0:00
Right, let's get this out of the way. I
0:02
am not a laser expert. I'm a beginner
0:05
hobbyist trying to be informative to
0:07
other beginner hobbyists. This is
0:10
literally my second laser machine. And
0:12
the first one, absolute garbage. You
0:14
didn't need to be an expert to know
0:15
that. It was so bad its product name is
0:17
now often used as a punchline in laser
0:20
circles. That's how I got started. But
0:23
now I've got the Falcon A1 Pro. And
0:25
would you believe it, this one actually
0:27
worked. Not only did it work, I enjoyed
0:30
it. I powered it up, ran some jobs, and
0:32
genuinely had a good time. I've made
0:34
some cool stuff already, even though
0:36
I've barely etched the surface. And
0:38
yeah, pun intended. Now, this thing is
0:41
incredibly easy to use once you work out
0:45
how to use it. There is some learning to
0:47
do, but honestly, someone actually said
0:49
on one of my recent Creity printer
0:50
reviews that Creality aren't a printer
0:52
company. They're a laser company. And
0:54
after using this and speaking directly
0:56
with some of the team behind it, yeah, I
0:59
can see that this is one of the best
1:01
reality products I've ever used and I
1:03
only have a prototype. And the main
1:05
upgrades over the base A1 and that being
1:08
a jump from 10 watt to 20 watt on the
1:09
diode laser along with the inclusion of
1:11
an IR module too. Yeah, that's
1:14
impressive. So, let's take a look at
1:16
Creality finally starting to get it and
1:20
let's hope that this is a sign of a new
1:22
direction from the brand. Hi, I'm Ross
1:25
and this is Faux Hammer Videos. Now, I
1:27
expect since I'm new to lasers on my
1:30
channel, many of you who are into lasers
1:32
are probably new to me. So, this bits
1:34
for you as an introduction. I'm not
1:36
about reading the spec sheet and saying,
1:37
"This one's amazing. They're all
1:39
amazing. Buy it. Use my affiliate link."
1:41
I'm more of a here's all the nits I can
1:44
pick with it. whilst working in a few
1:46
dad jokes. Look, my goal is you now have
1:49
your expectations set realistically
1:51
rather than just what the brand tells
1:53
you in order to inflate it. And if
1:55
that's useful to you and you still want
1:57
the thing, I would appreciate you using
1:59
my affiliate link. Yeah. First, I'm
2:01
going to read the spec sheet. So, this
2:02
is the Falcon A1 Pro. It's a laser
2:05
engraver that comes with a 20 W blue
2:07
diode head and a quick swapping 2 W
2:09
infrared laser for metals, plastics, and
2:12
ceramics. It's got a built-in top- down
2:14
camera for previews, Wi-Fi, air assist,
2:16
and an extraction hose as standard. And
2:19
it even has add-on accessories you can
2:20
buy. I got the honeycomb plate, but you
2:23
can also get a rotary attachment that's
2:24
available, too. So, buy this one. It's
2:27
the best. Click my affiliate link.
2:29
Right. No, seriously. With a work area
2:31
of 318x 305 mm, all packed within a
2:35
well-built and rather attractive frame,
2:37
this is a pretty stacked little box.
2:39
Now, for beginners like me, this is what
2:41
you call a corxy laser. Yeah, like the
2:43
printers. This means that when cutting
2:45
or engraving, the laser head itself
2:47
moves in the X and Y dimensions and
2:50
projects straight downwards at all
2:52
times. On this model, the head itself
2:54
can also move up and down mechanically,
2:57
but that's to achieve the correct focal
2:59
distance for the laser. And I'm making
3:01
this distinction because it's different
3:02
to the more compact, taller lasers
3:04
called galvo lasers, which can usually
3:07
move the laser around faster for
3:08
engraving, but have a limited work area
3:11
and aren't typically the best at cutting
3:13
straight lines. Because with them, the
3:15
further you go from the center, you
3:17
you're projecting the laser at an angle.
