Filament - the good, the bad, the ugly

[Rainmaker]

What filament are you using? What's good, what's bad? Why do you like it? Why do you hate it? What are your print settings?

My current favorite:
DURAMIC PLA Pro: I always get good adhesion, no clogs, no (or very little) stringing. It has good durability for a PLA, and the "Pro" in this case does seem to have an edge over the standard PLA. Somewhat higher heat resistance from what I can tell. I've used their Black, White, and Grey so far. No significant differences between colors.

Nozzle:	203C
Bed:	65C
Layers:	0.2mm
Retraction:	55mm/s and 2.6mm
Coasting:	0.8mm
Cooling:	100% after 1st layer
Flow:	97%
Speed:	65mm/s (or less)

[JonM]

If my surgical mask ear savers have taught me anything, it's to avoid PLA for anything that could potentially be left in a hot car (so much warping). I'm now printing almost exclusively in PETG. The only exception to this being in decorative pieces that stay indoors. Brands I've had good results from include eSun and Hatchbox. I did not get very good results from NovaMaker PETG. I'll print it at around 240C with my bed at 70C. Layers are typically 0.2 mm, but I occasionally go up to 0.3 mm on larger parts. Print speed typically gets slowed down to 45 mm/s and the part fan is set to off. Since I'm printing parts primarily for heavy use, infill is typically set to 100% for small to medium sized models. These settings result in a strong finished product capable of withstanding direct hits and high temperatures.

[Rainmaker]

What settings do you feel help minimize your stringing with PETG?

[JonM]

Keep retraction distances short and speed fast. Exact settings depend on the filament. Stringing with PETG isn't too bad for me, but it's an inevitable side effect that we need to put up with. PETG prints may require a bit more post processing than PLA, but its strength and heat resistance make up for it in the long run.

[Aperture3D]

Living in southern California, MatterHackers is the local supplier.

Wasn't the biggest fan of their Build series PLA, the pigments are really lacking in comparison to other brands. During the PLA shortage earlier this year I bought a roll of 3DFuel PLA and the black was much deeper, making the MH PLA almost look brown.

I moved on to their PETG and so far I am satisfied with the color and finish.

Matter Hackers Build Series PETG: 1kg ~$24.99 USD (Discounts on multiple rolls)

Nozzle 240 -235 C (First layer - Other Layers)
Bed 80 C
Layers 0.20mm
Retraction 30mm/s 0.4 mm (Direct Drive)
Coasting 50-60%
Cooling 50-60%
Flow 92%
Speed 100 mm/s (or less)

[XEMON]

I mostly print petg too ...

I used to be an abs all the way guy and liked the "Amazon basic" brand the best, but now I switched to using play for aestetic print and petg for the rest: 95% of my prints 😁
still playing around with brands, but so far I find more differences between wet and dry than between brands ...

[Arsenal]

I find more differences between wet and dry than between brands ...

I've been printing a lot in Nylon blends, and lord I know you're right. I gave up and set up a dehydrator.

But it's not just for Nylon - someone on prusaprinters posted these pictures. That's Stronghero PETG (one of the cheapest filaments on Amazon) at 260C (Crazy hot for PETG!), with zero post-processing. I wouldn't have believed it before I started dehydrating. Everything goes in the dehydrator before it goes in the printer now...

[Rainmaker]

I've been printing a lot in Nylon blends, and lord I know you're right. I gave up and set up a dehydrator.

But it's not just for Nylon - someone on prusaprinters posted these pictures. That's Stronghero PETG (one of the cheapest filaments on Amazon) at 260C (Crazy hot for PETG!), with zero post-processing. I wouldn't have believed it before I started dehydrating. Everything goes in the dehydrator before it goes in the printer now...

Wow, that is insane! I need to use a dehydrator. What dehydrator/dryer are you using? Storebought? Homemade? Oven?

[XEMON]

I got the round food type and printed spacers,I didn't want to break the trays because I wanted a dehydrator for the kitchen too ...

I can post pictures and model of the one I have and post the files for the extension if there is interest (not my design, but I'm not sure I could find it anymore).

Also, I print all my PETG at 250/255C with a bed at 85C
It seams to do wired at lower temp (and I print fast)