Goedkoop PLA filament.

The difference between "expensive" and cheap PLA filament .

Innofil3D PLA filament

Nobody wants to pay too much for their PLA filament. But where is the line between cheap and expensive? What are the quality differences and what should you pay attention to?

PLA filament is by far the most popular filament for FDM 3D printing. This isn't too crazy either. PLA filament is available in many different colors and very easy to print. We therefore always recommend beginners to start with PLA.

The importance of good quality PLA filament.

Even the best 3D printer will print disappointing results with poor filament. That is why it is important that the filament producer applies strict quality requirements. Points to pay attention to are, for example, the consistency of the diameter. This can often be found in the Technical Datasheet. A generally accepted maximum deviation is 0.05mm with a diameter of 1.75mm and 0.10mm with a diameter of 2.85mm. A requirement that, for example, Innofil3D PLA meets, but also the cheaper PrimaValue PLA. Too large deviations in the diameter can ensure that the PLA filament does not flow through the extruder constantly enough. (When this happens you may hear the feeder gear “click”.)

Another important point is that there are no leftovers of other filament in your filament. This can happen if the production line is not cleaned properly. With the bad filaments it can happen that, for example, there are pieces of blue in a red filament. This is of course not so good for your print result. It becomes even more annoying if there are pieces of another filament through your PLA filament.

Cheap is expensive?

An inconsistent diameter, roundness, wrong materials through your filament and a bad coil. For example, factors that can cause your print to fail. Or even worse, freeze your 3D printer. When looking at what a print costs, it is fair to include the filament from failed prints, repairs and printing time. You will soon notice that an unknown Chinese brand quickly becomes more expensive than a reliable filament brand. Especially when you have to replace the clogged nozzle or even the entire print head because it has become so clogged.

That is why we advise you not only to look at the cost of the coil. But also the costs of the total picture.

primavalue_pla Self-tested!

Stories about quality are of course great fun, but they also have to be checked. That is why we regularly print ourselves to check the quality of our pla filament offer. We are also always ready to help you with advice on print settings. We test with various 3D printers such as those from Raise3D and Ultimaker. We also notice that some filaments work better with one printer than another. So you can always ask us for advice about that.

Good better Best!

Our most affordable PLA filament is PrimaValue PLA . This PLA filament is of excellent quality and costs only € 21.95 per kilo! PrimaValue is available in 1.75mm and 2.85mm.

Better quality are, for example, Innofil3D PLA and Ultimaker PLA (for Ultimaker users).

We consider Ultimaker tough PLA and Innofil3D PRO1 tough PLA to be the best filament in terms of properties. Both filaments are comparable in performance and offer mechanical properties that compete with ABS. Without compromising on printability.

Polymaker and Innofil3D filaments are available in both 1.75mm and 2.85mm.