3:19
Setup of this is incredibly easy. It's
3:21
literally take it out of the box and
3:23
remove the packaging. The only assembly
3:25
I had to do wasn't even really assembly.
3:27
You just plug in and attach the control
3:29
screen on the right hand side. Now, this
3:31
is the first knit because it does feel a
3:33
bit flimsy, almost like it's asking to
3:36
be easily knocked or snapped off. All of
3:38
the ports for this are on the back right
3:40
hand side at the bottom, which includes
3:42
the power and rocker switch, the
3:43
interface and hose inlet for the
3:45
separate small compressor, and that's
3:47
used for air assist. It's got a six pin
3:49
interface for the rotary tool along with
3:51
two USBC ports. One to connect to an
3:54
external computer and another to plug in
3:56
external devices like USB drives. And
3:58
you actually get a USBC toA adapter in
4:01
the box. Just no drive. You've got to
4:03
get that yourself. There's also a lock
4:05
in the bottom back corner. And without a
4:06
key in here, the device simply cannot be
4:08
turned on. So if you need to protect
4:11
other people in your house from using
4:12
it, trying to have fun, yeah, just take
4:14
the key out. And if there's an emergency
4:17
during use, the ESTOP is directly
4:19
accessible on the right hand side of the
4:21
machine. And unlike other lasers I've
4:23
tested recently, this one works. And it
4:26
also advertises built-in Wi-Fi, which is
4:29
lovely until it drops out and doesn't
4:31
automatically reconnect to anything.
4:33
Mine kept disconnecting constantly
4:35
during the camera calibration process,
4:37
and that was quite a problem because if
4:40
it cuts out mid-calibration, you're
4:42
starting all over from scratch. My first
4:43
calibration attempt took me over an hour
4:46
when it should have taken 5 minutes. And
4:48
for some reason, there's no Ethernet
4:50
port on this. None. Why is this still a
4:52
thing in 2025? Every connected tool I
4:56
own seems to be allergic to Ethernet.
4:58
And I think that's important
4:59
realistically. This is a device that
5:01
kind of expects a computer to be
5:03
connected directly at all times, at
5:06
least to get the best out of it anyway.
5:08
And whilst USBC may sound modern, it's a
5:11
problem if your computer isn't a laptop
5:12
or isn't nearby. USBC has strict limits
5:15
on how long the cable can be before the
5:17
signal craps out. So, you'll need an
5:19
active USB data repeater cable if you're
5:22
actually trying to run this more than a
5:24
few meters from your machine. I had to
5:26
go out and buy a 10 m one and this one
5:28
works. So, I'll link it in the
5:29
description. And yeah, it will be an
5:31
affiliate link. Everything I'm going to
5:32
post is going to be an affiliate link.
5:34
That's how I fund the channel. Right,
5:35
let's talk airflow. Now, as I said, this
5:37
unit comes with a small air compressor,
5:39
and it hooks up via a cable and hose to
5:42
blow through the laser head, and this
5:44
helps push away soot and debris and
5:46
prevents scorch marks. It works fine.
5:48
Sounds like a Smurfs running around with
5:50
a leaf blower. It's standard stuff. Now,
5:52
for smoke extraction, there's an exhaust
5:54
outlet to connect ducting and ideally
5:56
vent outside. Now, I don't have an
5:59
external setup yet. I'm working on it,
6:01
but Creity have also sent me their
6:03
indoor smoke filter. Now, I have to
6:05
point out this isn't the correct model
6:07
for the A1 or the A1 Pro. They're
6:09
actually working on a new one, but they
6:11
sent this so I had something to work
6:13
with, and we were able to get it working
6:15
well enough for me to do my testing, at
6:17
least for now, before I get a proper
6:19
extraction, air con, and HVAC system set
6:21
up in my workshop in the coming weeks.
