The choice of whether to print with ABS or PLA can sometimes be emotionally charged. Those enthusiasts who have perfected their printing of either choice can be quite insistent that theirs is the best choice. Rather than supply yet more rhetoric, I will present arguments for and against each. With this information, you can make your own choice. That is, provided you haven’t locked in on a printer that prints only one type of filament (not that there is anything wrong with that). ABS is a very good choice if you plan to create objects that are going to be in close proximity to heat sources like a hot end.
ABS is also somewhat flexible and can withstand forces that would break PLA objects. It is also easily modified—you can cut it with a hobby knife and glue it together with either ABS glue or acetone. In fact, ABS dissolves in acetone. You can make your own ABS glue by dissolving a small amount of ABS in acetone. As the acetone evaporates, it leaves hardened ABS that forms a strong bond. Lastly, ABS flexes well—forming strong bond layers. However, ABS exudes a very noticeable odor that can cause some people irritation. It is always a good idea to use a fume extractor when printing with ABS. In fact, some people build special enclosures or fume hoods to vent the gases to the outside. ABS is also not as rigid or as strong as PLA and can wear more quickly than PLA. For example, gears are best made from PLA, since gears made from ABS can wear out quickly. If your printer came with ABS gears, check them often for wear, and replace them when tolerance becomes too great (the gears have excessive play). Lastly, ABS requires a heated print bed and Kapton tape or similar for the best bond. This fact alone makes ABS harder to print objects with no warping. Furthermore, Kapton tape can be a bit of a challenge to get to stick to a glass plate without air bubbles or wrinkles. There are many techniques that can help, and that alone should be enough to conclude ABS is more difficult to use. PLA is a very good choice for those who plan to use their printers in their home or office. The odor it exudes smells a lot like pancakes, so unless you abhor that type of breakfast food, it is not an unpleasant experience. PLA is harder and more rigid, making it a good choice for components that must be strong and do not permit too much flexing. It is recommended to use a fan when printing PLA. A fan forces air over the filament as it is extruded. This helps the filament cool more quickly, forming a stronger bond and reducing lift. PLA is also more forgiving when it comes to adhering to the print bed. PLA adheres well to common blue painter’s tape, which is much easier to apply than Kapton tape. The ease of printing makes PLA a good choice for beginners. However, since PLA does not flex well, it isn’t a good choice for clamps and similar objects that must flex. Also, since PLA has a lower melting point than ABS, PLA is not a good choice for extruder bodies and similar parts for printers that print ABS. So, which is best? That depends. If you are starting out, you might want to stick with PLA until you’ve mastered some of the calibration techniques for achieving high-quality prints. On the other hand, if you want to build things that you can customize or use adaptive prototyping, 14 you may want to choose ABS. Again, it is your choice, and now that you know the major ins and outs of each, you can make an educated choice.
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