xTool F1 Ultra vs LaserPecker LP5: Which 20 W Fiber + Diode Laser to Buy?

The xTool F1 Ultra and the LaserPecker LP5 are built on the same idea: a 20 W fiber for bare metal and a 20 W blue diode for wood, leather and dark acrylic, steered by galvo mirrors for very fast engraving on small items. They’re the two main “one machine for metal and everything else” options under $3,000. On paper they’re near twins. In practice they suit different buyers. The F1 Ultra is a benchtop production tool, and the LP5 is a portable kit that becomes a bench tool once you add its enclosure. Prices below are the lowest we saw on Amazon on October 29, 2026; check today’s price before you buy.

The specs, side by side

Where the F1 Ultra wins

Field size. At 220 × 220 mm, the F1 Ultra’s field is about two and a half times the area of the LP5’s 160 × 120 mm. For a small business, that’s the difference between engraving a full tray of keychains or dog tags in one job and doing them a few at a time. The optional conveyor stretches it to 220 × 500 mm for longer pieces and continuous runs. Objects up to 145 mm tall fit inside.

Camera and autofocus. The F1 Ultra’s 16 MP camera can fill a design onto several items scattered on the bed. Make: highlighted the AI feature that auto-aligns designs on randomly placed objects. Autofocus means you don’t measure height for every blank. The base LP5 has neither: you focus by lining up two red dots on its electric stand, and only the optional enclosure adds an alignment camera.

Enclosure and presets. The F1 Ultra’s cover filters both wavelengths and adds a fire alarm and emergency stop. It’s still rated Class 4, so keep the lid closed or wear goggles for both 455 nm and 1064 nm. The LP5 base unit has a cone shield, and Tom’s Hardware found a gap at the bottom that means everyone in the room needs glasses. Tom’s also found that LaserPecker’s software has no material presets and no job-time estimate, and its reviewer set a sample keychain on fire for lack of settings. In our research the F1 Ultra’s presets are the stronger of the two, which matters most when you’re new to fiber.

Price. The F1 Ultra costs about $400 less than the bare LP5, and the enclosure the LP5 really needs makes the gap bigger. Make: tested the F1 Ultra at $3,699; it has since dropped to about $2,499 on Amazon.

The F1 Ultra’s weak spots, per Make:, are a fiddly laser-alignment screw that you should only need on setup, and a solid bottom plate that makes jigs harder to build than on the original F1. At 32.4 lb, it’s a bench machine, not something you carry to a craft fair.

Where the LP5 wins

Portability. At 13.3 lb (about 6 kg) for the laser, stand and shield, the LP5 is the lightest dual-source laser we track. If you engrave at markets, weddings or in-store events, that matters more than anything in the table. The laser can even come off the stand for freehand work on large objects, which Tom’s Hardware describes as an option for the brave.

LightBurn. The LP5 works with LightBurn as well as LaserPecker Design Space on PC and phone. The F1 Ultra works with LightBurn 2.2 too, but only on current xTool firmware (40.52.016.05 or higher for the Class 4 model), and xTool’s cameras aren’t supported there. If your shop already runs LightBurn, either works; if you dislike xTool’s software, the LP5’s longer-standing LightBurn support may tip it. Our LightBurn vs xTool Creative Space guide covers the trade-off. Tom’s Hardware didn’t test LightBurn, though, so we can’t say whether it fixes the preset problem.

Cutting claim. LaserPecker claims 20 mm basswood, 15 mm dark acrylic and 1 mm brass, stainless, aluminum or titanium, against xTool’s 15 mm basswood in multiple passes. LaserPecker doesn’t state pass counts, and neither machine has air assist, so treat both as engravers that can cut, not cutters.

What they share

Both use a Q-switched 20 W fiber, so neither does MOPA color marking on stainless. Deep metal work is slow at this power: Tom’s Hardware’s 3D relief on a brass coin took more than 4 hours on the LP5. Both are fast on wood, leather and slate with the diode, and both char wood without air assist. Both have optional rotaries for tumblers and rings. The xTool RA3 fits the F1 Ultra.

Neither is fully safe out of the box. Budget for glasses rated for both wavelengths, such as Cloudray 1064 nm goggles plus a CARLANY 190–490 nm pair or a single pair rated for both, and for ventilation. The F1 Ultra pairs with the xTool Desktop Smoke Purifier for indoor work. See the safety guide and the ventilation guide.

What a working setup costs

The sticker prices hide what each machine needs to run safely indoors. At the Amazon prices we saw on October 29, 2026:

A purifier-equipped F1 Ultra with eyewear comes to about $2,815. The LP5 with its enclosure is about $2,836 before you add smoke control or glasses for portable use. Either way, the F1 Ultra gives you the bigger field and camera for similar or less money. Run your expected order volume through the profit calculator to see how long either takes to pay back.

Who should buy which

Buy the xTool F1 Ultra if you’ll run it at home or in a shop, you personalize batches of metal and wood items, and you want camera placement, autofocus and presets that save setup time. It’s the better tool and the cheaper one.

Buy the LaserPecker LP5 if you need a dual laser you can carry, or your workflow is built around LightBurn. Then buy the LP5 + Enclosure bundle, which was cheaper than the bare unit on Amazon on October 29, 2026 and adds the Class 1 enclosure and camera. On its own, the enclosure costs about $559.

Consider something else if you mainly mark metal and want color marks or faster deep engraving. The xTool F2 Ultra (60 W MOPA + 40 W diode, about $5,099) is the step up. If you only mark small items and want portability for less, the xTool F2 (15 W diode + 5 W IR, about $1,219) marks bare stainless without a full fiber. For metal only on a budget, the ComMarker B4 20W costs about $1,399.

Verdict

The F1 Ultra is the better buy for almost everyone: same laser sources, a much bigger field, an enclosed lid, a camera, autofocus and working presets, for about $400 less. The LP5 makes sense only when weight decides the purchase, and then only with the enclosure. For a broader look at metal-capable machines, read the best laser engravers for metal or the best laser engraver for small business.