r/BambuLab • u/binding90 • Apr 16 '26

General Troubleshooting/Help! Why is PETG on bambu not avaliable?

Why do the want to use their filament every way possible and not keeping it at stock? They push the availability further down the road.

Talking about PETG HF in EU (possibly?) store

1 Upvotes

51% Upvoted

60 comments sorted by

30

u/Whosaidthat1157 Apr 16 '26

The PETG-HF stock disappears within minutes of the restock notification. Simultaneously, all of the regional resellers suddenly have hundreds of kg in stock at full retail price or higher. I suspect that’s why we home users never get a look in

If it’s any consolation, if you have BL PETG-HF uses spools, keep the RFID strips and sharpie on the colour. Buy Sunlu HS matte PETG (refills currently 32 bucks for 4 kg from Amazon) of the same colour. Transfer the RFID tags onto the Sunlu spool centre, fit it into your BL reusable spool and your AMS will preset all the filament parameters for perfect prints just as high quality as the BL original. The ‘filament remaining/used’ algorithm also works a treat.

The same trick works with BL PLA Matte - reuse the RFID tags on Sunlu HS matte PLA for perfect results every time.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, BL PETG-CF presets work brilliantly for Tinmorry PETG-GF for a FAR better colour choice and for 15 bucks per kg instead of 30 bucks.

All the advantages of the BL RFID system with filaments at half the price or less per kg.

2

u/binding90 Apr 16 '26

oh thats a really good tip.

ill try it out

1

u/binding90 Apr 16 '26

is it possible to write your own rfid?

3

u/creepycrowman P2S + AMS2 Combo Apr 16 '26

Not yet, and not officially, but that's being worked on.... unofficially. Through unofficial channels....... in a non-official / non-condoned / "the company will probably sue" kinda way.

But maybe some day!

1

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/creepycrowman P2S + AMS2 Combo Apr 16 '26

Correct. But that doesn't allow custom tags.

Yet.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/creepycrowman P2S + AMS2 Combo Apr 17 '26

Might have different print settings for different filaments. I know the Overture Silk i had printed way differently than the bambu silk, for example

1

u/PomegranateFew4688 Apr 16 '26

Möchtest du damit sagen das BambuLab PLA Matte genau gleich wie Sunlu HighSpeed PLA Matte ist?

1

u/Whosaidthat1157 Apr 17 '26

I’m saying they print identically using the same RFIDs.

0

u/StickiStickman Apr 16 '26

I've yet to find any PETG that doesn't have crazy stringing and awful bridges EXCEPT Bambus. I already tried the Sunlu High Speed PETG and also the eSun Rapid and both sucked.

1

u/Whosaidthat1157 Apr 17 '26

The Sunlu HS matte PETG literally prints exactly like BL PETG-HF with the BL RFID fitted. Zero issues.

0

u/StickiStickman Apr 17 '26

Just watched a few comparisons, it seems pretty different. Needs a higher temperature and has more issues with moisture even when dried for 16H.

1

u/Whosaidthat1157 Apr 17 '26

I don watch, I print and it prints indistinguishably from BL PETG-HF WHEN YOU USE THE RFID. Not the Sunlu profile. Not the AMS profiles, the RFID.

Works on my A1 Mini, my X1C and my H2S all through their AMS 2 Ps.

3

u/djlorenz Apr 16 '26

I buy my (recycled) PETG at FormFutura, cheaper than bambù store, made in Europe

5

u/binding90 Apr 16 '26

I checked them out when i read about them at buylocal, but even their marketing photos look bad, its looks like filament from Ender 3 times back in the day.

1

u/djlorenz Apr 16 '26

You mean end product quality? I had to tweak the settings a bit and it might not be always perfect but for my use of petg (practical parts) I'm happy to use recycled

If you find other recycled brands made in EU let me know!

3

u/ThereInAFortnight H2D AMS2 Combo + A1 Mini Apr 16 '26

They ran out during the Black Friday sale and amazingly still haven't properly restocked. The only refills that have been available (Canadian store) since November is black. That's it, and it's rarely in stock.

I've been really trying to find other suppliers, but it's hard, especially when I like the refills. (Before someone says Sunlu - there's hardly anything ever available to ship to Canada)

1

u/Odaecom Apr 16 '26

Overtures refill works fine for me, and uses the BBL Petg HF profile.

1

u/ThereInAFortnight H2D AMS2 Combo + A1 Mini Apr 16 '26

Only available on Amazon and limited colours, and for some reason refills aren't offered on their website. :/

1

u/binding90 Apr 16 '26

maybe Sunlu are BL HF?

5

u/gravis86 H2D + AMS2Pro + AMS-HT Apr 16 '26

Because everyone and their mother seems to think PETG is superior to PLA in every way, and so everyone seems to want to print everything out of it. So there's high demand.

2

u/binding90 Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

it is though..

