A hobby laser and a business laser can sit on the same bench.
Hobby-grade and production-grade is not a question of how much bench a machine takes up. We build bench machines too. The difference is what is inside: an all-metal frame, an air cooled RF metal tube, LightBurn in full control, and US-based support behind it. That is why shops call us every week to move up from an xTool, once they hit the ceiling on speed, power, bed size, or support. Buy the machine you will still be running in five years, and we will prove it on your own material first.
★★★★★ Over 1,000 five-star reviews on Trustpilot · US-based support, coast to coast · Building machines since 2013, selling and supporting here since 2018
The ceiling comes faster than the payments do.
The pattern is the same almost every time. Somebody buys their first laser, the work is good, word gets around, and then the orders arrive. Fifty pieces. A hundred. Suddenly the machine that was fine on Saturday is the reason you are up until two in the morning on Tuesday. It is not fast enough, the bed is too small for the sheet, it will not cut deep enough in one pass, and when something breaks you are waiting on a support queue on the other side of the world.
That is the moment people call us. We would rather you skip that year. A Thunder is built for the business you are trying to build rather than the hobby it started as, and it costs a lot less than buying a machine twice.
We bought an xTool and put a stopwatch on it.
Our VP bought an xTool P2, set both machines to the settings that gave the best result rather than the fastest number, and ran the same five jobs on camera. Not full blast, not cherry picked. Same job, same quality target, two machines.
Grant Burrage, VP | Thunder Laser USA, runs the same five jobs on both machines and shows the timer on each one.
Swipe the table sideways to see both columns.
| The job | Thunder Bolt | xTool P2 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting board, engraved | 10 min 15 sec | 19 min 41 sec | About twice as fast |
| Flask, coated metal | 2 min 42 sec | 6 min 41 sec | 4 minutes saved |
| Leatherette patch, engraved and cut | 1 min 49 sec | 6 min 10 sec | More than 3x faster |
| Slate coaster | 3 min 37 sec | 8 min 57 sec | About 5 minutes saved |
| Curved tray | 2 min 37 sec | 23 min 48 sec | Their curved surface mode caps at 100 mm/s |
Run the patch job a hundred times and that is three hours on the Bolt against ten on the P2. That is the whole argument in one number. It is not that the other machine cannot do the work. It is that it charges you your evenings and weekends to do it, and those hours are the ones you were going to sell.
Timings are from Thunder Laser USA’s own recorded head-to-head of the Thunder Bolt against an xTool P2 that we purchased for testing, published on our YouTube channel. Both machines were run at the settings that produced the best result, not their maximum speeds. That test reflects each machine as configured at the time of filming, and both product lines have been updated since. Current published specifications are cited separately below.
Whichever xTool you are looking at, here is what you get instead.
Same footprint on your bench, a different class of machine underneath. That is the whole distinction: hobby-grade and production-grade is about the frame, the tube, and who stands behind it, not about the size of the box.
- 30W or 60W RF metal tube, air cooled
- Up to 1,500 mm/s engraving
- Camera and infrared autofocus standard
- LightBurn included and in full control
- Rotary capable, 110v wall outlet
- Two year machine warranty
- US techs on both coasts, parts stocked in Texas
- Max 600 mm/s engraving
- Glass CO2 tube, 70% power at 6,000 to 8,000 hours
- LightBurn runs flat jobs only, per xTool
- 600 x 305 mm work area
- Warranty varies by model, check theirs
- Beds to 51 x 35 in and 63 x 39 in
- RF metal tube up to 120W, air cooled
- Camera and infrared autofocus standard
- Front and back pass-through on every size, any length
- Two year machine warranty
- Still runs on a 110v wall outlet
- 36 x 18 in work area
- 80W CO2, no RF metal tube listed
- Max 1,200 mm/s engraving
- xTool Studio software
- Warranty varies by model, check theirs
xTool specifications from xtool.com, August 2026. P2S price as listed at Best Buy, August 2026; P3 price as listed at xtool.com, August 2026. Thunder pricing is published at thunderlaserusa.com.
An xTool affiliate ran the same head to head. The Bolt still won.
An independent maker who earns a commission on xTool sales, and nothing on ours, bought both machines, ran side-by-side projects for weeks, and scored them category by category. He said the quiet part out loud before he published the result.
Independent third-party comparison. We did not pay for it, sponsor it, or see it before it went live.
It pains me to report out some of these results, because as I mentioned in the beginning of this video, I’m an affiliate for one of these companies. Currently Thunder does not offer an affiliate program, but I really wish that they did, because after running these tests side by side I have to give five stars to the Thunderbolt and four stars for the P2 on engraving quality.
What he found running them side by side
- On photo paper, “the Thunderbolt produced a much cleaner image than the P2.”
