So I was down at my local Harbor Freight, picking up an organizer for my expanding collection of metric hardware, and saw some string trimmer line that has a 1.7mm diameter. Hey, for 6 bucks, why not. I must say, it works pretty well…
Sorry it’s a different printer, I didn’t want to ruin my MP3DP in case everything went sideways😉
I’m not sure what material it is, I figured Nylon and printed at 240C.
So if you’re ever in a bind and need some filament right now…
Cool idea. Just a month back CNC Kitchen YouTube channel did a segment on printing with trimmer line:
He got a huge quality improvement by drying the filament before printing.
If you’re looking for a larger quantity and better $/ft, here’s what I use:
As I recall it’s ~$22. Made by Desert Extrusion - reportedly the folks that make some of the “famous name” 3D printer nylon filaments. Works great & yes, you do need to dry it and keep it dry - as with any nylon. Note also that it’s round, not seven sided like the H.F. trimmer line, so possibly less trouble for some extruders.
If you intend to dry it in a low temp oven, make sure it’s electric - not natural gas or propane. If you do use a larger spool, it’s near impossible to dry the inner layers, so I spool off what I need and dry it in a slow cooker set on high w/lid slightly ajar to let moisture escape. For storage I use large “FoodSaver” vacuum canisters, 'cause I have some - obviates the need for dessicant.
That is 1.3kg. for $22.5. is that worth it because it is nylon?
I saw that, I was thinking more like this…
But I mean, both are a lot cheaper than buying nylon “3D printer filament”
Yeah, just doing a quick search, it’s $32/kg for the “cheap” nylon filament.
Of course, you only get blue. 
It could also be glass fiber reinforced. Some trimmer line is.
FWIW - When I researched this particular line/filament a few years ago, I read that the manufacturer claimed it was virgin nylon (don’t recall the type) and coloring - no fillers. At the time there was lot of discussion about nasty/detrimental fillers in trimmer line, especially in regards to using it for 3D printing. The alleged lack of any fillers (and price) was part of the reason I tried it. So far, it’s worked well for me with the E3D-V6 extruder I used in my first printer build.
