0:00
It's pretty easy to tell when I like a
0:01
product more than most because you'll
0:03
have seen me create far more projects on
0:05
it than I really need to. And it's
0:08
because I'm having just so much fun.
0:11
Now, this is my second X tool product
0:13
I've ever had hands-on with, and I've
0:15
already gushed about how amazing the
0:17
workflow is compared to any other laser
0:20
on the market. But with the X Tool F2
0:22
Ultra UV, a mouthful of a name that may
0:25
have been better with a whole new letter
0:26
designation because, well, it's so
0:29
different to the other F whatever
0:31
devices, I've decided to take a more
0:33
critical look at what this promises
0:35
versus what it delivers in practical
0:37
terms, so you don't end up buying the
0:40
wrong F2 Ultra and regretting it.
0:42
Because yes, whilst this is definitely
0:44
the most versatile laser in X-Tools
0:47
lineup, there are some drawbacks to be
0:49
aware of. Let's crack on. Hi, I'm Ross
0:52
and this is Faux Hammer Videos. So,
0:55
right up front, I'm still new to lasers.
0:57
I've only been in this space for about a
0:59
year and boy has it been a year of
1:01
learning. But I'm saying this up front
1:03
so you have a perspective to relate to.
1:06
Some things I need may not matter to
1:08
you, but I like to cover as much as I
1:10
can so that everyone goes into buying
1:12
something of this expense being at least
1:15
informed. So, let's start with unboxing.
1:17
There's no doubt this is a premium
1:19
product. From the second you crack it
1:21
open, you see effort, even down to the
1:24
slightly darker graphite infused EPS
1:26
foam rather than the cheapest possible
1:29
polyyreene cubes. Straps hold everything
1:32
secure. Even once you open it, you can
1:34
see a steel bracket holding the body
1:36
firm in order to protect the mechanics
1:38
during shipping. Now, I could repeat the
1:41
word premium 50 times in this review,
1:43
and even then, it' still only scratch
1:45
the surface of just how good this is.
1:48
And if you've seen any other laser on
1:50
the market, honestly, this puts them to
1:53
shame. But if you think I'm here to just
1:55
kiss its ass, well, check out some of my
1:57
other laser reviews. I call things like
1:59
I see them, and this has a few elements
2:02
I'm not keen on, such as, look, I know
2:05
it's a personal thing, but I don't like
2:07
the look. Now, the orange windows are
2:09
chosen because they're best to block out
2:11
UV light, but then the whole chassis has
2:13
this tinted aluminum finish. It's almost
2:16
bronze, but it's more rose gold. I'd
2:19
have preferred they'd left the natural
2:20
aluminium of the standard F2 Ultra, as
2:23
this cooler color would have made the
2:25
orange pop more. And well, I like
2:27
orange, but it's more because then it
2:30
would match the existing X tool
2:32
accessories that I already have. I know
2:34
it's minor stuff, but it bothers me. it
2:37
may bother some of you. Now, on the
2:38
back, you've got ports for power, the
2:40
foot pedal accessory, various other
2:43
accessories, the security USB, the
2:45
external screen, and a hose inlet for X
2:48
tools fire safety set. There's also a
2:51
large outlet for smoke and other debris.
