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Add to SafariWhen comparing Makerbot ABS Filament vs Hatchbox PLA Filament, the Slant community recommends Hatchbox PLA Filament for most people. In the question“What are the best filaments for 3D printing?” Hatchbox PLA Filament is ranked 1st while Makerbot ABS Filament is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose Hatchbox PLA Filament is:
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.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Unlikely to create issues
Using this filament, it's unlikely you'll run into issues or have inaccurate diameters, given that it's a pretty standard ABS filament, with nothing remarkable or unusual about it.
Pro Supports "post-processing"
The objets printed with this filament can be subjected to some post-processing. For example, acetone can be used to "weld" multiple ABS parts together, for surface smoothing surface or to create a gloss. The process itself is a bit messy, but there are plenty of tutorials available online.
Pro Protective packaging
The filament itself is very precisely reeled around the spool, which is then vacuum-sealed in a film with a silica packet, and all of this is neatly placed inside a rigid cardboard box.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cons
Con Impossible to be used with a 3.0 mm extruder
If your printer has a 3.0 mm extruder, you won't be able to use this filament, since it only comes in 1.75mm form. For Makerbot, this is justifiable, since all of their hardware uses 1.75 mm.
Con Expensive
You can find equally decent ABS filaments for half the price of this one. However, getting this more expensive premium ABS filament may buy some peace of mind. But it should be noted that, given that these are simple standard ABS filaments, it's unlikely there will be a major difference between the results obtained when using this one and those obtained with most less expensive alternatives.
Con Requires a 3D printer with a heated bed
As is the case with all ABS filaments, you cannot print this filament using a 3D printer that lacks a heated bed. In order for the first layer to adhere properly, the filament requires high temperatures. Otherwise, it may detach from the bed plate. Kapton tape is also recommended, to improve adhesion.
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.
