The New Craft Room King? - xTool M1 Ultra Review

[@th3m1ke]

I would be 100% into this if they used a refillable INK tank module instead of what they have. Being able to use sublimation INK would have been a game changer.

[@danwhite3622]

I enjoyed the review. No manual is complete and I appreciated you pointing out some of the shortcomings and fixes. Clarity of the video was good and your pacing was also easy to follow. Thank you.

[@NemesisLex]

I like XTOOL - I own myself a M1 and a F1. Both bought as an "Early Adopter" - and thats exactly what pisses me off ^^ You always had that feeling, that everonye else who buy later gets the better deal, because they sell things to early in the process. After a few weeks/months they came up with "addons" they should have been part of the machine from the start on. Honeycomb on the M1, the Extension for the M1, the rotary tool 2, after you recently bought der v1 that was not that long on the market, ... And shortly after you bought a machine, they release the next one and "forget" about the old one ... to this day there is no fucking posibility to use Lightburn with the M1 (just with the Laser, i know that the cutting will not work with Lightburn). With the build in camera you're fucked if it comes to Precision. That Fisheye Lense didn't give you a chance if you try to engrave precicley. So let me use coordinates instead for god sake ... With these Earley Adopter Machines we have financed all the "ultra" machines. Fine. They could make also an Pen-Holder, Embossing-Tool or something for the M1 - but ... I understand, that they want to make money. But in the future, i'll wait and think twice about any buying decision.

[@J0BeKillinEM]

This.. yes

[@forgetmoi]

They have a trade up option. Trade in your older machine for an upgrade, and get up to $500 off the upgrade. Hope this helps.

[@NemesisLex]

@@forgetmoi Thanks - but thats not worth it :)

[@YaaLFH]

Exactly! Two more points: 1. They make weird hardware design decisions like not including red cross in M1 and using a red dot to measure distance or not include a camera in M1 Ultra (even though they could add a detail camera like in P2). 2. The app looks nice at first look and is easy to start but missing a lot of functionality for more advanced users of existing models. They rarely fix that, instead focusing on adding new features for the newest model. One of the cases in point: when they added the riser for M1, the honeycomb is not vertically aligned with the bottom plate, but the software only has a "height raised" choice between prisms and no prisms.

[@shawnxiong1375]

I totally feel the same, which is why this round I decided to skip and wait till M1 Ultra and S1 were merged to a single device in future even after I placed the deposit (they could have did that this round with the M1 ultra to start with but I guess they don't want to kill S1 and they have stock to clear). M1 ultra's processing size is limited even a downgrade compared to original M1, also especially compared to S1 plus not supporting passing through & conveyor. M1 ultra's inkjet printer head didn't really attracts me after seeing the actual results which is a bit pale and muddy even on paper. If they managed to do a decent sublimation print head or UV print head in future plus with decent processing size comparible to S1 with 2W infrared head for plastics and metal etc. engraving. Then I will consider to invest all in one go. I already own P2 and F series so for me, I just need a decent cutter crafting machine not another laser especially with limited processing area. So for sublimation print head or UV print head, I need to wait and see, but for die cutting itself, cricut at the moment even suits better at a lower price point and I could do print then cut with cricut anyway with long roll material to cut at a smaller footprint of space.

[@spimebox]

I can think of a theoretical hack to improve the print quality and lower the price of ink: The cartridge used is the same as the HP 62, and there are two of these, the CMY and the black. If you open the image to be printed in Photoshop and convert it to CMYK and save one copy with only the K channel as grayscale and the other as CMYK but leaving the black channel empty, then you print the color first and then the black one, you will have a real CMYK print. And on the other hand, there are cheaper compatible cartridges for the HP 62 cartridges. It would be a good video to make.

[@KidneyMush]

To me, this M1 Ultra seems like a jack of all trades, master of none.

[@ibubezi7685]

I'm sure they have the ink-cartridge on special... once a year (it seems propriety...). But I'm not sure why they just don't keep those modules permanently installed (or, if you skip the ink, you can leave it out) - this looks like a hassle, always modules 'lying around' and, for certain jobs, you have to swap them mid-project. Clumsy.

[@petertwining5729]

Totally agree.

