Metal cutting is something that’s never been an easy feat. It’s typically expensive, difficult, and requires a lot of skill to do. Well, the xTool MetalFab aims to change that, and I think it’s truly the best laser cutter/welder I’ve ever seen.
The xTool MetalFab is a unique machine from the popular laser brand. As the company’s latest release that just entered presale, the MetalFab takes things up quite a few notches, delivering either an 800W or 1,200W fiber laser to your hand (or an optional CNC).
The MetalFab is designed to cut and weld metal. It’s capable of welding material from 0.2 to 5mm (0.0078 to 0.157 inch) in thickness. For cutting, it’ll handle material up to 10mm or 0.39 inches thick. When I was able to demo the MetalFab hands-on, we processed 1mm stainless steel in both cutting and welding.
xTool MetalFab
$4999 $6999 Save
$2000
The xTool MetalFab is an 800W or 1,200W fiber laser cutter and welder combo. It can be used to cut or weld a variety of materials, ranging as thin as 0.2mm and as thick as 10mm. With the choice to use it as a gantry laser metal cutter, or do handheld tasks like rust removal, welding, or portable cutting, the xTool MetalFab is a solid choice for any metalworking shop.
xTool is going for something pretty unique with the MetalFab. It’s not just a fiber laser cutter, and it’s not just a fiber laser welder, it’s both. In cutting mode, you can mount the laser head on a gantry CNC machine that’ll run it for automated and extremely precise cutting. In welding mode, the head comes out of the machine and is handheld.
The MetalFab is air-cooled, and can use compressed air, nitrogen, or argon as the gasses for cutting, while nitrogen and argon are recommended for welding. Just know that you’ll need 220V for the MetalFab, as this is more of an industrial-grade machine than an entry-level laser.
xTool is marketing the MetalFab for hobbyists and small/medium businesses. It’s designed as a machine that will take your hobby to the next level. What that next level is, is up to you. It could be moving from hobby to small business, or just simply being able to process more materials in your shop.
In the past, xTool has done a great job at marketing to the hobby user who wants to possibly use their machine to make some side income. The MetalFab is no different.
Coming in with a starting price of $4,999 for the 800W welder only, and maxing out at $13,999 for the 1,200W CNC system, this machine isn’t cheap. Those are also early bird prices, with the full retail price starting at $6,999 and going up to $17,999.
All that to say, the MetalFab is more of an in-between item. It’s for both hobbyists and full-on businesses. I personally know a large business that’s looking at purchasing one (or possibly a few) as fiber laser welders to keep in their shop. I also know several people who just enjoy making as a hobby that are considering purchasing one too.
Now, if you have a hobby shop, you might be wondering exactly how the MetalFab could benefit you. As someone who’s already used one, let me lay out just how unique this tool is.
First off, it’s small, but does quite a lot. Many hobby shops are run out of a garage or shed, and space is at a premium. The entire CNC kit takes up around a four-foot cubed space in your shop. That’s all. The interior working space is around 24 by 24 inches, which is quite large when you consider this is a metal cutter. If you opt for just the fiber laser welder, without the CNC aspect, that only takes up about two foot deep by a foot wide and around 20 inches tall. It’s quite compact.
Employing the xTool MetalFab in your hobby shop means you’ll be able to cut (and weld) just about any type of metal. At the xTool Demo Space I visited to see a pre-release unit, we saw everything from chairs and side tables to ornaments, wall hangers, and more made with the MetalFab.
This one tool can do the work of multiple in your shop. That’s what makes the MetalFab so unique. The fact that it can both cut as a CNC, and do handheld welding. Not only that, but xTool touts the ability to do rust removal, both handheld and when mounted in the CNC.
The options are endless with the MetalFab, truly. It’s able to supplement a hobby by allowing you to make fun things in the shop in your spare time, and can also handle running a small business.
The 1mm stainless steel that we were cutting in the Demo Room was being cut at 60mm/s. To put that into perspective, it can cut a four-inch circle in under a minute.
Welding with it was also quite simple. I have never welded before in my lift, and I was able to easily pick it up and make two decent-looking welds with stainless steel. The welds themselves were stronger than the steel, which was demonstrated when we stepped on the welded pieces and the metal bent instead of the weld itself.
With the compact footprint and extreme capability, the MetalFab absolutely has a place in hobby shops. It’s not cheap by any means, but it’s capable.
Honestly, I want a MetalFab in my shop. I don’t fully know what I’d do with it yet, but I’d love to have one. It would be great to make metal outdoor signs, create unique fire pits, and anything else that my mind could think up.
The ease of use of xTool Creative Space also lends itself to the MetalFab. I’ve used XCS for years now, and it’s a great free piece of software that xTool puts out. It handles everything that the MetalFab needs, and allows you to simply drop both vector (SVG) and raster (PNG/JPG) files in and be ready to cut in minutes.
If you’ve been looking to add metalworking to your hobby shop, then the xTool MetalFab could be the product you’ve been waiting for.
