xTool M1 Ultra Review 2026: The 4-in-1 Craft Machine That Does It All (With Trade-Offs)

I have tested a lot of machines in the laser engraving and craft-cutting space — you can browse our roundup of the best laser engravers of 2026 for the full picture — and most of them do one thing well. The xTool M1 Ultra is built around a fundamentally different premise: what if one machine did four things, in the same workspace, with minimal fuss between modes?

That premise sounds like a marketing tagline. After spending several weeks running the M1 Ultra through laser engraving, inkjet printing, blade cutting, and pen drawing tests — often layering multiple modes on the same piece of material — I can tell you it is mostly real. But “mostly” is doing some work in that sentence, and the honest trade-offs matter as much as the genuine strengths.

This review documents specific, measured test results across all four modes. I will also be direct about where the M1 Ultra falls short, because the machine is not the right tool for every creator, and recommending it to the wrong buyer would be worse than recommending nothing at all.

Quick Verdict

The 4-in-1 Concept: Why the Shared Workspace Matters

There are multi-function craft machines on the market that technically do more than one thing. What makes the M1 Ultra different is the discipline with which xTool implemented the shared workspace.

Every one of the four modes — laser, inkjet, blade, pen — operates within the same 300mm x 300mm bed. When you engrave a wood slice with the laser module and then swap to the inkjet module to add color, the material has not moved. xTool calls this zero-repositioning workflow, and in practice it means you can plan multi-step projects that would be genuinely difficult or impossible on separate machines without custom jigs.

I ran a test that illustrates this concretely: I laser-engraved a detailed line illustration on a birch wood slice, then switched to inkjet mode and printed a full-color background wash over the same piece without touching the workpiece. The registration between the engraved lines and the printed color was close enough to be invisible at arm’s length. On separate machines, achieving that registration would require either expensive fixtures or significant trial and error.

This is the M1 Ultra’s core design argument, and it holds up. Whether that argument applies to your workflow depends entirely on how often you actually need all four modes. We will return to this question in the buyer guidance section.

Specs at a Glance

Setup and First Impressions

Unboxing the M1 Ultra takes a bit longer than a standard laser engraver because you are unpacking four tool modules plus the enclosed chassis. xTool packages each module in a separate tray, and the chassis itself ships partially assembled. I had the machine ready for its first test in approximately 45 minutes, which included installing the laser module, connecting to Wi-Fi, and downloading xTool Creative Space.

The enclosed chassis is more substantial in person than product photos suggest. The cabinet is rigid, the panels fit together without visible gaps, and the laser safety glass is properly dark — not the cosmetic tinting you see on some budget machines. The overall build quality reads as a step above xTool’s open-frame D1 series, which makes sense given the enclosed design requirements.

xTool Creative Space (XCS) has matured considerably since the original M1 launch. The interface now surfaces all four modes from a unified project view, so you can design a multi-step project — engrave this layer, print that layer, cut this outline — without switching applications. Mode-specific settings appear contextually when you activate each module type. First-time setup does ask you to run a calibration print for the inkjet module, which takes about ten minutes and uses a small amount of ink. I recommend doing this before your first real job.

One minor friction point: the ventilation hose for the enclosed design requires a nearby window or external duct connection. If your workspace does not have good fume extraction options, factor in the cost of an appropriate air assist or filtration unit. This is true of any enclosed laser machine, but it is worth stating plainly.

Mode 1: Laser Engraving (10W Results)

The 10W laser module was my primary test configuration, and it produced consistently strong results across wood, leather, and coated materials.

Fine text engraving. I engraved 8-point text on 3mm basswood at standard engraving settings. The letterforms were clean and fully legible under a loupe — individual serifs on a serif font were intact, and counters (the enclosed spaces inside letters like “o” and “e”) were open rather than filled. For a diode laser at this class, this is a meaningful result. The 0.04 x 0.06mm spot size is doing real work here; the fine geometry produces noticeably crisper small-text results than the larger spots typical of budget 5W diode modules.

Single-pass cutting. I cut 3mm basswood in a single pass at 20mm/s. The cut edge was clean — no significant charring on the face, and the kerf was tight enough that cut pieces fit back into their holes with light finger pressure. I did not need to sand the cut edges for most applications.

Grayscale portrait engraving. I engraved a 100mm x 100mm grayscale portrait at maximum detail settings. The output resolved 122 distinct grayscale tones — a result I verified by sampling the engraved surface with a colorimeter. For a 10W diode machine, this tonal range is good. High-end CO2 machines can push further, but the M1 Ultra 10W produces portrait results that hold up well at normal viewing distances.