2:53
And I love the upgrade here over the F1
2:55
line because now you can easily pop this
2:58
out and even remove the grill from
3:00
inside the unit for much easier
3:03
cleaning. And if you do ever need to
3:05
replace this, it's now a simple
3:07
component swap of the fan module. Now,
3:09
you've got two ports on the side. One's
3:11
a USBC connector for whatever computer
3:14
you plug this into, and the other's for
3:16
USB thumb drives if for some reason you
3:19
don't want to use the built-in Wi-Fi
3:21
connection. Now, for a product of this
3:23
price, I've got to say, I would have
3:24
liked to have seen Ethernet somewhere,
3:26
especially since it's such a pro
3:28
machine. Now, control-wise, these are
3:30
all on the right side. You now have a
3:32
power button on the bottom, but you've
3:34
also now got the addition of a reset
3:35
button above the ports. Now, you need to
3:38
press this and wait for a safety check
3:40
indicator to turn green before you can
3:42
actually power up the unit. And I've
3:44
noticed on a few other reviews of people
3:46
using this. This actually seems to be a
3:48
new addition from some of the earlier
3:50
models. And we've also got the very
3:52
obvious emergency stop button, which is
3:54
a full power shutdown. But now this time
3:57
this is slightly recessed into the frame
4:00
on the F2. And it is marginally more
4:03
difficult to just slam and press first
4:05
time than it was on the F1. So whilst
4:07
this is a bit more aesthetically
4:09
pleasing in terms of the profile of the
4:11
machine, I I still don't like it over
4:14
the very easy to press button from the
4:16
F1. Now there are two other ports. This
4:19
time inside the machine behind a rubber
4:21
flap where you can connect accessories
4:23
like the rotary tool. Now, with this
4:25
being inside the machine, you can now
4:27
close the lid once you've got things
4:29
like the rotary tool attached, but I do
4:32
worry about the slightly increased risk
4:34
of sort and debris getting in here over
4:36
time. Now, speaking of control, the main
4:38
controls are on the external screen.
4:40
This is a touchscreen UI where you can
4:42
start jobs loaded from the USB or load
4:45
the last historical job. There's even a
4:47
button for framing. Now, you do get a
4:49
readout during jobs of time remaining,
4:51
and it's got four main physical buttons.
4:53
move the body up and down to get the
4:55
correct focal distance from your
4:56
engravable object. And that's just based
4:59
on marrying up the red and blue dots as
5:01
normal. And as I just mentioned, there's
5:02
a button for framing. And this will
5:04
frame the last instruction you sent to
5:07
the machine. The big bar along the
5:09
bottom is just start, pause, and hold it
5:11
to stop. Now, with all these functions
5:13
here, I do think it would be handy to
5:15
have an autofocus built in right onto
5:18
the UI. to say this is an external
5:20
screen with my experience in 3D
5:23
printers. I I do think there's more
5:24
features they could put on this UI and
5:27
for the technology that this is I it
5:29
does feel a little underutilized. Now,
5:32
you'll go through this as part of setup
5:34
and the final part of setup is camera
5:36
calibration which automatically boots up
5:38
when you add the machine to the software
5:40
for the first time. And this is a simple
5:42
case of taping down a calibration card,
5:44
engraving two marks, and then telling
5:46
the camera in the software so it knows
5:49
exactly where the crosses in those marks
5:51
are. But that being said, camera
5:53
alignment still isn't perfect on this.
5:56
It hasn't been for pretty much any laser
5:58
I've ever tested. This will get you
6:00
close, not deadon. Depending on the
6:02
height of certain objects, there's going
6:03
to be an element of optical distortion.
6:06
So this needs to be considered as a
6:08
handy assistant to manual framing rather
6:11
than millimeter or micron perfect
6:13
placement directly from the camera. And
6:16
that camera can also do handy things
6:18
like detect X tools own materials using
6:20
QR codes and automatically set a
6:23
material profile in the software. And
6:26
speaking of software, when it comes to
6:28
using these machines, this is where
6:30
Xtool shines so much brighter than any
6:33
other laser brand by far. For years,
6:36
consumer lasers have been limited to
6:37
softwares like LightBurn and Laser GBL.
6:41
But Xtool have made software that is so
6:43
much more userfriendly that LightBurn is
6:46
getting left in the dust. These machines
6:48
aren't even compatible with LightBurn.
