{"id":920,"date":"2022-01-17T00:29:54","date_gmt":"2022-01-17T00:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/printermaterials.com\/?page_id=920"},"modified":"2023-01-15T01:09:55","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T01:09:55","slug":"makerbot-filament-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/printermaterials.com\/makerbot-filament-review\/","title":{"rendered":"MakerBot Filament Review: MakerBot PLA Filament"},"content":{"rendered":"

MakerBot is a fantastic high quality filament from one of the largest 3D printing companies in the world. MakerBot is known mostly for its 3D printers, but it’s filament is just as good.<\/p>\n

The one problem is that a regular spool of PLA will cost you double what other high quality filaments cost. Hatchbox and eSUN, for example, cost half as much as Makerbot filaments.<\/p>\n

Here are a few examples of what Makerbot offers:<\/p>\n

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MakerBot PLA Filament, 1.75 mm Diameter, Small Spool,...<\/div> <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n
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MakerBot PLA 3D Printing Filament Large Spool for Use...<\/div> <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n
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MakerBot PLA Filament, 1.75 mm Diameter, Small Spool,...<\/div> <\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
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MakerBot PLA 3D Printing Filament Large Spool for Use...<\/div> <\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
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Makerbot Filament: Introduction<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Makerbot<\/a>\"\"
\nMakerBot was founded by one of the controversial legends of the DIY industry, Bre Pettis. <\/span><\/p>\n

The influence of Bre Pettis and MakerBot on consumer 3D printing can\u2019t be overstated. <\/span><\/p>\n

This analogy has been beaten to death over the years, but you can kind of think of MakerBot as the Apple of 3D printing. And Bre Pettis likes to think of himself as another Steve Jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n

MakerBot has a cult following, an earth shattering technology, and a control freak former CEO. Bre Pettis himself has pushed the comparison with Apple hard, in a somewhat obnoxious way. <\/span><\/p>\n

But for a guy who took an idea for a robot that could produce customized shot glasses to building a company worth over $400 Million, you have to give Bre some credit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since it\u2019s foundation in 2009, Bre and his former partners, have grown the company from a few engineers up to hundreds of staff working full time from their New York City offices. <\/span><\/p>\n

Makerbot now manufactures and sells MakerBot 3D printers, MakerBot 3D scanners, MakerBot filament, and related MakerBot accessories. <\/span><\/p>\n

The company offers pretty much everything you need. So if you are new to 3D printing, MakerBot is one of the best 3D printing company to start exploring with.<\/span><\/p>\n

Controversy<\/h2>\n

\"3D<\/span><\/p>\n

One controversial event in Makerbots\u2019 rise came in 2012 when the company switched from being a leader in the open source movement to being a proprietary manufacturer. <\/span><\/p>\n

Zach Smith and Bre had a falling out, a lot of people were pissed off, but MakerBot continued growing. This move set the company up to merge with Stratasys in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for MakerBot filament, the stuff is fantastic. MakerBot is primarily known for making 3D printers, of course. <\/span><\/p>\n

But MakerBot filament quality is worth look at. It is comparable to other high end European brands, like ColorFabb and Faberdashery. <\/span><\/p>\n

The one minor issue is that Makerbot is slightly overpriced, at around $40 per spool. And it isn\u2019t that people won\u2019t pay $40 for fantastic, high quality PLA: they most certainly will. <\/span><\/p>\n

But the problem is that you can find comparable quality PLA for around $20-30 per spool.<\/span><\/p>\n

Side Note: MakerBot owns Thingiverse, a site devoted to the open source sharing of 3d design files. But even Thingiverse is not without controversy. <\/span><\/p>\n

After the Sandyhook shootings, Bre Pettis pulled all files related to 3D printable guns from Thingiverse. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cody Wilson, the owner of many of these files, subsequently founded Defense Distributed to continue offering open source access to these controversial designs. Defense Distributed is currently embroiled in various investigations by the US government.<\/span><\/p>\n

Makerbot Filament: Price, Quality, and Color Range<\/span><\/h2>\n

MakerBot filaments are one of the best quality filaments available, right up there with ColorFabb, Faberdashery, and Ultimaker. MakerBot offers a sufficient number of colors and material types. <\/span><\/p>\n

The only downside is the price, which is quite high. Let\u2019s talk about that next.<\/span><\/p>\n

Price<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"DollarThe price is the main downside to MakerBot filaments. They are just way too expensive, and definitely more expensive than they are worth. <\/span><\/p>\n

And this isn\u2019t because they aren\u2019t top quality. MakerBot makes some of the best filament in the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

But how many people want to pay almost $50 for a spool of PLA? Not many, no matter how good it is.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, many complaints about MakerBot filaments on Amazon are about the price. A typical review about MakerBot filaments goes something like this: MakerBot filaments are always the best, but they are way overpriced.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few cheaper options, you can still give the brand a shot. Meanwhile, if you are looking for more filaments of the same caliber, try ColorFabb, Ultimaker and Faberdashery.<\/span><\/p>\n

But if you are set on purchasing MakerBot filaments, just as many hundreds are, have a look at the \u2018Special Offer\u2019 section of the MakerBot.com web store. Makerbot offers several 10-spool packs. <\/span><\/p>\n

The 10-spool pack of small 0.2 kg spools is priced at around $160, which puts the per spool price at around $16. That\u2019s not a bad deal if you would like to try all of their colors.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Color Range<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Makerbot<\/a>\"\"Makerbot offers a good range of colors. You have the option of choosing from a total of 30 colors. <\/span><\/p>\n

Around half of these colors are regular colors like red, green, blue, and yellow. <\/span><\/p>\n

The other half are specialty colors and limited edition colors. <\/span><\/p>\n

MakerBot could definitely offer more colors if they wanted to. But perhaps the market for high priced exotic colors isn\u2019t that big.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quality and Materials<\/span><\/h2>\n

The two most popular MakerBot filaments are the regular PLA and ABS, although MakerBot does offer some specialty PLAs as well. The PLA is very easy to work with and definitely one of the most reliable brands of PLA on the market. <\/span><\/p>\n

The ABS is a bit less appealing only because the finish isn\u2019t as glossy as other brands and it isn\u2019t easy to smooth with acetone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Makerbot PLA Filament<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Makerbot<\/a><\/p>\n

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