xTool F2, 5W IR & 15W Diode Portable Dual Laser Engraver

You want to engrave a steel ring, a wooden keychain, and a piece of black acrylic in the same afternoon session, each material needing a different laser type to do the job properly. A diode-only machine handles the wood and acrylic but stalls on bare metal. A fibre-only machine marks the steel but cannot cut the acrylic. Switching between two separate units kills time and workspace efficiency. The xTool F2 solves this by housing both a 15W blue diode laser and a 5W infrared laser in a single shoebox-sized unit that weighs 4.6 kg and carries by handle.

The result is a dual-laser engraver that covers over 300 materials from one compact footprint, engraves at up to 6,000 mm/s, and aligns every job through a built-in 50MP camera with autofocus, so what you see on screen is what prints on the material, to within 0.1 mm. For a market vendor, a small jewellery business, or a product personalisation service that needs to carry the machine to events and produce results on-site, the F2 is the current benchmark for portable dual-laser performance at R34,999.99.

15W blue diode + 5W IR 1064nm dual laser | 6,000 mm/s engraving speed | 115 × 115 mm standard workspace | 50MP built-in camera with autofocus | 0.1 mm visual alignment accuracy | Cuts 15 mm basswood and 12 mm acrylic | Metal marking and colour engraving on steel, titanium, copper | 4.6 kg portable with carry handle | xTool Studio software (Windows/macOS)

Who the xTool F2 dual laser engraver is built for

Market vendors and on-site personalisation businesses

The F2 is sized and weighted for the boot of a car, not a dedicated studio. At 175 × 237 × 334 mm and 4.6 kg with a carry handle, it sets up on any flat surface in minutes. South African craft market operators, gift personalisation services, and pop-up retail vendors can engrave names on jewellery, keychains, and drinkware on demand, at the stall, in front of the customer. The 50MP camera preview means placement is accurate on irregularly shaped items without manual measuring. The 6,000 mm/s speed means a name engraved on a keychain takes under 10 seconds, and a card takes roughly 3 seconds, fast enough to process a queue at a market.

Jewellery makers, personalised gift producers, and small product studios

The 5W infrared (IR) laser operates at 1064 nm, the wavelength absorbed by most metals. This allows direct marking on stainless steel, copper, brass, titanium, aluminium, anodized aluminium, and precious metals including gold and silver, without any coating or treatment. For colour engraving on stainless steel and titanium, the IR laser produces interference-layer colours by varying power and speed across the surface. The 0.03 mm spot size on the IR laser produces fine line quality for small text, hallmarks, and intricate monograms on rings and pendants. The 15W diode simultaneously cuts acrylic shapes for pendants and earrings, so both stages of a jewellery production run happen on the same machine.

Custom product and small batch production operators

The F2's batch processing mode uses AI camera recognition to identify multiple identical items placed on the baseplate, assigns the design to each, and engraves them sequentially without manual repositioning between pieces. For a business engraving 20 identical keychains or 50 corporate gift cards, this removes the per-item placement step that dominates processing time on non-camera-equipped machines. The Slide Extension accessory expands the workspace to 115 × 400 mm, suitable for long items such as rulers, pens, and bottle openers laid in a row for sequential engraving.

What sets the xTool F2 apart

Two independent lasers that switch in software, not by hand

Most dual-laser machines require manually swapping modules between jobs or running two physically separate units. The F2 houses both the 15W 445nm blue diode laser and the 5W 1064nm infrared laser in the same head assembly. You assign each layer of a design to a specific laser within xTool Studio, and the machine switches between them automatically during the job. A design that uses the IR to mark a metal surface and the diode to engrave surrounding woodwork runs as a single file without operator intervention between the two laser passes. Both power ratings are specified as average power, not peak.

A 50MP camera that makes placement accurate every time

Every laser engraver produces a gap between where the user thinks the job will land and where it actually lands. On most portables, the gap is managed by trial-and-error on scrap material. The F2 captures a full 1:1 workspace preview through the 50MP camera, with autofocus setting the correct Z height automatically. You place the material, preview it live in xTool Studio, drag your design to the exact position over the camera image, and press start. Alignment accuracy to 0.1 mm on small pieces means the design lands where you placed it. The camera also drives batch processing AI recognition, identifying item boundaries for sequential automated engraving without jigs.

