Gravotech M40 vs xTool F2 Series: Which Should Your Business Choose?

Mechanical Engraver or Galvo Laser?

Unlike a mechanical engraver built around a single process, the xTool F-series can cover metals, wood, leather, acrylic and glass within one compact platform, depending on the model selected.

For many established engraving, jewellery, trophy, identification and signage businesses, a Gravotech M40—or an older M40 IQ+—has been a dependable workshop machine for years.

Many operators still know it by the former Gravograph name. Although Gravograph is now part of Gravotech, terms such as “Gravograph M40” and “M40 IQ+” remain common among long-term owners.

The arrival of compact galvo lasers such as the xTool F2, F2 Ultra Single, F2 Ultra Dual and F2 Ultra UV does not automatically make the M40 obsolete. They use fundamentally different processes.

The M40 uses a cutter or diamond tool to engrave, route or scribe the material. The xTool F2 series uses infrared, MOPA infrared, blue-diode or ultraviolet lasers, depending on the model.

That difference affects:

• The finish and depth produced.
• Material compatibility.
• Artwork detail.
• Production speed.
• Positioning and fixturing.
• Extraction and safety.
• Software and staff training.
• Capital and operating costs.

For some businesses, the M40 remains the correct machine and no additional equipment is justified.

For others, an F2-series laser can improve detailed personalisation, reduce setup time or introduce products and finishes that are difficult to create mechanically.

In many workshops, the strongest answer is not replacing one machine with another. It is assigning each job to the process that produces the better result.

Main Differences at a Glance

The xTool figures were checked against the EU store on 13 July 2026 and calculated by removing the displayed 21% VAT. Final pricing can vary according to promotions, destination VAT and checkout eligibility.

These are standalone machine benchmarks. They exclude accessories such as extraction, air purification, rotary attachments, conveyors, commissioning and staff training.

A reliable current public Irish price for a new M40 could not be verified. Gravotech systems are generally supplied by quotation, with the final cost depending on the machine configuration, software, tooling, delivery, installation and training.

Comparing an older configured UK M40 package with bare xTool hardware would therefore not be a fair like-for-like comparison.

Where the Gravotech M40 Retains a Clear Advantage

Mechanically Defined Grooves and Recesses

A rotary cutter can produce a groove, recess or routed pocket with a deliberately selected width, depth and cutter profile.

That remains valuable for:

• Brass and aluminium plaques.
• Paint-filled lettering.
• Industrial identification plates.
• Electrical labels.
• Engraving laminates.
• Routed plastics.
• Deep mechanically engraved text.
• Diamond-scribed presentation products.

The F2 Ultra can also remove metal deeply, but it does so through repeated laser ablation rather than with a shaped cutter.

The resulting floor texture, sidewall profile and groove geometry are different.

The correct question is not simply whether both machines can remove material. It is which process produces the finish required by the customer, drawing or specification.

Signage, Tactile and Braille Work

The M40 remains particularly well suited to two-layer engraving laminates, routed signage and paint-filled recesses.

Tactile lettering and Raster Braille can require controlled routing, specialist cutters, suitable software and dot-insertion equipment. A business already producing this work successfully has little reason to move those particular jobs to an F2-series laser.

Certain Heat-Sensitive Materials

Mechanical engraving can be preferable where concentrated laser heat causes melting, discolouration or distortion.

Rotary cutting can still generate frictional heat, so cutter selection and feed settings matter. However, the M40 may produce a more predictable result on certain technical plastics and laminates.

Established Repeat Production

An existing M40 owner may already have proven cutters, fixtures, layouts, depth settings and repeat customer specifications.

Replacing that workflow merely because laser technology is newer would be poor commercial reasoning.

The M40 Is Not a Primitive Manual System

It would be unfair to compare the xTool camera workflow against the M40 as though every mechanical job depended on rulers and manual guesswork.

The current M40 includes automatic Z measurement, an auto-centring jig, Point & Shoot positioning and Gravogrip workholding.

The xTool camera workflow is more visual and, in our experience, considerably easier for most new operators to learn. However, it is a different assisted-positioning system—not the first assisted positioning available to an engraving business.

Where the xTool F2 Series Changes the Workflow

The main advantage of adding a laser is not simply access to more materials.

What the F2 series adds is a different combination of:

• Fine graphic detail.
• Fast surface marking.
• Contact-free processing.
• Variable personalisation.
• Camera-led positioning.
• Metal colour and relief effects.
• Portable and open-plane engraving.
• Direct UV glass processing.

