I run a small custom engraving shop, handling personalized signage and gift orders for about four years now. I've personally made (and documented) seven significant mistakes in that time — totaling roughly $3,700 in wasted budget. The most expensive one? Assuming my new xTool S1 could cut metal just because it had a 40 watt module behind it. Since then, I maintain our team's checklist so nobody else repeats my errors.
The story starts in September 2024, when I unboxed the xTool S1 and genuinely believed I'd bought the last machine I'd ever need. I'd been running a 10W diode laser for two years, handling small wood engraving projects and acrylic signs for local restaurants and event planners. The upgrade to the xtool s1 40 watt module felt like going from a bicycle to a motorcycle. Faster passes. Deeper cuts. New materials.
I was half right.
What happened when I tried "coil laser cutting"
About two weeks after the upgrade, a client asked if I could modify some spring-loaded display stands for their retail counter. I remember thinking to myself, "I've got 40 watts now. I can cut these coil springs down to size."
I couldn't.
Here's the thing: the xTool S1 40 watt laser is a diode laser (i.e., it uses a focused beam that certain materials absorb). It's genuinely great for wood, acrylic, leather, slate, and coated metals. Bare steel? The beam mostly reflects off the surface. More power doesn't fix that — it just gives you a brighter reflection and more wasted energy.
My coil laser cutting attempt went down like this. I placed a steel coil spring on the honeycomb worktable, set the power to 100% and the speed to a crawl, and watched the beam glance off the metal. The spring didn't cut. It barely marked. The honeycomb panel underneath? That absorbed the scattered energy and scorched. Two hours in, I had a damaged $39 worktable panel and no finished product.
To be fair to xTool, the spec sheet never claimed this would work. The S1's metal capability is about engraving — anodized aluminum and coated stainless steel — not cutting steel springs. Per FTC guidelines (ftc.gov), product claims need to be truthful and substantiated, and xTool is careful to describe metal work as "engraving." I read "40 watts" and filled in the rest with assumptions.
The real wake-up call came that night. I started researching laser safety and realized I'd been one stray reflection away from a bad outcome. High-power diode lasers need proper eye protection for both direct and reflected beams — per ANSI Z136.1, the American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers. I had glasses for direct exposure. Reflections? Hadn't even considered them until after the fact.
The "aluminum plasma cutter" confusion
Here's the part that still makes me shake my head.
When I was trying to figure out how to cut aluminum, I kept searching for "aluminum plasma cutter." Plasma cutters use an electrically conductive gas jet to melt through metal. They're the right tool for aluminum sheet and structural steel. A diode laser is not that. Not even close.
It's tempting to think that "if it can engrave metal, it can cut metal" — but that's kinda like believing a drill can saw a board in half because both tools "make holes in wood." The mechanism is entirely different.
Why does this confusion matter? Because I almost convinced myself the xTool S1 was a waste of money and went shopping for a completely different system. Looking back, the machine was doing exactly what it was designed to do. I was the one asking it to be something it wasn't.
I did eventually get metal work flowing through the shop — through the right channels. The xTool S1 engraves anodized aluminum beautifully (think nameplates with that clean white contrast). I've made dozens of custom plaques and aluminum tags with it. And for jobs that actually require cutting metal, I refer those to a local fabricator with a plasma table. That referral relationship has earned me more trust — and more repeat business — than trying to fake it in-house ever would have.
Where the xTool S1 40 watt laser actually shines
There was a moment, after the coil spring disaster, when I almost listed the whole setup for sale. I'm glad I didn't, because once I stopped fighting the machine's actual capabilities, everything changed.
My bread and butter is wood engraving projects — custom cutting boards, serving trays, wedding signage. The xTool S1 with the 40 watt module is exceptionally good at this. Compared to my old 10W:
- Cutting speed on 3mm birch plywood improved by roughly 35–40%.
- Photo engravings hold better detail and contrast.
- With the air assist running, edge char on plywood dropped dramatically.
There's something satisfying about pulling out a cutting board with a perfectly burned family name — especially after weeks of failed experiments. The first clean batch after my disaster streak made the whole investment feel worth it.
The turning point was learning to treat the machine's presets as suggestions, not rules. I keep a materials journal now. Every type of wood, every manufacturer of plywood, every batch of acrylic gets a page. Settings that work on one batch of birch might not work on the next. It's not the machine's fault; it's the material's natural variability. (I really should digitize that journal before it becomes three notebooks and a wall of sticky notes.)
What I'd tell my past self
If I could go back to the version of me that unboxed the S1 with a coil spring in one hand and overinflated expectations in the other, here's what I'd say:
1. A 40W diode laser is not a miniature plasma cutter. It's a precision tool for non-metal materials, plus selective metal engraving. Appreciate it for that, and you'll do great work.
2. "Coil laser cutting" videos are industrial machines. Those are fiber lasers with 1000W+ or high-power CO₂ systems in controlled manufacturing environments. They cost as much as a car. A desktop diode laser is a different category of tool, and that's okay.
3. Engraving isn't cutting. The xTool S1 can engrave anodized aluminum and coated stainless steel with gorgeous results. That's enough for nameplates, tags, plaques, and a real revenue stream. For cutting metal parts, build a referral relationship with a local fabricator. Your customers will respect the honesty.
4. Test on scrap. Every single time. My scrap pile is embarrassingly large. But it's cheaper than redoing a client's order or explaining why a custom piece came out scorched.
The bottom line for anyone considering an xTool S1 40 watt module
Would I buy it again? Yes. But I'd buy it with different expectations.
Buy the xtool s1 40 watt laser if your world is wood engraving projects, acrylic cutting, leather work, and metal marking. It's a genuinely capable machine for those jobs.
Look, I do not mean to discourage you from buying the machine. I mean the opposite: buy it with correct expectations. Don't buy it expecting coil laser cutting, aluminum cutting, or anything that belongs to a plasma cutter. That expectation gap cost me roughly $1,200 in wasted materials, damaged accessories, and shop downtime.
It was an expensive lesson, but it taught me something valuable: the right tool for the job is always cheaper than the wrong tool — no matter how impressive the wrong tool is at everything else.
This was accurate as of January 2025. The xTool product lineup evolves quickly, so verify current module availability and specs before you order. And if you've just bought an S1, do yourself a favor: read the spec sheet more carefully than I did, test on scrap material first, and keep extra honeycomb panels in stock. You'll thank me later.