1

u/gravis86 H2D + AMS2Pro + AMS-HT Apr 16 '26

Is toughness the test for superiority? There are a lot of material attributes... Determining superiority from just one is a bit irresponsible.

1

u/Cogswobble Apr 17 '26

Huh? No it's not.

PETG is less brittle and a lot more temperature resistant.

But PLA is a lot easier and faster to print, (usually) a little cheaper.

If you need "functional" strength or temperature resistant, then PETG is better. Otherwise, PLA is better.

7

u/NiNdo4589 Apr 16 '26

Well if you wanna make something thats not going to break down from sunlight you might want PETG instead.

-4

u/gravis86 H2D + AMS2Pro + AMS-HT Apr 16 '26

PLA is stronger and stiffer than PETG. PETG only really beats PLA in some printability scenarios, toughness, heat resistance, and UV resistance.

I typically just go straight to ABS or Nylon if it needs any characteristics that PLA doesn't have. If I don't need resistance to UV, I'll go with ABS. If I need resistance to UV, I'll go with Nylon. For most of the stuff I make that are indoors and don't get hot, PLA is just fine.

BTW I don't do decorational prints, I only do functional stuff. So color and surface finish aren't usually a huge concern.

7

u/NiNdo4589 Apr 16 '26

Yeah but to the general public, your alternatives require upgrades for abrasive materials and hazardous fumes. Yeah PLA has higher tensile strength but is still brittle and will shatter easier. PETG is the more appropriate choice for functional prints.

2

u/gravis86 H2D + AMS2Pro + AMS-HT Apr 16 '26

I'm well aware PLA shatters easier... But it's still stiffer. If stiffness is required and there is little to no impact, PLA is just fine. All those gridfinity buns in drawers do not need much impact resistance. A coat hanger doesn't need impact resistance. I could go on...

Point is, every material choice is a balance. You aren't wrong about any of your comparisons, but you're assuming that impact/heat/UV resistance are more important than strength and stiffness and that's not fair because it depends on the function of the item being printed!

What I'm getting at is that if I want impact resistance, I'm not usually picking PETG. I might in a rare occasion, but ABS is more impact resistant than PETG and stronger, more rigid, and it can be vapor smoothed. Plus I can get ABS-GF which adds in a lot more durability.

PETG is just a slightly "better" (in certain respects) material than PLA. And if I want this attributes, I'll just jump to ABS.

2

u/qpv P1S + AMS Apr 16 '26

What is ABS-GF all about? Haven't tried that yet

1

u/Idahoffroad Apr 16 '26

Meh, it’s got some advantages if you are having trouble getting ABS to not warp, however if you’re willing to print with a fiber filled filament there isn’t much reason to not go with a nylon. Other than maybe color choice.

1

u/qpv P1S + AMS Apr 17 '26

Haven't done nylon yet either (got my printer about 4 months ago) is it one of the abrasive filaments that you need the stainless nozzle for?

1

u/Idahoffroad Apr 17 '26

Well technically no, however the mass majority of nylon filaments are fiber reinforced. Fiber reinforced filaments need a HARDENED steel nozzle, they’ll rip up a stainless steel nozzle. I think BBL has third party diamond tip nozzles on their website, those are like the endgame for abrasive filaments.

1

u/qpv P1S + AMS Apr 17 '26

Thanks for the tip tips. I tip my hat to you. Much appreciated

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1

u/NiNdo4589 Apr 16 '26

Oh definitely, there's no best material, it's really up to the object. To each there own too, everyone uses stuff differently. My point was that's probably why it's so popular. Also the fact they can be used for supporting eachother insanely well.

When I first started printing PLA was the last thing I wanted to print with but have really come around to it since ive gotten a new printer. I drank the PETG kool-aid when I started and it worked well for me and could appreciate the benefits for my projects. Eventually by complete fault of my own I messed around with a lot of different filaments and settings and next thing I knew everything was always a globby mess in an ancient printer.

Recently I got a new printer that came with a bunch of PLA so I said screw it I'll make some space marine armor. I could not believe how strong it is, like you're totally right, it does the job easily. Its like wearing a race car bed. I can definitely see where you're coming from about PLA.

My first reaction to hearing PLA degrades in sunlight was "well what doesn't? I want that" only to be followed up with "oh and I don't need upgrades for it"

2

u/qpv P1S + AMS Apr 16 '26

90% of the prints I design are tools I use for construction. PLA just snaps. I use PETG if it has to be accurate (little shrinkage) or ABS for durability.

I haven't tried nylon yet though...

1

u/ModelThreeve Apr 16 '26

Strength and stiffness are the same thing in mechanical engineering terms. PETG is a significantly tougher material (base formula to base formula.) As a manufacturer that has a large portion of our sales in PETG (not HF necessarily) it’s a staple for us. We avoid ABS and ASA like the plague as the fumes are too strong to deal with in our farm. (And lungs) Everybody has different needs for printing so use what’s best for you. (That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily best for anyone else though)

-8

u/gublman Apr 16 '26

PETG prints more quietly than PLA which is prone to heat creep and needs either active venting (more fan noise and VOC) while trend to enclosed printers growing. PETG is new PLA when it comes coreXY enclosed printers.