6:50
And I know a lot of people are going to
6:52
be complaining about this. There are a
6:54
lot of experienced users who will be
6:56
upset having spent so many years
6:58
invested in that software. But more and
7:01
more I do see people saying no, this is
7:05
the way forward. Xtool software is built
7:08
around your objectives. Pick a design,
7:10
pick a material or object that you want
7:12
that design on. And when it's your first
7:14
time using a certain processing method,
7:17
be that flat engraving, rotary
7:19
engraving, or something else, the
7:22
software will actually walk you through
7:24
the process with a live tutorial. so you
7:27
can get familiar with it before applying
7:29
it in the way you want. LightBurn gives
7:32
you access to a ton more settings, but
7:34
you will have to play around with its
7:36
dozens of features and processes,
7:38
wasting various materials until you
7:41
finally get your desired result. With
7:43
Xtool, you pick the result you're going
7:45
for and the software walks you through
7:47
the steps to achieve it. And this is
7:50
also bearing in mind we're now using
7:52
XTool Studio rather than Xtool Creative
7:55
Space that I used only a few months ago
7:57
in my F1 Ultra review. So consider that
8:00
Xool have made a whole new software in
8:03
the time that no other manufacturer has
8:06
even come close to matching the features
8:08
of their first. So yeah, it's incredible
8:11
before you even consider the amount of
8:14
official user guides online along with
8:16
their platform of materials, AI tools,
8:18
and just how popular the brand is. And
8:21
that popularity means you'll get things
8:23
like 3D printed jigs along with a bigger
8:26
community offering support. Now, moving
8:28
on. Before I talk about performance,
8:30
just a couple of included accessories
8:32
that need a mention. Now, for crystal
8:34
engravings, there's an extra pack of
8:36
accessories as this type of job requires
8:38
its own lens and a riser. Now, the
8:41
physical limit of inner engravings is
8:43
70x 70x 150 mm. And the genius add-on
8:48
for this task is the inner engraving
8:50
riser. Now, all the other UV brands I've
8:53
tested have offered different types of
8:55
riser, but what's clever about this one
8:57
is you only need to align your crystal
8:59
within the grid on top and either enter
9:01
the starting coordinates or distance on
9:04
this sidemounted ruler along with the
9:06
crystal dimensions to make sure
9:08
everything is aligned. This has worked
9:11
perfectly for me every single time. Now,
9:14
the other included accessory is a
9:15
cutting plate to prevent heat buildup
9:17
from the underside of any material that
9:19
you're cutting, but this is a cooler
9:22
laser anyway, which is better explained
9:24
as we come on to performance. Now,
9:26
before we start, it's important to know
9:27
the maximum working area or engraving
9:30
area of this machine is 200x 200 mm. And
9:33
this is larger than any of the other UV
9:36
lasers on the market that I've had my
9:38
hands on. And it is worth knowing that
9:40
this can be extended widthways using the
9:42
X tool conveyor tool, which I need to do
9:45
a separate video on, but I've already
9:47
covered more in my F1 Ultra video. One
9:49
thing I do need to mention because I
9:51
found out after I used it, is this
9:53
normally bolts onto the Ultra machines
9:55
using a clamp at the front. Now, if
9:57
you've already got an X tool conveyor,
10:00
then you will need a new clamp for the
10:02
F2 variant. So, you can actually contact
10:05
Xtool and they've said to me they will
10:07
send them out to you. And it seems like
10:09
they mean free of charge if you've
10:11
already made the investment cuz it is
10:13
just a little bracket. I'm still waiting
10:15
on mine. Without this, the front edge of
10:17
the conveyor rises up. So, some of your
10:19
designs on it, like these coasters I
10:21
made, end up slightly fading out across
10:23
the design from top to bottom because it
10:26
was at a different focal point. So, oh
10:28
well, now I know and so do you. Anyway,
10:31
look, we can cover all the details, but
10:33
I think the best way to look at the F2
10:35
Ultra UV over the normal F2 Ultra is
10:38
that this one is more versatile when it
10:41
comes to the variety of materials it's
10:43
compatible with, but this is definitely
10:46
more of a marking laser than a cutter
10:49
laser, which I suppose for this type of
10:51
laser makes more sense anyway. But even
10:53
then, look, the point is this type of
10:56
marking laser suits this form factor
10:58
perfectly. And whilst it's limited in a
11:01
couple of areas, which I'll come on to,
11:03
it may actually make you desire the
11:05
normal F2 Ultra or even the F1 Ultra.
