Sculpfun A9 Ultra Presale: Is This Dual-Laser Deal Too Good To Be True?

The Sculpfun A9 Ultra arrives with a big promise: one machine that handles your wood projects and puts permanent marks on metal. For anyone who’s juggled a diode engraver for plywood and a separate fiber for stainless, that sounds like a dream. The presale sweetens it further with an aggressive price and early-bird perks. But is this truly the moment to consolidate your workshop, or just another launch wrapped in glossy marketing?

At a glance, the pitch is simple: a high-power blue diode for the everyday materials makers love to cut and engrave, paired with an infrared laser for clean, high-contrast marks on metal and certain plastics. In practice, that means wooden signage in the morning and serialized stainless tags after lunch—without changing machines. The appeal is obvious for side-hustlers and small studios: fewer cables, one learning curve, and a single footprint that doesn’t take over the shop.

What impressed me most isn’t a particular number on a spec sheet, but the way Sculpfun seems to be thinking about workflow. They’ve strengthened the frame and motion system so the machine doesn’t fall apart the minute you push it. Cable routes are cleaned up. Belt tensioning and homing are more deliberate. Air assist is built in rather than bolted on as an afterthought. None of this is flashy, but it’s the sort of boring, practical refinement that turns a hobby machine into a tool you trust on a Tuesday afternoon when orders pile up.

Of course, the headline feature is the metal side of the equation. If you’ve used those tiny IR add-ons that “kind of” mark a spoon after a slow crawl, you’ll understand why a genuinely capable metal engraver is a big deal. The A9 Ultra’s metal results look closer to what small businesses actually need: crisp marks with depth and contrast you can sell. That’s the difference between a novelty and a revenue stream. It’s also the reason this machine feels aimed at experienced users who’ve hit the ceiling of a diode setup and want to say “yes” to the jobs they’re currently turning down.

But the truth of a dual-laser, open-frame gantry is that it asks more from you. The infrared beam is invisible. Reflections off metal can be unpredictable. You’ll want a real plan for safety—an enclosure, proper extraction, and certified eyewear for both wavelengths. That’s not marketing drama; it’s the reality of running a serious laser in a space that might also double as a craft room or garage. If your current comfort level is “plug and play, hit start, walk away,” this machine will challenge you in ways you shouldn’t ignore.

Ergonomics deserve a mention, too. Sculpfun’s effort to stiffen the chassis and tidy the mechanics comes with a slightly bulkier front end, and that can make fine placement fussier. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it does change the “feel” of setup on intricate jobs. The ecosystem has a few proprietary touches as well, which may frustrate modders who love standard plugs and swappable parts. Whether that bothers you depends on how much you enjoy tinkering versus simply getting things done.

Where the presale becomes interesting is value. If you stacked a strong diode gantry next to a capable metal engraver, the combined price usually lands much higher than this launch bundle. Saving several hundred dollars while reclaiming floor space is compelling math—especially if your work already hints at metal orders you can’t quote today. Put bluntly: if this unlocks products you can actually sell, it pays for itself faster than most upgrades.

So who should click “buy”? The sweet spot is the prosumer: someone already comfortable with a gantry machine who’s outgrown the material limits of diode-only work. If your Etsy queue has shifted from coasters to custom knives and flasks, this is the logical next step. It also suits small shops that value consolidation—one footprint, one wiring run, one maintenance routine—because time is as scarce as space.

Who should wait? Beginners, mostly. It’s not that the A9 Ultra is hostile to newcomers, but the safety overhead of an open-frame infrared setup is real, and cheaper diode-only machines are a kinder classroom. Pure woodworkers might also skip the metal capability and pocket the savings; if your world is plywood, slate, and leather, the second laser is overkill. And if your goal is truly cutting metal, not marking it, this isn’t that tool.

In the end, the A9 Ultra feels like a confident step toward a future where “one machine does both” isn’t a gimmick. It isn’t magic, and it won’t solve every job. You still need good ventilation. You still need to respect the beam. You’ll fiddle with focusing routines and dial in recipes for different alloys. But when you measure the whole experience—power where it matters, a calmer mechanical design, a price that undercuts the two-machine route—the story makes sense.

Is the presale a steal or hype? For the right user, it’s a smart consolidation play with real upside. For the wrong user, it’s an expensive detour that adds complexity without adding value. If your work is already nudging you toward metal—and you’re ready to treat the infrared side like the industrial tool it is—the A9 Ultra belongs on your short list. If not, the safest, cheapest, happiest path may still be a great diode and a year of growth. Then revisit this idea when your order book catches up.