I have a circa-1985 Craftsman 16 gallon wet-dry vacuum. The filter ripped in the middle of a job so I needed one right away. My local Sears did not have the correct filter in stock, so I bought one that I could make fit.
The filter I bought is at least 1.25 times bigger in both length and diameter. I modified the vacuum to accept the bigger filter by extending the center mounting post with some threaded rod. I also added a thin layer of foam to ensure a good seal between the filter base and the motor housing.
Upside: A lot more surface area of filter material, probably improving air flow. Downside: A decrease in the amount of debris that can fit in the canister.
Is there any other downside (or upside) of using a larger filter?
Note: It would be very easy to go back to the original filter as none of the modifications are irreversible.
The filter was really old and had gotten wet and dried out a few times. The filter material was really flimsy. I banged it a little too hard and it ripped.
One downside of the replacement filter that I just thought of:
The proper filter has rubber rings on both ends. I used to clean them by throwing them up in the air as far as I could and letting the impact bounce most of the dirt out.
The replacement one has a hard plastic disk on both ends. I doubt it will withstand my preferred cleaning method.
I'd watch the exhaust port on the vaccuum cleaner. If you don't see any dust coming out of it, then you know your filter is working fine.
No, there are no disadvantages to having a larger filter. Even the reduced space for dirt in the canister isn't really a disadvantage because the dirt in the canister is typically dumped out before it's anywhere close to being full anyhow. So, if it's a disadvantage, it's a disadvantage that doesn't affect the normal operation of the vaccuum cleaner.
Well, that depends on what you use the vacuum for.
One of my most common uses for this unit is to remove leaves from my wife's gardens and around other hard to rake landscaping areas. I can clean leaves from hard to reach places like in/under bushes and around her plants very quickly with the vacuum. In fact, just yesterday I cleaned the remainder (I hope!) of last season's leaves from around some of her bulb based plants which are beginning to emerge and from under the bushes in the same area. Raking the area is next to impossible because of the other flowers, rocks, etc. Picking out each leaf by hand is not something I enjoy, nor is it easy to position myself in the gardens without stepping on her plants.
I have no problem filling the canister multiple times during this process. There was a definite increase in the number of times that I had to empty the canister yesterday because of the larger filter.
Obviously it's not a huge disadvantage. My only point is that, based on my usage, I will "typically" fill the canister completely full more often than not.
Wow - I never thought about using the shop vac to clean out old leaves, I usually use the leaf blower to blast them out onto the lawn and then rake them up.
There are some spots where blasting them out is not feasible, such as behind some of SWMBO's planters, in the back corner where the fences meet, etc.
Besides, when they are up against a fence or wall or under a bush, why move them out with one device then rake them up with another? With the vacuum it's a one step, controlled process. No dirt blown around, no extra work raking and picking up. I've been doing it with the vac for a couple of decades.
One trick: inside the vac's inlet port, there's a Y fitting that sends the debris around the filter. I remove that fitting before I suck up the leaves since it get clogged easily. The filter gets very dirty right at the inlet, but I just clean it when I'm done.
I had a Sears leaf blower that converted into a leaf vacuum/mulcher. Basically it was about a 5" round tube that went on the bottom/suction side of the leaf blower and a shoulder bag that went over the output side. It greatly reduced the volume of the leaves. But the biggest drawback was that the bag filled up fairly fast. Still, it was very useful for getting leaves out of window wells, behind bushes, etc. I would have bought another one, but when it went kaput and I went looking, I couldn't find one.
Here is what I resorted to after finding that fiberglass/resin dust from boat work and concrete dust from cleaning out the crawl space were clogging my filter too rapidly:
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Most decent craftsmen will laugh at the implementation, but it works for me. A full kit with hoses/interfaces is also available - but I chinced out and just got the main unit. I think it was about thirty bucks.
The vacuum cleaner accumulates zero stuff and the filter stays clean. The "Dust Deputy" creates a whirlpool of air that makes everything fall into the attached container before it gets to the vacuum cleaner.
The attached container can be anything from a $3.00 Home Depot plastic bucket to a garbage can. When it fills up, it's about a minute to loosen the strap pull off the lid/Dust Deputy, and dump it.
Only thing I would change are the wheels. They're a little small to pull the thing across bumpy grass - but they *do* work... just would work better if they were about 6" instead of 2.
Your device is fairly common...I'm surprised you couldn't find a replacement.
Here's one....
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That said, imagine these 2 scenarios and decide which one you think is easier. Granted, it's a personal preference...
1 - A holly bush with leaves hung up in it, under it, around it. Now, take that 5 inch wide tube sticking out of the side of a blower and try to get the one leave here, the other one there, the ones between the 2 rocks, etc. Seems to me that using a blower vac with that big tube is 2 hand operation and one that doesn't work well for getting into tight places, such as under a bush while trying to come in parallel to the ground while down on your knees.
2 - A holly bush with leaves hung up in it, under it, around it. Now, take that the 2.5 inch wide tube from a wet-dry vac, attached to the flexible hose and try to get the one leave here, the other one there, the ones between the 2 rocks, etc. It's a simple 1 hand operation. You can even use the other hand to move the limbs out of the way for better access.
I've used both and I find the wet dry vac to be so much easier. I also think it's easier to empty the canister into my big rolling garbage can as opposed to the bag from the blower vac.
I'm lucky enough to live across the street from a very steep wooded hill. When my rolling can is full, I wheel it across the street and dump it over the hill. I haven't bagged any leaves or grass clippings in a couple of decades. During the "big rakes" I blow/rake the leaves onto a large tarp and drag it over to the hill for disposal.
I still use my blower to move leaves in open areas, but for those tight spots, the wet-dry vac is my go-to tool.
My holly bushes are surrounded with those red landscaping rocks. The rattle and thud they make when I suck them up with the wet-dry vac is bad enough. I can't imagine what they would sound like going through a metal impeller!
When it comes to "not worth pulling out the Craftsman" clean up - cars, stairs, my workbench, etc. this is my tool of choice:
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That is the "modern" version of the Eureka Mighty Mite that I used for 20+ years. When the MM finally got too beat up for my liking I gave it to my son for his apartment. It's still going strong, even with the duct taped hose, the one wooden wheel that I made many years ago and a power cord that's a lot shorter than it used to be.
If I get anywhere near the longevity out of the new one that I got from the old one, I'm going to be pretty happy.
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