Is the Devastaor a better filter than the RC99

Before I left for vacation the subject of the Devastator Filter as a loaner came up so I thought I would start a separate thread about it.  Lets just stick to the differences between the two filters and not the drama

The RC99 is $99.00, the best price for the Devastator filter is 350.00 at the PMF store. I think it also goes up for auction at Mikes board.

Is the RC99 a great value? Does it still leak? How would a leak affect the air flow?  Is the Devastator really worth the extra $250.0? Does it does it do a better job and of not restricting air flow than the RC99?  Does the both perform the same when filled with gunk?

I found a video comparing the two but keep in mind it was done by Tom. The Dev looks a little bigger and longer and the back is welded, the RC99 8s riveted. I would imagine that's why mine leaks on that side.

The Devastator topped out at 336CFM and the RC99 at 305. I did notice the CFM vane did not have the bracket to make sure it stayed level but it did look like it was on at the same place on both filters but it doesn't take much to skew the reading.

Sounds like you need to buy one and test it out.

For me the simple answer is that they are both the perfect filter for the cleaner that values their individual advantages.

It is like comparing a Gibson guitar to the Epiphone. They are patterned very similar to each other and they both work very well, but one is far more expensive and has a better finish.

Some would only want the Gibson, while others find the Epiphone to be just as good and a lot less expensive. It is a personal choice.

For me, a filter has to flow well and capture the crud while looking presentable in plain view of the public. I personally don't see enough difference to warrant spending 3-4x more for the Devastator.....nor the Gibson guitar.

I think both filters are an excellent choice over the pool filters and it just comes down to what you value in a filter beyond that.

I am considering it. I wonder if the 35 cfm decrease of the RC99 is due to the Devastator being slightly bigger and wider.

Sounds logical since you would have to move the air faster in the smaller filter to equal the same cfm rate of the larger.

The only thing is that 35 cfm isn't all that much. You could lose that much anywhere in the line with a bad cuff or gasket seal on your waste tank.

Still, it is a Gibson vs Epiphone thing....you will never know which one you prefer without picking one up and trying it out.

I think the main advantage of the devastator,    again for the record I am 100% out of this bizarre drama and dont want any part of it...     but it has a better seal around the basket so it does not allow hair and other debris to pass by unfiltered.

They are 2 different products and the rc99 is a great value and has a strong market to be sold to cleaners but just stating the facts,     Ive seen what waste water looks like coming out of a machine running both filters and the dev does filter much more.  


That being said I use rc99s because were not yet at a point where we want to spend 400 on a filter when we could use the money for upgrading more important components


but again,  I have an rc99 graveyard with I think 3 of them so it does make me think how long does the dev last?       Over time my baskets give out and the seal on the lid starts to go bad,    of course you can just order a new basket and re seal the lid and the rear end

Hey its 99 bucks so its hard to beat!  plus I love the look of a fresh one all polished from Joe

AC are you talking about the stainless steel mesh basket or the plastic one? The stainless mesh still looks pretty good on mine. I made the mistake of putting some black goop on mine so it looks like shoot.

well I had one of the earliest ones for about 4-5 years then it was time to upgrade, ran another for maybe 2 years and then just got a new one which doesnt leak at all and seems to be the best one so far

I had one of the first run as well, the new one that I received a couple of months ago is an improved version.

I still could never figure out why a filter like this wasn't designed with screwed on ends like a salt shaker. Then you could keep various interchangeable end caps to suit your changing needs while keeping an easy seal.

I suppose it has to do with the thickness required for threads and weight that would be added. It is only a guess.

Someday there will be a new kind of filter to arrive, but for now, these are the best models out there....take your pick of which one meets your needs best.

That's an awesome idea Rob might even be cheaper than welding or riveting the back end.

I threw that idea out there when Joe was rolling out those filters, but I think the walls would have to be twice the thickness at least to form usable threads....that would add to the price and weight.

That being said, I think it still was a good idea.

Two things to ask
1 has anyone tried rubbing a little RTV sealant into the seams that leak on the RC 99
2 Have you ever tried the AC 11 filter from ILS it's plastic not pretty and shiny like the others but it had a screw on top last I seen. Don't know about cfm and things like that just asking.

When I received my first RC99, I ran a bead of self-sealing windshield RTV around the end cap seal....it never leaked and is still working fine. I haven't done it to the new one yet as it hasn't leaked any, but I will not hesitate to seal it if needed.

As for the AC 11 filter....never seen it, but I like the screw on lid aspect.

Anyone try one of those filters?

The pn# has changed it's ac10 now cost 107.00 the SS basket cost extra. Look it up on utube

The Hydro Force clear view is cool because you don;t have to open it up  to see if you need to clean it out and the customer can see the gunk coming out of their carpet. I wonder how long it stays clear?

The Hydro Force AC10 is 89,00 at Steambrite with sock filter the stainless basket is 40.00

I like the scientific terms used like "...brown goop", it tells me a lot of thought has been put into it.

Actually, the screw on lid is a win and I like the micro-mesh basket which is what you find in agricultural irrigation lines.

Unfortunately, it still looks a little small. If it flowed well and was decent size, I could see trying it out. I empty my filter after every job anyway, so size isn't vital as long as the flow remained steady.

When I worked for ILS I much for selling wands and hand tools but I always recommended the inline filter for to reasons one if you set it on the ground and your tech has to pick it up and he doesn't dump it out. Then its time for him to find another job.
Second I've always had the option that if a woman called you to clean her house then she's trying to keep a clean house. So if she walked in the house and that filter is setting outside the door when she comes in and sees the dirty water coming out of the house. Do you think she will call you back. That was my sales pitch.

That is an excellent sales pitch and one that I used to use with those pool filters, but they just didn't get the job done and normally the lid hinge would break.

A clear filter is a great accessory, but they haven't made one that really worked out well. The Sapphire had promise, but it didn't flow all that well being square and it leaked badly.

I would love a clear filter....if it didn't compromise performance.

As far as filter bxs go I always liked the WM one just didn't care for the filter bag deal when it came to clean out.

It's just a pool filter they've had made to their own specs/mods.
Still small and restrictive.

It does have the screw on type lid you were talking about,
Rob.  Much easier to mold plastic like that with threads than it would be to form threads in SS.

If you guys want a clear filter for viewing purposes, why not just cut an oval hole in it and put a piece of clear Lexan or plexi on it. Then you could use a good filter and be able to see the $hit too.  

I know of a great online plastics co. you could buy the curved material from if you wanted to do it.  I did it on the tube of my old wand and it worked great.

What would really sell the customer would be a filter box that was the size of an LG heater with the inlet being on the top so that all the "brown goop" would rain down like a fountain inside the box.

They would all be hypnotized by it and draw a crowd at every turn. Throw a submersible sump pump on the bottom and have no clean up either. The whole thing would be made of a clear plexiglass or lexan and it would be a show-stopper.

Yeah I just saw it on amazon and they call it a pool filter with a leaf basket nut it does have 2 inch ports

We are working on it, been testing this out for about 4 months now.
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Tom as nice as your filter is you should ditch the cheesy plated gate handle, and go with a nice SS one like I put on my filter.  Looks better, doesn't cut into your hand because of sharp folded edge inside, and also fits bigger hands.....plus it looks better and matches the rest of the SS on filter..if it's not filthy dirty like mine.

Looks like you have a big gap on that front lid Dave.

You ever done any CFM testing with and without the filter?