xtool F1 Ultra: 7 Urgent Questions Answered by Someone Who’s Actually Used It for Rush Jobs

What you need to know—fast

I get it. You’re looking at the xtool F1 Ultra, the 20W fiber & diode dual laser machine, and you have maybe a dozen tabs open comparing specs. You want to know if it actually delivers—especially if you’re on a tight deadline for a client order or a custom project.

In my role coordinating production for a small contract manufacturing shop, I’ve handled over 40 rush orders in the last two years, including a same-day turnaround for a trade show display that fell apart the night before. I’ve tested the F1 Ultra extensively since we bought one last November. Here are the questions I get asked most—and the real answers, not marketing copy.

Can the xtool F1 Ultra cut metal?

Short answer: yes, but with important limits.

The F1 Ultra’s key feature is its dual-laser setup: a 20W diode laser and a fiber laser source. The fiber laser is what gives it the ability to mark and cut certain metals. In my testing, it cuts thin stainless steel (up to about 0.3mm) and aluminum foil easily. For thicker metals, like a 1mm steel sheet, it will mark it with a dark etch, but cutting through requires multiple slow passes and isn’t practical for volume.

I don’t have hard data on exact cutting speeds for every alloy, but based on our internal test log from January, we cut custom brass tags (0.2mm) at about 80% speed with no post-processing needed. So yes, it cuts metal—but if you’re expecting to slice through 2mm steel like a plasma cutter, that’s not what this machine is for.

Can the xtool P3 cut metal?

A lot of people ask this because the P3 is xtool’s larger format machine. The P3 is a pure diode laser, and diode lasers generally cannot cut metal. They can mark some coated metals (like anodized aluminum) but won’t cut through raw steel or brass.

The confusion comes from the F1 Ultra’s capability being lumped together with the P3. If metal cutting is your primary need, the F1 Ultra is the one you want. The P3 is fantastic for large wood and acrylic cutting, but it’s not a metal cutter.

How does the F1 Ultra compare to an 80W CO2 laser cutter?

This is probably the most common comparison people make, and the honest answer is: they’re different tools for different jobs.

An 80W CO2 laser is a workhorse for cutting thick acrylic (up to 10mm), plywood, and leather. It’s faster for large-area cutting on organic materials. The F1 Ultra’s 20W fiber laser, on the other hand, excels at marking metal and plastics, and cutting thin metals.

In our shop, we use both. If a client needs a 100-piece run of engraved acrylic signs, the 80W CO2 is faster. If they need 50 custom stainless steel nameplates with barcodes, the F1 Ultra is the only option. The question you should ask isn’t “which is better?”—it’s “which cuts the material I use most?”

Can the F1 Ultra handle an engraver machine for jewelry applications?

Yes, and this is actually one of its strongest use cases.

Jewelry engraving typically involves small text, logos, or patterns on curved metal surfaces (rings, pendants, bracelets). The F1 Ultra’s fiber laser creates very fine detail—I’ve engraved 3pt text on a 10mm brass ring and it came out crisp. The rotary attachment (sold separately) is a must-have for rings; without it, getting consistent depth on a curved surface is nearly impossible.

I wish I had tracked how many jewelry orders we’ve processed, but anecdotally, I’d say we’ve done at least 30 custom pieces since November, ranging from wedding bands to dog tags. The main limitation is the work area—the bed small, so you can’t do large batches. But for one-off custom pieces, it’s a solid choice.

The question everyone asks is “can it engrave gold?” The honest answer is: depends on the alloy. Pure gold (24K) is very reflective and difficult for fiber lasers to mark. Lower karat golds (10K-18K) mark well. We’ve done 14K gold pendants with excellent results.

Can a plasma cutter cut aluminum?

Yes, but not engrave it well.

Plasma cutters are great for cutting thick aluminum plate (1/4 inch and up) cleanly. They can cut through heavy gauge aluminum. But a plasma cutter is a rough cutting tool—it leaves a kerf (cut width) and often requires grinding afterward. It cannot do fine detail, engrave text, or make precise shapes under about 1/2 inch.

If you need to cut a heavy aluminum bracket or a structural piece, a plasma cutter is the right tool. If you need to engrave a logo on a thin aluminum business card or cut a delicate aluminum part with tiny slots, you need a fiber laser like the F1 Ultra. They’re complementary, not interchangeable.

What about the learning curve? Is it quick to set up for a rush job?

This is where I can give you a real-world answer based on experience.

First time you set up the machine, expect to spend about 2 hours unpacking, connecting, running the software update, and doing test burns. The LightBurn software is straightforward if you’ve used any laser software before. For a first-time user, I’d budget a full afternoon to get comfortable.

For a rush job, once you’re past that initial learning curve, you can go from file to first cut in under 10 minutes. I’ve done it: client emailed a logo at 2 PM, needed 20 engraved credit card holders for a meeting the next morning. From import to start of engraving was maybe 8 minutes. The run itself (20 pieces) took about 45 minutes.

The biggest time sink for beginners is getting the focus distance right and understanding material settings. The F1 Ultra has an auto-focus feature that works well for flat materials, but for curved or irregular items (like jewelry), you’ll need to manually check. I’ve lost a few pieces in my first week by not checking focus—the engraving came out fuzzy and too shallow.

Is the dual laser technology a gimmick or genuinely useful?

Genuinely useful, with one caveat.

The dual laser (fiber + diode) means you can mark metal with the fiber laser and cut wood/acrylic with the diode laser, all in one machine, without swapping anything. That’s genuinely useful if you work with mixed materials regularly.

For example, last month we had a rush order for 50 promotional gift sets: a birch wood box engraved with a logo, containing a stainless steel bottle opener. That’s two materials, two laser types. With the F1 Ultra, we did the boxes first (diode), then the openers (fiber), all in one 3-hour run without reconfiguring hardware.

The caveat: you can only run one laser at a time. It’s not two machines working in parallel. And the work area for the fiber laser is smaller than the diode laser. So for large jobs in a single material, a dedicated machine might be faster. But for versatility in a shop with limited space or for a small business that handles a variety of rush orders, it’s a very practical solution.

Honestly, I’m not sure why more manufacturers don’t offer this dual-laser setup in a desktop format. My best guess is cost and complexity. For our needs, it’s been a game-changer for responding to last-minute custom requests without switching machines.