My six gallon shop vac is from the late 1980s. White and blue steel tank, and still works fine. Well, mostly.
- If the air venting gets hot, the system is clogged. Stop and take care of it.
- If the hose gets clogged, often I can put the hose onto the exhaust and blow the clog out. If the nozzle is pointing into the vacuum inlet, the clog crud goes into the tank where it's supposed to have been. If it still won't clear, poke a bent out coat hanger into the tube.
- Yes, it says it's a wet and dry vac. Never vac wet, it's too much work to clean up the machine.
- The rubber bands that hold the paper prefilter, dry and break. Childrens hair bands from Dollar Tree work well, and provide a bit of color and variety to your boring day.
- Cleaning the paper prefilter can be done with a snow brush. Compressed air is also OK, both need to be done outdoors where the dirt isn't a concern. It is unwise to brush off the paper prefilter in your wife's underwear drawer, or next to the shoe rack.