With the S1, xTool offers a laser engraving device that appears fantastic at first glance. This not only offers a 40W laser, but also a professional and safe design.
This means that the entire laser engraving device is protected from accidental glances in a housing/under a cover. We also have a ventilation system, which significantly improves indoor use.
But xTool would like to have around €2000 for this! Nevertheless, if you are thinking about using it commercially, this can be an investment that may be worthwhile.
As long as the xTool S1 is good too, of course! This is exactly what we find out in the test!
At this point, many thanks to xTool for providing the S1 for this test.
Delivered (almost) fully assembled
Many simpler laser engraving devices require you to assemble them once you receive them. The S1 is delivered largely fully assembled!
Only the laser has to be inserted and two transport brackets have to be removed, that’s it.
A very safe laser engraving device
The case of the xTool S1 is not only exciting from a design perspective, but also from a functionality and security perspective.
The entire laser engraving device is installed in a “box”, which can be opened via a flap on the front. This flap is made of a “transparent” plastic, which is specially coated to intercept the laser radiation.
This makes it impossible to accidentally look into the laser or see reflections from it while it is working! The laser is completely hidden, which is great for safety!
Many cheaper models are completely open and only come with a pair of safety glasses, which careless people don’t use anyway (I’m speaking from my own experience here).
The xTool S1 also looks very professional and valuable! The workmanship quality is also impeccable.
Another advantage of the completely “converted” case is the fan. The case has a fan on the back, which is supposed to suck out the smoke and fumes. The scope of delivery also includes a pipe that you can use to direct the smoke and fumes out of a window, for example.
In contrast to an “open” laser engraving device, the xTool S1 could also be used in an apartment as long as there is a window nearby.
Some laser engraving devices now come with a kind of tent, which, like the housing here, is intended to provide privacy and the targeted removal of smoke.
However, the fixed housing of the xTool S1 is not only more space efficient, but also much more robust and professional!
With WiFi
You can connect the S1 to your PC either via USB C or via WLAN. To connect the laser engraving device to the WiFi, you must first connect it to your PC via USB C and then establish the WiFi connection using the xTools software.
With security key
The xTool S1 comes with two small “USB sticks”. These are extremely important! These are “keys”. The S1 only works when one of these keys is inserted.
This is to prevent access by unauthorized persons/children.
Interior illuminated
Excitingly, the interior of the S1 is illuminated! This allows you to recognize and position objects particularly well (and it looks cool).
A fantastic software!
A highlight, at least for me, is the software of the xTool S1. Most laser engraving devices use LaserGRBL (free) or LightBurn (chargeable) as software. You can also use LightBurn or xTool’s own software!
The latter honestly surprised me because it is really good and user-friendly!
It has a slightly simpler structure than, for example, LightBurn. The user interface is also very clean and modern-looking. Surprisingly, we even have a complete German translation including error messages and error information.
These are also device-specific, so we don’t have messages like “Something went wrong” but the device also tells you what went wrong, for example if the security key is not inserted.
Functionally, the software is immediately understandable. You have a large area that corresponds to the printing/engraving area of the S1. With the software you can now add shapes or text to it and freely scale the size.
Photos and images can also be easily dragged into the workspace. You can also “edit” images directly. You can try to print this as a photo, but the xTool Creative Space software also has filters that you can use, for example to turn an image into a “sketch” or something similar.
As usual, you can also adjust the strength of the laser in %, as well as the speed of movement, which in combination determines the intensity of the engraving.
You can also connect multiple “objects” together, for example engraving an image and then adding a frame that is cut out, etc.
The bottom line is that the xTool Creative Space software is an absolute highlight on the S1!
Automatic height adjustment
The laser must be aligned in height on all laser engraving devices. For most simpler models, you have to do this manually.
Not so with the xTool S1! This can automatically determine the distance between the laser and the workpiece.
You can also set this manually if you wish.
With laser for alignment
Strictly speaking, the xTool S1 not only has a laser, the 40W laser for engraving, but also a cross laser.
This is switched on when the objects are aligned and makes it much easier to estimate the work area!
If you use xTool Creative Space software, you will also be shown the current position of the laser in the workspace.
What material can the S1 engrave/cut?
The S1 can generally engrave the following materials:
Paper wood leather MDF stainless steel some dark opaque acrylics bamboo fabric dark glass ceramic jade marble slate cement brick plated metal painted metal
The S1 can cut the following materials:
Paper Wood Leather MDF Felt some dark opaque acrylics
Outstanding quality of engraving!
Before the xTool S1, I used the Creality Falcon 2, which already offered excellent quality!
But the xTool S1 noticeably surpasses this! The 40W laser is not only very powerful, which allows cutting and engraving of thicker materials, but the precision is also noticeably better.
Hard edges on the S1 are incredibly precise and clean. Images also appear a bit cleaner and finer. However, especially with images, the quality depends heavily on the material you engrave.
We primarily notice the high power of the laser when cutting. This means that the xTool S1 can cut out even very thick wood cleanly. It also makes it noticeably easier to engrave metals, even if the latter is not easy for any laser engraving device.
Not every metal can be engraved or only with a special laser, which is also offered by xTool.
But yes, even with simple wood, it is surprising how the quality of the engraving changes quite significantly with the quality of the engraving device.
For example, the Sculpfun S9 was “OK” for around €300, the Creality Falcon 2 was very good for around €700, but there is still a jump to the xTool S1, even with simple materials.
Conclusion
WOW! I’ve already had a few laser engraving devices in my hands and it’s quite remarkable how big the jump is from the Creality Falcon 2, which is already very good, to the xTool S1.
It is quite obvious that the xTool S1 is more of a professional device than something for hobbyists. The “ease” of use is fantastic!
An important factor here is the software. Most laser engraving devices rely on either LightBurn or LaserGRBL. You can also use this software here, but xTool also offers its own program, which is much more user-friendly and simpler. The range of functions is strong and the design is better than LightBurn.
There are also some “Quality of Life” features. This includes the super easy alignment of the objects to be engraved, the smoke exhaust, the easy assembly or the use of WLAN (or USB) for control.
A not entirely unimportant point is security. The xTool S1 is completely enclosed in a housing with “safety glass” so that you cannot accidentally look into the laser. The housing also ensures a much more professional and tidy look.
This also allows smoke to be extracted effectively, which is a big plus point indoors! A corresponding fan and a flex pipe are included.
In the end, the quality of the laser engraving is of course not entirely unimportant. This can simply be described as fantastic! This is visibly better than the Creality Falcon 2, regardless of the higher performance. Edges, lines, etc. are a bit more precise and the higher performance means it can cut even thicker material or engrave metals better. This is also really quick!
But is there anything to criticize about the xTool S1? No, due to the completely “rebuilt” design, it is a little more difficult to engrave very thick objects or to simply get them under the S1. With the Creality Falcon 2 I was able to simply put something underneath to raise it.
But it’s clear to say that the xTool S1 is expensive fun, but an absolutely fantastic laser engraving machine! This is noticeably better and of higher quality than the already good Creality Falcon 2.