- More soot built up around the engraving on the P2, because it runs the job slower.
- A 30W RF tube is “comparable to a 60 watt glass tube CO2 laser,” so the wattage on the box is not the comparison.
And what separated them
- The Bolt’s finer beam spot gives better detail at higher speed, which is why he scored speed and accuracy five to three.
- “The P2 is much louder than the bolt.”
- On the Bolt, autofocus raises the bed with a touch probe. Measuring height on the P2 “struggled a bit because of the camera.”
His closing line on quality: putting the P2 next to the Bolt “it’s just not a fair comparison for the detail and quality that you get with a Thunder Bolt.”
A maker who works with both companies came to the same conclusion.
Matt runs a laser engraving and embroidery business out of his garage and has a working relationship with both brands. He opens his comparison by saying he takes no scripts from anyone and is not paid to lean either way, then puts a Bolt next to an xTool P2.
This one is basically an Epilog, let’s put it that way. I’m not joking. The engraving that I’m doing and seeing is insane. The detail that this is putting out compared to any CO2, at that matter, it’s unreal.
I’ve been dealing with Thunder now for a while. Their customer support has been phenomenal, always has. xTool, I can’t say that, and that’s nothing… well, I was going to say it’s nothing bad, but it actually is. They should work on that.
A ton of people love xTool and they just don’t like the Creative Space, which I don’t either. I find LightBurn a lot easier and faster and more efficient.
He scores the cameras a tie on both machines, the same call the first reviewer made. Where he separates them is the tube. The Bolt runs an air cooled RF metal tube. The machine he set beside it runs a water cooled glass tube, and in his words, if you are in a cold area you have to put antifreeze in it so it does not freeze and take the tube with it. He also notes the Bolt is far quieter, and that its honeycomb bed takes hold-down clips that the other bed will not.
First set: quotes and scores from an independent third-party YouTube comparison of the Thunder Bolt and the xTool P2, linked above. That reviewer discloses in his video that he is an affiliate for xTool and not for Thunder Laser, and Thunder Laser did not sponsor, commission, or review the video before publication. Second set: a separate published video comparison of the Bolt and the xTool P2 by a laser and embroidery business owner who discloses on camera that he has a working relationship with both companies, is not paid to favor either, and takes no scripts. Both comparisons reflect the machines as configured at the time of filming; the Bolt line has been updated since.
Four reasons shops move up.
One machine, bought once.
A Thunder is sized for the business you are building, so the order that doubles next year does not force another purchase. A first machine plus the Thunder you buy a year later costs more than the Thunder alone, plus the year in between.
Metal machine, industrial parts.
All-metal construction on an air cooled RF metal tube, and a Nova Plus adds a motorized Z with both the honeycomb and knife blade beds. Every machine opens up so you can service it yourself, and parts are stocked in Quitman, Texas. Built for a duty cycle, not a weekend.
LightBurn runs our machine.
On a Thunder, LightBurn is the control, included and licensed for two computers. On an xTool CO2, LightBurn is limited to flat jobs only, with no camera, autofocus, rotary, or passthrough, per xTool’s own support documentation.
US techs, both coasts, same day.
Our technicians work remotely from the East Coast and the West Coast, on a ticketed system backed by a deep knowledge base and video library, plus a free hour of remote training. More than 1,000 five-star reviews from owners who have actually needed us.
Thunder Nova Plus vs xTool P3.
The P3 is the biggest CO2 machine xTool makes. This is the Thunder it actually competes with, line by line. Prices shown are the 80W Nova Plus 35, the closest match on wattage.
Swipe the table sideways to see both columns.
| Feature | Thunder Nova Plus 35, 80W | xTool P3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $13,150, published. The Nova Plus line starts at $8,350 | From $6,999, published |
| What it is built for | Production. All-metal industrial frame, built to run hard all day | Desktop CO2. Warranty varies by model, check theirs |
| Laser source | 80W RF metal tube, air cooled, no chiller to own or maintain | 80W CO2. No RF metal tube listed on the P3 spec page |
| Tube life | About 10,000 hours | Not published for the P3. On the P2S, xTool lists power falling to 70% at 6,000 to 8,000 hours |
| Top engraving speed | Up to 1,200 mm/s at 2.5G acceleration. The Titan runs 3,000 mm/s at 8G | 1,200 mm/s |
| Working area | 35.4 x 23.6 in, and up to 63 x 39.4 in across the line | 36 x 18 in |
| Power available | Up to 120W across the Nova Plus line | 80W is the top of the line |
| Software and control | LightBurn included with the machine, licensed for two computers, and it runs the machine | xTool Studio |
| Cameras and autofocus | Overhead camera, infrared autofocus with nothing hanging below the cone, motorized Z, red dot pointer | 16MP SkyView plus close-range camera, LiDAR autofocus |
| Long material | Front and back pass-through on every Nova Plus size, from the 24 up, takes material of any length. Built in, not an accessory | Optional Intelligent Conveyor Feeder, sold separately |
| Warranty | Two year machine warranty, 12 months on parts | Varies by model — check theirs |
| Free sample on your material | Yes, cut on your own material and mailed back with our settings | No free material sample program listed on xtool.com |
| Support and parts | US-based technicians working remotely on both coasts, on a ticketed system with a knowledge base and video library. Parts stocked in Quitman, Texas. Over 1,000 five-star Trustpilot reviews | Online support |
| Power supply | Standard 110v wall outlet, 15A circuit at 80W | Standard wall outlet |
One note on the wattage numbers. An RF metal tube fires a finer beam than a glass tube and puts more of its energy into the cut, so the two are not compared watt for watt. The independent reviewer above puts a 30W RF at “comparable to a 60 watt glass tube CO2 laser,” and in our own testing a 60W RF performs like a 100W glass tube. Compare the tube type first, then the wattage.
