Xhorse Jaws Breakdown: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 Compared

A key cutting machine is only as good as its jaws. These determine how the blank sits to the cutter, so they directly impact cutting accuracy, speed, and even your machine’s longevity. A properly fitting jaw securely holds the key blank during the cutting process, ensuring precise and consistent key duplication. The right clamp means the cutter and probe line up perfectly every time. That prevents the misalignment that can cause chatter, bad cuts, or even a bent cutter. It also minimizes wear and tear on your equipment, since a loose key tends to vibrate or skid, wearing out bits and motors faster.

Xhorse machines use M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and XP-007 jaws to handle everything from standard edge-cut car keys to house keys, Tibbe keys and laser-cut blades, each one is tuned to clamp certain profiles. Today’s smart key machines rely on these jaws to accommodate multiple key types. Using the wrong jaw can shift your key mid-cut, and give a sloped cut or trigger an error. Selecting the right jaw makes your blank solid; cutters glide smoothly, cuts are fast, and calibration stays firm.

Below we break down each Xhorse jaw and why it matters. We’ll cover what blanks each one handles, what machines they fit, what can go wrong, plus real-world performance tips.

The key cutting jaw is your machine’s grip; it clamps the blank in place while the cutter shaves away metal. Jaws ensure the blank stays aligned on the X (side-to-side), Y (up-down), and Z (in-out) axes. Any misalignment directly spoils accuracy, and accuracy is everything in key cutting. If the blank is even a hair off, the cut depths will be wrong.

More alignment also means faster jobs. If the clamp doesn’t fit the blank right, you might spend extra minutes fiddling, or you might ruin the blank and start over. Worse yet, forcing a key into the wrong clamp can cause machine wear. (Ever heard of a cutter chewing into a clamp? It happens when a lockout error or mis-cut frees the cutter to keep spinning into the metal of the clamp.) A good clamp keeps the blank stationary, so the cutter only carves the key.

An original jaw securely holds the key blank during the cutting process, ensuring precise and consistent key duplication. This precise hold guarantees accurate duplicate keys. Proper jaws minimize wear and tear on your equipment. Using the right Xhorse jaw keeps your machine running longer.

Every job is about balancing speed and accuracy. The correct jaw lets you hit that balance.

The M1 jaw is the basic edge-cut clamp on Xhorse machines. It’s designed for double-sided, edge-cut automotive keys, like typical keys for cars with grooves on both faces. If you’re duplicating a Honda, Toyota, GM or most car keys with two rows of cuts, M1 is the go-to.

Compatibility: The M1 fits all Xhorse Dolphin and Condor machines (XP-005L, XP-005, Condor XC-MINI, Condor MINI Plus, etc.). It’s normally shipped standard with those machines (or included in starter kits).

What can go wrong: If you try to cut a high-security or laser key in an M1, the clamp jaw faces won’t line up with the blank’s thickness or grooves. That can cause the bit to plunge into the clamp surface. Likewise, don’t try Tibbe (M3) or house (M4) blanks in M1, they physically won’t fit, or if forced, will be seriously misaligned.

The M2 jaw is built for high-security, laser-cut (sidewinder) keys. These are the keys with a single, deep groove cut meandering down the middle or heavy double-bevel cuts (like many Ford, Lincoln, VW/SEAT, Renault, etc.). The M2 is for all high-security keys that those machines handle. It’s also the clamp used to cut most Central American or Asian style 4-track keys and some one-face 2-track keys.

Compatibility: Like M1, it fits Condor/Dolphin automatic machines. As well as Condor XC Mini series and Dolphin series too. The M2 jaw is slightly deeper inside to accommodate the thicker laser key blanks.

The M2 won’t grip normal double-sided car key properly (the clamp face isn’t keyed for two sides of a thin blank). If you try, the blank sits crooked. Conversely, you can’t cut a 2-track edge key with M2 either. Only use it on true laser-cut or “side-winder” blanks.

The M3 jaw is specialized. It’s for 6-cut Tibbe-style keys (Jaguar, older Ford Crown Victoria, and certain Lincoln models, etc.). These Tibbe keys have cuts not on the edge but arranged in a circular pattern on the tip. The M3 clamp has a special pocket and pin so the blank fits tip-first under the cutter.

It only does the standard 6-cut Tibbe design, it will not cut the newer 8-cut Tibbe keys. (In fact, outside Xhorse, few machines handle 8-cut Tibbe except dedicated Tibbe-key cutters), this jaw only supports 6-cut Tibbe keys.

Usage: To use M3, install it and slide the Tibbe blank in from the open top of the clamp, tip first. You’ll usually use the code or manual cal function to align the 6 depths around the circle. The clamp provides the rotational indexing as well. It’s a more fiddly process and usually slower, but it beats carrying a whole separate Tibbe machine. Also, M3 clamps are used insertion-style (not like a horizontal key). So make sure it seats fully, and dont forget to lock the blank in place!

