MakerGeek Filament Versus Ultimaker Brand Filament

[BrayChristopher 36]

I have tried using the makergeek brand filament. It had good reviews online....

But I keep getting nozzle clogs. Way more that I did with the Ultimaker brand filament that was shipped with the machine.

I tried this print twice, and both times it nozzle clogged after about and inch.

I ordered some more Ultimaker filament and is it happily chugging away.

Have any body else had experience with the MakerGeek filament. Suggestions.

[the_schire 3]

I too fell victim to the good reviews on the website and low prices. I have the clogging issue as well, but my main issue is that it won't feed properly in my UMO. I have gotten few successful prints with this material, but those that did succeed were really small. Most of the 25 or so prints I attempted ended up looking like this

[gr5 2,229]

It's rare that it doesn't take a dozen hours before you've figured out how to get consistently good prints - regardless of the printer - although the UM2 often works fine right out of the box. Anyway that part in that picture is really really tiny - can barely see it but I think it looks like maybe it stopped extruding? I mean most of it looks fine I think. Would be very helpful to zoom in a bit first.

Anyway there are lots of things that can cause that - most common are having too many retractions or printing too fast such that the feeder grinds up the filament - check that out by opening the feeder, heating up the nozzle to 150C and pulling it out a bit and inspecting the part in the feeder. Also printing too hot can cook the filament into gunk - but this is very unlikely with PLA. Also you might have dust/dirt/wood particles (from feeder getting chewed up? examine and look for that also) getting into the nozzle and causing a clog.

Your feeder tension might be too light. Also try printing 30% slower and 10C hotter - what are your settings for speed, layer height and temp?

[the_schire 3]

Well even when the filament is just in the tube and hasn't gotten to the hot end the feeder has trouble grabbing it. The filament is always getting ground, but I think it's because the material isn't being grabbed well enough.

[BrayChristopher 36]

I for one find it annoying. Each user should not have to reinvent the wheel in regards to the printer settings. The filament manufacturers should give more in depth printer setting guidelines for the major 3D printers on the market.

I understand that there are new 3D printers coming out all the time, but there are definitely a few that are dominating the market (Ultimaker, Makerbot, Printrbot, Flashforge, etc)

I am not in this to tinker with settings. I am in this to make parts. The 3D printer companies and filament companies should be working together to tinker with settings so that the end users can make good parts faster.

Again, I must praise the Ultimaker brand PLA filament. It works (so far). Right out of the box, using the default (Ultimaker2 config) settings from Simplify 3D.

I am sure there are other brands out there that work, and I can probably fiddle with the settings to make the MakerGeek stuff work, but why risk wasting all that time. 3D printing isn't exactly fast.

I might try some other stuff eventually, but I am probably going to stick with the Ultimaker brand stuff for a while.

[BrayChristopher 36]

Over night print still going.

Pearl White PLA from ultimaker.

Default (Ultimaker2 config) settings from Simplify 3D. FAST setting.

[the_schire 3]

I am sure there are other brands out there that work, and I can probably fiddle with the settings to make the MakerGeek stuff work, but why risk wasting all that time. 3D printing isn't exactly fast.

 

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I'm not so sure, I've spent countless hours trying to "reinvent the wheel" as you said trying to get this stuff to work. It just doesn't print good. And when it does, I have found that it is weaker and more flexible than ultimaker PLA. I have heard many good things about ultimachine material and will probably pick up a kilo of that stuff soon.