Kubota filters...

[SidecarFlip]

Changing out filters and fluids on the M's, so I bought complete filter sets (including air and primary air) from my dealer a week ago.

Got looking at the filters as I was marking the hours on the cans.

Oil filters made in China
Fuel Filters made in Japan
Hydraulic filters made in Indonesia
Air filters made in USA (Donaldson)
All branded Kubota, all painted white with blue lettering, all sealed in plastic with nice gaskets and substantial bulkheads.

I'm wondering what is the difference between the Kubota branded stuff and say Baldwin which costs less.

I understand the boo hoo about using Kubota branded filters to insure trouble free operation and I do anyway but I was kind of taken back by the countries of manufacture.

 

[Ramos]

Just kind of where the world is at these days. One comfort is that if the filters are branded as Kubota, they should be manufactured to their specific spec's. If not, that is on Kubota.

 

[ItBmine]

I notice that too. I keep a bunch of extra filters at home here for mine so that I am never caught without, and some have different color logos and letting on the boxes and filters, yet they are all the same filters and numbers. All from same dealer.
So you can see they are sourced from different places.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Changing out filters and fluids on the M's, so I bought complete filter sets (including air and primary air) from my dealer a week ago.

Got looking at the filters as I was marking the hours on the cans.

Oil filters made in China
Fuel Filters made in Japan
Hydraulic filters made in Indonesia
Air filters made in USA (Donaldson)
All branded Kubota, all painted white with blue lettering, all sealed in plastic with nice gaskets and substantial bulkheads.

I'm wondering what is the difference between the Kubota branded stuff and say Baldwin which costs less.

I understand the boo hoo about using Kubota branded filters to insure trouble free operation and I do anyway but I was kind of taken back by the countries of manufacture.

Quite simply, cut them open and the difference is night and day, I've done it.

Messicks has videos on youtube showing it too.

Kubota filters, regardless where or who makes them, are made to kubota specs, they have more filter media, better filter media, better fluid traps and check valves, better flow design, and heavier cases.

 

[RCW]

When I first got my Kubota, I bought a Fram oil filter to fit, but also bought a Kubota filter before first service was due.

I literally had one in each hand, comparing them...6 years later the Fram is still on the shelf...

It just didn't seem "right" compared to OEM.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Quite simply, cut them open and the difference is night and day, I've done it.

Messicks has videos on youtube showing it too.

Kubota filters, regardless where or who makes them, are made to kubota specs, they have more filter media, better filter media, better fluid traps and check valves, better flow design, and heavier cases.

You want to give me a hundred bucks I'll take a sawzall to them....lol

Was just kind of taken back by the fact that everyone was made in a different country.

Far as warranty goes, I don't think my 12 year old tractors qualify for a warranty, not with 3500 hours on one and 1800 on the other....

Now. getting into Baldwin, I compared the Baldwin hydrualic filter to the Kubota filter and the Baldwin has an equal case thickness and the bulkhead looks exactly the same. Not gonna cut that one either.

My Blackstone oil analysis tells me what I need to know on oil life anyway.

I change my lube oil yearly regardless of hours and the case oil every 1000 hours. Always comes back (from Blackstone) just peachy. My lube oil always gets nano-borate additive, every change.

Was just kind of taken back by who makes what.

I don't buy into the Messics stuff anyway. I ordered my filter sets from them a few years ago and they sent me the wrong (capacity) filters for the M9 hydraulic filters. They fit but were half the size of what they should be. One time was enough.

 

[hiho silver]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005S39PWS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have one of these tools to cut open filters. It is great for looking for any evidence of premature wear if anything is showing up on the filter pleats. Every oil filter coming off of any equipment is cut open for peace of mind.

And once you are into the filter you can easily see how much material is in them to filter out particles, or how they are constructed. I am very biased here, but I do believe you would find a Fram filter to be extremely inferior quality compared to a Kubota or a Wix filter. Spend a few dollars to get a Fram and cut it open to see for yourself.

 

[SidecarFlip]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005S39PWS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have one of these tools to cut open filters. It is great for looking for any evidence of premature wear if anything is showing up on the filter pleats. Every oil filter coming off of any equipment is cut open for peace of mind.

And once you are into the filter you can easily see how much material is in them to filter out particles, or how they are constructed. I am very biased here, but I do believe you would find a Fram filter to be extremely inferior quality compared to a Kubota or a Wix filter. Spend a few dollars to get a Fram and cut it open to see for yourself.

Happen to have one as well and no, I wouldn't put a Fram on anything.

Don't bother cutting a filter unless I suspect something amiss inside. Oil analysis is what I do, all the time.

 

[ipz2222]

Of similar interest. I'm working on a 2016 Chevy Silverado 6l80 transmission. Most of the parts I ordered from a Chevy dealer. There are 4 different countries that these parts came from excluding US. There is allmost no such thing as made in America anymore.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Of similar interest. I'm working on a 2016 Chevy Silverado 6l80 transmission. Most of the parts I ordered from a Chevy dealer. There are 4 different countries that these parts came from excluding US. There is allmost no such thing as made in America anymore.

