I'm Damian, and for the past three years, I've been handling custom fabrication orders for small businesses. I've personally made—and documented—enough mistakes to fill a small binder. A few months ago, I thought I'd found a shortcut. I was wrong.
This is the story of how my xTool S1 laser cutter purchase turned into a $1,200 lesson in humility. But also, a tool I now genuinely trust.
How It Started: The 'Smart' Decision
Back in September 2024, I was getting swamped with small-batch orders. Cutting acrylic for a local startup's product casing. Engraving custom leather notebooks. The occasional glassware order for a client's wedding favors. All small jobs. All time-sensitive.
I had a CO₂ laser at the time. It worked, but it felt like overkill for these small runs. Plus, my vendor for replacement CO₂ tubes was being a pain—lead times stretched to three weeks. I thought, "There's gotta be a simpler, cheaper way."
Enter the xTool S1. I saw the reviews. Multi-material. Diode laser. Interchangeable modules. Looked perfect. I ordered the 20W module with air assist and the rotary bundle. Total: $1,850. Shipped in a week.
I was so proud of myself. I'd saved at least $500 compared to a new CO₂ desktop unit. Smart move, right?
The First Disaster: Communication Failure
Day one. Unboxing. Beautiful machine. Solid build. Getting it out of the box was a cinch.
Then came the settings.
I follow the xTool Creative Space software. I input the material: 3mm acrylic. The software suggests a speed and power setting. I start a test cut. The laser fires—and leaves a charred, melted edge. Not a clean cut. Not even close.
I thought, "Maybe I misread the setting." I try again, slower this time. Same result. I try faster. Worse. I try a different acrylic supplier's material—the same stuff I'd been cutting with my CO₂ laser for months. Still a mess.
I said, "I need a clean cut." The machine heard, "Let me burn everything."
Result: a $200 sheet of acrylic, trashed. And that was just the test piece. I had an order for 50 product cases due in five days.
The Realization
Diode lasers and CO₂ lasers operate differently. Diodes cut by burning through material, not vaporizing it like CO₂. So the cut edge quality is different. Smoother? Sometimes. Cleaner? Not always. It depends on the material.
What I mean is: you can't take your CO₂ settings and apply them directly to a diode. I'd assumed a laser is a laser. That was my first mistake. A costly one.
The Spiral: 'Whys' and 'Waste'
I spent the next 48 hours trying every combination of speed, power, and passes. I read forums. I watched YouTube tutorials. I messaged xTool support (they were actually pretty responsive, I'll give them that).
Eventually, I found a setting that worked for that specific acrylic: 5 passes at 80% power, 4mm/s speed. It took 12 minutes per cut piece. My CO₂ laser could do the same cut in 2 minutes.
But I was committed. I had an order to fill.
I saved $80 by not buying a test kit of materials beforehand. Ended up spending $400 on wasted acrylic and a rush order of replacement material. The 'budget vendor' choice looked smart until we saw the quality. Reprinting cost more than the original 'expensive' quote.
I was kicking myself. If I'd just spent a day testing on scrap, I'd have saved three days of frustration and $400.
The Unexpected Hero: Air Assist and the Rotary Bundle
Once I got the settings dialed in, the xTool S1 started performing. Not perfectly, but well.
The air assist was a game-changer for cutting wood—reduced soot by at least 60%. The rotary bundle? I'd been avoiding cylindrical engraving with my CO₂ laser because the setup was a pain. On the S1, it was plug-and-play. I engraved a batch of 40 tumblers in one afternoon. Clean, consistent work.
Dodged a bullet when I double-checked the power setting before starting that tumbler run. I was one click away from selecting the 'glass' profile at 20W, which would have shattered the first tumbler.
These are the moments where the S1 shines. For small, intricate jobs on mixed materials, it's a weapon. But it's not a CO₂ laser. It's a different tool for different tasks.
The Final Lesson: Small Clients, Big Hassles, Bigger Rewards
I completed that acrylic order—barely. Because of the delays, I had to overnight the shipment to my client. That cost $95 in shipping. Net profit on that job: maybe $50. Not great.
But here's the thing: that client? They're now my repeat customer. They've placed three more orders in the past two months, totaling $3,200. They started as a $500 order, and now they're a solid account.
When I was starting out, the vendors who treated my $200 orders seriously are the ones I still use for $20,000 orders. I try to pay that forward.
Small doesn't mean unimportant—it means potential.
So, what did I learn?
What I'd Tell Anyone Buying an xTool S1
- Don't assume settings transfer. Your CO₂ or other laser knowledge is a starting point, not a rulebook. Test, test, test.
- The air assist is not optional. For cutting anything thicker than paper, you need it. The soot reduction alone is worth the $80 add-on.
- The rotary bundle is excellent. If you do any cylindrical work, it's a no-brainer. Setup is trivial compared to other systems I've used.
- Respect the material. Per FTC guidelines on advertising (ftc.gov), claims about what a diode laser can cut need to be substantiated. It can cut acrylic, but don't expect the same edge quality as CO₂. It can mark metal (with a marking spray), but it won't cut it.
- You get what you pay for. It's a fantastic tool for small business and makers. But it's not a replacement for a CO₂ laser. It's a complement.
I still have my CO₂ laser for larger sheets and production runs. But the xTool S1 is now my go-to for small-batch, mixed-material jobs. It has a place on my bench.
Would I recommend it? Yes. But with your eyes open. It's a precision instrument, not a magic wand.
If you're a small business owner or maker looking to do multi-material work on a budget, the xTool S1 is a solid entry point. Just don't make the mistakes I did. Save yourself the $1,200 worth of sanity.
— Damian, your friendly neighborhood pitfall documenter.
