Polymaker Empty Spool Weight and Filament Remaining
An empty Polymaker spool weighs about 140 g.
Your measurements
Weigh your spool and pick the material and brand. Everything updates as you type.
Filament
Typical density for this material. Use your filament's data sheet if it gives one.
Most printers use 1.75 mm; some, such as Ultimaker, use 2.85 mm. It is printed on the spool label.
Spool
Polymaker lists its 1 kg cardboard spool at 140 ± 7 g.
Put the spool, with its filament, on a kitchen scale.
Rough fill level
Electricity (optional)
Typical average draw, estimated. A plug-in power meter gives your printer's real figure.
Results
PLA (Polylactic Acid) left on the spool
m
= 1100.1 ft
About 100% of a 1000 g spool. Compare this with the filament length your slicer shows for the print.
- Filament weight
- 1000g
- = 35.27 oz
- Scale weight minus 140 g empty spool
- Electricity for the print
- $0.14
- 8 h on Bambu Lab P1S (estimated draw)
Check before you print (2)
- Empty spools from this brand vary by about ±7 g, so the remaining length could be off by about ±2 m. Weigh one of your own empty spools and enter it for an exact figure.
- 1.24 g/cm³ is a typical density for PLA (Polylactic Acid). Brands differ by a few percent, and the length changes by the same percentage. Use the density on your filament's data sheet if you have it.
How this was calculated
Weight to length, with your numbers.
How this was calculated
Weight to length, with your numbers.
Step 1: Subtract the empty spool
W_net = W_total − W_spool
= 1140 g − 140 g
= 1000 g of filamentPolymaker (1 kg cardboard spool) spools are taken as 140 g (133–147 g per maker). A ±7 g spread changes the answer by about 2 m.
Step 2: Cross-section of 1.75 mm filament
A = π × (d ÷ 20)²
= π × (0.0875 cm)²
= 0.024053 cm²The diameter in millimetres is halved and converted to centimetres so the units match the density in g/cm³.
Step 3: Length from weight
L = W_net ÷ (ρ × A × 100)
= 1000 g ÷ (1.24 g/cm³ × 0.024053 cm² × 100)
= 335.3 mDividing by density and cross-section gives centimetres; ÷100 gives metres. A density that is 2% off makes the length 2% off.
Step 4: Electricity for the print
Cost = watts × hours ÷ 1000 × price per kWh
= 110 W × 8 h ÷ 1000 × $0.16
= $0.14110 W is an estimated average for the Bambu Lab P1S. A plug-in power meter gives your printer's real figure.
Sources
PLA (Polylactic Acid): density
EstimatedTypical value, not from a maker's document. Measure or confirm before relying on it.
Polymaker (1 kg cardboard spool): empty spool weight
Checked against sourceChecked against the maker's documentation. Checked 23 Oct 2026.
- Polymaker FAQ: spool dimensions (1 kg cardboard spool: 200 ± 1 mm diameter, 65.6 ± 2 mm wide, 55 ± 1 mm hole, 140 ± 7 g), opened 23 Oct 2026
In short
An empty Polymaker spool weighs about 140 g (133–147 g per maker). 1140 g on the scale is a full 1 kg; 640 g is half.
The calculator starts with Polymaker spool and PLA selected; change the material to match your spool.
Scale reading to filament left
Each row adds the 140 g empty spool to the filament. Lengths are for 1.75 mm filament at typical densities (PLA 1.24, PETG 1.27 g/cm³).
| On the scale | Filament | PLA | PETG | Of a full spool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 240 g | 100 g | 33.5 m | 32.7 m | 10% |
| 390 g | 250 g | 83.8 m | 81.8 m | 25% |
| 640 g | 500 g | 167.6 m | 163.7 m | 50% |
| 890 g | 750 g | 251.5 m | 245.5 m | 75% |
| 1140 g | 1000 g | 335.3 m | 327.4 m | 100% |
Polymaker spool facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Empty spool weight | 140 g (133–147 g per maker) |
| Where the figure comes from | Maker's figure |
| Spool material | Cardboard |
| Filament on a full spool | 1000 g |
| Size | 200 mm across, 65.6 mm wide, 55 mm hub (maker's figures) |
Polymaker lists its 1 kg cardboard spool at 140 ± 7 g.
Empty weight, Polymaker spool
Checked against sourceChecked against the maker's documentation. Checked 23 Oct 2026.
- Polymaker FAQ: spool dimensions (1 kg cardboard spool: 200 ± 1 mm diameter, 65.6 ± 2 mm wide, 55 ± 1 mm hole, 140 ± 7 g), opened 23 Oct 2026
Other brands
- Bambu Lab242 g plastic
- eSun220 g plastic · 150 g cardboard
- Prusament200 g plastic
- Hatchbox227 g plastic
- Sunlu161 g plastic
- Overture163 g cardboard · 204 g plastic
- Creality140 g plastic
All 15 spools, with sources, in the empty spool weights table
Worked example: a full Polymaker spool of PLA
The three steps behind the result, using the 140 g empty weight.
Step 1: Subtract the empty spool
W_net = W_total − W_spool
= 1140 g − 140 g
= 1000 g of filamentPolymaker (1 kg cardboard spool) spools are taken as 140 g (133–147 g per maker). A ±7 g spread changes the answer by about 2 m.
Step 2: Cross-section of 1.75 mm filament
A = π × (d ÷ 20)²
= π × (0.0875 cm)²
= 0.024053 cm²The diameter in millimetres is halved and converted to centimetres so the units match the density in g/cm³.
Step 3: Length from weight
L = W_net ÷ (ρ × A × 100)
= 1000 g ÷ (1.24 g/cm³ × 0.024053 cm² × 100)
= 335.3 mDividing by density and cross-section gives centimetres; ÷100 gives metres. A density that is 2% off makes the length 2% off.
Notes on Polymaker spools
- Polymaker lists its 1 kg cardboard spool at 140 ± 7 g, 200 mm across and 65.6 mm wide, with a 55 mm hole.
- Polymaker says it redesigned the spool edges so its spools spin well in the Bambu AMS.
- Other Polymaker sizes differ: 0.5 kg spools are 190 g and 2 kg spools 370 g empty.
Polymaker spool: common questions
Empty weight, accuracy and the scale method.
How much does an empty Polymaker spool weigh?
Polymaker lists its 1 kg cardboard spool at 140 ± 7 g. Weighing one of your own empties is the most accurate figure.
How do I check how much filament is left on a Polymaker spool?
Weigh the spool and subtract 140 g. For example, a reading of 640 g means about 500 g of filament, which is roughly 167.6 m of 1.75 mm PLA or 163.7 m of PETG.
How accurate is the empty weight?
Reported weights run from 133 g to 147 g, so a reading can be off by up to about 7 g, or roughly 2.3 m of PLA. Weigh one of your own empty spools to remove that error.