A 60 x 60 cm frame and a 22 W laser: the Mecpow X5 is the most powerful engraver I'd tested by the end of 2024. So powerful that my first tests nearly started a fire. Here's what I learned, the settings that worked and the honest pros and cons.
Easy setup, steep power curve
Geekbuying sent me the X5 for review and gave me freedom to say what I think. Setup took me no more than 10 minutes: the main body arrives pre-assembled and you only fit the rails and route a few cables. LightBurn on my Mac found it straight away over USB.
The real learning curve was the power. The strongest laser I had used before was 10 W, so I based my first tests on those settings and nearly burnt the 2.5 mm sample wood included in the box. Only 12 W more doesn't sound like much, but I had to run it at about half the speed I used with the 10 W. Eventually, 1 mm plywood cut cleanly in one pass at 40% power, where my older Sculpfun and Longer machines needed around 60% and two slower passes.
A complete control board
The board has power, USB and microSD, a "screen" port probably meant for a future accessory, an emergency stop, a reset button and a key for when kids are around. On the back there are ports for air assist, a 24 V outlet, a safety door and an extra fan, plus a switch for the flame detection. Keep it on: it shuts the machine down as soon as it senses a flame. The alarm actually went off for me once. The air assist comes built in, which is a big deal. On my Longer I had to buy and aim a compressor. One quirk: to control it via G-code, you need to move the connector to the M7 port.
Wood, leather and metal
My logo on a piece of parquet at 50% power, one pass, came out well over 1 mm deep with clean edges, thanks to the air assist. I cut little Christmas boxes for my kids (one with the Grinch, of course) in about 10 minutes, and a chunk of wood around 1.5 cm thick went through in a single pass at 100% power. For photos I used LightBurn's image adjustments, the Jarvis or Stucki dithering modes plus small tweaks to brightness, gamma and sharpening radius. My Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz almost looked 3D. Leather engraved best at high speed and 40% power. On a black-coated metal plate from our server room, it went more than 1 mm deep.
What I'd change
The air-assist tube is too short and drags when the head travels the full area, so I'll add 20–30 cm. And the size cuts both ways: the frame is about 65 x 65 cm and needs a proper workspace (I had to extend my IKEA table), while the usable area is closer to 58.5 x 58.5 cm. I'd love this power in a smaller or foldable frame. Still, I'd call it prosumer: nothing important is missing compared with professional gear.