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What are the best filaments for 3D printing with a 3 mm extruder?

5

Options
Considered

4

User
Recs.

Jul 6, 2017

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

5 Options Considered

Best filaments for 3D printing with a 3 mm extruder	Price	Additional features	Additional printed bed adhesion
-- Hatchbox PLA Filament	$22.99+	Guaranteed 0.05 mm dimensional accuracy	Blue Painters Tape
-- 3DXSTAT ESD-Safe ABS Filament	$60+	ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) protection, consistent surface resistance, improved retention of impact and elongation	Kapton Polyimide Tape, ABS/Acetone Slurry
-- NinjaFlex Flexible Filament	$36.99+	Flexible nature of material (to up to 660% elongation); adhesion to standard build platforms without glue or tape; abrasion resistance 20% better than ABS and 68% better than PLA; chemical resistance to many materials, including naphtha, ASTM Oils #1-3, petroleum and freon	Glue and/or blue painters tape is suggested, if not using a heated bed
-- Taulman3D Bridge Nylon Filament	$22+	Low surface friction, toughness and flexibility	Kapton tape / Garolite
-- eSUN PETG Filament	$24.99+	Odorless, hydrophobic	Not recommended by manufacturer

Hatchbox PLA Filament

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Top Pro

Can be used with both 1.75 mm and 3.0 mm extruders

You can use this filament with printers that have either 1.75 mm or 3.0 mm extruders, since this filament comes in both sizes. However, the 3.0 mm version costs a few dollars more than the 1.75 mm one. See More

Top Con

No mechanical datasheet available

The manufacturer does not offer a proper public datasheet The website itself appears unfinished and devoid of any useful technical info. A Material Safety Sheet can be found, but it contains no information regarding the mechanical properties of the filament. This is especially troublesome for academic users, such as mechanical engineers. See More

Specs

Additional features:Guaranteed 0.05 mm dimensional accuracy

Additional printed bed adhesion:Blue Painters Tape

Colors available:28 color options available

Density:1.27 g / cm^3

Top Pro

Great value for money

Costing around $20 per kg, it’s a great affordable filament in its own right: it has a stated dimensional accuracy is ±0.05mm, guaranteeing that filament diameter is consistent all the way through. The majority of filaments around this price tag does not guarantee this level of accuracy. See More

Top Pro

Great packaging that ensures proper protection

For this filament's price, its packaging is pretty great. It comes with its own spool, uncommon for filaments in this price range. The spool is also vacuum sealed in a tight film and packed in a rigid cardboard box. See More

Top Pro

Comes in 28 different colors

Hatchbox offers this filament in a total of 28 different colors, even if the exact colors available may vary for each of the versions (1.75 mm and 3.0 mm). Note that some of colors (like the wooden one) might cost a couple of dollars more than regular colors. See More

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3DXSTAT ESD-Safe ABS Filament

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Top Pro

Can be used with virtually any standard 3D printer

You can use this filament with pretty much any standard 3D printer, since it's available in the two most commonly used diameters: 1.75 mm and 3.0 mm. Unlike other filaments, 3DXSTAT offers both sizes for the same price (1.75 mm is usually more expensive). See More

Top Con

Only available in black

Black is the only color available for this filament, which may be disappointing for some users. 3DXSTAT seems uninterested in adding more color options for their filaments. See More

Specs

Additional features:ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) protection, consistent surface resistance, improved retention of impact and elongation

Additional printed bed adhesion:Kapton Polyimide Tape, ABS/Acetone Slurry

Colors available:1 color available (black)

Density:1.09 g / cm^3

Top Pro

Suitable to be used with electronic equipment

Due to its properties, ABS is a very appropriate material to use for prototyping enclosures for electronic equipment and this filament is no exception. It was specifically designed to provide high-grade protection from ESD (electrostatic discharge) that can damage sensitive electrical components. It can prevent charge from building up on its surface, useful if the printed pieces come into contact with sensitive microelectronics See More

Top Con

Expensive

With a minimum price tag of $90.00/kg of filament, most 3D printing enthusiasts will have to consider this a serious investment for their high-end 3D printers. The price is somewhat offset by the fantastic quality of the filament, though. See More

Top Pro

Stronger than the majority of ABS materials

This ABS is tougher than the majority of ABS materials out in the market. Its tensile strength (maximum stretching pressure the material can withstand) is 42 MPa, according to its datasheet. Material property data website MatWeb has stated that the highest-quality ABS withstands at least 40MPa, and 3DXSTAT’s filament goes beyond this value. See More

Top Pro

Filament's package provides good protection

The packaging of this filament is outstanding and protects the filament from external factors very well. The product comes packed in a very stylish 3DXSTAT box that, besides protection, gives it a premium feel. The spool itself is sealed in vacuum film with a silica packet. See More

Top Pro

Suitable for hot and humid settings

You can use this filament in standard ABS applications, such as for printing objects and parts that need to withstand hot and humid environments. See More

NinjaFlex Flexible Filament

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Can be used with virtually any standard 3D printer

You can use this filament with pretty much any standard 3D printer, since it's available in the two most commonly used diameters: 1.75 mm and 3.0 mm. The 3.0 mm spools are cheaper than the 1.75 mm ones. This is because it’s generally cheaper to produce 1 kg of 3.0 mm filament than 1 kg of 1.75 mm filament. See More

Top Con

Unprotective filament packaging

The filament packaging doesn't provide adequate protection for the material, which is quite surprising, considering its high price. The spool is shipped simply sealed with a vacuum film (without a silica pack) contained in a simple box. There's no proper external packing to protect the filament from mechanical damage. If the film breaks, the filament becomes vulnerable to air humidity, absorbing water and, consequently, compromising the printing process. See More