xTool P3 specifications and pricing from xtool.com, August 2026. P2S tube life from xtool.com, August 2026. LightBurn limitations on xTool CO2 machines per xTool’s own support center article on using LightBurn with the P2 and P2S, August 2026. Thunder Laser machine specifications and pricing published at thunderlaserusa.com.
And when the Nova Plus is not enough, there is another step. The Titan.
The Titan is not in this table on purpose. Putting a production machine that runs 3,000 mm/s at 8G acceleration against a bench machine at half the price would not tell you anything useful. It is the machine shops move to when the laser is the business and it runs all day, and it starts at $16,250. If that is where you are headed, we would rather show you that honestly than pretend the comparison above is the whole lineup.
They bought the xTool first. Then the orders came.
Verbatim, from recorded calls with owners who moved up to a Thunder.
We are getting orders now for fifty and a hundred quantity, and we are limited to the speed and power settings on the xTool. And again, it is only a twenty watt too.
One of my biggest hangups with my xTool at this point: the beam is not exactly detailed, and it is limited on my bed size. And the fact that it is slow. I have been using it about three years now.
I really think with the xTool, I cannot scale.
You are buying a company, not just a machine.
Thunder Laser Global has been building machines since 2013. Thunder Laser USA has been selling and supporting them here since 2018. Our technicians work remotely from the East Coast and the West Coast, so a shop in either time zone gets a real answer the same day, and parts are stocked in Quitman, Texas. Behind the techs sit a knowledge base and a video library built over years, and every machine comes with a free hour of remote training, one on one, walking your machine with you.
Where it is built is not the question. How well it is built is.
In 2026, a country of origin is not a quality guarantee. There is excellent equipment and there is junk built in America, and the same is true of China. The only thing that matters is who builds the better machine and who stands behind it after the sale.
Thunder Laser has been the most premium laser coming out of China for well over a decade. Thunder Laser Global has been building machines since 2013, and Thunder Laser USA has been selling and supporting them here since 2018. Parts are stocked in Quitman, Texas, and our technicians work remotely from the East Coast and the West Coast, which is how a shop in either time zone gets a real answer the same day. Behind them sits a knowledge base and a video library built over years, plus a free hour of remote training on your own machine.
Built for production. Backed by five-star, coast-to-coast support. Bought once instead of twice. That is the whole comparison.
The four walls people hit.
Speed, once volume shows up
An order of fifty or a hundred pieces turns a slow engrave into a lost weekend. The P2S tops out at 600 mm/s and the P3 at 1,200. A Nova Plus matches that 1,200 while giving you far more bed and up to 120W, a Bolt runs up to 1,500, and a Titan runs 3,000 at 8G acceleration. Same job, a fraction of the machine time.
Bed size and material
The sheet you want to buy is bigger than the bed you own. Nova Plus goes to 51 x 35 in and 63 x 39.4 in, and every size in the line has a front and back pass-through that takes material of any length. It is built into the machine, not a conveyor accessory you add later.
Power, and what it will cut
Cutting depth is a function of wattage. The Nova Plus goes up to 120W and the Titan is offered from 50W up to 120W depending on model, all of it on an air cooled RF metal tube with no chiller to own. An 80W cuts up to about 3/4 in wood or 1 in acrylic. When a customer asks for thicker stock, you want headroom, not another pass.
Software and support you own
LightBurn is the industry standard and on a Thunder it runs the machine, camera, rotary and all. Behind it is a US-based technician team working remotely on both coasts, a free hour of remote training, parts stocked in Quitman, and a two year machine warranty with 12 months on parts.