11:08
So, first up, this is what it is. You'll
11:11
see UV lasers described as cold lasers,
11:14
and that's mostly marketing crap.
11:17
They're not cold, not even close. The
11:19
interaction point still reaches extreme
11:22
temperatures. It has to in order to make
11:24
any impact on the materials you're using
11:26
it. What is different is how the energy
11:29
is delivered. UV lasers use higher
11:32
energy photons and a much smaller focal
11:34
point. So the energy is actually dumped
11:36
into a tiny surface layer instead of
11:39
heating up a large area. The result
11:42
isn't no heat. It's less area affected
11:45
and far less heat transferred into the
11:48
surrounding material compared to diode
11:50
or IR machines. Now, if that's boring
11:53
nerdy talk, what this practically means
11:56
is it reduces scorching when working cuz
11:59
the beam is smaller and there's less
12:02
energy in that smaller point. And this
12:04
is where the trade-off is because that
12:06
focus point is smaller than it typically
12:08
would be with diode or IR lasers. This
12:11
gives you the ability to produce
12:13
incredibly fine and intricate detail
12:16
with text as small as one point or 350
12:20
microns appearing clearly. You can go
12:23
smaller, but even at one point it's
12:25
difficult to see with a macro lens. So,
12:28
do you need smaller? I was able to
12:30
achieve incredibly intricate detail. I
12:33
cut out a detailed map in basic paper
12:35
and internet points to anyone who can
12:37
tell where this map's from. But yeah, I
12:40
went off on a tangent there. Back to the
12:41
trade-off. Because of that smaller focal
12:43
point, when it comes to marking on this
12:45
versus something like the F2 Ultra, F1
12:48
Ultra, or any other infrared or diode
12:51
laser out there, the UV lasers are
12:54
significantly slower. And you might want
12:56
me to go through examples, but I'm not
12:58
going to cover every single one that all
12:59
of you want to watch without making an
13:02
incredibly boring video. So you can see
13:04
how much slower it would be yourself by
13:06
just importing your designs into their
13:08
software and comparing how long a job
13:11
would take on any material across the
13:13
different machines. That is a handy test
13:15
worth doing that many people still don't
13:17
think about and it is going to help you
13:19
make a buying decision. And the other
13:21
thing with that weaker energy and the
13:23
smaller focal point that matters for
13:26
depth too. So whilst depth engravings
13:28
are possible with UV lasers on materials
13:31
like wood and soft metals, it is going
13:34
to take you much longer with a UV laser.
13:36
So if that's something you want to focus
13:38
on, then that is exactly why something
13:40
like the F2 would be the more ideal
13:43
machine. There'll be links for both of
13:44
these down in the description, but
13:46
something to consider before you go in.
13:48
The point is the smaller focal point
13:50
lens means you need significantly more
13:52
lines to cover the same area. That's the
13:55
trade-off for versatility. Now, the
13:57
other side of this versatility coin,
13:59
though, comes from the fact that UV
14:01
lasers can mark materials or even mark
14:03
in ways that IR and diode lasers like
14:06
the normal F2 couldn't even dream of.
14:09
And I think it's obvious that the
14:11
standout feature of UV lasers is inner
14:14
crystal engraving. Be it K9 quality
14:16
crystals or glassware, you can easily
14:18
mark on or even inside surfaces to
14:22
deliver incredibly detailed designs on
14:25
materials that, as I said, diode and IR
14:27
lasers can't even touch. Me, I was
14:30
finally able to finish a project I
14:31
started for another review where I made
14:34
a crystal engraving of my dad, who I
14:36
lost nearly 20 years ago. Other lasers
14:39
software just choked on the data size.
14:42
Here, I just loaded up what I'd already
14:44
built as an STL file for that project
14:46
and clicked go. Perfect result, first
14:49
try. Now, Xtool does have some AI
14:52
software for generating this same style
14:54
of image, but I just don't think it does
14:57
it as well as what I've done here using
15:00
a third party software solution.