Detailed Artwork and Variable Personalisation

A galvo laser directs its beam using rapidly controlled mirrors rather than moving a spindle through every element of the design.

This makes it particularly effective for:

• Names and dates.
• Detailed logos.
• Fine text.
• Serial numbers.
• QR codes and barcodes.
• Bitmap and photographic-style artwork.
• Different information on every product.
• Repeated batch orders.

The stated maximum speeds of 6,000 mm/s for the F2 and 15,000 mm/s for the Ultra models are scanning speeds, not completed-job times.

Artwork density, line spacing, number of passes, focusing, loading and cleaning all affect real throughput.

Nevertheless, the laser has a clear practical advantage for dense surface graphics, bitmap work and rapidly changing personalisation.

Contact-Free Processing

The laser does not press a cutter against the product.

That avoids cutter pressure, tool deflection and the risk of a cutter dragging across a finished surface.

This is valuable for jewellery, coated products, customer-owned items, delicate components and products that are difficult to clamp against a cutting force.

Contact-free does not mean fixture-free.

The product must still be secured, focused and verified before processing. For valuable or repeat products, a properly designed jig remains essential.

Oversized and Curved Products

The M40 and F2 series approach oversized work differently.

Gravotech M40. The M40’s open structure allows a long object to extend outside the machine while the required area is positioned beneath the cutter.

This is useful for long signage strips, electrical labels, timber sections, golf clubs and other safely supported irregular products.

The object can be longer than the machine, but the active engraving remains within the normal 305 × 210 mm working area unless the item is repositioned.

xTool F2. The F2 has a capability that the M40 and F2 Ultra do not share in the same form: its baseplate can be removed and the laser positioned directly over a larger object.

That can allow engraving in the centre of:

• Timber panels.
• Furniture.
• Presentation cases.
• Machinery housings.
• Equipment panels.
• Large fabricated products.
• Installed surfaces.

The Slide Extension also increases the processing area to 115 × 400 mm for long, narrow products.

This is one of the F2’s strongest practical advantages.

F2 Ultra Conveyor. The F2 Ultra and UV models can use a conveyor for longer flat work and repeated batch layouts.

The conveyor is useful for rows of products and supported flat materials, but it has process restrictions. For example, the MOPA F2 Ultra conveyor should not be used for through-cutting and cannot be combined with curved-surface or rotary operation.

Can Curved-Surface Mode Replace a Rotary?

In some cases, yes—but not completely.

The F2-series curved-surface modes can measure a compatible contour and compensate for gradual changes in height.

This may remove the need for a rotary where the artwork occupies a relatively small area, the curve is gentle and a full wrap is not required.

A rotary remains the better workflow for:

• Full or near-full wraps.
• Tumblers and bottles.
• Repeated drinkware production.
• Rings and bracelets.
• Cylindrical or conical products requiring controlled rotation.

Curved-surface processing is a useful alternative for some jobs, not a universal replacement for a rotary.

The M40 Gift also deserves separate consideration because it adds lubrication and a tiltable rotary device for cylindrical and conical glassware.

Metal Marking, Colour, Relief and Cutting

xTool F2. The F2’s 5W infrared source can mark compatible metals, including jewellery, watch backs, pendants, metal cards and identification products.

It can also create colour and relief effects on suitable metals. However, substantial metal removal takes considerably longer than on the 60W MOPA system.

The standard F2 should primarily be regarded as a portable metal-marking and personalisation system, not as a lower-cost production equivalent to the F2 Ultra.

F2 Ultra Single and Dual. Both MOPA versions contain the same 60W source and therefore provide the same core metal capability:

• Fine surface marking.
• Dark, high-contrast marks.
• Deep engraving.
• Subtractive relief.
• Photographic-style engraving.
• Oxide-colour effects.
• Thin-metal cutting.

MOPA colour depends on power, speed, frequency, pulse width, line spacing, focus and the metal itself.

The colours are produced through controlled oxide effects rather than pigment printing. They should not be sold as guaranteed Pantone-accurate reproduction.

Material alloy, supplier, batch and surface finish can all change the result.

Laser “Embossing”. The F2 Ultra can create raised coin-style relief by removing the surrounding metal at different depths.

xTool calls this laser embossing, although it is technically a subtractive relief process rather than traditional press embossing.

