I think most small businesses overbuy when it comes to laser engraving.
I manage purchasing for a mid-sized marketing firm—about 40 people across two offices. We handle a lot of promotional materials: branded coffee cups, leather notebooks, acrylic awards for client gifting. And for years, I outsourced all of it. Then in late 2023, our lead designer came to me with a project that needed same-day turnaround, and the local print shop couldn't deliver. That's when I started looking seriously at in-house laser equipment.
I'll be blunt: I don't think most businesses need a CO₂ laser. Everything I'd read said CO₂ was the "real" option for serious work. But my experience with evaluating 15+ laser systems over three months suggests the opposite for our specific use case. Here's why I ended up with the xTool S1 20W laser, and why I'd make the same choice again.
Understand what you're actually cutting
Most buyers focus on wattage and max cut thickness. That's what I did at first. But the question everyone asks—"how thick can it cut?"—is often the wrong one.
The question they should ask is: “What materials am I cutting 90% of the time, and do I need a 5mm acrylic sheet delivered in 30 seconds or 8 seconds?”
For us, 80% of our laser work is:
- Leather coasters and mouse pads (3–4mm max)
- Acrylic keychains and signs (3mm or 6mm)
- Wooden plaques (4–6mm birch plywood)
- Glassware and coffee cups (engraving only, no cutting)
The xTool S1 20W handles all of these comfortably. It cuts 6mm birch ply in about 2–3 passes at moderate speed. It engraves metal (anodized aluminum, stainless steel tumblers) without a problem. For glass cups, you just need a rotary attachment—which we added.
Industry standard resolution for detailed engraving is around 300 DPI at the print level. For laser, we work in lines per inch (LPI), but conceptually it's the same. The S1's 0.06mm x 0.06mm spot size gives us clean detail down to about 5–7 point text on leather. That's more than enough for corporate logos.
The modular design is not a gimmick—it's a budget saver
I was skeptical of the modular module design at first. It felt like a way to sell add-ons. But after running the numbers, it makes sense from a procurement standpoint.
Here's the math: A 40W CO₂ laser tube has a lifespan of about 1,000–2,000 hours, and replacing it costs around $400–$800 plus labor. The S1's diode modules are rated for 10,000+ hours. If the 20W module fails (and honestly, I'm not even sure that will happen before we upgrade), I replace just the module, not the entire system. The 40W module currently runs about $400–$500. That's comparable to a single CO₂ tube replacement, but I get four times the lifespan.
I've heard people say diode lasers aren't as powerful. That's true for cutting thick materials. But for our workflow—mostly engraving with occasional light cutting—the tradeoff is negligible. The 20W S1 cuts 10mm acrylic in multiple passes versus a single pass on a 60W CO₂. That adds time, but for us, the speed difference is about 15 minutes on an 8-hour batch. Not nothing, but not a dealbreaker either.
The accessory ecosystem makes it a revenue generator, not a toy
What I didn't anticipate was how quickly we'd scale into new products. The rotary bundle let us engrave coffee cups consistently. The honeycomb worktable reduced cleanup time significantly. The air assist cuts dross on acrylic and reduces scorching on wood.
A year in, we're producing:
- Custom leather notebooks for client gift boxes (30–50 units per month)
- Branded coffee cups for local events (100+ units for one trade show)
- A few custom orders: engraved iPhone cases, metal coasters, glass awards
The numbers: Our total investment was about $1,600 for the S1 20W bundle with rotary and air assist. In 2024, we saved approximately $3,800—maybe $4,200 if I count the rush jobs we didn't have to outsource. Break-even was around month 7.
Addressing the CO₂ elephant in the room
I know the argument: CO₂ lasers are faster, they cut thicker materials, and they're the industry standard. All true. But here's what the standard advice ignores: Most small businesses don't need to cut 15mm acrylic every day. They need to engrave 100 coffee cups a month, cut some wood signs for a client event, and maybe make a few acrylic awards.
I also hear people say CO₂ is safer for glass engraving because it doesn't heat the glass as much. In practice, I've done over 400 coffee cups with the S1 using the rotary attachment. Over 6 months, I've had zero cracked cups. The key is proper settings—about 60% power, 3000 mm/min, and a good rotary chuck.
Another point I don't see mentioned often: The xTool software ecosystem is actually decent. It's not LightBurn-level, but for a commercial setting where not every user is a laser expert, the presets for different materials and the easy-to-navigate interface saved our office hours of trial and error. When I onboard a junior designer, they can start producing work in an hour, not a day. That's a real cost savings in the learning curve.
Am I suggesting everyone buy an S1 20W? No.
If you need to cut thick acrylic regularly, if your primary product is large signage on a daily basis, or if you're a high-volume production shop, you need a CO₂ laser. The S1 won't cut 12mm acrylic in a single pass, and it's not designed to replace a $10,000 industrial system.
But for a small business or a marketing department that needs flexibility, decent throughput, and a reasonable price point? The xTool S1 20W laser is the right call. It's not perfect, but it's a solid workhorse that won't break the budget or require a dedicated facility.
An informed customer is the best customer. I'd rather someone read this and decide the S1 isn't for them than buy it without understanding its limitations. But for our office, it's been the right choice.
