If you run an older Binks or DeVilbiss spray booth, you have probably hit the same wall every legacy-booth owner hits: the data plate is painted over or worn smooth, there is no part number to search, and the company that built the booth stopped supporting that line decades ago. You need replacement filters, and you need them to fit, but there is no catalog to look them up in.
Here is the good news: you do not need the original part number. Booth filters are specified by media type and dimensions, not by a proprietary code. Once you understand how legacy Binks and DeVilbiss booths were built, matching filters becomes a measuring job, not a detective job. This guide walks you through it.
Why there is no modern Binks or DeVilbiss booth-filter catalog
Both Binks and DeVilbiss are historic American finishing names, and both built paint booths at one time. By the late 1990s, roughly 1998 to 1999, those paint-booth product lines were divested and wound down. Today the Binks and DeVilbiss names live on as respected spray gun and fluid-handling brands, not booth manufacturers. That is the source of the confusion: a shop searches for a DeVilbiss paint booth filter part number, lands on a spray-gun catalog, and comes up empty.
So if your booth predates roughly 2000, treat it as a legacy booth. There is no current OEM filter SKU tied to it, and anyone handing you a made-up OEM part number is guessing. The reliable path is to identify the filter by what it physically is: where it sits, what it is made of, and how big it is.
What actually matters: position, media, and size
Every paint booth, legacy or new, filters air in the same basic way. Your Binks or DeVilbiss booth has one to three filter positions, and each one takes a specific media type. Nail those three variables and the filter will fit and perform, regardless of the badge on the door.
1. Ceiling / intake filters
In a downdraft or semi-downdraft booth, the ceiling is a plenum lined with intake filter media. This is the final polish on the air coming into your work zone, and it is what stands between dust in the plenum and dirt nibs in your clearcoat. Legacy booths use a tackified diffusion media, commonly a two-stage synthetic or a poly/fiberglass blend, usually held in a ceiling grid. You match it by the grid-opening size and the media rating (most booths run an F5 / M5-class ceiling media).
2. Exhaust / paint-arrestor filters
On the exhaust side, the overspray-capture filter, historically called a paint arrestor, sits in the exhaust chamber, filter bank, or stack. Legacy Binks and DeVilbiss booths typically used fiberglass paint-arrestor pads and rolls or an accordion-style paper media. This is the filter that matters most for compliance and for keeping overspray out of your fan, ductwork, and stack.
3. Intake pre-filters
Many booths also have a coarse pre-filter or mesh panel at the air-makeup unit or intake face that catches large debris before the finer media. Not every legacy booth has one, but if yours does, it is usually a simple panel or roll you cut to size.
How to identify your legacy Binks or DeVilbiss filters
Grab a tape measure and work position by position. You are collecting three things for each filter: the opening or frame size, the media type, and the thickness (for pad-style exhaust and pre-filters).
- Photograph the data tag first. Even a faded Binks or DeVilbiss booth tag can reveal the model, airflow (CFM), and booth style. Snap a photo before you touch anything, and clean the plate gently if you can read more.
- Measure the ceiling grid openings. Measure the inside of one filter opening in the ceiling, width by length. Ceiling media is sold to fill the grid, so the opening dimension is what you order to.
- Measure the exhaust filter frames or bank. For pad-style arrestors, measure the frame opening and note the thickness. For roll media, measure the width of the tracks or the chamber face and buy the roll width that matches.
- Identify the media you are pulling out. Accordion paper, spun fiberglass, or synthetic polyester all look and feel different. Match like for like, or upgrade to a higher-capture media in the same position.
If you want a walkthrough with the exact tools and reference points, our guide on how to measure for the right paint booth filter size covers each position in detail, and the universal method for finding your filter part number when the label is gone gives you a repeatable process for any unlabeled booth.
Legacy size and media reference
Use this as a starting map, not a guarantee. Booths were configured to order, so always measure your own booth rather than assuming a standard size. The table pairs each filter position with what to measure and where to shop.
| Filter position | What to measure | Typical legacy media | Where to match it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling / intake | Inside of one grid opening (W x L) | Tackified F5 / M5 diffusion media | Ceiling blanket filters |
| Exhaust / paint arrestor | Frame opening + thickness, or roll width | Fiberglass pads/rolls or accordion paper | Exhaust filters |
| Intake pre-filter | Panel or face opening (W x L x thickness) | Coarse poly or mesh panel | Pre-filters |
Because these are discontinued booths, we group Binks- and DeVilbiss-fit media on dedicated pages so you are not sorting through the whole catalog. Start at our Binks booth filters and DeVilbiss booth filters collections, or browse everything at shop by brand.
Run more than one booth, or think a previous owner mixed in another maker's exhaust bank? Our companion cross-reference guides map the correct filters for the other major booth brands: Garmat, GFS (Global Finishing Solutions), Accudraft, Blowtherm, USI Italia, and Nova Verta. For every make in one place, see the by-brand exact-fit guide and the filter size chart by brand.
When the size is odd: go custom-cut
Legacy booths are exactly where off-catalog sizes show up. If your ceiling openings do not match a stocked pad, or a previous owner rebuilt the exhaust bank, you do not have to force-fit a filter or double-up media. Order a custom-cut ceiling filter blanket to your exact opening in F5 tackified polyester, no minimum size, no tooling. For a full rundown of how custom ordering works, see custom-cut paint booth filters: how to order any size for any booth.
Custom-cut is the always-fits answer for legacy Binks and DeVilbiss booths. Measure once, order to the number, and skip the guesswork.
A word on compliance when you upgrade a legacy booth
Older booths were often built before today's overspray rules. If your shop falls under the federal NESHAP 6H area-source rule (40 CFR 63.11173(e)(2)(i)), your exhaust filter must be a technology demonstrated to capture at least 98% of paint overspray by weight under a recognized test method. Swapping a decades-old arrestor for a modern high-efficiency exhaust filter is often the cheapest way to bring an old booth up to spec. Our compliance hub and the article on NESHAP 6H, NFPA 33, and the 98% capture rule explain what qualifies. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm requirements with your state or local air authority.
Frequently asked questions
Does Binks or DeVilbiss still sell paint booth filters?
Not for booths. The booth lines were divested around 1998 to 1999, and today both names are spray-gun and fluid-handling brands. Aftermarket media matched by size and type is how you keep a legacy Binks or DeVilbiss booth running.
What is the original filter part number for my old DeVilbiss booth?
There usually is not a retrievable one, and you do not need it. Measure the ceiling grid openings and exhaust frames, identify the media type, and match by size. Any vendor quoting a specific vintage OEM number is almost certainly guessing.
Can I upgrade the filter media instead of matching the original?
Yes. As long as the new media fits the position and your booth's airflow can pull through it, upgrading to a higher-capture exhaust filter or a better ceiling blanket is common and often improves finish quality and compliance.
What if my ceiling openings are a non-standard size?
Order custom-cut. A custom-cut ceiling blanket is made to your exact opening, which is the reliable fix for legacy booths with odd grid dimensions.
Get the right fit without the guesswork
You do not need a part number that no longer exists. Measure your booth, match the media, and if the size is odd, go custom. Start with our Binks and DeVilbiss filter collections, or send us your booth photos and measurements through Find My Filter and we will confirm the exact fit for you.