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Should You Get the xTool F1 or the F1 Ultra for Metal Personalization and Pop-Up Events?

Published · By the Laser Lineup editors

Summary

Get the F1 Ultra if you need deeper metal engraving, want to cut thin metal sheet, or plan to run many items in one batch. The F1 still works for light marking on small tags and jewelry when portability matters most, but xTool ended its security support on December 31, 2025.

The two machines by the numbers

F1F1 Ultra
Lasers10W blue diode (455 nm) + 2W infrared (1064 nm)20W blue diode (445 ± 15 nm) + 20W fiber (1064 ± 5 nm)
Work area115 × 115 mm220 × 220 mm
Max speed4,000 mm/s10,000 mm/s
Machine size179 × 235 × 334 mm493 × 253 × 373 mm
Max material height113 mm145 mm
Weight4.6 kgNot listed on xTool's support pages
Security supportEnded December 31, 2025Through December 31, 2029

The F1 weighs 4.6 kg and can run from a power bank with 24V 5A output, and xTool describes it as handheld and portable. The F1 Ultra's product page calls the F1 "the mini size of F1 Ultra."

Metal

The F1's 2W infrared laser is meant for marking common metals such as gold, silver, copper, aluminum, and iron. The F1 Ultra has a 20W fiber laser, and according to xTool's Q&A it can cut 0.4 mm brass, 0.3 mm stainless steel, and 0.2 mm aluminum with many repeat passes. It also does deep embossing on brass and copper, and color engraving on stainless steel and titanium. xTool says color engraving doesn't work on aluminum, silver, wood, or stone.

Wood and acrylic

The F1 cuts 3 mm basswood and black acrylic, plus leather and cardboard, and the same FAQ page also mentions black acrylic up to 5 mm. For the F1 Ultra, xTool's Q&A says the diode laser cuts 12 mm basswood and 12 mm black acrylic, while the product page claims wood up to 15 mm and acrylic up to 12 mm.

At an event

The F1 Ultra is a Class 4 laser that can run with its lid open, and xTool recommends staying at least about 0.5 m away from it while it works. Distance alone isn't the safeguard: a Class 4 beam is a hazard as a reflection too, so anyone near the machine, customers included, needs safety glasses rated for its 1064 nm and 445 nm wavelengths (xTool sells them separately), and closing the lid whenever a job allows it is the simpler protection. xTool's Desktop Air Purifier isn't compatible with the F1 Ultra; xTool points buyers to the SafetyPro AP2.

Sources

  1. xTool Support — FAQ on Product information for F1
  2. xTool Support — xTool F1 Ultra User Guide
  3. xTool Support — xTool F1 Ultra Q&A
  4. xTool — F1 Ultra product page
  5. xTool Support — Product Security Support Period

Specs and prices are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; check the manufacturer or retailer before you buy.

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