I was looking for a desktop CNC with an automatic tool changer (ATC), and the last two left standing were the ToolDance X1 and the TwoTrees ED1. On price and on what I want to make, I went back and forth on these two for a long time.
In the end I backed the X1. But I think there are plenty of people the ED1 suits better. Here are the differences, in the order I worried about them.
I’ve backed the X1, but it hasn’t arrived yet, and I don’t own an ED1. This comparison is based on official specs and what the makers told me, not on cutting the same part on both. Prices checked on 1 November 2026.
The short answer: which one suits you?
| If you care most about | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Cutting titanium or stainless steel | X1 |
| Cutting larger parts | X1 |
| Adding 4 or 5 axes later | X1 |
| A lighter machine that’s easier to place | ED1 |
| Starting sooner | ED1 (ships in December) |
| Trying stones such as jade | ED1 |
| Mostly aluminium, wood or plastic, with easy tool changes | Either. The ED1 if cheaper and lighter matters |
The differences side by side
| Item | X1 | ED1 |
|---|---|---|
| Machine price | USD 2,999 (2,799 after VIP cashback) | USD 2,699 pre-order (list 4,399) |
| Ships | From March 2027 | From December |
| Work area | 400 × 265 × 180 mm | 300 × 200 × 120 mm |
| Spindle | 1,500 W, 24,000 rpm. About 900–1,000 W on Japan’s 100 V | 600 W, 18,000 rpm |
| Tool changer | 9 tools | 5 tools |
| Cooling | Air blast as standard; flood coolant can be added | No cooling listed on the official page |
| Rotary axes | 4-axis and 5-axis modules available | 4-axis available |
| Weight | 100 kg | 38 kg |
| Power | 100–240 V (per ToolDance) | 100–120 V / 200–240 V, 840 W max |
Sources: ToolDance X1 (Kickstarter), TwoTrees ED1 official product page. The X1’s output on 100 V is from ToolDance’s reply to my email.
Price: machine to machine, the gap is small
Price was the first thing I agonised over. But comparing the machines alone, the gap is smaller than I expected.
- X1: USD 2,999 at the Kickstarter early price. If you had a VIP reservation, USD 200 comes back after the campaign, so it’s effectively USD 2,799.
- ED1: USD 2,699 pre-order. It was USD 2,099 in early September, then went up to 2,399 and, from mid-October, 2,699.
The gap opens up when you add options. For the X1, the 4-axis module is USD 699, the 5-axis module USD 1,099 and flood coolant USD 799 (all campaign prices). For the ED1, the set with the 4th axis is USD 3,148.10.
Shipping is extra. The X1’s shipping is billed after the campaign; the estimate for Asia-Pacific, where I am, is USD 300 for the machine (Japan isn’t named in the shipping table). It ships DDP, with duties and taxes included. For the ED1, check shipping on the order page.
The biggest difference is titanium
What I want to make is small metal things, like titanium keycaps (Japanese). So the thing I looked at hardest was whether each machine can cut titanium.
The X1 has published maker tests cutting Grade 5 titanium alloy and 304 stainless steel for over 60 minutes each, down to the tool diameter, spindle speed and width of cut. Air blast cooling is standard, and you can add flood coolant, which keeps liquid flowing over the cut. The details are in my X1 article.
The ED1 has titanium on its official materials list. Right next to it, though, it says long machining of mild steel and titanium isn’t recommended. I couldn’t find any cooling system on the official page either. Cutting out thin plate or shallow engraving looks within reach, but I don’t think it’s meant for carving parts out of a solid block (ED1 article).
Even if I gave up on titanium and bought a different machine, I think I’d end up wanting to cut titanium again anyway. So this was the one thing I couldn’t compromise on.
Size and weight: 100 kg vs 38 kg
Titanium had me leaning towards the X1, but weight is what kept nagging at me to the end.
The X1 weighs 100 kg; the ED1, 38 kg. I want to put it on the second floor of my house, and with future moves in mind, a 100 kg X1 is hard to carry. The ED1 is less than half that.
In return, the X1’s work area is a size up: 10 cm wider, 6.5 cm deeper and 6 cm taller. If you cut long parts like keyboard plates, or thick stock, that’s where it pays off.
Setup: both change tools by themselves
Both have an ATC and swap tools automatically. On both machines, this is the part I wanted most. When I used lathes and milling machines at a technical college (kosen), changing tools and setting the height again each time was a chore.
- X1: changes up to 9 tools. It also has a 3D touch probe and a tool length sensor.
- ED1: changes up to 5 tools, taking about 10 seconds for what would be 2–5 minutes by hand. It has a camera as well.
For keycaps, three or four tools cover it: a roughing tool, a drill and a small finishing tool. Five or nine, I don’t think either will hold you back.
Why I chose the X1
Honestly, if the X1’s crowdfunding campaign hadn’t happened, I might have bought the ED1. That’s how torn I was. Here’s what decided it, biggest first.
- Price: the Kickstarter early price of USD 2,999 is half the USD 5,999 list price. With VIP it’s effectively USD 2,799, only USD 100 more than the ED1.
- Room to expand: you can add 4-axis and 5-axis modules later. The ED1 goes up to a 4th axis. What 4 and 5 axes change is covered in do you need 4 or 5 axes on a home CNC? (Japanese).
- How hard a metal it can cut: titanium and stainless cutting conditions are published, and flood coolant can be added. For titanium on the ED1, TwoTrees itself advises against long cuts.
- Work area: 10 cm wider, 6.5 cm deeper and 6 cm taller.
Where the ED1 might have been the better pick
I think the X1 can probably do whatever the ED1 can, so I don’t feel there’s anything only the ED1 does. Still, there are two places where I wonder if the ED1 would have been better.
- It arrives sooner: it ships from December. The X1 starts shipping in March 2027, so you’d be cutting about three months earlier.
- It costs a bit less: the machine is USD 2,699. Even the set with the 4th axis is USD 3,148.10, about USD 550 less than an X1 with its 4-axis module (USD 3,698).
Beyond that, the ED1 is lighter at 38 kg, and gemstones are on its official materials list (they aren’t on the X1’s). When I emailed TwoTrees about jade, the reply described an in-house test cutting it with water. The standard ED1 isn’t waterproof, so that isn’t an official method (jade article, Japanese).
Who the ED1 suits better
On the other hand, I think the ED1 fits better if:
- You mostly cut aluminium, wood, plastic or circuit boards, and titanium isn’t a must
- It’s going upstairs or in a small room, or you expect to move
- You want to start this year
- You’re curious about cutting stones such as jade
Still unknown
- The X1’s actual power draw on 100 V. ToolDance says it runs from a household outlet, but I won’t know until it arrives and I measure it.
- Real titanium cutting on the ED1. Once shipping starts in December and owners post results, I’ll add them here.
- How delivery to Japan actually goes. When the X1 arrives in March 2027, I’ll write up the shipping cost and how it was delivered.