6:24
So, massive thanks, Creality. Right,
6:26
let's move on to the fun, not fun part,
6:28
the camera. Now, the A1 Pro's top- down
6:31
camera sounds like magic. The idea is
6:33
snap a pick of items on the bed, drop
6:35
your artwork into place, hit go, perfect
6:37
placement, right? Yeah. No. Before you
6:41
do anything, you have to calibrate the
6:42
camera with a dot pattern card that you
6:44
get in the box. Now, the app says move
6:46
it around to nine different places. The
6:48
wiki makes it less clear, and it all
6:50
needs to be in one place based on the
6:51
images. And when you're doing it, it can
6:53
be hard based on the lighting in your
6:55
room and the glare inside the machine
6:57
from its own lights. I even tried to
6:59
disconnect them at one point just to get
7:01
it working. But it was while on a call
7:03
with Creity that we were just having, I
7:06
actually made it a point to get them to
7:07
confirm I wasn't doing it wrong. Yes,
7:10
you are meant to move it, but you're
7:11
also meant to manually tweak the
7:13
contrast slider until the software
7:15
detects it properly and gives you a high
7:17
rating. And no, none of this is
7:19
explained clearly in the instructions or
7:21
the wiki. But even after that, you've
7:23
then got to engrave four crosses, align
7:25
them in the software, but still your
7:27
preview won't directly match unless you
7:30
set manual offsets. And even then, I
7:32
could only line up either the center or
7:35
the edges, never both. And it's
7:38
important to know that this only works
7:40
when engraving an object at a particular
7:42
height. And you also need to do this for
7:44
different platforms. So the bed itself
7:46
and if you've got the honeycomb plate
7:48
in. So for each of those scenarios,
7:50
you've got to go through this
7:51
calibration multiple times to engrave
7:54
materials that are different heights.
7:55
And it's sort of like increments of one
7:57
to two or even 3 millimeters that you've
7:59
got to do it again. It's fine if you're
8:01
only ever really going to engrave thin
8:03
things, but if you're ever doing
8:04
anything taller, you you're going to
8:06
have to muck about if you want to use
8:07
this feature, but even then, right now,
8:09
you've just got to be aware that this
8:11
still isn't super accurate. Maybe
8:13
they've got some more work to do in the
8:15
back end. But yeah, don't expect this to
8:17
just be snap a picture and drop
8:18
everything perfectly in place. Maybe
8:20
that's something that more experienced
8:21
laser users just know as standard. But
8:24
yeah, it's a powerful feature in theory.
8:26
What I tend to do is still before I
8:28
engrave anything, just do a small
8:30
initial test mark and then compensate
8:32
manually every time. But honestly,
8:34
general newbie question here. If every
8:37
camera in every one of these is in the
8:39
same spot for everyone who buys an A1,
8:42
why can't it just be calibrated from the
8:44
factory? What? Why? Right. Software.
8:48
Yes, it works with LightBurn if you're
8:50
up for spending 90 on a license. That's
8:52
a very powerful laser program.
8:54
Incredibly powerful, even if it looks
8:56
like it was designed for Windows 98. The
8:59
manual also mentions Laser GBL if you're
9:02
more into freeware, but out of the box
9:04
you get Creality's own Falcon design
9:06
suite. And well, as somebody who's used
9:08
a lot of Creity software, this isn't
9:12
awful, at least once you get the hang of
9:14
it. It is a more beginner friendly tool.
9:17
You take a snapshot of your bed. Yes,
9:18
it's not that accurate, but you take a
9:20
snapshot, drop in your design, line it
9:22
up, cross your fingers, click autofocus,
9:25
and hit engrave or start. And the
9:28
autofocus feature is pretty cool.
9:30
There's a secondary laser pointer coming
9:31
from the front right corner of the
9:33
machine that projects onto the center of
9:35
the bed. Simply put whatever material
9:37
you're using under that spot, and it'll
9:40
measure the height of what you're
9:41
engraving to determine the height that
9:42
the laser head needs to get to so that
9:45
the correct focal point is on the
9:46
surface of that material. It's simple,
9:49
it's intuitive, and it works. And the
9:51
thing with having their own software,
9:53
yeah, it's it's handy. It's a good
9:55
thing, but they've also done the thing
9:57
that we're seeing in 3D printers. It It
9:59
puts their marketplace called Craft Seek
10:01
front and center. Every time you open
10:04
it, it's in your face. And right now,
10:06
it's got an incredibly limited number of
10:09
files. And honestly, it feels like a
10:11
beta that they just slipped out early.
