SainSmart PLA works fantastically in my Makerbot Replicator 2.
I tried ordering plastic from Makerbot directly but delays on every color I wanted led to me check for other sources. Seems this complaint is common. Guess what? I saved $11/spool and got every color I wanted 2 days later.
Thank you Amazon Prime and the power of internet forums! There are lots of providers of PLA but people have a lot of trouble sorting them. From varying thickness of the strand's diameter to differing melting points of the plastic there is a lot to look out for. I found the SainSmart stuff to work very reliably.
After you order the plastic you will need to print a new spool holder. This pattern worked fine for me (I did rotate the model on the build plate, so it didn't build straight up!) Also, I read around on the internet and then experimented with extruder temperatures. The Replicator 2's default setting of 230F is too hot for the SainSmart, I find 215F works much, much better in my home.
I've tried Black, Red, Blue, Pink and Silver/Grey. So long as your build plate is level and the extruder is clear SainSmart works great!
