dikale PLA 3D Printer Filament - 1KG(335m/1099ft) 1.75mm, Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.02 mm, 1KG Spool 1.75 mm, Light Gray(Suitable for Ender 3 3D Printer etc)

 Today I'm reviewing Dikale White PLA filament. It's available for a low price, currently $15.00 for 1kg in the US, which puts it in direct competition with other low cost filaments.UNBOXING:The filament is shipped in a cardboard box, sealed in plastic with a desiccant packet to keep it dry. Contrary to the picture shown on Amazon, the spool has openings on the side, and also near the very center of the reel, so it's easy to see how much you have left.FIRST GLANCE:The filament is that it's very glossy and smooth, almost glass-like. It’s a very brilliant white and very reflective.TEMPERATURE:I printed a temperature tower with temperatures matching those listed on the spool and box (190 to 230C). There was noticeable droop on holes and bridging above 220C, and stringing increased as the temperature rose.I settled on a 200C hot end and 60C bed temperature, print speed of 50mm/sec, and 5mm retraction @ 60 mm/sec on the Anycubic I3 Mega printer. (Note: The Ultrabase bed on the I3 requires heat for adhesion)PRINTING RESULTS:I measured the filament at various points during testing, and it varied between 1.73 and 1.75mm throughout.First up, I printed a single wall thickness test object . The results were OK but the print had tiny imperfections. Higher extrusion settings in the slicer software seemed to help, but thin areas were persistent in all my testing of single extrusion walls. I don't consider this a problem honestly because I didn't notice any problems with thicker walls, and even the single thickness walls were structurally sound and flexible without cracking.To test layer adhesion and translucency of the filament, I printed a 0.4mm slice (2 layers @ 0.2mm). The result was a very smooth surface and I was able to see my finger clearly through the printed object with some minor back-lighting.Next was a Chromatic Vase, using Simplify3D’s “vase mode” where the layers are printed as a spiral moving upward. The results were very good. The surface of the filament is bright and uniform and has a nice shine that catches the light beautifully. There were some minor imperfections on the rear of the vase caused by a partially clogged nozzle, but as you can see the results were very nice in the attached images and video. (Amazon's video encoding really messed with the section of the video that shows the vase, sorry about that. Check the attached picture for a sample of the quality)Finally, I printed an extruder stepper mount to test the filament for use in a structural part. The result was accurate in all dimensions with no perceptible shrinking or warping. Supports removed very easily. Much more so than from other PLA I've used. This may be due to the smooth surface of this filament. The strength of the parts seems similar to those I’ve printed with other PLA.THE BOTTOM LINE:The Dikale filament prints well, is reasonably priced and seems to be a good choice if you are looking for a bright, smooth and glossy surface. I like it, and will definitely use it for future projects.

Final update: Alright, so, I'm adding more stars. It took me a LOT of wasted prints though. However, Dikale hit me up directly and talked with me, even sending me another roll for free to make up for all the wasted trials. That said, I included a pic of a print I made that came out, I dare say, stunning despite now having finished the clean-up after support removal. It's also fairly strong compared to some I've used. Far more so than I expected. The sheen on this after ironing btw is phenomenal. I reiterate, this stuff is not the easiest to print. Nozzle temp needs to be high and warping is very easy with drafts or high bed Temps. I set mine to 45 and the nozzle to 215. If you use Cura, enable draft shield for at less 10mm.those are how I get the best luck.Update: still having issues with it after a few days. Warps super easy. Trying it now at a way higher nozzle temp than anything else I use and I've tested all the bed temps from from 45-60. I'm about to return my second roll if this last print doesn't tune in. It's also super fragile at first so snap off a few feet and just toss it. I want it to work, but I'm getting what I paid for. Also, why are there still 10 of 20 pages worth of reviews for a 3d printer that this filament has nothing to do with?So far I've gotten mixed results with this filament over other options I've used. It's cheap, but I've had to make some definite adjustments to keep bed adhesion as well as a few warping issues. I expect it'll work out in a bit, but I'll have to give it a few more days of printing to really tell. So far, unimpressed and getting what I paid for.UPDATE 11/14/18: Don't get the grey. The black PLA is the only filament I use anymore from them. Entire spool of grey unusable because it kept clogging my rig. I tried it three different times and unspooled a few yards each time to see if it was just little issues, but after about a quarter of the spool down the drain I just gave up on the whole thing. Black still works out fine, but grey is a waste of money.

UPDATE: Ran out of the first roll, just ordered another.Better than I thought it would be. At first I was scared because it was a little brittle, but that was just the part the was in the spool end hole. I ran my first print with my [Open Filament] da Vinci 1.0 Pro. 3D Printer/Upgradable Laser Engraver - 7.8" x 7.8" x 7.8" Built Volume (Fully Enclosed Design - ABS/PLA/Tough PLA/PETG) printer. I am also using the EZ-Stik Professional 3D Printer Build Surface from GeckoTek, 200x200mm as a surface. The print held well to the surface and popped right off after the print. I printed .1mm layer height at 35mm/s speed surface and 50mm speed inside. Heat was set at 210.I like how the spool is easy to see how much stuff is left and the color is not as white as the inland stuff, but is whiter than the supply3d stuff.The photo attached is the first print from the printer using this PLA. It is sitting atop a quarter, and fresh off the printer.I think I will order another spool when this runs out.UPDATE: Ran out of the first roll, just ordered another.

I bought this filament because I was looking for some low price and good black filament. I was not disappointed. The black was very nice too look at once printed and is very glossy. It also printed a benchy very well at 205*C. Overall a great roll of filament.