The number everyone misreads: what wattage really controls, and why diode watts and CO2 watts are not the same thing.
Read the guidexTool S1 vs Creality Falcon2 Pro in 2026: Enclosure or Speed
2026-09-05 · updated 2026-09-05 · ~8 min read
Enclosed vs open frame40 watt class diode60 watt class diodeHome shop safetyFirst serious machineRotary friendly
xTool S1 vs Creality Falcon2 Pro is a lifestyle fork as much as a spec duel. The S1 is the 40 watt class enclosed appliance with air assist and a camera. The Falcon2 Pro runs a 60 watt class open frame for speed and bed size, and you build the safety rig.
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How much does each one really cost you?
The xTool S1 asks premium diode money, and nearly all of it buys the shell. You get the 40 watt class head, sure, but the real purchase is the sealed enclosure, the integrated air assist, and the preview camera that ride along in one frame. The machine in the box is the machine you run, no weekend assembly required.
The Creality Falcon2 Pro usually lists a step down, closer to mid range money for a 60 watt class open frame. That buys more speed class and a bigger bed straight off the pallet. But an open frame is a platform, not a finished product: you will want an enclosure, an air assist kit, and a real fume path before you call it done, and that is where the sticker gap quietly closes.
Run the totals in relative terms and both setups land in the same premium band once the safety kit is added. The S1 front loads the spending, the Falcon2 Pro back loads it, and your wallet ends up in the same neighborhood either way.
Which machine are you actually bringing home?
Both are diode machines in the same beam family, which means the material menu is nearly identical: wood, ply, leather, dark acrylic, and coated metals take the beam well, while clear acrylic and glass mostly shrug it off. That is the one thing these two will never argue about. The argument is everything wrapped around the beam.
The xTool S1, the appliance
The S1 is the sealed, all in one answer from xTool. It ships as an enclosure with a viewing window, a lift lid, integrated air assist, an emergency stop, and a camera that previews your stock before you fire. It is the rare laser that looks polite enough for a house, even if the garage is still the right address.
The bed is compact to mid size, sized for coasters, phone cases, small boards, and, with the brand rotary family, a steady line of tumblers. Software is the xTool design app, friendly for beginners and plenty for the weekend shop. You buy this one when you want the hazards handled for you.
The Creality Falcon2 Pro, the workhorse
The Falcon2 Pro is the wide open speed machine from Creality. It is a 60 watt class diode on an open gantry with a generously bigger bed that fits whole planks and multi row sheet layouts. Nothing is hidden on this machine, which means everything is your job.
You supply the enclosure, the air assist, and the fume discipline. In exchange you get faster passes on thick stock and layouts that keep you engraving instead of shuffling wood. Software behaves like a standard diode machine, so the usual third party control tools and thick community profiles apply. You buy this one when throughput and reach beat turnkey convenience.
Think of it this way
Think of the S1 as the microwave and the Falcon2 Pro as the range a chef actually cooks on. The microwave heats dinner with no fuss and no flame. The range cooks bigger and faster, but it needs a hood, a clear bench, and a cook who reads the manual.
Why do they feel so different to run?
Strip the marketing away and the difference is four things: wattage class, shell, bed, and workflow. Each one changes how the machine feels on a Tuesday night. Same beam family, completely different Tuesday nights.
Wattage class first. The Falcon2 Pro carries the higher wattage class head, in the 60 watt class neighborhood, so it pushes more beam into thick stock per pass. The S1 runs the 40 watt class, still plenty for most hobby work, just slower on the thick end of the menu. On thin ply and fine engraving the speed gap nearly disappears, so the power argument only shows up when the stock gets serious.
Shell second. The S1 puts the enclosure and air assist inside the product, so the beam stays contained and the smoke heads toward a vent or filter from day one. The Falcon2 Pro leaves the guardrails to you: an enclosure and an air kit you pick and install. That is a division of labor, not a flaw, but you have to show up for your half.
Bed third. The compact to mid size bed on the S1 suits small runs and close up detail work. The bigger bed on the Falcon2 Pro changes the batch math, because more stock per pass means more parts per hour. Bed size is the quiet spec that decides if you spend evenings engraving or moving wood.
Workflow last. The S1 pairs with the xTool design app and its camera preview, the gentlest way to line up stock around. The Falcon2 Pro behaves like a standard diode machine for the third party crowd. Neither workflow is wrong, they just reward different personalities: one wants guidance, the other wants control.
The way I see it
Wattage class is like engine size: it sets how hard you can push through thick stock, not how good the finish looks. A patient 40 watt class pass and a rushed 60 watt class pass can turn out the same coaster. The polish comes from focus, speed, and motion, and both machines can supply those.
Which one fits your job list?
Stop comparing stickers and compare calendars. List the jobs you will actually run next month, and your real job list is the only spec sheet that matters.
- Tumbler and bottle runs: both machines pair with rotary families, and while the S1 keeps air assist aimed inside its shell, the Falcon2 Pro lets you stage several blanks across its bigger bed.
