I'm guessing the OP has metres of filament left in many smaller pieces. Is there any way of joining these up to form a single long length. This is aside of course from the DRM issue that would also need addressing.
Texy

Stumbled across this thing that addresses this problem. I dont know if it works, but it is interesting.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1656353

.... I have a dozen half empty spools sitting around due to xyz.....

Ge on the swap list and swap you used tags with other folks with used tags.  They can be reset to show 300M and used in ANOTHER machine.  See this thread http://www.soliforum.com/topic/15907/da … -tag-swap/

i'm tempted to get the EMUTAG but please what is risk that XYZ change their system so EMUTAG no longer works?
Is all I need do is make sure the dont change firmware and switch to generic branded pla spools?
XYZ seem to be closing down most hacks for people unfortunate enough to update firmware presumably by reading these posts.

The XYZ JR and Min's have been been around for a few years now. XYZ will have to continue to provide usable filament for those printers. Since they have written the firmware around the NTAG213 I would think it would be vary hard for them to change their tags midstream and disable all of those printers that have been sold. This would be a devastating blow to their sales and force more and more people to look at using third party filament with an EMU tag.

With that said I have not updated my firmware in over a year and a half. This keeps all possibilities of them locking up my printer at zero.

Thanks - I foolishly upgraded my firmware and am now kicking mysellf.  I'm thinking of getting another brand 3D printer (cheap diy kit perhaps).  Will my partly used xyz spools work on other makes?

As long as other make allows PLA printing.

Get Cartridge resetter , you can use 3rd party filament too.
Every time it shows empty just reset length by cartridge resetter.

This may or may not be a true statement. Depending on the firmware in your printer, you may not be able to use hacked tags. Your firmware needs to be lower that 2.2.7 in order to use hack tags in your printer. DO NOT purchase hardware without knowing if it will work or not.