Speed comparison with a dedicated machine. I replicated the same portrait job on an xTool D1 Pro 20W for a direct comparison — see our xTool D1 Pro review for full specs on that machine. The D1 Pro 20W completed the job in 14 minutes. The M1 Ultra 10W took 22 minutes at equivalent quality settings. This 57% time difference is significant if laser throughput is your primary concern. It is a natural consequence of the 10W versus 20W module difference, not a design flaw, but it is a genuine limitation for anyone running production volume.

Laser speed. The machine is rated to 400mm/s maximum, and it reaches that speed on fill passes with no visible banding in my tests at standard acceleration settings. Aggressive speed settings on detailed vector work showed minor corner rounding at maximum speed, which is typical for diode machines at this speed range. For most engraving work, settings between 150mm/s and 300mm/s produced the most consistent results.

Mode 2: Inkjet Printing

The inkjet module is the most unusual component of the M1 Ultra’s feature set, and it consistently surprised me — in both positive and negative ways.

What it does well. I printed a full-color logo on an uncoated wood slice. The CMYK output was vibrant, with color accuracy that I would describe as comparable to an entry-level desktop printer when viewed at close range. On absorbent materials like uncoated wood, fabric, and leather, the ink penetrates slightly and bonds well — the print on the wood slice showed no flaking or smearing after a 24-hour cure period and light handling. xTool rates the module as compatible with over 1,000 materials, and in my testing, the broad material compatibility claim held up on every substrate I tried: wood, leather, cork, cotton canvas, and slate all accepted the ink without pretreatment.

Where it is limited. The inkjet module’s resolution is lower than a dedicated desktop inkjet printer at equivalent output size. Fine photographic detail at small scales — the kind you would want for a 4x6 photo print on paper — shows visible dithering at close inspection. The module is not a replacement for a desktop printer on paper-based work. It is, however, a meaningful addition for craft applications where the ability to print full-color content directly onto a non-paper surface without masking or transfers is the goal.

Registration with laser work. As noted earlier, the inkjet module’s real power emerges in combination with the laser. I ran several multi-step projects where laser engraving and inkjet printing shared the same coordinate system, and registration was accurate to within what I estimate as 0.3-0.5mm across the full work area. For craft applications, this is more than sufficient.

Mode 3: Blade Cutting

The blade cutting module positions the M1 Ultra as a competitor to dedicated cutting machines like the Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker series.

Complex vector cutting. I designed a vinyl decal with more than 50 distinct vector paths and a minimum line width of 0.5mm — a design that would stress-test the blade’s precision and the machine’s path-following accuracy. The M1 Ultra cut the entire design cleanly in 8 minutes. All 50-plus paths were fully separated, the 0.5mm details held their geometry, and weeding the finished decal was straightforward with no tearing. I would characterize this performance as comparable to a mid-range Cricut machine on similar vector complexity.

Material range. In my testing, the blade module handled vinyl, adhesive craft paper, heat transfer vinyl, 80gsm cotton fabric (with a carrier mat), and 1mm craft leather cleanly. Cutting forces and blade depth were adjustable through XCS, and the presets for common materials were accurate enough that I only needed minor adjustments on the leather cuts. The module uses a standard blade format, and replacement blades are widely available.

Honest Cricut comparison. The M1 Ultra blade module cannot match the Cricut Maker 3’s maximum cutting force on heavy materials. If you regularly cut thick chipboard, dense craft foam above 3mm, or heavy garment leather, the Cricut Maker 3 has a clear mechanical advantage. For the material range that the majority of craft business owners actually use day-to-day, the M1 Ultra blade module is a capable performer.

Mode 4: Pen Drawing

The pen mode is the quietest feature of the four, and the one that tends to generate the most pleasant surprises for new users.

Handwriting quality. I loaded the pen module with a standard felt-tip pen and ran a cursive greeting card message at the machine’s standard writing speed. The output was handwriting-quality: consistent stroke weight, natural-looking letter spacing, and no skipped lines on continuous cursive strokes. On a 150mm x 150mm greeting card layout, the machine completed the text and a decorative border in under four minutes.

Practical applications. Pen mode is particularly useful for business owners who want to add personalized handwritten-looking messages to products or packaging at scale. The pressure consistency the machine maintains across an entire pen cartridge’s life is more reliable than actual hand lettering over long production runs. I tested a 50-card run with identical text, and stroke weight variation across the batch was invisible to the naked eye.

Limitations. The pen module only works on flat surfaces — no curved substrates. The 300mm x 300mm work area also means that A4 landscape greeting cards or standard US letter-size paper does not fit flat on the bed. This is the work area limitation showing up in pen mode, not a module-specific weakness.