- Thick cutting boards and plaques: the Falcon2 Pro earns its keep here, because wattage class is a cutting tool, not a badge.
- Fine detail and small runs: the camera preview and the steady enclosed platform on the S1 make fiddly work friendlier, and you will never miss speed you did not need.
- Big sheets and batch production: the reach of the Falcon2 Pro wins outright, because bed size is throughput.
Now run the room check. Indoor corner, shared walls, kids or pets in the house? The enclosure the S1 ships with is not optional gear, it is the machine. Dedicated ventilated shop bench? Then the Falcon2 Pro homework is homework you can actually do, and the bigger bed pays for the effort.
Think of it this way
Buy the machine that matches the room you have, not the room you wish you had. The S1 fits a house, the Falcon2 Pro fits a shop. The best laser is the one that actually gets turned on.
Who should buy which one?
Both machines are genuinely good, and that is the whole problem. Choosing right is about honesty about your space, your job list, and your patience. Good machines are everywhere, the right fit is not.
Buy It If
- Buy the xTool S1 if you want a serious first machine that starts safely on the first night. The enclosure is the feature, not the packaging.
- Buy the Falcon2 Pro if your queue is thick stock and big sheets and the workshop already has a vent path. Speed and reach are real money when they cut your evenings short.
- Buy either one with a rotary if tumblers are the plan, because the spin axis is where diode lasers make their best living. Blanks sell the dream, the machine just needs to keep up.
Skip It If
- Skip the Falcon2 Pro if the kit it needs has no home in your space. An open frame without an enclosure is a regret with a laser in it.
- Skip the xTool S1 if your jobs are already big and fast and the bench exists to support them. The premium shell is wasted on a machine whose bed you outgrow in a season.
- Skip both if you only engrave a few blanks a month. The cheapest thing in the aisle might be the smartest thing in the aisle for you.
Notice the pattern: the S1 sells safety and the Falcon2 Pro sells speed, and whichever one you are missing is the one you should buy. Nobody ever regrets the machine that fits the room.
How do they stack up, line by line?
One table, no spin. Read the Verdict column after you have already picked your side, because it will tell you where the grass is actually greener.
| Option | Power and shell | Bed and software | Best For | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| xTool S1 | 40 watt class diode in a sealed all in one shell | Compact to mid size bed, camera preview, xTool design app | Beginners and safety first buyers | The appliance that starts strong and stays tidy, just not the fastest knife in the drawer. |
| Creality Falcon2 Pro | 60 watt class open frame diode | Bigger bed for planks and sheets, standard diode software | Speed hounds with a ventilated shop | Raw headroom for the money, as long as you bring the guardrails. |
| Falcon2 Pro with safety kit | The same 60 watt class head, now inside a rig you assemble | The big bed plus a footprint that eats a bench corner | Builders who want the speed, built their way | Now the totals match the S1, so choose on bed and speed, not sticker shock. |
Notice the third row. Once the Falcon2 Pro gets the kit it deserves, the real cost lines up with the S1, and the argument stops being about money. It becomes about bed size, speed, and how much assembly you enjoy. Do not let sticker shock pick your machine, let the job list do it.
So which one is yours?
Here is the honest wrap. The xTool S1 wins for the reader this page is written for: someone buying a serious first machine for a home workspace, with mixed small-batch jobs and zero appetite for assembling a safety rig. It cuts on the first night, keeps the air assist aimed, and lets the hobby stay a hobby. The Falcon2 Pro is the better buy for a different reader: ventilated shop, thick stock in the queue, and the patience to build a proper rig. That is not a consolation prize, it is a different job description.
The way I see it
You are not choosing between a good laser and a bad laser. You are choosing between a finished product and a capable project. One gets you engraving tonight, the other builds you a faster workshop by next month. Know which one you are actually shopping for.
The Bottom Line
For the reader profile of this page, the xTool S1 is the winner: safer start, friendlier software, and the enclosure question already answered. Choose the Falcon2 Pro instead when the jobs are thick, big, and fast and the shop is properly ventilated, because then the S1 is just a tidy compromise. Buy the machine that matches the room you have, and this argument ends in a draw you will enjoy.
Keep reading
An xTool S1 review with real talk: 40 watt enclosed diode specs, the cutting lane, hidden bench costs, and the BeamScore verdict.
Read the guideA straight take on the Creality Falcon2 Pro and the 40 to 60 watt diode class: what the watts buy, who should pay up, and who should buy cheaper.
Read the guideThe xTool S1 vs xTool P2 head to head: a diode and a CO2 tube under one badge, compared on money, materials, and bench reality for the home maker job list.
Read the guideGlowforge Pro vs Glowforge Aura in 2026: same brand, same guided app, two completely different beams. This head to head matches the 45 watt class CO2 flagship against the compact 6 watt diode on money, materials, room, and growth, then names the machine for your desk.
Read the guideThe xTool P2 vs Glowforge Pro head to head: 55 watt class open software against 45 watt class cloud guided CO2, sorted by the job list you actually run.
Read the guideSources: manufacturer listings and standard public guidance at time of writing. Prices and availability subject to change. Individual results vary.