The short version: three scenarios
If you're comparing a Markforged FX20, a Markforged Metal X, an outsourced strong 3D printing service, and an automatic fiber laser cutting machine, I've got two pieces of news. The bad news: there isn't one right answer. The good news: you can get pretty close by asking what your parts actually look like and how often you need them.
I'm a procurement manager at a 148-person medical device contract manufacturer. I've managed about $1.8M per year in manufacturing services for the last six years. I've tracked more than 1,200 purchase orders, built too many cost comparisons, and made several equipment decisions I'd rather redo.
When I first started making buy-vs-outsource calls, I assumed the machine with the best print quality was the one to buy. Three projects later, I realized that 'best' depends on your post-processing capacity, your volume, and your tolerance for risk.
Here's the decision tree I use with our engineers. No scenario is better than the others; they just match different problems.
- Scenario A: Large composite parts, carbon fiber reinforced, small-but-repeatable batches. That's where the Markforged FX20 makes sense. If the volume is low or irregular, use a strong 3D printing service instead.
- Scenario B: Small, complex metal parts with a known repeat rate. The Markforged Metal X is worth considering. If you buy it before the repeat rate is proven, you're buying a very expensive paperweight.
- Scenario C: Flat sheet metal, brackets, panels, or anything with a 2D footprint. That belongs on an automatic fiber laser cutting machine, not a 3D printer.
Let me walk through each one.
Scenario A: What the Markforged FX20 Price Actually Buys You
The first question is always price. The Markforged FX20 3D printer price isn't on a public price list. In February 2025, the quotes I received for an FX20 with a high-temperature print head, a one-year service plan, and installation were roughly $150k-$175k. Add materials and training and you're looking at $180k before you print your first part. Those quotes vary by region and package, so verify current pricing with Markforged.
The FX20 is large. It has a build volume that can handle bigger composite parts, and it prints Onyx with continuous carbon fiber. If you're making aerospace tooling, custom fixtures, or lower-volume automotive parts that need to be stiff and light, the FX20 is a legitimate tool.
But here's the catch: the machine doesn't do the job alone. You need someone who understands fiber routing, orientation, and part design. That's usually an applications engineer, not a machine operator. If you don't have that person, you're paying $150k for a printer that produces pretty but unverified parts.
For us, the FX20 only passed the cost test because we had 50+ high-value composite fixtures per year with a predictable schedule. If your number is 10-20 parts per year, use a strong 3D printing service. The right service will give you DFM feedback, material data, and post-processing. A quote we compared in Q2 2024 came back at $2,100 for a large composite fixture. Our internal cost with an FX20 would have been about $1,250 after consumables. That's a solid margin, but only if the volume is actually there. Honestly, I'm not sure why service quotes vary so much for the same model; my best guess is that some shops just don't want small orders.
Scenario B: Reading Markforged Metal X 3D Printer Reviews Without the Hype
The Markforged Metal X 3D printer reviews all describe the same strength: it prints real metal parts without needing a separate CNC mill. That's true. Our Metal X prints 17-4 PH stainless, tool steel, and Inconel, and some of those parts are genuinely hard to machine. The issue is the system, not the printer.
Before you buy, understand the full process: print, wash, debind, sinter. The printer is only one box in a chain. When we installed our Metal X, the printer plus wash station plus sintering furnace ran about $120k. That's before argon, ceramic media, and operator training. If you look only at the printer price, you're missing half the total cost of ownership.
I had a mindset change on this one. I used to think Metal X was an expensive toy for prototyping. Then we ran a small batch of complex 17-4 PH brackets, quantity 50, and compared total cost per finished part. Our internal cost was $84 per part, including consumables and operator time. The best quote from a metal 3D printing service was $112. So Metal X won on unit cost. But break-even against a $120k system? Around 4,000 of those brackets, because the $112 quote includes the service's overhead, not your capital. That's a long payback.
Here's the part that surprises people: if you're starting from zero, I'd rather see you use a strong 3D printing service for the first 6-12 months. Build your design rules. Learn which parts warp in sintering and which finish well. Then buy. We bought before we understood post-processing. Our first metal part was fine; our third warped in sintering and cost us $600 in material and a week of schedule. A formal post-processing review process would have caught it.
Metal X is not for high-volume production. If your run size is over 200-300 pieces, machining or casting usually wins. It's a low-to-mid volume, high-complexity tool. That's its lane. Reviewers who don't understand that are the ones who call Metal X overrated after trying to use it like a CNC replacement.
Scenario C: Why an Automatic Fiber Laser Cutting Machine Beats a 3D Printer for Flat Parts
I keep a folder of parts sent to us with '3D print this' on the routing. A lot of them are flat brackets. Those should not be 3D printed. A 3mm steel bracket takes an hour on a printer and still needs stress relief, deburring, or machining. An automatic fiber laser cutting machine cuts the same bracket in under a minute.
If you're making sheet metal components, an automatic fiber laser cutting machine is a better buy than any metal 3D printer. Our lease on a 3kW fiber laser with a shuttle table is $4,800 per month with a 50-month buyout. It handles stainless, mild steel, aluminum, and copper with nitrogen or air assist. It runs lights-out, which matters when your operators go home.
Can CO2 Laser Cause Cancer? The Safety Question to Ask
Since laser cutting comes up, I'll answer the question directly: Can CO2 laser cause cancer? The beam itself is infrared, not ionizing. It doesn't have the energy to directly damage DNA the way X-rays or gamma rays do. That doesn't make it risk-free. The real hazard is the fume and particulate created by the material you cut.
Cutting plastics with a CO2 laser can release volatile organic compounds and ultra-fine particles. Cutting coated or galvanized metal can produce heavy metal fume. According to OSHA and NIOSH guidance, those processes require local exhaust ventilation and appropriate respirators. IARC has classified certain metal fumes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as carcinogenic to humans. So the right question is not 'Does a CO2 laser cause cancer?' but 'What's in the smoke from the material you're cutting?'
I'm not an industrial hygienist. I'm a buyer who has to justify equipment to our safety team. Our rule: never cut PVC, never cut galvanized steel without extraction, and always check the Safety Data Sheet before introducing a new material. The laser won't hurt you on its own, but the smoke absolutely deserves respect.
How to Tell Which Scenario You're In
It's easy to say 'it depends.' Let me give you a better test.
- Is the part flat, or made from flat sheets? Use an automatic fiber laser cutting machine. Don't print it.
- Is it a small, complex metal part with sharp internal radii and a repeatable order? Then the Metal X is worth a serious business case. If it's a one-off, use a strong 3D printing service.
- Does the part need continuous carbon fiber reinforcement and a large build volume? That's the FX20's territory. Low volume? Again, service provider.
If you're still unsure, ask the supplier that gave you the quote. A strong 3D printing service will sometimes tell you 'this isn't a good part for our process' or 'a fiber laser will be faster and cheaper.' Trust me on this one: that kind of response is a sign they know their limits. The vendor who tries to print everything will happily take your money, but your cost report will tell the story later.
This set of rules works for us because we have 3-phase power, a compressed air system, and an applications engineer on staff. If you don't have those, the payback shifts. I can only speak to our context—a mid-size contract manufacturer, not a job shop and not an aerospace prime.
My last piece of advice is unglamorous: don't buy equipment until the work proves itself on someone else's machine. For composite: send to a service until you have repeatable demand. For metal printing: same. For laser cutting: make them prove the cut quality on your actual material. The machine that saves your budget is the one you buy after you know the process, not before.