I dont do a whole lot with PETg myself, but I did get a spool of Sainsmart with one of my used printers.. it printed pretty nicely.
I use Sainsmart TPU as well, with no issues

Any suggestions on brand?

I use Microcenters house brand Inland and it is hit or miss. Although I get more good than bad. If it cost less than $30 a roll I would not hope for good results and it comes down to luck.

https://all3dp.com/1/petg-filament-3d-printing/

The above link points to the top 10 best PETG filaments reviewed for 2019. Take it for whats it's worth.

Programmed to 260c, actual temp is roughly 250-255c on heater block, speeds are all below 30mm/s raft layers seen above are all at 15 mm/s. It’s very odd as it’s not random and seems to only start and stop not randomly. Amazon basics petg, 1.72mm.

hate to say it, but I say it is the material being used that is the problem.

If the machine checks out on every other aspect, that leaves the material. Cheap material is just that, cheap. Get some good quality stuff and i am willing to bet the issue disappears.

Extrudes fine for an hour and it appears at the start of a line when it’s doing a raft it was essentially cut out “clicking”. Extrudes ABS just fine, and I know the stepper has a good connection and is only warm to the touch. Everything is setup perfectly, just can’t figure out why it works and than intermittently stops but eventually goes back to normal.. driving me nuts!!

What temp and what speed. PETG is very special and different from other filaments. It must be printed at no more than 30mm/s usually slower and you set your temp at just what is needed to get it done. PETG is not for people in a hurry or on a schedule.

Here is a photo of what’s going on. Everything is dialed in great, when it does work, it looks epic.