Detail you can charge for
An RF metal tube puts out a finer beam than a glass tube, which is why a 30W RF holds its own against a 55W glass on cut depth and beats it on fine detail. With the 1.5 in lens a Thunder engraves up to 2,000 DPI. The xTool P2 in our test topped out at 762. On photo work and small type, that is the difference between a product and a sample.
Nothing to winterize, nothing to drain
Every machine Thunder builds is air cooled. There is no chiller to buy, no reservoir to top off, no antifreeze before a cold snap, and no water line to fail on a Friday afternoon. Owners who have run both put this near the top of the list, because maintenance you never schedule is production you never lose.
You can work on it yourself
Our machines open up. Lid, front gate, and side compartments with handles, plus videos and articles for the common fixes. On the P2 we tested, reaching one internal compartment meant standing the machine on end and pulling eight screws out of the bottom. When a machine is hard to service, small problems become shipping problems. Ours also ran quieter, 68 to 74 dB against 77 to 87.
Which Thunder fits.
Matched to the xTool you are running or looking at.
Bolt
Up to 1,500 mm/s on an air cooled RF metal tube, camera and autofocus standard, LightBurn included, 110v wall outlet. The step up that fits the same corner of the shop and finishes the job in a fraction of the time.
Nova Plus
Cuts and engraves, beds from 24 up to 63 in, RF metal tube up to 120W, air cooled, camera and infrared autofocus standard, a front and back pass-through on every size for material of any length, and it still runs on 110v. The machine most shops should have bought first.
Titan
Premium iRadion RF metal tube from 50W up to 120W, air cooled, dual cameras, 3,000 mm/s at 8G acceleration, 220v. When the laser is the business and downtime costs real money, this is the one.
See it on your own material. Free.
No spec sheet settles a laser decision. Your material does. Send us a few pieces of what you actually run, tell us the cut or mark you want to see, and we will run it on the machine you are considering and mail it back with the exact settings we used. This is a free sample, not a production run. It is the fastest way to see the difference in your own hands.
Tell us your material
On the short form, tell us your material and the simple cut or mark you want to see, so we can confirm it is laser safe before we run it.
Mail us a few pieces
Send a few pieces of your actual material to our shop at 321 Richards St, Quitman, TX. We will send the address.
We run it and send it back
You get it back with the exact settings we used, plus straight answers on which machine fits. No cost, no pressure.
Request your free sample
Fill out the short form and a real person from our team follows up. No pressure, no spam, just a clean cut on your own material and straight pricing.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 903 522 4070 or email [email protected].
Questions cross-shoppers actually ask.
An xTool costs less. Why pay more for a Thunder?
Is a Thunder really that much faster?
Does LightBurn work with an xTool?
What is the difference between an RF metal tube and a glass tube?
Which Thunder replaces the xTool I have now?
The xTool bundle includes everything. What comes with a Thunder?
I already know xTool’s software. Do I have to learn LightBurn?
The P3 has a conveyor for long material. What does Thunder do?
How long until it is on my floor?
Can I keep my xTool?
Is Thunder Laser made in the USA?
Why should I trust a comparison you wrote?
Buy the machine you will still be running in five years.
Faster, bigger, more power, LightBurn in full control, and a US support team that answers. If you are going to end up here anyway, come here first and keep the year you would have spent fighting a ceiling. Let us prove it on your own material.
Comparison current as of August 2026. xTool P2S and P3 specifications, pricing, tube life, and software from xtool.com, August 2026. xTool P2S retail price as listed at Best Buy, August 2026. xTool does not publish a warranty page we can cite, so no xTool warranty length is stated here. LightBurn feature limitations on the xTool P2 and P2S per xTool’s own support center documentation, August 2026. Thunder Laser machine specifications and pricing published at thunderlaserusa.com. Timed job comparisons, engraving resolution, and noise measurements are from Thunder Laser USA’s own recorded head-to-head of the Thunder Bolt against an xTool P2 purchased for testing, published on the Thunder Laser USA YouTube channel; that test reflects each machine as configured at the time of filming and both product lines have been updated since. The independent scorecard, quotes, and video linked in the “Do not take our word for it” section are from a third-party YouTube comparison of the Thunder Bolt and the xTool P2 by a reviewer who discloses in that video that he is an affiliate for xTool and not for Thunder Laser; Thunder Laser did not sponsor, commission, or pre-review that comparison. The count of xTool owners who have upgraded to a Thunder Laser is based on Thunder Laser USA’s own customer and CRM records as of August 2026. Customer quotes are verbatim from recorded sales calls and customer emails, attributed by first name only. xTool, P2, P2S, and P3 are trademarks of their respective owner, used here for comparison and identification only. LightBurn is a trademark of LightBurn Software. Thunder Laser is not affiliated with or endorsed by xTool.
