I get why expanded metal mesh worked for you, but honestly, I found it more hassle than it's worth. Tried it a couple seasons back and ended up with leaves and debris stuck in the mesh itself—had to climb up there way too often to clear it out. Switched over to a sloped screen guard instead, and that made a huge difference. Stuff just slides right off, especially if you angle it right.
As for the diverter, yeah, it's decent for sediment, but bigger stuff like seeds or pine needles still sneak through. I ended up adding a simple leaf eater style pre-filter before the diverter. It's not perfect, but it catches most of the annoying stuff before it even hits the diverter. Less climbing ladders is always a win in my book...
I went through something pretty similar when I first set up my rain harvesting system. Expanded metal mesh sounded great on paper, but it was such a hassle cleaning it out constantly—especially after storms. Plus, climbing ladders repeatedly isn't exactly my idea of a safe weekend activity, haha.
What worked for me (and didn't blow the budget) was combining a simple sloped screen guard like you mentioned with a DIY bucket-style pre-filter. Basically, I took a cheap 5-gallon bucket, drilled holes in the bottom, and fitted some fine mesh inside. Mounted this under the downspout at an angle, so leaves and larger debris slide off pretty easily, and only smaller particles get trapped. Every few weeks I just dump it out—beats climbing ladders constantly.
As for sediment and smaller stuff, yeah...the diverter alone wasn't catching everything. So I added a second finer mesh inside the diverter pipe itself. It's not fancy, just some window screen material zip-tied securely in place. Been running smoothly for about a year now, and maintenance is minimal.
I hear you on the expanded metal mesh—sounded good to me too until I found myself scraping soggy leaves off it way too often. Your bucket pre-filter idea is clever, but I went a slightly different route. I built a basic first flush diverter using PVC pipe—pretty cheap and easy. It catches the initial runoff (usually the dirtiest water), then automatically drains itself slowly after the rain stops. I still use a sloped mesh guard up top, but the diverter really cuts down on sediment and small debris getting into my tanks.
Maintenance-wise, it's been great...I only open it up once every month or two to rinse out any stubborn gunk. Way better than climbing ladders every weekend, that's for sure. Might be worth looking into if you're still having issues with smaller particles slipping through your setup.
I tried the expanded mesh too, and yeah... scraping off soggy leaves got old pretty fast. The first flush diverter sounds like a solid solution—I considered it but ended up going with a layered filter bucket setup instead. Basically, it's just gravel, sand, and some landscaping fabric stacked in a cheap bucket. It's not fancy, but it does a decent job catching most debris and sediment. I only clean it out every couple months or so. Might upgrade to a diverter eventually, but this works fine for now on my tight budget.
I've seen a lot of folks swear by the layered bucket method, and honestly, it's hard to beat for simplicity and cost. But from experience, I'd say it depends a bit on your local rainfall and debris situation. If you're dealing with heavy leaf fall or pollen season, that bucket can clog quicker than you'd think—meaning more frequent cleanouts. Still, if you're on a tight budget (aren't we all?), it's definitely worth starting there. You can always upgrade later if it gets annoying enough...