15:02
Everything using the X tool AI solution
15:05
feels a bit potatoey. And I've got to be
15:07
honest, I'm pretty confident this is the
15:10
most desirable feature of UV machines
15:13
because all I had to do was send a photo
15:15
of this crystal to my mom and I already
15:18
had about six people in her friend group
15:20
ask me if I could do more for them and
15:22
their family members. So, if you're
15:24
looking at one of these lasers to make
15:26
money, I think this is going to be a bit
15:28
of a cha-ching right here. Now, I'm
15:30
going to do a follow-up video showing
15:32
how I did this. And it's still a bit
15:34
work in progress at the moment. But
15:36
please subscribe so you don't miss that.
15:39
But yeah, as we come to a close, you can
15:41
mark so much stuff with this. And I do
15:44
think this is the laser to go for for
15:46
most people who want versatility, but
15:49
you do have to be aware that because the
15:52
laser point is so small and the
15:54
penetration depth is so narrow,
15:56
everything here is going to take longer
15:58
than it would with a more powerful diode
16:00
or IR machine. So I will give you a few
16:03
examples like just to cut the perimeter
16:05
of the 200 mm square work area out of 3
16:08
mm ply took about 2 1/2 minutes. Depth
16:11
engraving this dragon design into wood
16:13
took about 3 hours to do just 30 passes.
16:16
And when it comes to engraving things
16:18
like brass coins, this 40 mm one here
16:21
took 256 passes and that took just shy
16:25
of 3 hours and wasn't very deep at all
16:28
when compared to what my F1 Ultra can
16:30
do. But I've got to be honest, the
16:32
design was incredibly sharp. Now, I also
16:34
applied a Christmas design to a 200x200
16:37
sheet of printed PLA, and I've got to be
16:40
honest, marking plastics with this is
16:42
incredible. But that at 3,400 mm a
16:45
second still took 45 minutes. So, there
16:48
you go. There's some real examples of
16:50
the side of UV lasers that we have to
16:52
accept. If your focus is more on larger
16:55
objects, depth engraving or cutting, as
16:58
I said, you might be better off with a
17:00
normal F2 Ultra. Now, unfortunately, we
17:03
can't have both, but I am glad I have
17:05
this. I think the inner crystal
17:07
engravings are going to absolutely fly,
17:10
and I just love making them. And I love
17:13
the fact that I can now look at my dad
17:15
again and smile at him every day. Yeah,
17:18
I've I've got to take that as a win for
17:20
this project. That bit's for me. and
17:23
it's a happy thing. Anyway, for you,
17:26
where does this leave the F2 Ultra UV?
17:28
It leaves it in a very different
17:30
position to most lasers on the market
17:32
because this isn't just a machine you
17:34
buy and wrestle with. It sits inside a
17:36
broader ecosystem that actually changes
17:39
how you use it dayto-day. And that's
17:41
what makes this brand completely stand
17:44
out from honestly, I don't understand
17:48
why anybody is buying from anybody else.
17:51
I don't I genuinely don't. Like if
17:53
you're going to get a laser nowadays,
17:56
I'm I'm going to I'm going to coin this
17:58
term just get an X tool. Hashtag.
18:00
Honestly, it is so much further ahead
18:03
than the competition here. You're not
18:05
just handed hardware and wished good
18:07
luck. There's structure, guided
18:09
processes, sensible defaults, clear
18:11
learning paths, and a community that
18:14
exists because people aren't constantly
18:17
firefighting basic problems or the lack
18:20
of a knowledge base for simple
18:21
functions. This software goes beyond
18:24
expectations. It just works and it shows
18:27
you how to do it. And that ecosystem you
18:30
get means you spend less time fighting
18:33
settings, less time trolling through
18:35
forums for half answers, less time
18:37
fixing problems that shouldn't even
18:39
exist in the first place, and more time
18:41
actually making stuff. And that's why
18:44
I've also reached the point where I'm
18:46
now turning down thousands of pounds
18:48
worth of laser hardware to review every
18:51
week. Not because those machines are
18:53
unusable, and not because I don't want
18:55
free stuff. Oh, and thanks X tool for
18:58
sending me this one in exchange for the
19:00
review. But I don't want them because
19:02
I'm not interested in wasting my time or
19:05
yours covering another brand that's
19:07
taken familiar components, put them in a
19:10
different box, and quietly made getting
19:12
it to work your responsibility.
