Complete List of 3D Printer Filament Suppliers

[Maggie]

I never realized how many different companies produced filament for 3d printers. There are literally hundreds fdm filament providers out there. With all the competition you would think that prices would come down. I was reading somewhere that it only costs about $2-$3 in raw material plastic pellets to create a one gram spool of filament. Sure there are fixed costs, but these should easily be able to get diluted down as production heats up. Here is a list of all the known filament suppliers out there. Most provide both PLA and ABS:


http://reprap.org/wiki/Printing_Material_Suppliers


I would assume that it's the most complete list out there. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[atoff]

I found that most of those suppliers are just selling rebadged cheap filament from China (Aliexpress / Alibaba). This is the case with a lot of products, but it's really disappointing when these resellers are claiming to have produced their signature "premium" filament, which turns out is the same $12/kg stuff I can pick up myself from Ali... which is what I've ended up doing. Most of the time they're reselling Wanhao, or Winbo, or some no-name even cheaper stuff.

I myself ordered a few spools of Wanhoa from Aliexpress... came to $71.50 for 3 spools of PLA with Fedex 3-5 day shipping, which equates to $23.83 per kg shipped.

I also ordered a spool of ABS from IC3D (from Amazon), who now produce their own filament in the U.S. They have really good reviews, and at $33 with free 2-day shipping with Prime, seems a pretty good deal.

[doodadDoes]

I found that most of those suppliers are just selling rebadged cheap filament from China (Aliexpress / Alibaba). This is the case with a lot of products, but it's really disappointing when these resellers are claiming to have produced their signature "premium" filament, which turns out is the same $12/kg stuff I can pick up myself from Ali... which is what I've ended up doing. Most of the time they're reselling Wanhao, or Winbo, or some no-name even cheaper stuff.

I myself ordered a few spools of Wanhoa from Aliexpress... came to $71.50 for 3 spools of PLA with Fedex 3-5 day shipping, which equates to $23.83 per kg shipped.

I also ordered a spool of ABS from IC3D (from Amazon), who now produce their own filament in the U.S. They have really good reviews, and at $33 with free 2-day shipping with Prime, seems a pretty good deal.

This is very true, I wished for that same feature since it seems like most suppliers are just supplying the cheap crud from China.
Full disclosure, I sell filament in Australia which I source from a Company in Melbourne (Lybina) because I was miffed at ordering filament only to have it be some other random chinese stuff. Don't get me wrong, there are some decent filaments made there, but since the suppliers don't tell you it was from manufacturer X, you've got no way of knowing.
I really do wish suppliers would just list who their manufacturer was - though I do understand why they don't

It also makes it really hard to review a filament, or trust a review since two suppliers could be selling the exact same stuff.

[iway]

Full Disclosure: I founded Lone Star Filament

I think it's obvious that I'd recommend purchasing filament from Lone Star Filament. However, I know full well that a simple plug by me is an automatic "nope, can't trust you!". Additionally, I'm proud to say that my filament is imported. By now you might be thinking, "Okay buddy, hell no."

For good reason, people are discouraged and disappointed by some of the imported filament (an understatement). So was I. There is nothing more annoying than paying ~$30+ on spools that either clog or are too brittle. It's a waste of time and money. It was out of this frustration that I started Lone Star Filament.

I'd like to tell you all a big secret that many, many existing suppliers don't tell you. The suppliers that boast "Made/Manufactured in the USA" don't want you to know that that's not entirely true. I can't speak for all, but many suppliers import PLA pellets and then extrude their own filament on machines that are often made in China. So to give off an impression that their inventory is "100% USA virgin material that's also manufactured in USA" is a bit misleading. Again, I can't speak for everyone.

"So why Lone Star Filament?"
I want to provide people with the same service and quality of product that I wanted as a consumer myself. So this is what I offer:

• Fast shipping (1-3 days), orders are processed and shipped out on the same day the are ordered (up to 3pm CST)
• Affordable prices - as of now I am running a May/June sale of PLA 1kg white filament for $19.95/spool + S&H
• 100% Refund/Exchange - I've had my PLA quality tested over and over to make sure I have exceptional stock. I'm confident in my inventory and have yet to have a single complaint. But if you aren't satisfied, you get your money back and I risk my entire reputation and livelihood.

I hope this was helpful and that next time you order filament, you will consider Lone Star Filament . My contact information is on the website and I reply to every single message on the day it's sent. Thanks again for your consideration and time reading my long shpeel

P.S - More colors are coming soon in inventory! I know people are asking

[Tugx]

Thanks for this information! I'd like to get into the world of distribution of 3D filament in the near future and this is a good link. Some things needs updating, but hey, its a start.

[RobH2]

I too have been using IC3D and have really liked their filament. I also had an issue with some (I thought) and contacted them. They offered to swap it out "no questions asked." But, instead they gave me a few things to try and it turned out it was a problem on my end. I like their customer service, prices and product.

But, back to the subject. I'd like to see a complete list and some ratings. I assume that reprap.org is going to be about as good as anyone right now.

[Roxy]

I wish they had one more column in their numbers. I would like to know how much a 1 Kg spool is.

[MysteryAlabaster]

I too have been using IC3D and have really liked their filament. I like their customer service, prices and product.

I also ordered a spool of ABS from IC3D (from Amazon), who now produce their own filament in the U.S. They have really good reviews, and at $33 with free 2-day shipping with Prime, seems a pretty good deal.

I'm going to look into IC3D. We buy most of our stuff from Amazon, because we have a business account or something.

[RobH2]

Besides having good quality filament that's one thing I like about IC3D. They are on Amazon and I have Amazon Prime so there is no shipping or tax. It's a winning combo for me.

[MysteryAlabaster]

Anyone got a good PLA supplier on Amazon?