Monport 20W Fiber Laser Engraver vs xTool F1 Dual-Laser Engraver (2W IR + 10W Diode)
Head-to-head spec comparison to help you pick the right fiber laser for your needs.
Monport
$349
xTool
$799
Spec-by-Spec Comparison
| Spec | Monport 20W Fiber Laser Engraver | xTool F1 Dual-Laser Engraver (2W IR + 10W Diode) |
|---|---|---|
| Wattage | 20 W | 2 W |
| Laser Type | Q-Switched | IR Diode (not fiber galvo) |
| Laser Source | Raycus | xTool IR |
| Work Area (W) | 110 mm | 110 mm |
| Work Area (H) | 110 mm | 110 mm |
| Galvo Speed | 7000 mm/s | 4000 mm/s |
| Color Marking | No | No |
| LightBurn | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus | No | No |
| Weight | 3.2 kg | 2.5 kg |
| Software | BSLcad + LightBurn (galvo license required separately) | xTool Creative Space + LightBurn |
| Pulse Width | N/A (Q-Switched) | N/A |
| Price | $349 | $799 |
| Rating | 6.5/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon |
Pros & Cons
Monport 20W Fiber Laser Engraver
Pros
- BSLcad bundled with LightBurn galvo support confirmed — no EZCad-only lock-in at $349; the Amazon listing explicitly says 'LightBurn Compatible'
- Raycus 20W source marks stainless steel, aluminum, brass, titanium, copper, and anodized aluminum consistently — the same source family used in machines twice the price
- Q-switched monochrome marks are deep and durable — serial numbers, logos, and ID marks survive heavy daily use without fading or rubbing off
- 110×110mm work area covers rings, dog tags, knife blade sections, and metal business cards without repositioning
- 3.2kg form factor is genuinely portable — moves between bench and jobsite without fixed infrastructure or dedicated workspace
Cons
- LightBurn setup on the BSLFiber controller is poorly documented — LightBurn forum (Jan 2025) rated Monport's galvo setup instructions 'horrible'; expect troubleshooting before first successful job
- 10,000mm/s galvo speed trails the GWEIKE G2's 15,000mm/s at $150 more — the speed gap is noticeable on high-infill designs and compounds significantly on volume work
- No color marking — Q-switched fixed pulse width cannot produce oxidation colors on stainless steel regardless of settings or software
- No autofocus — manual Z-axis height setup required for every material change or thickness variation; a friction point that dedicated color-marking workflows cannot absorb
- BSLcad community resources are nearly nonexistent — unlike GWEIKE or OMTech, no active forum threads, settings libraries, or YouTube tutorials specific to BSLcad workflows
xTool F1 Dual-Laser Engraver (2W IR + 10W Diode)
Pros
- Two machines in one enclosure: 2W IR marks metal (steel, aluminum, brass), 10W diode cuts wood, leather, and acrylic — single $799 machine that eliminates owning both a fiber and a diode laser
- xTool Creative Space software is the most polished beginner interface in the laser category — camera positioning, guided material presets, and auto-layout workflows available from day one
- Fully enclosed with automatic safety shutoffs — the only machine in this tier safe to operate in an office, living room, or classroom without OD5+ eyewear and ventilation setup
- LightBurn compatible for users who want full parameter control beyond what xTool's software exposes
- xTool has the largest installed base and most active community of any Chinese laser brand — tutorial content, settings libraries, and troubleshooting threads for every use case are indexed and searchable
Cons
- 2W IR laser is NOT a fiber galvo — it produces lighter, less consistent marks on hard metal than a dedicated 20W fiber laser; an owner who ran both side by side measured the fiber as '25x faster on average for marking metal'
- IR laser head is the documented primary failure point — multiple owners report the IR head degrading or dying within 1–2 years of regular use; xTool support unable to repair in some markets
- No autofocus — autofocus is exclusive to the F1 Ultra; this model requires manual two-dot alignment each session (a common point of confusion because the F1 Ultra, a completely different machine, has autofocus)
- 110×110mm work area matches budget dedicated fiber lasers — tumblers require a rotary and repositioning, no advantage here over GWEIKE or ComMarker alternatives
- At $799 you are paying for the dual-laser concept and xTool brand polish, not metal marking throughput — a dedicated 30W fiber laser at the same price marks stainless 10–25x faster
Our Verdicts
Monport 20W Fiber Laser Engraver
The Monport 20W is the honest answer when the budget ceiling is $400 and the use case is basic metal marking. LightBurn is supported (the 'EZCad-only' framing in older reviews is outdated), the Raycus source is legitimate, and the machine marks metals cleanly. The real tradeoff is everything that matters for efficient daily use: the GWEIKE G2 20W at $150 more runs 50% faster, has dramatically better documentation, and has an active community that has already solved the problems you will encounter. If $349 is a genuine limit, this gets the job done. If it is not, pay the extra $150 for the G2.
xTool F1 Dual-Laser Engraver (2W IR + 10W Diode)
The xTool F1 is worth buying if and only if you genuinely need both metal marking and non-metal work (wood, acrylic, leather) in a single safe, enclosed desktop machine. That value proposition is real and has no direct competitor. If your work is metal-only, the GWEIKE G2 Pro at the same $799 price marks stainless 10–25x faster with better depth. Two critical clarifications: the F1 original uses a 2W IR diode laser, not a fiber galvo, and has no autofocus — both of those features belong to the F1 Ultra, which is a completely different machine at a higher price. Compare them only if you understand the difference.