19:15
This is not a laser you buy for speed,
19:17
deep cuts, or brute force material
19:19
removal. If that's what you want, get
19:21
the standard F2 Ultra or something like
19:23
the F1 Ultra. that's going to make far
19:26
more sense. But if what you care about
19:28
is precision, surface quality, and
19:30
working with materials and applications
19:32
that diode and IR lasers simply can't
19:35
touch, this is where the F2 Ultra UV
19:38
stands apart. So, as the thumbnail said,
19:41
don't get that one, get this one, or
19:43
don't get this one, get that one. I
19:45
suppose the point is know the difference
19:47
and buy the right one. The UV beam
19:50
delivers genuinely impressive detail.
19:53
Ultra fine text, crisp line work, clean
19:55
marking on plastics, glass, coated
19:58
metals, and inner crystal engraving.
20:00
It's slower, yes, but that's because
20:02
it's operating at a completely different
20:04
scale, not because it's lacking power or
20:07
capability. Slow is smooth and smooth is
20:10
fast. And that's where the value really
20:12
sits. Being able to take on work that
20:15
simply isn't practical on other laser
20:17
types opens up a different class of
20:19
projects entirely. Not faster projects,
20:22
arguably better ones. So, no, this isn't
20:26
the right laser for everyone. But if
20:28
what you care about is detail, finish,
20:30
and making things that genuinely stand
20:32
out, the X Tool F2 Ultra UV earns its
20:36
place. I just wish it had a simpler name
20:39
that completely separated it from the
20:40
other X tool machines. If you did find
20:43
this video helpful, please consider
20:45
using our affiliate link in the
20:46
description before making a purchase of
20:48
this or any other X tool products, even
20:51
if that's materials. Any click on that
20:53
link before making a purchase nets me a
20:55
commission and that's how I run the
20:57
channel. If you want me to keep making
20:59
honest reviews of videos, and heck, you
21:01
might think this one is too praising,
21:03
honestly. Go check my other reviews.
21:05
This is the truth. I love this.
21:08
genuinely ask around if you think I'm
21:11
BSing you. But yeah, this seriously X
21:15
tool. It's X tool. I don't even know why
21:17
I'm bothered. The only reason I make
21:18
other laser reviews, I'm not This isn't
21:20
even on my script. The only reason I
21:22
make other laser reviews right now is so
21:25
that I can spread my versatility to
21:28
show, hey, this is the breadth of what
21:31
I've tested and I know what I'm talking
21:33
about. But honestly, like until brands
21:36
start taking this seriously and actually
21:38
up the game on software to bring us
21:41
nearer to this level, especially since
21:43
Lightburn seems to have I don't know
21:45
completely given up even trying. I I
21:48
genuinely I feel like I'm wasting my
21:50
time. I'm I hope somebody does compete,
21:53
but yeah, they're nowhere near here yet.
21:55
Anyway, that's enough of a rant from me.
21:57
I I hope you can appreciate that just
21:59
off the cuff honesty. Again, if this was
22:02
helpful, please use our affiliate link.
22:04
Massive thanks to our members. Thanks to
22:06
you for watching. And until next time,
22:08
I'm tired. I'm hot. It's nearly New
22:10
Year's Eve. I can't think of a good
22:12
movie quote. Put your favorite movie
22:13
quote in the comments. Until next time,
22:16
happy new year, which which is not going
22:19
to be relevant on this video by the time
22:21
it comes out. Anyway, see you next time.