xTool F1 Ultra Laser Engraver: What I've Learned Since 2024
The xTool links in this post are affiliate links. xTool has never had a say in what I write. I also design and sell jigs for this machine, and I'll point them out when they come up.
My xTool F1 Ultra showed up in 2024, and it's been one of the main machines I design jigs around ever since. I've engraved glass ornaments, tumblers, pilsners, shot glasses, mugs, business cards and coasters on it. This post is everything I'd tell a friend who's looking at an F1 Ultra, and what I wish somebody had told me the week mine arrived.
The short version
A fiber laser and a blue diode in one galvo, with room for real batches.
Where it shines
A 220 mm square work area, a built-in camera, curved surface engraving, and a centered threaded base that makes jigs easy.
Where it fights you
Shiny and curved items take some tricks, cutting is a galvo compromise, and new materials need testing.
Best for
Small shops batching drinkware, ornaments, cards, coins and jewelry, on both metal and everything else.
The xTool F1 Ultra at a glance
These are xTool's published numbers from the F1 Ultra product page.
What it does well
Fiber for metal, diode for everything else
The F1 Ultra pairs a 20W fiber laser with a 20W blue diode. The fiber handles stainless, aluminum, brass, silver, gold and plastics, and it's strong enough to deep engrave and cut thin metal. The diode handles wood, leather, slate, ceramic, coated metal and glass. One machine, one job, two lasers if you need them.
The work area is big enough to batch
220 x 220 mm is a real step up from the original F1's 115 mm square. My coaster jig on the F1 Ultra holds four round or four square 4 inch coasters. My pen jig holds 15 pens. My business card jig holds six cards. That's the difference between a machine for one-offs and a machine for orders.
It's built for jigs
The F1 Ultra's threaded base is centered on the galvo's center point. That sounds like a small detail, but it means a jig bolted to the base is already lined up with the laser. It's why my F1 Ultra jigs use holes instead of slots, and why they're sized to reuse the thumb screws that come with the machine. I also run a base plate on mine so I can hot swap jigs without touching any hardware.
Focusing is simple. Use the arrows on the controller to raise or lower the laser until the red and blue dots become one dot on top of your item. With a jig, drop one item in, focus on the top of it, then lock the jig down and fill it.
The camera is one of its best features
The built-in camera lets you see the bed in the software and place your design on the actual item. For odd-shaped blanks and one-offs, that saves a lot of framing and guessing.
It engraves curved surfaces
xTool's curved surface feature measures your item with a grid of points, builds a 3D model, and wraps your design to it. I used it on glass ball ornaments, and it works, with a couple of catches I'll get to below. For drinkware, you often don't need it at all. Level the face you want to engrave and the galvo does the rest, no rotary required.
Where it fights you
Shiny items won't measure
The curved surface measurement bounces a dot off your item. On a mirror finish ornament, it never worked for me, no matter how many times I tried. The trick that does work: sacrifice one ornament of each size, paint its face so it's matte, and use it as your focusing ornament. Measure with that one, then swap in the real ornament and run the job.
The measured area is smaller than you'd think, too. On a 65 mm ornament, a 50 x 50 mm area failed and 45 x 45 mm failed. 40 x 40 mm worked. Stay out of the red zone near the corners of the 3D model, and set the tension high for a sphere.
Ornament lessons from my own jobs
- Use the blue diode on mirror finish ornaments. It was clearly the one to use.
- Pull the tops off so the ornament sits flat in the cradle.
- Paint the inside after engraving for contrast. White paint in a mirror finish green ornament gave me my best results.
- Rinse the inside first. My white paint picked up the red coating the laser removed and turned pink.
- Buy extras. My first shot at 50% power was a fail. Plan to waste a couple while you dial it in.
Default settings are a starting point
I'll admit I'm guilty of shooting from the hip on settings, and it's cost me a few blanks. The built-in material settings get you close on common materials. On anything new, run a test grid first. My test file kit for xTool software is built for exactly that.
Cutting is a galvo compromise
A galvo steers the beam with mirrors instead of moving the head, so cuts come out slightly angled, and there's no air assist. The F1 Ultra can cut thin metal and wood, and it's handy for small parts, but if cutting is a big part of your work, a CO2 gantry machine gives you straight, perpendicular edges.
Light cups tip, heavy jars slide
With drinkware laid on its side, light items like shot glasses want to tip back. Add a little weight inside. Heavy items like glass jars need to be locked down so they don't shift mid-job.
What I'd add on day one
- Fume extraction that vents outside. xTool sells the AP2 purifier for this, or run a hose and fan out a window.
- Jigs for the things you sell. The centered threaded base makes this easy, and batch work is where this machine pays for itself.
- A bubble level. Drinkware and odd shapes engrave best when the face is level with the laser.
- Laser safety glasses rated for both the diode and the fiber wavelengths.
Should you buy one?
Buy it if
- You engrave metal and non-metal items and want one machine for both
- You batch small items: cards, coins, pens, coasters, ornaments
- You do a lot of drinkware and want to skip the rotary for face engravings
- You want deep engraving or thin metal cutting on jewelry and tags
Think twice if
- Cutting sheet goods is most of your work. Look at a CO2 machine.
- You need to run it at a craft fair. At 14.7 kg it's not the little F1.
- You need color marking on stainless or more metal cutting power. Look at the F2 Ultra's MOPA.
Weighing it against the newer model? See my xTool F2 Ultra guide. Coming from the original? Read about the xTool F1.
See the F1 Ultra at xTool (affiliate link)
Common questions
What's the difference between the xTool F1 and the F1 Ultra?
The F1 has a 10W diode and a 2W infrared laser with a 115 x 115 mm area. The F1 Ultra has a 20W diode and a 20W fiber laser with a 220 x 220 mm area, a built-in camera, autofocus and a touch control panel. The F1 is the portable one. The F1 Ultra is the production one.
How big is the F1 Ultra's working area?
220 x 220 mm, or 220 x 500 mm with the conveyor. Max processing height is 145 mm.
Can the F1 Ultra cut metal?
Thin sheet, yes. xTool rates the fiber laser for 0.4 mm brass, 0.3 mm stainless steel and 0.2 mm aluminum.
Can the F1 Ultra engrave glass ornaments?
Yes. Use the curved surface feature and the blue diode. Mirror finish ornaments won't measure, so paint one ornament of each size matte and use it to measure, then swap in the real one. Painting the inside after engraving adds contrast.
Do I need a rotary to engrave tumblers on the F1 Ultra?
Not for a logo on one face. Lay the cup on its side, level the face you're engraving, and the galvo handles it. For a full wrap, xTool's rotary supports up to 145 mm diameter.
Does the F1 Ultra need a computer?
Not for every job. The touch control panel stores 7 GB of project files and can run the machine on its own. You'll still design in xTool Studio.
Do Samcraft F1 Ultra jigs need extra hardware?
No. They're sized to reuse the thumb screws that come with the F1 Ultra, and they bolt to the centered threaded base. Some thicker jigs, like the pen jig, include their own stainless screws.
More from the Maker Guides
xTool F2 Ultra: MOPA plus diode
xTool F1: the original portable dual laser
Watch my F1 Ultra work on Samcraft on YouTube, including engraving glass ball ornaments, setting up drinkware and using my F1 Ultra jigs.
Sam
Disclosure: xTool links in this post are affiliate links that may earn Samcraft a commission at no extra cost to you. xTool has no editorial input or control over Samcraft content. Samcraft designs and sells its own accessories for the F1 Ultra, including the jigs mentioned here. Specifications are from xTool's published documentation. Last reviewed September 2026.