[@dholiday9315]

So place them on a shelf or drawer in your organized workspace. If it isn’t organized then don’t complain about them not having theirs organized. But really what sort of complaint makes sense along the lines of “oh that sucks I have to take 5 seconds to swap a module this machine sucks” when the alternative is buying and setting up multiple machines and having to remove the project and put it into a completely different machine and then set that machine up to do the one small step now needing done… and do it 3-4 times versus this machine that you may have to swap a module once to do 4 different tasks? Just pointing out the ridiculous complaint that clearly had no thought process leading up to it. Seems like a complaint for the sake of complaining to be honest. 😂

[@karimtoday5636]

Just an advice show us what the machine does First so you grab our attention then later what inside the machine

[@aeonjoey3d]

ooh. OOH. OOOOOOHHHHHH holly eff. I LOVE it - that is a LOT of capabilities in one machine. that burnishing head!? I need to know how many combinations you can do at once and/or if you can get good registration on multiple heads with the same substrate - e.g. I want to drag knife cut, burnish/crease, and print (and laser) on the same piece.

[@davisje011]

Still gonna need my silhouette, i often cut vinyl longer than 300mm

[@Serkunny]

Can you do more tests on the print quality on different papers and materials, especially sticker paper and card stock?

[@Fancylooks]

Yes, please, hope he can show us!

[@cinaiperez2847]

Yes! I do stickers and business cards for businesses and this would be a game changer

[@YaaLFH]

​​@@cinaiperez2847 No, it wouldn't, the cartridge is only CMY with no black so a) dark colours are muddy because there's no true black ink b) mixing all colours to get black = you use a lot of colour inks which are more expensive than true black So you're better off printing on a real printer and then cutting.

[@YaaLFH]

@@cinaiperez2847 No, it won't. No black in the cartridge.

[@petertwining5729]

@@cinaiperez2847 They wouldn’t be commercially viable to sell because the print qualities not there, the colours aren’t there and the ink would be very expensive.

[@thomasswenddal772]

Helpful review, thankyou!😏

[@makeorbreakshop]

thanks!

[@moedig]

Hmm.. I already have a Cricut and a heavily upgraded k40. I'm in to both for around the cost of one of these. If I could do it all again, I'd probably just buy one of these. I like it.

[@DIYisitONFIRE]

Nice reveiw, very informative and entertaining. I have to wonder about this machine as far as laser printing being compatible with paper and vinyl cutting. Lasering is often a a smoky messy process, the inside of a laser cutter needs a lot of cleaning. It might be challenging to keep the sort of clean room environment you want for cloth and paper in the same environment with laser cutting.

[@poppypictures6181]

I want to make custom tote bags, tshirts, stickers, keychains, posters, the like - would this be a good machine for all of that, or would you recommend a different one?

[@Fancylooks]

As much as I love my last year M1... I have to confess I want to have this new love, but, oh, that is so unfaithful

[@makeorbreakshop]

Kind of like finding out the younger sibling would have been a better pick ;)

[@MrSDeMoor]

Nice review, good job! Thanks!

[@WickedSheepLP]

the whole deposit thing from xTool was pure false advertising, for the advertised price you dont get the advertised 4-in-1 machine because you have to pay extra to get the print module

[@antoniomromo]

I have found that the term "deposit" is problematic when a nonEnglish company uses it in English material. My 3d printer had a pay $50 dollar deposit and get $200 off. I paid it expecting the $50 to go towards the cost of the machine (this is standard practice in the USA). But I could not get the $50 deposit to apply. Turns out the $50 was less a deposit, and more the cost of the $200 discount code. So in actuality, I was only saving $150.

[@ExpertDiy]

Very nice! 🤩good job!

[@martinshackleton2451]

Another amazing bit of kit from XTool. Maybe I am missing something but….. If you are moving between functions, specifically going from the laser to any of the other functions, will you have to perform a deep clean of the bed area to get rid of any of the residue/resins/ cut pieces etc produced by the laser cutting before placing the mat for blade cutting? As I see it, if you don’t, the mat will be likely to pick up any of the by products of cutting and it may be difficult to ensure the smooth surface required. Perhaps they will include a cutting bed and a crafting bed as a simple solution?

[@makeorbreakshop]

The cleaning aspect I should have hit on. You would probably want to have a sheet below the cutting tray you can also take out to keep the bottom clean.

[@martinshackleton2451]

@@makeorbreakshop thanks for your response. That makes sense, it’s just that I know how much mess I make with my lasers and how difficult it can be to clean if you don’t keep on top of it. To my mind it would be even more crucial when the other functions of the system would require a smooth flat surface for their optimum performance.

[@YaaLFH]

Unlikely. The M1 users came up a workaround: when using the laser, put a sheet of aluminium foil on the bottom plate. This keeps the bottom plate clean and is easy to remove when you change to cutting on a mat.

[@createinspain]

XTool did say in their live that the print quality wasn't going to be as good as your usual domestic printer. Vinyl cutters may need to consider that they would not have the capacity for larger projects. The actual cut size is, I believe 11.8 inches by 11.8 inches. I love my S1 20W and I would say I think it worth paying the extra to get the 20W version if you are going to buy an M1 Ultra.

