So I have a Shop Vac, and about 5 years ago - when it was only a few months old- I lost the plastic nut that holds the filter on. Tried to get a new one at Home Depot - yeah sure!. Odd size, funny thread and I tried lots of odd nuts in the odd nut drawer but most fell off quickly. Finally had a winner - a plastic nut with a fake plant leaf wrapped around the bolt first, lasted a few years but lost it washing the filter last week. The next day we had a thunderstorm and a half and there in the middle of my back yard grass appeared the lost, ORIGINAL- nut! I have lots of shrub beds and I guess it got stuck under mulch and or plants, didn't have even one mower mark. Can't remember exactly what I was doing when I lost it, cleaning the filter i guess.
Works like new, unfortunately the Shop Vac is getting a little 'long in the tooth' now.

 

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