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So I’m a highschool sophomore, which means spending $50 per roll of makerbot PLA so I can use my school’s machines is pretty rough… Anyone have reccomendations for cheaper PLA of similar quality? Thanks!

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Colorfabb PLA is only 40$ a roll and well worth it. The price is pretty typical for a 750g roll. Anything cheaper and you get what you pay for. Dont ruin a machine and go through the hassle of clogs from cheap filament.

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You should check out Creator Fuel (creatorfuel dot com). We have PLA rolls at less than half that price and of very good quality.

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If you have a hub or buy a value pack then I’d recommended colorfabb pla/pha. -Marius

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So the cheaper filament I use is hatchbox. Amazon.com

I’ve had really good results with it. However, I think it’s worth noting that using NON-Makerbot Filament will void the Makerbot warranty.

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I’ve been using PLA from Printrbot (Sacramento, CA) for the last year and a half and I’ve always had good results. I also have only used it on a Printrbot Simple. Their prices are $19 (.5kg) + ship, $30 (1kg) + ship, and a Print Club subscription (cancel any time) which gives you 2 different colored .5kg rolls for $35 with free ship per month.

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Hi! I’ve been super happy with Voltivo Filament from http://www.cubicity.com No tangles on 10+ hour prints, great rich colors and good prices. Great customer service! Can’t say anything bad about them.

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right now radio shack is 50% off so afinia pla is super cheap so go fast. furthermore i too am a highschooler in sf. is there any good comunities here that you know of for 3d printing??

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EBAY has by far the cheapest prices. Most color for under $30 and you get 2.2lbs. You can get black PLA for about $22 w/ free shipping! Can’t beat that!

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I’d recommend Inland ABS & PLA if you have a Microcenter store nearby (they also ship). It’s good, and cheap. $15/Kg cheap.

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+1 for the Inland filament! i have 5 rolls on my table right now. i have blown through at least 5 other rolls of Inland PLA and never had a clog or issues with quality. on my Replicator 2 i print it at the same temp as MakerBot PLA (230c) which is above the recommended temp (190c to 220c). i was having issues with layer adhesion and the higher temp fixed it completely. I love this stuff and it is dirt cheap. it comes packed really nice in a tight vacuum sealed thick bag with silica gel bags to keep moisture away too. Cant go wrong with Inland.

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Thanks for the recc. I’m a bit suprised, since I just looked at inland and the reviews are very mixed. Sounds like the successful raised the temp a bit. Think it needs 230C ish like the default on a Makerbot?

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sorry I haven’t really run into any SF based communities around 3d printing. thanks for the filament recc though. I check it out and it was a sweet deal. unfortunately I was not running low at the time so I didnt buy any.

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I actually just picked up a roll of Hatchbox on Amazon two days ago. Have it in my hands now :). Starting to print on it tomorrow. I’ve used other brands on my school’s printers before (didn’t know the warranty gets voided) so too late for that!

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Yes, i was not sold until i raised the temp to the same as the MakerBot filament. once i did that the prints started coming out great. if you print at 100 mm/s the Inland stuff will string a tiny bit more than the MakerBot stuff but nothing a fast hit from a torch won’t solve. in all i have tested the flex and strength of MakerBot PLA vs the Inland stuff and see no noticeable difference.

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I am also in high school and I have found that the best way to get cheaper filament that is just as reliable is to use Amazon. It has all sorts of filament types along with plenty of colors. Average spool costs around $25, that means you could buy two spools instead of one. The brand I use is HatchBox, and it has worked out just fine for me.

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inland filament has been great and super cost effective.

i see this is an old post but figured i would respond. Happy Printing!