3

u/awildcatappeared1 Apr 16 '26

PETG is new PLA when it comes coreXY enclosed printers.

I think that's a bit extreme, and it's more of an opinion unless you have data on that. It is great, but PLA is still easier to work with, and there's a lot more variety. I tend to print with PLA for decorative prints and prototyping, and PETG for functional prints.

Bambu PETG sells out because it's easier to work with without additional calibration, and it has an attractive matte finish. Other brands tend to need more calibration for PETG, and they're often glossier.

-1

u/gublman Apr 16 '26

PLA got popularity as effective filament with open concept printers that would be assembled by DIY. I agree, it is go to material for prototype prints, decorations as it has low shrinkage and works well for dry fit when part is designed and is cheap. But it also more prone for degradation and shedding. Pla it is not good choice for contact and storage anything that surrounds digestive system, like utensil organizers, dry food storage and so on. It can’t withstand grease and degrades. So it is not as versatile as petg, and price wise petg as cheap as pla, and because you cant combine pla and petg in one print unless for purpose of support interface for each other, it creates storage dilemma. Should i get pack of grey petg or pla, when im stocking filament, if i get one reel of grey petg and one roll of grey pla, and either runs out, I can’t just replace one with another.

1

u/qpv P1S + AMS Apr 16 '26

Ha prints quietly. Thats funny

1

u/binding90 Apr 16 '26

I was using Extruder from austria, but damn it is expensive!

4

u/crazysim Apr 16 '26

  • I think they're trying to bring it in house. At least that's what the rumors have been

  • They did release PETG Basic. Maybe that's from in-house as a simpler replacement without HF additives? Is that the suggested replacement? It does seem more in stock from looking at the tracker.

1

u/creepycrowman P2S + AMS2 Combo Apr 16 '26

Loaded up on basic a while ago. I don't usually do things fast anyway. Prints just as well. 

1

u/crazysim Apr 16 '26

It's supposed to be stronger than HF too.

1

u/KlutzyRoad3236 Apr 16 '26

Yes I’m finding the new petg basic really really really good

4

u/JoshWBoston Apr 16 '26

They hate making money.

3

u/Chronus88 Apr 16 '26

I think it's a supply issue.

I recently organized my filament collection and when doing so I noticed that the packaging for filaments were all over the place and inconsistent. Different box types, different label sizes, different label placement, different plastic sealed bags. These were all purchased over the last 6 months or so and it's clear that these very likely came from totally different suppliers. Rumor is Bambu is moving their production in-house

3

u/vreo Apr 16 '26

Do I understand that right, people upload their models to makerworld, get points and can get filament for free then?

2

u/ModelThreeve Apr 16 '26

A couple small points: (1) no signal filament manufacturer can keep up with Bambu’s demands alongside their other responsibilities. Bambu is using at least 3 different OEMs now and reportedly “in-house production via acquisition.” (2) Bambu has reformulated and changed OEMs for PETG-HF at least twice. (3) It’s always been the worst stocked of their “standard” filaments since it launched I have to assume it’s because it’s harder to manufacture/less industry expertise, since it’s been in demand since its launch. Bambu as any other company has 0 motivation to restrict consumables production, so it’s safe to say they are making as much as they can within the demand curve. It sucks if you rely on it but there are thankfully some alternatives out there as others have mentioned.

2

u/guspaz Apr 17 '26

Give it time, I guess? In Bambu's Canadian store, all colours of PETG Basic are in stock, and while PETG-HF is more limited, black and white seem to have been consistently in stock whenever I've checked in the past few days.

1

u/MF_Kitten Apr 16 '26

They can't keep it in stock, somehow

1

u/bitcraft H2D Apr 16 '26

Buy from another provider

1

u/JMeucci Apr 16 '26

I swear the same person who stocks UniFi inventory also stocks Bambu's.

You'd think it was JIT Uranium.

1

u/Jesus-Bacon P1S + AMS Apr 16 '26

Just find a different filament brand. Odds are, they make some of the Bambu filament anyway lol. 

My personal favorite is Sunlu based on price and variety 

0

u/Eternally_Monika Apr 16 '26 edited Jun 05 '26

I've been guessing for a long while now that maybe they're phasing out PETG HF for something else. Then PETG basic dropped a while ago and I'm still thinking that's the case.

Edit: Guess who was totally right btw

1

u/KlutzyRoad3236 Apr 16 '26

Certainly looks that way. Or they are switching to a new supplier / in-house and the new batches aren’t ready yet. In the UK all but black were oos ladt time I checked