When comparing Proto-pasta Original Carbon Fiber 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 Proto-pasta Original Carbon Fiber Filament is ranked 7th. 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
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Pros
Pro Printed objects are very stiff and strong
This filament's resulting prints are very stiff and can withstand great stresses, perfect for when you need extra strength in your projects. This is due to the carbon fibers used in this filament, which are small enough to make it through the printing nozzle, but long enough to add rigidity.
Pro Allows to 3D print objects that can't usually be 3D printed
The extreme rigidity and stiffness of this material enables the user to print things that normally can't be properly 3D printed. It’s great for printing frames, supports, shells, propellers and even tools. All these applications are interesting for users that are drone builders, RC hobbyists, or similar.
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 Requires some skill to use
Since this filament contains tiny carbon fibers, it’s difficult to print with standard extruders. Adjusting the correct feed rate and printing temperature specifically for your extruder will be necessary. Note that it is also recommended to use stainless steel nozzles while printing this material, since it has been reported that regular brass nozzles may deform while printing this material.
Con Only available in black
Because it contains carbon fibers, the filament is only available in black.
Con Can only be used with 1.75 mm nozzles
The filament is only available in 1.75 mm diameter, meaning it can't be used with printers that have nozzles with different diameters.
Con No available datasheet with mechanical data
The lack of technical documentation makes this product almost unusable for academics and professional engineers, due to the need of having the exact mechanical values in order to justify design decisions.
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.