Size:

The xTool P2 is almost the same size as my 5 year old Glowforge Basic - just a few inches larger.  The P2 measures approximately 39.4" x 25.1" x 10.6". 

Real life terms - this fits on my Ikea desk just fine.  I have two regular table legs and a cabinet support on the other side.  If you are worried about durability - this set up has worked for my Glowforge for the past 5 years.

Cut area size:

12.1 x 23.6"

This is a few inches bigger than my Glowforge (approx 11 x 19.5). 

Real life what does this mean?  You can easily cut wood or acrylic sheets designed for all laser cutters.  Most wood suppliers sell laser sized sheets around 12"x19" to fit a majority of desktop laser beds.  It is handy that you can engrave longer items - think long cutting boards!

The xTool P2 has the ability to engrave taller items.  The cut height with xTool P2 is 2.7" or 8.46" if you purchase the additional riser.  You can even engrave tumblers with an optional attachment.

Amazingly packaged:

Check out all of this foam.  My P2 arrived secure and safe (even as I cringed when the delivery guy shoved it up my front steps).

My doodle is my forever crafting buddy 🐾

Ease of set up:

The instruction book broke down how to get started step by step. 

Wow - here is where I was really impressed.  Each lever or screw that needed to be moved was clearly marked with bright green sticky removable tabs.  

There was no hunting for the screw that I needed to loosen.  

The machine came with a double handed screw driver and this thing was seriously handy!  The screws I needed to remove were exactly the right size of this screwdriver.  There were screws that I should not remove - and I tested to find they did not properly fit the screwdriver.  Meaning - they really thought the process through to make it user friendly to ONLY remove the screws you need to adjust your laser.

Here's what I didn't realize I would need to add to my desktop laser:

I wasn't expecting these tasks but xTool really made it beyond user friendly to follow.  

The first was adding water to the laser.  xTool included optional coolant and funnel.  I didn't need the coolant since I was inside my home but I did need the measuring device that it came in.  I quickly added purified water without any issue.

While you are waiting for your laser to arrive make sure you grab 1 gallon of purified drinking water.

The second was making sure my mirrors were aligned.  When I saw this I literally broke into cold sweats.  I spent an entire afternoon one time aligning the mirrors on my Thunder laser. 

I shouldn't have worried.  Xtool designed a computer module to walk me through every step of adjusting the mirrors.  It even told me which screw to move in which direction in precise measurements.  I had all 3 of my mirrors adjusted in less than 20 minutes.  

I should have taken a picture..but remember...cold sweats.

First cuts:

The P2 came with a few sheets of material to test.  I received basswood, cardboard, and acrylic.  

For my first cut I decided to just add a basic heart from their software's shape library.  Material settings are preloaded for these materials in their software.  I just selected the material settings and sent to the machine.

First cut was a glorious success!

The most impressive part for me - once the file is sent to the laser it is ready to cut RIGHT AWAY.  There is no waiting, no processing, no thinking delay.  This feature in itself is a HUGE time saver for me.

It's been a great first week with my xTool P2 laser and I can't wait to make all the crafts!

If you are interested in learning more about xTool P2 or their other amazing machines - check out their website here through my affiliate link.   

And if you want a free file to try with your laser cutter - grab these earrings! 

Happy crafting!  I'd love to see what you make in my Facebook Group.