Speed that makes on-site production commercially viable

The xTool F1 (predecessor) tops out at 4,000 mm/s. The F2 reaches 6,000 mm/s. For engraving jobs measured in seconds rather than minutes, this is a meaningful difference at a market or event where throughput determines revenue per hour. A single-line name engraving on a keychain runs in under 10 seconds at full speed. A photo engraving on wood takes minutes rather than the half-hour it would take on a standard desktop engraver at 200 mm/s. xTool positions the F2 as capable of completing a business card engraving in approximately 3 seconds, which sets a useful benchmark for assessing job queue capacity at an on-site event.

Metal marking without consumables or pre-treatment

Diode laser engravers at this power class cannot mark bare metal directly. They require a laser marking compound applied to the surface, which adds a preparation step, consumable cost, and clean-up time. The F2's 5W 1064nm infrared laser marks stainless steel, copper, brass, titanium, and aluminium directly without any compound. The 0.03 mm spot size produces fine detail for hallmarks and small text. For colour marking on stainless steel and titanium, the IR laser heats the surface to create interference layer colours, producing permanent gold, blue, purple, and other tones depending on power and speed settings. Note: the 5W IR engrave metals but cannot cut them at any thickness.

3D embossment and curved-surface engraving that the F1 cannot do

The F2 introduces software capabilities absent from the earlier F1: curved-surface engraving compensates for the radius of cylindrical objects like tumblers and mugs when used with a rotary attachment, keeping the laser in constant focus across the curve rather than only at the top. 3D embossment mode uses a greyscale depth map to control laser power layer by layer, removing material to create a three-dimensional relief in wood, black acrylic, or metal. Both modes are driven from xTool Studio and require no additional hardware beyond the rotary attachment for curved work. Combined with the autofocus system, this gives the F2 a production capability set that previously required much larger, fixed desktop machines.

Portable, enclosed, and safe for operation in shared spaces

The F2 ships with an orange protective enclosure that blocks the blue diode laser entirely when closed. The unit is classified as a Class 4 laser device because the enclosure can be opened during operation, which is necessary for processing oversized items. When the enclosure is open, laser safety goggles rated for both 445nm and 1064nm wavelengths are required. Goggles are not included and must be purchased separately. An air purifier or exhaust system is strongly recommended to manage fumes from cutting and engraving, particularly in enclosed market stall or studio environments.

Full specifications

How the xTool F2 compares to the rest of the xTool portable F series range

Materials and software

What the xTool F2 processes

The 15W blue diode laser handles the broadest range of non-metals. The 5W IR handles metals. Both can be used in the same job on layered projects. Key material notes:

• Wood, bamboo, and MDF — Engraves and cuts with the diode. Up to 15 mm basswood multi-pass. Detailed photo engraving and 3D embossment produce relief effects at depth. Best results on raw or lightly finished wood; heavy lacquer coatings absorb less laser energy.
• Acrylic — Engraves and cuts with the diode. Up to 12 mm multi-pass. Clear acrylic tends to produce frosted edges on cuts; coloured and mirrored acrylic generally engrave more clearly than clear. Test before committing to a batch.
• Leather, PU, and synthetic leather — Clean engraving and cutting with the diode. Popular material for keychains, bag panels, and custom accessories. Avoid PVC-based materials, which release chlorine gas when cut.
• Stainless steel, copper, brass, titanium, aluminium — IR laser marks directly without compounds. Colour engraving on stainless steel and titanium produces permanent interference layer colours. Precious metals (gold, silver) can be engraved with low power. The 5W IR cannot cut metal at any thickness.
• Anodized aluminium — IR laser marks cleanly and produces high contrast black on the anodized layer. Common use case: branded drinkware, product labels, and trophy panels.
• Stone, slate, ceramics, and glass — Diode engraves stone and ceramic. Glass requires a black coating or anti-reflection layer; the laser cannot focus on bare reflective glass reliably.
• Food, fabric, and rubber — Diode engraves food (use low power), fabric, denim, and rubber sheet. Suitable for leather patches, denim branding, and custom food presentation.
• Materials to avoid — PVC (chlorine gas), carbon fibre and fibreglass (toxic fumes), polyethylene film, bare glass without coating, highly reflective or fluffy materials.

