Sunlu Empty Spool Weight and Filament Remaining
An empty Sunlu spool weighs about 161 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
Sunlu 1 kg plastic spool: 133–189 g reported (midpoint used). The wide range suggests more than one spool design.
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 161 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 ±28 g, so the remaining length could be off by about ±9 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
= 1161 g − 161 g
= 1000 g of filamentSunlu (plastic spool) spools are taken as 161 g (133–189 g reported). A ±28 g spread changes the answer by about 9 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.
Sunlu (plastic spool): empty spool weight
From sourceFrom a published reference; brands and batches vary. Checked 23 Oct 2026.
- LayerTune: empty filament spool weights by brand (community readings) (Sunlu 1 kg plastic spool: 133–189 g reported (source: spoolvault.com)), opened 23 Oct 2026
In short
An empty Sunlu spool weighs about 161 g (133–189 g reported). 1161 g on the scale is a full 1 kg; 661 g is half.
The calculator starts with Sunlu spool and PLA selected; change the material to match your spool.
Scale reading to filament left
Each row adds the 161 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 261 g | 100 g | 33.5 m | 32.7 m | 10% |
| 411 g | 250 g | 83.8 m | 81.8 m | 25% |
| 661 g | 500 g | 167.6 m | 163.7 m | 50% |
| 911 g | 750 g | 251.5 m | 245.5 m | 75% |
| 1161 g | 1000 g | 335.3 m | 327.4 m | 100% |
Sunlu spool facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Empty spool weight | 161 g (133–189 g reported) |
| Where the figure comes from | Community readings |
| Spool material | Plastic |
| Filament on a full spool | 1000 g |
| Size | About 200 mm across and 64 mm wide (typical 1 kg spool size; not confirmed for Sunlu) |
Sunlu 1 kg plastic spool: 133–189 g reported (midpoint used). The wide range suggests more than one spool design.
Empty weight, Sunlu spool
From sourceFrom a published reference; brands and batches vary. Checked 23 Oct 2026.
- LayerTune: empty filament spool weights by brand (community readings) (Sunlu 1 kg plastic spool: 133–189 g reported (source: spoolvault.com)), opened 23 Oct 2026
Other brands
- Bambu Lab242 g plastic
- eSun220 g plastic · 150 g cardboard
- Polymaker140 g cardboard
- Prusament200 g plastic
- Hatchbox227 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 Sunlu spool of PLA
The three steps behind the result, using the 161 g empty weight.
Step 1: Subtract the empty spool
W_net = W_total − W_spool
= 1161 g − 161 g
= 1000 g of filamentSunlu (plastic spool) spools are taken as 161 g (133–189 g reported). A ±28 g spread changes the answer by about 9 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 Sunlu spools
- Sunlu spool readings vary widely (133–189 g), so weighing your own empty spool matters more than usual.
Sunlu spool: common questions
Empty weight, accuracy and the scale method.
How much does an empty Sunlu spool weigh?
Sunlu 1 kg plastic spool: 133–189 g reported (midpoint used). The wide range suggests more than one spool design. Weighing one of your own empties is the most accurate figure.
How do I check how much filament is left on a Sunlu spool?
Weigh the spool and subtract 161 g. For example, a reading of 661 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 189 g, so a reading can be off by up to about 28 g, or roughly 9.4 m of PLA. Weigh one of your own empty spools to remove that error.