Doing the front end on my wife's 2004 'Burb and same deal. Half shafts from Taiwan, spindles from China, linear actuator from the USA, ball joints from Moog but who knows where they came from.

Been buying from 1A Auto, used to buy from Rock but 1A specializes in GM stuff plus shipping is always free. Rock dings you on shipping all the time. Cheaper than the discount auto parts stores, but not by much (Rock), 1A is appreciably less across the board.

$249 bucks for the half shafts and new ABS spindles and no ship charges. Rock cannot touch that. Dealer would be 2 times that and I suspect a place like Autozone would be more as well. Didn't even price the local discount AP store.

Only the rightside half is clicking but I figure replace them both.

I may do the calipers, pads are rotors too. Have to get it apart and have a 'look see' GM IFS front is 100 times easier to work on the a Ford (I have one of those too).

Kind of wonder how Trump's tariff deal will impact parts prices. So far, no impact but I suspect that will change.

It's amazing how much stuff comes here n a container...lol
Take a look at 1A. The offer genuine GM parts. My linear actuator came in a GM dealer package.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I maintain that the only thing 'Made in America' today is babies and even those get delivered with import tools.

 

[Blondie70]

I try to use USA made stuff for all repairs, maintence,etc...and I have no trouble finding parts made here. I am not putting a Chinese anything on stuff I have if I can find anything else. And I can. All kinds of super good filters made in USA and I use them. I am going to support the American worker no matter what......as I bees one !!!!

 

[SidecarFlip]

I try to use USA made stuff for all repairs, maintence,etc...and I have no trouble finding parts made here. I am not putting a Chinese anything on stuff I have if I can find anything else. And I can. All kinds of super good filters made in USA and I use them. I am going to support the American worker no matter what......as I bees one !!!!

I bees 2 but good luck with that, especially in aftermarket car parts.

I do digress however. I could have bought Timken spindles and half shafts for roughly 3 times the price or 600 bucks. My issue with that is, the import stuff is the same (ISO9000), so it becomes a cost issue versus the more patriotic approach of paying ut the butt for the same thing just because it's stamped 'Made in USA' and it could very well not be. Timken has plants worldwide, including one in South Korea.

 

[dlundblad]

US made here as well aside from my tractors.

All joking aside, I try to buy US, Japanese, EU etc. whenever possible over China and Mexico, but sometimes it’s impossible.

 

[Michigankubota]

I maintain that the only thing 'Made in America' today is babies and even those get delivered with import tools.

Haha!!
Since we are on the oil subject.... my BX2670-1 says in the book to use 3.3 Quarts of oil, it takes 4.5 Qts to get it up close to the upper mark on the dip stick. 3.3 is around mid or a little less on the stick... what should I go with, the book or the stick?

 

[D2Cat]

The stick! Who knows why the book says what it does. Maybe it's been through too many translations!!

 

[SidecarFlip]

The stick! Who knows why the book says what it does. Maybe it's been through too many translations!!

Kubota manuals and WSM's have some interesting verbage in them

+10 on that. I took my engine oil and hydraulic oil dip sticks and punched a hole at the top mark. Makes seeing the level much easier.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Haha!!
Since we are on the oil subject.... my BX2670-1 says in the book to use 3.3 Quarts of oil, it takes 4.5 Qts to get it up close to the upper mark on the dip stick. 3.3 is around mid or a little less on the stick... what should I go with, the book or the stick?

ALWAYS the stick!

 

[GeoHorn]

Sidecar, cutting the filter open is more meaningful than lab reports, IMO.
Lab reports are like 23-and-Me... only as good as the database ***8230;. and your database is unlikely to be sufficiently consistent to be meaningful.

Oil analysis labs originated with the railroads because they consistently made identical sampling... while the average machine-owner does not. Hours on the oil, mid-stream sampling, identical brand/spec oils are absolutely necessary for lab reports to be anything other than a waste of time.

A truly useful tool you have available to you is: Cutting open your filters, spreading/washing the media out with mineral spirits, and catching the residue in a coffee filter, then performing your own tests to determine if it's carbon, aluminum, brass/copper, or iron. THAT will give you a much earlier warning of problems than any lab report you're currently wasting your money on (unless you are being as consistent as already mentioned.)

Most people who send off oil samples to labs are merely fooling themselves into a sense of false-security. It would be better to spend that money on OEM filters and fluids than on oil reports.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Maybe for you, not for me. Far as railroads go, in EMD engines the lube oil is never changed. It's sucked out, centrifuged, additives added and back in it goes. I spent a lot of time at Electromotive before they closed the McCook facility. I hauled cranks for Park Ohio Industries (Ohio Crankshaft) to Electromotive 2 times a week for years