[@YaaLFH]

It's nowhere near as good as an actual printer and much more wasteful because they use a CMY cartridge, so there's no true black, it has to be mixed from all colours.

[@yiorgosapostolakis7854]

What other materials can I cut with this? Acrylic for example?

[@giovanni8515]

For all print and cuts projects, do you have to both 1) switch modules from print module to cut module and 2) switch out base between print and cut jobs? Are you able to have multiple modules in at one time, or not switch out bases, specifically for printing/cutting sticker paper which is thinner than wood? The switching of modules and bases would throw off indexing for the job. I understand there is a framing function for alignment. How accurate is framing function, how long does it take, how does its alignment compare to cricut/cameo which uses registration marks for alignment? Curious if the machine could print/cut decals well with good alignment and repeatability. Lots of questions, but appreciate the response -- thanks!

[@frankiebu4677]

Nice video! I'm wondering if this machine can cut cardboard 🤔 the knife seems pretty small and the Lazer might burn it xD

[@Cc_nf]

Nice ! Can you print on vinyl for stickers , ?

[@kshepherd2005]

thANK yOU for THis.

[@Daniel666f]

This will never replace the circuit because of the price. That is crazy charging that much

[@YaaLFH]

Apples and oranges. This is not a direct replacement, it's an upgrade from cricut - effectively three machines in one.

[@JonneytheKidd]

Which would you reccommend, the xTool M1 Ultra 20W or the WeCreate Vision 20W? The WeCreat Vision has the built in Riser/autofocus and you can also interchange the 20W laser module for the 2W Infrared laser that can do more metal materials. Why would someone chose this machine your are featuring?

[@Mrsprestart]

This dose look great

[@sophiehutchins]

Grogu Djarin!

[@GoneHollowMedia]

If this had the camera built in it would be perfect!

[@makeorbreakshop]

agreed!

[@imaginitivity7853]

Very glad to read that comment as I recently bought a scan and cut.

[@Twinlorilee]

does it have a sublimination printer?

[@greenlionguardian]

it is not a cricut killer... simply put cricut is more affordable and more accessible; that does impact rather a tool will be used by hobby crafters that make up most of a market for a item like this.

[@Softmatic]

Wonder why they don't have some alignment pins for the grid board like Roly does. Not sure if the cross-hair gives the same precision plus you have to do the framing again and again.

[@makeorbreakshop]

yeh that was one of my biggest concerns

[@CuvaHerbsLLC]

Does the xtool m1 ultra 4 in 1 come with a year warranty, or do you have to buy it separately?

[@Shadowman-in9zj]

Hey maybe I can get an answer from you Mb , I have the old m1 and keep getting an error code q14x 2 I’ve followed every step in order to fix the problem and nothing has change I think the photoelectric y sensor is damaged unfortunately, do you have any advice or knowledge in order to fix it ? Thanks and great review

[@derekwright2388]

Question, how expensive is the ink cartridge?

[@makeorbreakshop]

On the livestream I believe they said $25

[@YaaLFH]

It's a HP CMY cartridge

[@lawrencepietschker8473]

Will this be able to print and cut stickers? What would be the highest quality sticker material with this machine ?

[@YaaLFH]

Would be very wasteful because there's no black ink in the cartridge.

[@petertwining5729]

The quality of print and the colours are not there to make them commercial viable. Also the ink would be very expensive.

[@vibeewithnae]

I just got the K40+ from omtech and I really need help with setup. I'm new to the laser world and and while watching set up videos I'm stuck between just plugging in my laser and fire it up or should I set up a separate grounds or is a chiller mandatory etc. I only purchased the k40+ with lightburn. Help

[@joshuakaraffa8184]

Curiosity question with the xtool s1 and m1 would I be able to change out different modules in for example m1 modules in xtool machine and vise versa I want both but don't have 4,000.00bto throw into machines ect.

[@joshuakaraffa8184]

P.s. I do alot of cutting so what would you recommend I get s1 or m1 laser I also Wanna get into doing long board projects

[@xboxes6662]

Is the 20w laser strong enough to engrave metal, business cards for exemple ?

[@YaaLFH]

It'sthe wrong type of laser to engrave metal.

[@madmex123]

I clicked on the video thinking this was a murder mystery.

[@makeorbreakshop]

My job here is done

[@jarrodlangford7692]

My issue is scaling. Im looking to move into this market as well. I currently run a 3d print farm and its necessary to have at least 2 machines in case one breaks. How is the reliability with mass producing? I spent 3k for 3 machines initially with my print farm and this market is signicantly more expensive at first.