Specs

Additional features:Flexible nature of material (to up to 660% elongation); adhesion to standard build platforms without glue or tape; abrasion resistance 20% better than ABS and 68% better than PLA; chemical resistance to many materials, including naphtha, ASTM Oils #1-3, petroleum and freon

Additional printed bed adhesion:Glue and/or blue painters tape is suggested, if not using a heated bed

Colors available:10 standard colors

Density:1.19 g / cm^3

Top Pro

Recovers original shape after deformation

This is truly elastic material, which means that the material will deform under stress (stretched or compressed), but the moment stress is removed, the material original shape is restored. The exception is if tensile/compressive yield point is reached: in this case permanent deformation occurs. This filaments tensile yield point takes place at 660% elongation, which means it's very hard to break this material only by applying tensile stress. See More

Top Con

Complicated to print without a direct-drive extruder

The filament itself is very flexible, which means that non-direct-drive extruders will have the issue of their bowden tubes clogging up. This is normally fixed by experimenting with the material feed rate and the extruder temperature (this tweaking process takes some time and effort). Double check if you have a direct-drive extruder before purchasing this filament, which avoids this bothersome process. See More

Top Pro

Good chemical resistance to a variety of substances

This filament has limited resistance to a variety of alcohols, alkali and organic substances (fuels, oils, etc.). This contrasts with what happens with many other 3D printable material, that can't even withstand contact with water. See More

Top Pro

NinjaTek has published several case studies of filament applications

Several examples of how NinjaFlex was used in real-world applications are available. This is a great move from NinjaTek, since, even though it is useful to see how good a product is “on paper”, it’s even better to see examples of how it was actually used. All case studies are well documented and provide visual evidence of successful use. See More

Top Pro

Available in 10 different colors

This filament is available in 10 different colors, all of which are of very high quality and look rich. See More

Top Pro

No heated printed bed required

This filament can be used with a printer without a heated bed, which is very convenient, since many 3D printers don't come with a heated bed by default or don't even have the option of adding one. Nevertheless, if your machine does have a heated bed, you can set it to 40ºC (recommended) and improve surface adhesion. See More

Taulman3D Bridge Nylon Filament

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Has nylon-like properties

Based off Taulman’s popular and very strong Nylon 645, this filament is strong, very flexible and has low surface friction. See More

Top Con

Difficult to use

Nylon and nylon-like materials are hard to work with and the setup process is quite cumbersome. A heated bed plate is absolutely necessary or the material won't even stick to the plate. You’ll also need to coat the heated base plate with Kapton tape or Garolite. As the material is quite flexible, non-direct-drive extruders won't work and a very short direct-drive extruder is needed. Getting everything just right takes some time, and it will be a while before you can start making decent quality prints. See More

Specs

Additional features:Low surface friction, toughness and flexibility

Additional printed bed adhesion:Kapton tape / Garolite

Colors available:1 color available (natural)

Top Pro

Affordable

A decent Nylon 645 filament can cost between $30 and $50. However, this filament is priced at around $20/$25, which puts its price on par with how much most PLA/ABS filaments cost. See More

Top Pro

Several uncommon applications for 3D printed parts

Due to its strength and grippy surface, this filament can be used to produce weight-bearing surfaces, parts subject to friction and tapped/threaded parts. Its flexibility also makes it useful for fabricating plugs and gaskets. See More

Top Pro

Great technical documentation

The full technical documentation is available at Taulman’s website. This is especially useful for professional engineers and those in the academic field. Furthermore, the filament was reviewed, tested and certified by St. Louis Testing Laboratories, ensuring the published technical data is correct. See More

eSUN PETG Filament

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Simultaneously strong and flexible

PETG is pretty much as strong as ABS (in terms of direct load) and nearly as flexible as PLA, combining the best characteristics of these two materials. On top of that, printing PETG is easier than printing ABS, since it does not require a heated bed and has better layer adhesion. See More

Top Con

Filament packaging provides proper protection

The material comes in a spool packed inside a vacuum film, with an included desiccant. All this is packaged inside a tough cardboard box, which keeps everything safe during shipping and storage. See More

Specs

Additional features:Odorless, hydrophobic

Additional printed bed adhesion:Not recommended by manufacturer

Colors available:9 natural colors available

Density:1.23 g / cm^3

Top Pro

Can be used with nearly every 3D printer

This filament is available for both 1.75 mm and 3.0 mm extruders. It also does not require a heating bed when printing, although it’s better if you have one. It can also be printed using standard brass nozzles. See More

Top Con

Material specifications sheet available only upon request

The material specifications sheet isn't publicly available, but it is possible to request it from regional eSUN distributors. This is a hassle mostly for engineers and those in the academia, who will surely need this, since they will have no choice apart from spending some time and effort to get the specifications sheet. It would be better to have the specs available from the get-go. See More

Top Pro

Can safely be used for applications where it comes in contact with food

This filament can safely be used to create e food and drink containers or parts for food production lines (like conveyor belt parts, for example ), unlike ABS, PLA or other popular 3D printing filament materials. PETG filament is food safe, as there are no potential hazards to food or human body while in contact with this material. In fact, PETG is a modified version of PET, which is a material widely used for food packaging. See More

Top Con

Finding the perfect setting takes some time and effort

While this filament is easy to print, getting to the "optimal results" level requires extra work. Because temperatures vary within the extruder used, finding the perfect printer settings will, most likely, take several attempts. See More

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