My trac vac on my dixie chopper has an 8" hose from the deck to the impeller and a 6" from the impeller to the can.That is the way it should be...you always need a larger hose on the suction side,the presurre side will move faster as its being pushed,under pressure,so a smaller hose will get the same CFM ,as one step larger will on the suction side.Mine never clogs on me unless i get a small thick stick caught in the hose,then the leaves will hang onto it,and create a clog.I have the Honda 5.5hp,and mine runs perfect,I hardly use it,was thinking about getting rid of it,