[@makeorbreakshop]

The price point on these machines is different than 3D printing, BUT a big difference is the amount of products you can create is WAY faster compared to 3D printing. If you spent 3K on a larger industrial machine your output goes up exponentially. Unlike 3D printing you don't have to add a new machine to double output, a single larger laser can speed things up a good bit.

[@Barbasnoo]

Interested in getting this for my wife. She uses a cricut, but since I got my S1 Laser, now she’s also interested in lasering as well. Also should I upgrade my 20w S1 to a 40w or just get a P2? Cost isn’t a massive factor for me, although it is a consideration.

[@Dmx442]

Go with the 40w S1. I bought a 20W S1, its a great machine which I use daily, but having double power, which means almost double speed, would be awesome. The P2 would be even better, if you are talking about a pro small shop setup. There are alternatives in the P2 Price range though, you should check your options there.

[@Softmatic]

I think it depends on your application if the 40W is worth it. You'll lose some precision with the higher power as the spot size of the beam is larger.

[@tomhorsley6566]

Sorry, not gonna kill the cricut unless it gets a much cuter name than xTool M1 :-).

[@makeorbreakshop]

Ha best comment yet.

[@JeskaRain]

You started the fan but what did you vent into?!

[@makeorbreakshop]

there is a small filter inside that fan unit. Later off camera I had that plugged into xTool's larger filter unit.

[@seanrobert2227]

can it cut styrene sheets?

[@makeorbreakshop]

yep

[@marioi]

si puà tagliare il plexyglass?

[@derekwright2388]

Not with laser as it's a diode

[@ThePlainswalker13]

Slightly different price points don't you think?

[@makeorbreakshop]

Yeh totally not apples to apples, but when you add on everything else it can do the price is a little more justified.

[@snap4ward]

Comparing a $1500 device to a $350 one is misleading click sit.

[@howardjones543]

Did I miss it, or was there not even a clue of the price? I assume it must be cheap to be a "cricut killer"...

[@anafitzwilliam4007]

I think the cost for this item is insane and you would need to make, then sell a lot of crafts to justify buying it. It’s for professional craft designers.

[@staticfax]

it won't kill cricut because price.

[@Inmate533]

Not to be confused with the US government’s MK Ultra. 😂

[@supernova4760]

The mat size is only 15.35" x 13.78" inches ... way to small

[@vampiregoat69]

No tht is NOT a killer of cricut because it is SUPER expensive and you have to vent it outdoors so NOPE. When you try to do everything you end up limiting yourself FAR more than doing anything better.

[@TracyHager-m3o]

Haley Villages

[@zakspop]

A jack of all trades is usually good at none. Why have one machine to do it all? You're stuck doing one thing at a time. Cricuts only cost a few hundred bucks and they've got it down pretty good now.

[@derekwright2388]

Even better get a silhouette

[@KarenJones-l5l]

Martin Edward Perez Ruth Young Robert

[@HarrisonDavies]

Cricut killer? For £1000 more. No Thank you.

[@marklola12]

the printer add on is shocking bad quality. prints are unusable better prints from a decades old printer

[@mindshelfpro]

Price difference does not make it a good comparison

[@bluebens2761]

Dude you got a free $1300 machine. Wanna slow it down a bit and give them more than 20 minutes. Thats $3,900/hr. You must think you are pretttttty preeeettttty pretttty valuable.

[@makeorbreakshop]

I've had some people ask to pay me money to make long videos shorter...

[@carolwaller9605]

@@makeorbreakshopdoing fine dude, ignore those intent on bringing everyone down, guess it’s jealousy rearing it’s ugly head..

[@j.4941]

A laser / cutter-potter combo?!? Seriously?!? What an exceptionally stupid idea. I have both a 20w Diode laser and a brother scan&cut cutter. I do a lot of laser cutting of plywood and it is so messy: the Wood „leaks“ and my honeycomb is really sticky and dirty so often. It works with wood, but combining that with clean paper and the cricut sticky mats… what a dumb idea. There are things that just don’t match.

[@YaaLFH]

Not everyone has the space for three different machines.

[@j.4941]

@@YaaLFH i get that, but some compromises are just a compromise too much. But hey, if someone only engraves and doesn’t cut plywood then maybe it’s not such a bad use case.

[@YaaLFH]

@@j.4941 All you need to do to avoid a mess is put a sheet of aluminium foil on the bottom. But hey, if that's too complicated for you, then maybe it's not the idea that's dumb.

[@metoudesign]

Xtool ist just one big hype nothing quality or special.

[@matthewthompson7012]

$900 😂😂😂

[@kshepherd2005]

Is it just me or does his weird enunciation sound forced and cringe?

[@colincourier]

you talk too fast,1