It is commercially relevant for challenge coins, medals, commemorative pieces, decorative brass work and detailed relief artwork.

Thin-Metal Cutting. The F2 Ultra’s metal-cutting capability is genuine and has been confirmed through our own practical use.

Current conservative manufacturer specifications state maximum figures of approximately:

• 2 mm brass.
• 2 mm stainless steel.
• 1 mm aluminium.

Those are maximum capability figures, not guaranteed production specifications for every alloy or design.

Commercial results depend on the alloy, geometry, number of passes, heat build-up, processing time, edge quality and finishing requirements.

The F2 Ultra is a high-powered engraver with useful thin-metal cutting capability. It is not a substitute for a dedicated industrial sheet-metal cutter.

Non-Metal and Glass Work

F2. The F2’s 15W diode supports materials including wood, leather, paper, card, rubber and dark or opaque acrylic.

Its removable base gives it a particular advantage on larger objects that would not fit inside a conventional desktop machine.

F2 Ultra Dual. The Dual’s 40W diode provides substantially greater non-metal cutting and production capability than the F2’s 15W source.

It is the stronger choice where a business will regularly process both metal and compatible non-metal products.

F2 Ultra Single. The Single contains only the 60W MOPA source.

It is primarily a metal-processing machine and should not be chosen where wood, leather or acrylic cutting will form a regular part of the workload.

F2 Ultra UV. The UV is a specialist platform for:

• Glass and crystal.
• Ceramics.
• Acrylic.
• Fine plastics.
• Heat-sensitive products.
• Small text and micro-detail.
• Work where charring or melting must be minimised.

It is not the correct choice for deep metal engraving, MOPA colour or metal cutting.

Glass Engraving. The M40 can mechanically engrave suitable glass using diamond or rotary tooling. The M40 Gift adds the rotary and lubrication system needed for many glasses, bottles and conical products.

The F2 and F2 Ultra Dual can produce frosted surface engraving on transparent glass when a suitable absorptive coating is applied first.

The F2 Ultra UV is the strongest xTool choice where glass or crystal is central to the business. It can produce fine direct surface marks without a black coating and supports internal glass or crystal engraving using the relevant lens and workflow.

These processes do not create identical finishes. A diamond-scribed line, coated diode mark and direct UV engraving should be treated as different production options.

Plastic Safety. Unknown plastics should never be processed merely because they resemble a laser-compatible material.

PVC and other chlorinated polymers must not be laser processed because they can release toxic and corrosive emissions.

Clear acrylic also does not normally absorb blue-diode light effectively. A CO₂ laser remains the more conventional choice for efficient clear-acrylic cutting.

Software: xTool Studio or Gravostyle?

For the typical retail, jewellery, gift and personalisation business, our view is clear: xTool Studio is the superior and more user-friendly operating environment.

That conclusion is based on practical use rather than the appearance of the interface alone.

xTool Studio integrates:

• Camera-assisted positioning.
• Autofocus.
• Material settings and test arrays.
• Grid and circular arrays.
• Batch tools.
• Text and vector tools.
• Image tracing and adjustment.
• QR-code and barcode generation.
• Relief and depth-map tools.
• AI image generation.
• Cloud projects and Atomm resources.

The visual workflow makes it much easier for a new operator to understand where the artwork will be placed.

That has genuine commercial value where several staff members need training, orders change frequently or personalisation takes place in a retail environment.

Gravostyle remains highly capable professional CAD/CAM software, particularly for established engraving, signage, Braille and cutter-controlled workflows.

The practical distinction is:

• xTool Studio is easier to learn, more visual and better suited to camera-led personalisation.
• Gravostyle offers deeper specialist control for experienced mechanical engraving operators.

The current F2 and F2 Ultra models do not support LightBurn. That matters where a business already depends on a LightBurn-based workflow, but it is less significant where the priority is straightforward setup and integrated machine control.

Cameras Help, but Jigs Still Matter

The xTool cameras make one-off positioning faster and more intuitive.

The operator can position the artwork over the product image and use framing to verify the location before processing.

However, a production jig still secures the item, maintains orientation, reduces loading time and allows different staff members to repeat the job.

The practical rule is: use the camera for visibility and setup. Use framing for verification. Use a jig for repeatability.

Safety: Class 1 and Class 4 Operation

The EU and UK professional F2 and F2 Ultra models are Class 4 laser products designed to create Class 1 operating conditions during normal enclosed use.

