This DC is a good deal - probably one of the only machines HF sells that is worth more than the cost. Throw the bags away or use them to sort your laundry, get a Wynn Environmental Nano Filter add a cyclone to separate the big stuff and have a strong dust collector that competes with far more expensive units. Mine has been going strong for over a decade and shows no sign of giving up the ghost any time soon. It’s also pretty quiet, at least mine is, but I recently moved it to the other side of the wall to free up some space.
I added a plywood panel to support the filter and spent some time sealing up some areas - added a little weather strip under the area where the plastic dust bag seats on the rim.