10:13
Now, if they maintain it, it might be
10:15
useful. Right now, it's just a bit meh.
10:17
So, if you know good sources that you
10:19
can get laser files, please drop them in
10:21
the comments. The software has got
10:23
features like smart fill and that's to
10:25
duplicate designs across multiple
10:27
objects automatically. Yeah, doesn't
10:29
work. And there's also a companion phone
10:31
app. It mirrors most of the functions of
10:33
the main app and that means that you
10:35
could buy this and yeah, do quite a lot
10:37
in a mobile app. Then we come on to the
10:39
machine's UI itself. I would describe
10:42
this as passible. But again, there's
10:44
obviously just no real user experience
10:46
designed to speak of. If you start a job
10:49
remotely, as you're most likely to do,
10:51
the devices screen just sits there. It
10:53
doesn't show you a preview, no progress
10:55
bar, no countdown timer to say roughly
10:57
when it'll be done. And even something
11:00
as simple as sending the laser head to
11:02
the home position. You don't have a
11:04
separate movement menu. The movement
11:06
menu is hidden inside the job
11:08
preparation menus. This whole thing does
11:11
exist. It does work, but it feels like
11:13
someone duct taped features to a
11:14
template and called it a day. All in
11:16
all, when it comes to software, in my
11:18
experience, this whole thing just feels
11:21
very Creality. Now, where premium brands
11:23
wouldn't release a feature until it's 95
11:26
or 99% done, Creity have frequently been
11:29
more than happy to release features at
11:32
70% done. And from my experience with
11:34
them in 3D printing, they may come back
11:37
and improve it later with emphasis on
11:39
the May. Honestly, a lot of the
11:42
development I've seen in their previous
11:43
apps are dependent on how much people
11:45
are winging about the problems, right?
11:47
Safety features. We've already covered
11:49
the key lock and the emergency stop, but
11:51
what about optical safety? You know, the
11:54
stuff that stops you going blind. Now,
11:56
after my last laser review, I got a ton
11:58
of comments warning me that some brands
12:00
use cheap plastic shields and glasses
12:02
that may not block laser light properly.
12:04
So, I asked Reality directly and they
12:06
told me, and I need to put the emphasis
12:08
on this is what they told me, just like
12:12
the A1, the A1 Pro is a certified class
12:15
one device for both the diode and
12:17
infrared lasers. Now, from what I've
12:19
looked at, class one means that it's
12:21
safe under normal use because of the
12:23
shielding and interlocks that shut it
12:24
down if the doors are open. And I've
12:27
tested it, that works. Open the door, it
12:29
shuts off. But what I've also come to
12:32
learn is that at bare minimum, class one
12:35
only implies that the orange cover is
12:37
OD3+ rated, meaning it's got an optical
12:40
density rating of 3+. And that should
12:43
block 99.9% of laser light. But then I
12:46
actually spoke directly with a guy
12:48
called Kobe Schmidt, an awesome guy that
12:50
I also referenced in my last video,
12:52
somebody who's an experienced laser user
12:54
and has his own channel. I learned from
12:56
him that most recommended safety glasses
12:58
for this kind of work, whether it's
13:00
hobby or professional, are OD6 rated,
13:03
offering way more protection. Now, since
13:06
I'm new to lasers, whilst I was doing
13:08
this review, I got a little bit
13:10
overfueled by all the comments I had
13:12
combined with my own anxieties and I had
13:14
a pretty big scare whilst working with
13:16
this. So, one day whilst I'm using it,
13:19
my vision suddenly started to go blurry.