Software

• xTool Studio (Windows and macOS) — The only supported software for the F2. Mobile devices are not supported. xTool Studio provides full access to all F2 features including batch AI recognition, 3D embossment, curved-surface engraving mode, colour marking, autofocus, and the 50MP camera workspace preview. A library of material settings presets is built in, with the ability to save custom profiles.
• LightBurn — not compatible. The F2 uses a closed data transmission protocol. This is an important distinction from the earlier xTool F1, which does support LightBurn. If your existing workflow depends on LightBurn, the xTool F1 remains the correct choice.
• Atomm (optional) — xTool's design library and AI generation platform. Provides access to ready-to-engrave files, project templates, and an AI tool for generating artwork. Useful for a business that needs a constant stream of new personalisation designs without design software skills.

What's in the box

• xTool F2 dual laser engraver unit (pre-assembled)
• Orange protective enclosure cover
• Baseplate
• Power adapter (100–240V, South African 220V compatible)
• USB cable
• Spare parts and accessories kit (confirm specific contents from physical unit on delivery)
• Quick-start guide

Laser safety goggles are required but not included. Goggles must be rated for both 445nm and 1064nm wavelengths. An air purifier or exhaust system is strongly recommended. The Slide Extension, Rotary Attachment, Touchscreen Controller, and Pedal Switch are available separately from the xTool accessories range.

Ordering, shipping and support

The xTool F2 is stocked and dispatched from 3D Printing Store's Centurion and Boksburg branches, with courier delivery to anywhere in South Africa. The unit carries a manufacturer warranty handled locally through our service team. The F2's 100–240V power supply is compatible with the South African 220V grid without modification. Contact us at sales@3dprintingstore.co.za or via WhatsApp before purchasing if you need help confirming whether the F2 or another model in the xTool range fits your specific application.

Frequently asked questions

Is the xTool F2 better value than the xTool F1 for someone starting a personalisation business?

Yes, for most new businesses, despite the F2 being priced R5,000 lower than the F1 at R34,999.99 versus R39,999.95. The F2's 50MP camera fundamentally changes the setup and batch workflow. The F1 has no camera, which means placement relies on measuring, manual jig setup, or wasteful test engravings. For a business engraving 30 or 50 items at a market, the camera-driven batch mode on the F2 pays back that price difference in time saved within a day. The F2 also adds 3D embossment, curved-surface engraving, and faster 6,000 mm/s speed. The main reason to choose the F1 over the F2 is LightBurn compatibility: the F1 supports LightBurn, the F2 does not.

Can the xTool F2 engrave rings, tumblers, and curved surfaces?

Yes, with the RA2 Pro or RA3 rotary attachment (sold separately). The rotary attachment mounts cylindrical objects and rotates them under the laser, allowing full-wrap 360-degree engraving on tumblers, wine glasses, rings, ornaments, and similar objects. The F2's curved-surface engraving mode in xTool Studio compensates for the radius, keeping the laser at the correct focal distance across the curve. Maximum diameter with the rotary is 120 mm. The rotary attachment reduces the available processing height, so verify clearance for your specific items before ordering.

Can the xTool F2 cut metal?

No. The 5W infrared laser marks and engraves metal surfaces but cannot cut through metal at any thickness. If cutting thin metal sheet is a requirement, the xTool F1 Ultra with its 20W fibre laser can cut brass up to 0.4 mm, stainless steel up to 0.3 mm, and aluminium up to 0.2 mm. For thicker metal cutting, the xTool F2 Ultra handles brass and stainless steel up to 2 mm.

Does the xTool F2 work with LightBurn?

No. The xTool F2 is not compatible with LightBurn. xTool replaced the open protocol connection used on the F1 with a closed data transmission system for security reasons. The F2 operates exclusively through xTool Studio on Windows and macOS. If LightBurn is central to your workflow, the xTool F1 remains LightBurn-compatible and is available at R39,999.95. The F2 and F1 otherwise serve similar portable use cases, with the F2 adding the camera, higher speed, and expanded processing modes.

Does the xTool F2 come with a South African plug, and does it handle loadshedding restarts?

The F2's power supply accepts 100–240V AC input, so it is fully compatible with the South African 220V grid. Check the plug type on delivery, as some units may ship with an international adaptor rather than a moulded Type M South African plug; a standard local adaptor resolves this immediately. The F2 does not have a built-in power-loss recovery function comparable to a 3D printer, as laser jobs typically complete in seconds to minutes. For longer batch jobs interrupted by a loadshedding cut, you would need to restart the job from scratch or from a saved position depending on the specific workflow. Using an appropriately rated UPS for short-duration jobs provides practical protection on a machine this size.