Don't be fooled with inexpensive 3D printers that use proprietary filament.
There are many 3D printers out on the market. One item that is often overlooked by the consumer is what kind of filament that is required to use with their machine. Lately, there have been sneaky manufacture's that have created a proprietary filament scheme preventing the consumer the freedom to choose where to buy filament that is compatible with their 3D printer. These manufactures lure the consumer in with attractive inexpensive units only to make huge financial gains from the sale of proprietary filament spools. Manufactures accomplish this by either using non-standard size diameter filaments or by integrating a radio frequency ID tag in the spool that the printer must identify in order for it to print.
So why do manufacture's use proprietary filament?
Put simply so they can make a fortune off the consumer. By eliminating the competition of filament providers (since its proprietary there is no competition) the manufacturing can and will charge outrageous prices for their filament.
I looked at the cost of the proprietary filament- it seemed reasonable?
Be sure to check the weight of the filament and not just the price.
Sometimes the manufacturer gets even trickier. Not only do they use proprietary filament but they also cheat the consumer by changing the net weight of the filament, thereby fooling the consumer into thinking that the price is reasonable when the consumer really isn't comparing apples to apples. When purchasing filament always calculate the price per kilogram soo that you are can compare apples to apples.
What are the benefits of non-proprietary filament?
For starters the consumer is free to shop around. There are a plethora of filament suppliers. Many of these suppliers offer excellent products at competitive rates. Grant it not all suppliers offer the same quality of filament but the consumer has the freedom to make that decision.
Many times the consumer is given a larger variety of colors and types of materials to choose from as well. Does your proprietary filament provider offer nylon, polycarbonate, or HIPS? How about gold or silver ABS?
Does Plastic Scribbler use proprietary filament?
Absolutely not. All our printers allow the consumer to use the filament of their choice. Additionally, all our printers use a standard 1.75mm diameter filament.