13:21
I panicked and I went straight to the
13:23
optitians. These guys, got to say,
13:26
awesome people. And they gave me an OCT
13:28
scan and a normal eye test. Turns out my
13:30
prescriptions completely changed and I
13:32
should have had one three years ago. But
13:33
anyway, they clearly explained to me how
13:35
this test worked, what I could see, and
13:38
thankfully no laser damage. Few. It
13:41
turns out the blurring was most likely
13:43
because all I'd had for breakfast that
13:44
day was three coffees. Anyway, this has
13:47
still put enough in my mind for me to
13:49
say that, yeah, from now on, I'm going
13:51
to be wearing and recommending anyone
13:53
who gets one of these gets proper
13:56
certified OD6 rated glasses every time
13:59
you use it. And I'll put links to what I
14:01
buy in the description. Yeah, they're
14:03
not going to be cheap, but they're
14:04
probably cheaper than new eyeballs. So,
14:06
after playing with this for a while,
14:08
here's the verdict. As far as laser
14:10
engravers go, this is the best one I've
14:12
ever used. Yeah, but that's out of two.
14:15
Now, looking around for the price and
14:16
features compared to what else is out
14:18
there, I'll say yeah, it's decent. It
14:21
works. The hardware is sturdy, and even
14:23
with the silly hurdles, it is pretty
14:25
straightforward to use. It's solid,
14:27
powerful, and packed with features. And
14:29
honestly, it's incredibly fun. But like
14:32
everything else I've ever used from
14:34
Creity, it also feels like it was
14:36
released at 80% complete. It's not bad.
14:39
In many ways, I'd even describe it as
14:41
good, very good. It's just so obviously
14:45
somewhere between unrefined and
14:47
unfinished. And based on my experience
14:49
with the brand, I'm just not confident
14:51
that it ever truly will be. Just like
14:54
all of their 3D printers, I'm always
14:56
acutely aware of how many simple things
14:59
could be easily improved. It's almost
15:01
death by a thousand cuts. It works. It
15:04
works great, but everything around it
15:06
software-wise just feels like loweffort,
15:08
minimum viable product. But if you are
15:11
looking at one, it can work okay for
15:13
beginners. You'll probably need a little
15:14
bit of support beyond what they give.
15:16
So, Facebook groups, forums, and the
15:18
like. But it also depends on your
15:20
affinity to tech. Someone could pick
15:22
this up and get it working in 5 minutes.
15:24
Someone could scratch their head for a
15:25
week. And the thing is that's just with
15:27
their software. Get LightBurn involved
15:29
and you can push this to be a pretty
15:31
advanced and powerful machine, too,
15:33
considering how compact and tidy it is.
15:36
So, honestly, it works. I've made a load
15:38
of fun things on it and the truth is I
15:41
don't want to stop. I actually don't
15:43
want to move this off my desk. I want to
15:45
move on to learning LightBurn and
15:47
unlocking even more power from this than
15:49
what I currently have. But the thing is,
15:51
I do have other products to review.
15:53
That's now my job. I have other things
15:55
to move on to. But this genuinely is the
15:58
first time in a long time that I don't
16:01
want to go to work tomorrow and play
16:02
with the next shiny toy. I want to keep
16:05
playing with this. Is there a better
16:07
device out there? No idea. Ask me again
16:10
in six months when I've reviewed three,
16:12
four, five, seven more of them. But I
16:14
can say I've enjoyed it. And from
16:16
reality, this is actually one of the
16:18
best things I think I've ever touched of
16:20
theirs. Anyway, I want to say thanks for
16:21
watching me rant and ramble. I hope you
16:23
enjoyed it. I'm sure I got some useful
16:25
info over to you somewhere in there.
16:26
Anyway, but yeah, thanks for watching
16:28
with a huge thanks going to our members
16:30
who are on screen now. Please consider
16:32
joining them. They get their name in the
16:33
credits along with early access and
16:35
exclusive videos and Discord rolls, too.
16:38
Thanks again for watching. Until next
16:40
time, I'm flying Jack. Faux hammer out.