When the product is fully inside, the enclosure is completely closed, the exhaust is correctly connected and the safety interlock is active, the working beam is contained.

Class 4 conditions can arise during workflows involving:

• A removed baseplate.
• The F2 Slide Extension.
• A conveyor.
• A rotary attachment.
• Oversized or irregular products.
• Deliberate open or incompletely enclosed operation.

Class 4 operation requires additional workplace controls. These may include restricted access, trained operators, wavelength-appropriate eyewear, a documented procedure, warning signage and Laser Safety Officer oversight.

The normal operating position is fully enclosed. Open operation is an exceptional workflow requiring deliberate precautions.

Extraction and True Setup Cost

A purchasing comparison should include more than the machine price.

Depending on the intended work, an xTool setup may also require:

• A Desktop Air Purifier or SafetyPro AP2.
• External extraction.
• Replacement filters.
• A rotary attachment.
• Slide Extension or conveyor.
• Fire-safety equipment.
• Suitable Class 4 eyewear.
• Jigs.
• Commissioning and staff training.

A purifier does not make unknown plastics safe or eliminate the need for material identification, filter maintenance and workplace ventilation assessment.

An M40 setup can also require software, cutters, diamond tools, fixtures, lubrication, dust or chip management, installation and training.

The correct comparison is therefore the cost of the complete setup required to produce the intended work safely and consistently—not simply the bare machine price.

Which Machine Should Your Business Choose?

The right choice depends on whether the business needs the M40’s specialist mechanical finish, the broader material flexibility of an xTool F-series laser, or both.

Keep the Existing M40 Alone if:

• Plaques, laminates, routed recesses and scribed products dominate.
• Paint-filled engraving is central.
• Existing workflows remain profitable and manageable.
• Staff already operate the machine efficiently.
• There is no proven demand for laser-specific finishes.
• Adding a laser would duplicate capability without generating additional revenue.

Doing nothing can be the correct commercial decision.

Where a business wants to expand beyond a single mechanical process, however, the xTool F-series can bring metal, wood, leather, acrylic and glass workflows into one compact platform, depending on the model selected.

Choose the xTool F2 if:

• Names, dates and logos form the main workload.
• Products are generally small.
• Portability matters.
• Metal marking is needed but metal cutting is not.
• Leather, pens, jewellery, tags, wood and opaque acrylic are central.
• Large flat objects may benefit from the removable baseplate.
• Order volumes are low to moderate.
• Capital cost is a major consideration.

The F2 is not simply a smaller F2 Ultra. Its portability and removable base give it capabilities the Ultra models do not share.

Choose the F2 Ultra Single if:

• Metal is the primary workload.
• Deep engraving or relief will generate revenue.
• MOPA colour is required.
• Thin-metal cutting will be used.
• Another machine already handles non-metals.
• The 40W diode would not generate enough income to justify the Dual.

Choose the F2 Ultra Dual if:

• The full 60W MOPA metal capability is required.
• Wood, leather and opaque acrylic will also be processed regularly.
• One machine must cover a broad mix of metal and non-metal products.
• The 40W diode will support genuine customer demand.

Do not buy the Dual simply because it is the most expensive model. Buy it where both laser sources will earn revenue.

Choose the F2 Ultra UV if:

• Glass and crystal are primary products.
• Direct glass marking is preferable to coating-assisted engraving.
• Internal crystal engraving will generate revenue.
• Fine, low-heat marking is more important than deep metal removal.
• Metal cutting and MOPA colour are not required.

Final Verdict

The Gravotech M40 and xTool F2 series should not be treated as direct equivalents.

The M40 remains a capable mechanical platform with clear strengths in routed signage, cutter-defined geometry, paint-filled recesses, scribing and established repeat production.

The F2 series is stronger for detailed graphics, variable personalisation, contact-free processing, camera-assisted setup and modern retail workflows.

Within the xTool range:

• The F2 is the strongest portable and lower-cost option.
• The F2 Ultra Single is the rational choice for focused metal production.
• The F2 Ultra Dual is justified where both metal and non-metal capability will earn revenue.
• The F2 Ultra UV is the specialist choice for glass, crystal and fine low-heat marking.

For an existing Gravotech or Gravograph owner, the most commercially sensible answer will often be to retain the M40 and add the specific F2 model that addresses a proven gap.

The right machine is not the one with the longest specification list.