Laserbox so I can't really speak to anything about it. Sorry!
Can you mask other colors of acrylic to cut other types?
I haven't tried it myself, but there are hacks out there that might work. It's on my list to test at some point!
Wow! That's physically a lot larger than I had thought in my head from the images on Facebook.
Interesting! I wasn't sure what I was expecting but my Glowforge is SO big that the M1 felt small in comparison.
Try putting masking tape on acrylic and see if that helps with the clear. I dont have one but i assume that may help since colors are an issue. Ive done this with mirror acrylic as there is issues with reflection.
I haven't tried it myself, but others in the xTool group have reported it doesn't work very well. It may allow you to engrave it, but cutting all the way through the clear doesn't seem possible. But I'm still going to test it at some point!
For the acrylic clear or colors, can something be placed under the clear to allow the cut? light wood, paper, something light weight with a color that M1 likes?
Since I made this video, I found out that there are a couple methods that allow you to engrave the clear glass or acrylic (like painting it black and then scrubbing it off) but I haven't actually tried any of the methods. I still think cutting is out, but I'm not certain. It's on my list to do a bunch of research and put together a video, though!
I like that idea. I have to say I used my M1 for the first time yesterday and I love it. I have the 10W ( They supply you with a lot of material) not sure but it also has in the software to use their settings or set your own. Since I am new to this I just use their settings and so far the items have turned out great. I do have the riser and honeycomb so I don't need to use the lifters that it comes with. Also I have the air assist that actually leaves no burn marks on the items that I have cut so far. I am interested on seeing other materials that they have supplied and not sure what they are used for self-adhesive PVC sheet, colored glossy PVC sheet and transparent frosted PVC. I would love to know if it can cut through different color acrylics.
I’m new to this but want to cut acrylic and engrave tumblers. Can you mask clear acrylic with a black masking? Do you think that would allow the M1 to cut through it?
I don't think it would work, but it's definitely on my list of things to test. The light would still need to cut through the clear, so my guess is no, but hopefully I can report back soon!
You recommend the 10W but which one?
The 10W M1 machines are the same on their site. The RA2 is the rotary tool (I haven't one but haven't used it yet) and then there's the smoke purifier that can replace having to vent the machine out the window. So it depends on what you might need! :)
@@HeyLetsMakeStuff I would be just starting out. We want to do tumblers, cut wood & acrylic and etch metals.
@@deonagood9464 If you want to do tumblers, then definitely get the RA2 tool-that allows you to do rounded objects like tumblers. And know that you can't cut all colors of acrylic with the M1's diode laser. You can cut some, like black, yellow, and red. But if you want to cut all colors, including clear or blue, you'll need to upgrade to a CO2 laser like a Glowforge.
Can you do laser intricate cuts on cardstock?
Great question! I think it would probably do a decent job but I haven't done any myself yet.
@@HeyLetsMakeStuff I’m looking for this answer too. I’m about to pull the plug but looking everywhere for this answer.
@@paulitadejesus318 Sorry I haven't been able to test it yet! Lots going on for the holidays plus our entire family got sick. Hopefully I'll be doing more with the xTool soon!
Thank you for making such a thorough video! Definitely the most helpful that I’ve watched so far! One question: If I didn’t already have an .svg of the design, can I create with this software or will I need a supplemental design software?
There are some super basic design tools in xTool Creative Space (shapes, text, etc.) but if you want to create anything more than basic designs, you'll want another design software. Illustrator and Inkscape are both great choices because they work in vector format (SVG), which makes them perfect for cutting and engraving on a laser!
Thank you!
Have you tried the rotary tool?
No, I don't have it yet! It's on my list, though :)
Based on your review, I know cutting is not the main feature of this machine but looking to get it for the laser. However I would like to know how precise are the intricate designs cuts. I guess it still need settings adjustments.
How precise are you looking? I cut these earrings: instagram.com/p/CiScFeRMg9k/ which are pretty delicate.
Thank you so much for the informative video, what was the engraving time for the dog tag? What is the estimated grieving time if you wanted to laser cut wording on a 4 x 6 piece of card stock paper🤣
I think the engraving time was 11 minutes? And would say a minute or two. Hope that helps!
@@HeyLetsMakeStuff ahhh ok thank you mucho🙏🏾
Can you laser cut cardstock? If that is a thing, I’m in. Cricut is not my friend when it comes to cardstock
Is there a charge for the software for it?
It's free :)
Thanks for sharing the video. I saw this on Amazon, and it’s got my mind racing!!
I used to cut sheets using a CAD controlled cutter (Zund), that system had a camera that would register its position on some x and y co-ordinates on the sheet, then it’d trim them out with a knife.
Can I cut ‘pre-printed’ sheets on this machine? Assuming my print position on the sheet is consistent?
(Thanks in advance)
Tim
Hey Tim! I'm not 100% sure I understand your question. What do you mean "pre-printed" sheets?
@@HeyLetsMakeStuff print and cut basically. Pre-printed sheets, cut out with the laser or the blade? I wonder how easy it is to position the cut so it’s accurate to the printed sheet
Sorry, that’s maybe not 100% clear either. Imagine a sheet of stickers, the cutting outline follows the shape of the stickers on the sheet
@@timthompson5644 Oh gotcha! Like Print then Cut on a Cricut. So after I made this video, there was an update to Creative Space. There's now a "Print then Blade Cut" option in the operation dropdown. I haven't had a chance to test it myself, but this does make me think that this is a possibility! It's on my list of things to try out soon!
Can you tell me how to engrave glass
I haven’t done it myself but it looks possible with a few extra steps! ruclips.net/video/KOqjmLaQyM4/видео.html @MonkeyWoodworksandMore
What about glass or ceramic jars?
Yes, you can engrave both but I believe both require an extra step (some kind of carrier agent on the ceramic and a color backing for the glass). I haven't done either, but in the official xTool group, folks have done both.
The biggest issue for me is the shockingly poor internal camera. The camera was the main selling point for me, theoretically making image placement a breeze, but it is totally inaccurate rendering it essentially useless. There is a framing option, but it moves way too fast to allow any sense of accuracy when placing an image for engraving. I've been extremely disappointed with this product and the sub-par customer service since purchasing. Promises a lot but delivers little.
This is good feedback. I haven't had an issue but I've also just been testing simple cuts and engravings. They seem to be accurate for me so far, but I also haven't done anything super precise beyond the dog tag.
@@HeyLetsMakeStuff Apparently a camera calibration update is on it's way so hopefully that fixes the issue!
@@DungeonOfShame I hope so as well!