What Wattage to Get? (For Diode Lasers) 

im getting the 40w wecreat, thanks for showing the differences between them.

Thank you so much for this! I am new to the laser world, and trying to decide on which one I actually need. I was impressed by the 10W detailing and really didn't expect it to look so good. Since my main need at the moment is cutting 5mm EVA foam faster and more accurate than I can with my exacto, I am looking more at the 20W. I don't NEED the 40, but would love to eventually have a 20 and 10 for expanding my projects later down the road. Very helpful video and information, thanks so much!

I am happy with my 20W S1. Not sure if you had different settings for the photo engrave but the white is really blown out. I do 3D engraves on cedar and walnut that come out really good. If you do more cutting than engraving then the 40W would make sense but it does not engrave as sharp as the 10 or 20W modules.

Thanks for this video; it's a huge help because now I know which module to go for, the 20W.

I’ve not found a conclusive answer but the speculation is generally that if you run a 20w xtool at 50% it only uses the first 2 diodes, so the dot size is better, obviously it needs running slower but everything has a price. I have yet to test this on my 20w.

Wow, I still need to view more videos before making my decision but this has helped a lot. I've been learning with a 10 watt for the past 9 Months but I need more power now that I'm comfortable and properly addicted to lazing! I was leaning more toward the 20 watt rather than the 30, It's a Sculpfun S30 Pro that's been heavily upgraded (I'm not considering pricing when upgrading). After seeing this I might just go with the 30 instead of the 20. I am really looking for more speed and it looks like 30 will blow them both out of the water by quite a bit- that 40 looks more than double the 20. Thank you for the comparison, I've still got to do more research but this has me leaning way more toward just going with maximum power. Take care! Lower power is definitely better for engraving, but I do about a 50/50 split so balance important to me- though I do lean a bit toward more toward cutting power than engraving (my engraves are all solid even engraves, not photos with a lot of variability). I think the higher power is probably the route I should go judging by this video alone. Still got to research and compare things but this has helped me quite a bit. Thank you for this great comparison vid :D

Thanks!

I don’t have an xtools but I did just but an Ikier 24/48 watt switchable diode laser and it is awesome. However I do think there is merit in having a 10w for photos because of the smaller laser lens.

I have a 10W but not an Xtool and hoping it does as well

How thick of a material can a 10W laser cut through? My plan is to use the laser to create various router jigs.

Thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed information! I am not happy with your results of the 20W laser, only because that's the one we currently have 😅. We're debating on whether to invest in the 40W head or hold off and get a CO2 in the spring, mostly for thicker materials and acrylic. Thanks again for everything!

Is that really right that you are getting a full through cut at 70%/200mm on the 10 watt? I'm running a 5 watt atomstack and can barely cut through some 3mm "basswood" crap from amazon in 8 passes at 100%/5mm. Is there something wrong with my laser? I've bumbled into your channel and I'm impressed with with the quick and clean presentations and the level of information. My wife and I have a product (line) idea that will be proto-typed out and market tested with some laser wood cutting initially, eventually there could be other materials and goodies to engrave/cut. I've borrowed a friends atomstack and I am diving into every rabbit hole (lightburn, techniques, what more powerfull/capable laser to buy, etc.) about laser making. So this video was very relevant and informative. A similar video covering what the different types of lasers can do, and who they are good for would be a good future subject. Keep up the good work, I'm going to subscribe.

I have the xTool D1 now with a 10w diode. Can I update to a 20w or 40w on the same frame and wiring?

Hi. Did you have air-assist on the cut test?. I run a 30w diode and have very little burn when air-assist used.

I've looked all over Xtool's website and I dont see a kit anywhere that includes a 10w & 40w head. the only one i see that has a 40w at all is the S1 model. do they have a 40w head for the D1 pro or just the S1?