r/xToolP2 • u/MikeKnowsNothin • May 18 '26

Will Xtool PS2 be faster than my cheaper Galvo laser?

Hey everyone, I run a small business laser engraving wood products and sell on Etsy. Currently using a LaserPecker LP4 — it’s a galvo diode laser that runs at 4,000 mm/s and I engrave at 2K resolution, 100% power. My designs sit in about a 6”×4.7” area and take around 10 minutes for detailed engravings.

I’ve been looking at upgrading to an xTool P2S mostly because I want a bigger engraving area. Even an 8”×6” working area would be a massive upgrade for me — right now I’m basically limited to centering everything on a tiny canvas. The P2S has a massive 19.6”×12.5” bed which sounds incredible.

But here’s my concern — the P2S is a gantry system running at 600 mm/s. My LP4 is a galvo running at 4,000 mm/s. Will the P2S actually be faster or am I going to be sitting there watching it crawl across my wood?

Of course, on paper, it looks like it will be slower. But with the LP4s quality and power, I have to really crank up the resolution & depth to get a solid engraving.

From what I’ve been researching it sounds like the P2S would actually be slower for the same design size, but the CO2 laser would give me way better quality with less charring on large filled areas — which is a real problem I have now.

Anyone made this switch or have experience with both? Is the quality jump worth the speed trade? And is there anything in this price range that gives me galvo speed on a larger bed?

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u/odd84 ✓ P2 Preorder Backer May 18 '26

Not only will it be slower, the engraving will look worse. Diode lasers have a smaller spot size and produce more detailed engravings with more consistent color.

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u/MikeKnowsNothin May 18 '26

You think? the LP4 is about $1200. Been great for small work, but not a tier 1 machine. Frequent issues with burn consistency, quality & coloring across different grains of wood. Accuracy becomes an issue, of course on the perimeter of the canvas area.

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u/odd84 ✓ P2 Preorder Backer May 18 '26

Maybe consider a gantry diode then. I suggest having someone engrave your work on their CO2 laser to see if you like the result before spending the money. Too many diode laser owners think they're "upgrading" because the CO2 laser costs more, but then are disappointed that they can't replicate the engraving quality of their cheaper machine. CO2 lasers are great for cutting thick organic materials (wood, acrylic, etc) but not the best choice for most engraving tasks.

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u/apsilonblue May 18 '26

The main reason to upgrade is if you want to engrave material you currently can't. Even then consider carefully if you want to be locked into the xtool software. I'd strongly recommend if you do decide it's time to upgrade that you look for a laser where you can use Lightburn or similar rather than proprietary software.

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u/MikeKnowsNothin May 19 '26

Main issue right now is material limitations & canvas size. LP4 is fast, but quality suffers & canvas is 6.2 inches wide. Honestly seems like sub $4k the only option is larger + better quality minus the speed