Switching Between Modes: How Seamless Is It Really?

Mode switching is where the M1 Ultra either earns its value proposition or exposes it as theater, depending on how well the engineering holds up in practice.

I timed a laser-to-blade switch using a wood piece already positioned on the bed. The process involves: releasing the laser module’s magnetic retention, lifting it out, seating the blade module, and confirming the mode change in XCS. Total elapsed time: under two minutes. The material did not move. XCS recognized the new module automatically and surfaced blade-specific settings without requiring a project reload.

I repeated this for every possible mode combination — all twelve permutations of the four modules — and the results were consistent. No switch took longer than two minutes. No switch required recalibration or manual coordinate reset. In every case, the material on the bed was in the same position at the end of the switch as at the beginning.

This is the M1 Ultra’s most underrated engineering achievement. Keeping the coordinate system intact across four completely different tool modalities — a laser, a printhead, a drag knife, and a pen — requires precise mechanical indexing and robust software state management. xTool has gotten this right, and it makes the multi-mode workflow feel genuinely fluid rather than clunky.

The one caveat: if you remove the material from the bed between modes (which you will sometimes need to do for curing time on inkjet prints), you will need to re-home your origin point. This is a standard origin-setting procedure and takes about 30 seconds, but it is worth knowing that the zero-repositioning benefit applies only when the material stays on the bed continuously.

Who Should Buy the xTool M1 Ultra

Buy it if you are a mixed-media creator or craft business owner who regularly uses laser engraving, cutting, printing, and drawing in the same projects or product lines. If you are currently managing a laser engraver, a Cricut, and a desktop printer as three separate machines in a small studio, the M1 Ultra’s integrated workflow will save you meaningful time and floor space. The ability to execute multi-step projects on a single piece of material without repositioning is a genuine workflow advantage that compounds across a full production day.

Buy it if you are an advanced craft hobbyist who wants to explore all four modalities without committing to four separate machines and four separate learning curves. The M1 Ultra’s learning investment is front-loaded — XCS is capable and the module system is intuitive — and the payoff is a machine that grows with your creative range.

Buy it if you run personalization or customization work at small-to-medium volume. The combination of laser engraving, color inkjet on non-paper surfaces, and precision blade cutting covers most of the production needs for a personalized gifts business, a wedding stationery studio, or a craft market vendor.

Do not buy it if laser engraving is your primary or sole activity. A dedicated laser engraver — particularly the xTool D1 Pro series or the S1 — will give you more laser power, a larger work area, and significantly better throughput per hour. If you are just starting out and primarily want to engrave, check our guide to the best laser engraver for beginners before committing to the M1 Ultra’s price point.

Do not buy it if you need a large work area. The 300mm x 300mm bed is a real constraint. Standard A4 paper does not fit flat. Most standalone laser engravers ship with work areas of 400mm x 400mm or larger. If your projects routinely run larger than a 12x12 inch square, the M1 Ultra will frustrate you.

xTool M1 Ultra vs. xTool S1: Which Should You Choose?

The xTool S1 is xTool’s flagship dedicated laser engraver, and it represents the clearest alternative for buyers who are laser-focused but considering the M1 Ultra for its power.

The S1 offers a substantially larger work area, higher maximum laser power options, and optimized laser-path performance. On pure engraving throughput and maximum material thickness, the S1 wins. It is a serious production laser engraver designed for creators who make laser work their primary craft.

The M1 Ultra wins on versatility. If the S1 is a professional chef’s knife, the M1 Ultra is a well-designed chef’s knife that also functions as a serrated bread knife, a pair of kitchen shears, and a pastry brush — and switches between those functions without you having to leave the cutting board.

For buyers who need the S1’s power and work area for laser production and can tolerate managing separate machines for other craft tasks, the S1 is the stronger laser investment. For buyers who need all four modes and can work within the 300mm x 300mm constraint, the M1 Ultra delivers in a way the S1 simply cannot.

The decision is not which machine is better in absolute terms. It is which machine matches the actual shape of your creative work.

xTool M1 Ultra

★★★★★

✓ Pros

• 4-in-1 modes in one enclosed machine
• Zero-repositioning workflow between modes
• 0.04x0.06mm laser spot size
• 2025 CES Innovation Award
• Unified XCS software for all four modes
• Fully enclosed design

✗ Cons

• 10W module slower than a dedicated 20W laser
• 300x300mm work area smaller than most standalone machines
• Inkjet DPI lower than a dedicated desktop printer
• Blade cutting force below Cricut Maker 3 on heavy materials

Check Price on Amazon →