The M4 jaw is used for single-sided and double-sided residential cylinder keys (Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, etc.), including cruciform keys (standard home hardware keys). 

Unlike the automotive jaws, M4 is designed to hold flat house-key blanks (which are much thinner than car keys). The clamp faces are flat and come together much closer. It even includes notches to orient typical KW1/SC1 style blades.

This clamp cannot duplicate by code; it is strictly for direct copying. You must have the original key you want to copy. The machine’s decoder routine doesn’t work for these blanks. Instead, you put the original in the left (or vice) and the blank in M4. The cutter scans the depth and space mechanically and reproduces it.

The M5 jaw is essentially an M1+M2 combined. One side of the clamp is shaped for single/double-sided car keys and the other side is for high-security laser keys, and you simply rotate the jaw 180° to switch. M5 is a 2-in-1 clamp of M1&M2 and supports single-sided, double-sided, 2-track, 4-track, and even dimple keys.

It replaces the need to carry both an M1 and an M2. You can cut edge-cut car keys and then flip the clamp around and immediately cut a high-security key with no disassembly beyond loosening one screw, no need to install or disassemble over and over.

Compatibility: M5 fits all newer Condor II and Dolphin II (XP-005L, XP-005) machines – anything from 2020+ that used M1/M2. Many kits and machines now come standard with an M5 instead of separate M1 and M2.

There are two distinct faces on the M5. Side A is the high-security side, and Side B is the standard side. If you mount a key upside-down, your cuts will be mirrored incorrectly. Always double-check which side of the clamp is active. Also, the M5 is thicker than the M1 (because it has two sides), so newer calibration routines account for that. One tip: when you switch the M5 between M1-mode and M2-mode, always run the quickcal routine – this ensures the probe height is right for the active side.

The only caveat is that M5 is only compatible with newer Xhorse machines (Condor II and Dolphin II). Older original Condor/Dolphin users still have to lug M1 and M2 separately. But given how well M5 replicates both jobs, it’s quickly become the choice for most new purchases. And it's what we recommend, too.

Xhorse’s Condor XP-007 (the one-handle manual cutter) uses its own jaw. This jaw is meant for laser-cut keys, similar to M2 but for the older XP-007 machine. 

Many locksmiths transitioning from XP-005L to XP-007 are surprised to learn that the XP-007 jaw does not cut regular single-edge or tubular keys. It only does laser (sidewinder) keys. If you try a flat blade, it will be too loose vertically.

• Frequent recalibrations. Each time you remove one jaw and install another, the machine’s cutter-to-probe height often changes. Many machines auto-detect the clamp thickness, but it’s good practice to run a quick calibration after swapping. If you don’t, you might see “probe error” codes (the cutter may ram the clamp or leave the blank uncut).

• Key shifting or incorrect seating. A sloppy clamp means the blank can slip or shift during the cut. Double-side keys are most sensitive: if either face is not perfectly flat, one side might be perfect and the other too deep or shallow. Always wiggle the key in the clamp after tightening screws. If it feels loose, something’s wrong (wrong jaw or screw torqued down unevenly).

• Misaligned jaws cause bad cuts. With the M5 being two-faced, one rookie mistake is to realize halfway through a cut that you left the clamp on the wrong face. The machine thinks you’re cutting an M1 key, but you have the M2 surface active (or vice versa). The cutter then carves into empty air or hits the clamp wall. Double-check the faces. A broken key halfway through a cut can often be traced back to this.

• Crashing into the clamp. If the clamp is set too deep or the wrong type, the cutter can drive into itself. If you see cut errors, first check your clamp.

• Dirty or damaged jaws. If a jaw gets contaminated with metal shards or grease, it won’t clamp properly. Always clean the jaw faces with a brush or wipe before clipping in a new key.

The M5 jaw is the most versatile Xhorse jaw. We already mentioned it’s 2-in-1, but let’s unpack what that means for you on the job: the M5 combines the accuracy of M1 and M2, cuts almost any car key, and slashes the wasted minutes between jobs. Also, you benefit from unified calibration, as the machine only needs one calibration algorithm for M5. It’s a must-have upgrade for anyone with a compatible Xhorse machine. If you aren’t carrying one yet, you’re leaving money on the table – and falling behind competitors who do have it.

For the new locksmith: Don’t overthink jaws. Start with the M1 and M2 that came with your machine (or just the M5 if you bought a modern kit). Learn which keys use which jaw by practice. Keep a printed cheat-sheet near the machine for the first few months (e.g., “M1 = single/double edge, M2 = laser, M3 = Tibbe, M4 = house”). Develop a habit of checking your jaws before each cut.

For the professionals: If you don’t have an M5 yet, this is a must-buy.

Where to get them? At KeylessCity, we offer genuine Xhorse parts. We often have bundle deals on clamps too. Upgrading your setup and buying spare jaws is investing in stress-free, faster key jobs. With the right jaw in hand, your Xhorse machine becomes a true master of any key.

Happy cutting!