I would like an honest opinion on this laser set up. I am really looking for something straight forward. I really struggled with my Primo. If it had not been for the ability to buy everything together from Ryan, I might not have gotten it finished.
I want to do some laser engraving, stencil cutting and it has built in rotary attachment.
Under $800.00 for the set up seems to be about the same as piecing a laser together for my Primo, and not having to build a second set up or switch back and forth.
Just considering it and would like the brain trust to provide some guidance.
My only personal experience is with a NEJE laser module on my Primo, but leading up to that purchase, I was a bit of a diode laser engraver specs junky. Based on the limited information XTool provides and a few reviews, this appears to be a well-constructed machine at a high-end price with respect to other machines in the “category.”
This product competes with the higher-end consumer diode laser cutters like the ORTUR Laser Master 2 Pro. The few reviewers I read or watched that comparing the two, found the XTool to be a superior product with a higher power laser. But, it does have a $250 higher price point.
The specs on the board that is driving the machine are not mentioned. The images on this page are the closest I got to what is maybe the control board. I was trying to figure out if it was an 8-bit or 32-bit board. The faster, 32-bit boards have faster potential engraving speeds and may handle g-code with arcs better. Since the board is not mentioned, it is more likely to be an 8-bit board.
For cutting, air assist is very helpful. It is a $120 add-on from the manufacturer, and I’m not sure what would be required for a cheaper, DIY solution.
For cutting, a metal honeycomb and a metal protective sheet are very important. They are $120 from the manufacturer. There are many aluminum honeycomb products on Amazon and EBay, but they may not match the dimensions of the cutting area of XTool Laser engraver. There are also reasonable DIY solutions for a mesh to lift your work.
In the long term you will want a more sophisticated authoring tool than the one that comes with the machine. LightBurn will work with this machine but getting LightBurn to work will likely require a firmware update. There is a download link for LightBurn from the XTool site, but I don’t think it is provided with the engraver. A one-time purchase of LightBurn with a year of updates runs $60.
Robert,
Thank you, your replies are always well thought out and stated. I appreciate the help. I have decided to pass and focus on perfecting what I already have/use.