You could always use a screen-type filter on the suction side. There are a couple of these elements available for the Goldenrod filter housing and Grainger has a few options. These are all SS, reusable screens.

I used a 40gal water heater as a sucker for over a year - without filtering on the way into it. It is small enough you can hold it in such a way that everything runs out a fitting on the 'bottom'. That would be more difficult in a large propane tank, for example. That is where I think keeping whole french fries and chicken wings out would be more important. Actually, why not mount the propane tank upside down? or put a fitting on the bottom? (PLEASE fill old propane tank with water prior to welding!!)

I make it a practice to only draw 'off the top' when I 'm collecting. I stop when it gets to the nasty stuff. I have been able to get most of my sources to only put VO in my drums. They give the renderer the crumbs and water they rinse the fryers with!

 

Here's a thread I posted awhile on my trash pump set-up, it works great!!!

To remove the oil I use a 2" gas pump (189.00 at tractor supply) bushed down for a 1" hose with a 90* elbo and enough 1" steel pipe to reach just above the bottom of the drum.The pipe holds keep it from falling out of the drum. It will even pump the thick cold oil in the winter. No fuss no mess just throw the suction hose in and start the pump no primeing. I pump into a another drum or tank in the back of the Powerstroke. I also carry a 4500 watt water heater element wired up to plug into an extension cord. When it gets into the low teens/single digits like it is now, I just drop the heater in the drum and after a beer in the resturant I stir it with a cordless drill and a paint/plaster mixing paddle and pump away. Then it pumps with no problems junk and all. I've been thinking of going to 1 1/2" to make it even quicker but that hose makes it harder to handle.

I stuck with 1" hose it works fine.

 

I had a spill at the resteraunt the other day using my 1hp 4cycle Honda 1" pump. The discharge hose came out of barrel on truck while collecting and pumped a few gallons onto back of my truck.

I have a 3" trash pump as well. It'll fill a 275gal tote of VO in under 2 minutes! I am flat-out paranoid about having a problem with it - big mess, real quick!

I miss my vacuum sucker...

 

[quote=SkySkiJason;6459607]I had a spill at the resteraunt the other day using my 1hp 4cycle Honda 1" pump. The discharge hose came out of barrel on truck while collecting and pumped a few gallons onto back of my truck.

Thats why I use the 90* elbo and a section of pipe in my discharge hose. The weight of the pipe is heavy enough to keep the hose from falling out. I also use 55 gal. plastic drums as collection containers and the discharge pipe is long enough that you have to pick it straight up to get it out of the bung hole it cant fall out on an angle while pumping.