After Market Filters

[dmanlyr]

Who do you think makes these OEM filters that everybody is raving about? It is highly unlikely that any of the equipment or automotive manufactures make their own filters. Most of them sub it out to a filter manufacturer.

As I have posted numerous times - Kubota does not make there own filters. They have someone do it for them.

However, the filters produced for Kubota are to KUBOTA'S design specs, and just because say for example, WIX makes a run of Kubota filters, does not mean the very next run of filters branded WIX are in any way built to the same specs as the previous Kubota filter run.

Just like tires, one manufacture make may several brands, and even though the same manufacture makes all the tires, each production run for a particular "brand" is designed and built slightly differently for the price point, mileage, etc it is being sold for.

David

 

[Stubbyie]

There are a couple points in the Original Poster's question that should be addressed:

1. Aftermarket filters and supposed patent protection. Not correct. It's all contractual. An equipment maker (any brand) comes up with a particular design for a filter to fit their equipment. Then the maker enters into a contract with one or more filter manufactuers. The contract prohibits that manufactuer from producing a filter 'with those specific design parameters' for a period of time. The filter manufacturer has a strong financial incentive read profits and litigation to adhere to the contract. The same contractual basis relationship is true for oddball belts and drive chains and bearings and peanut butter.

2. Changing the air filter a lot. Shouldn't do that, especially once a month as noted. Even if you're mowing a sandlot. Filters are designed to 'load' with a certain degree of particulate matter before they achieve their theoretical maximum 'filtering' or 'cleaning' ability. In industry language, you're "over-filtering" which (oddly) means you're not getting proper air filtration. A new filter lets through more particulates than a filter that's been in service. I routinely let my Kubotas (and vehicles) go double and triple the recommended air filter change interval and don't worry about and never ever had a problem attributable to dust ingestion. For small engines like mowers up to about 25-hp I let air filters go until it almost quits breathing. I like a 'loaded' filter as it stops more particulates. Never blow a filter with compressed air. Never use a vacuum. If you feel it necessary whack it once on the ground, clean the seals, wipe the engine seating surface, and reinstall.

Note: during warranty period for ANY machine I follow Owner's Manual scruptuously and stay with OEM expendables as long as I own the unit.

I acknowledge there are different views on this subject. Most important is that you do what's good for you in your situation.

Please post back your continuted experiences that we may all learn.

 

[ShaunRH]

Stubbyie-

On air filters, it's my understanding that your version is correct for oil impregnated filters, but paper filters are good to go from factory and 'load up' is just more junk on the filter.

K&N and other oil impregnated filters have larger than designed filter media to let the oil act as an entrapment and then use entrapped material as more filtering media, but once full, it all needs to be cleaned and reset.

Paper media is supposed to be designed with the exact perforated size of the design spec for the filter media. It starts at 100% and reduces over time, so vacuuming or blowing it out and such gives you back a little bit of filtration, but it degrades over time more quickly due to the circumstances you point out.

No, this is all I have ever read on the subject about automotive filtration but I am making an assumption it applies to tractors as well. I could be incorrect so don't take me as gospel on this, just regurgitating what I have read.

 

[ShaunRH]

Mag/Moss does not specify that a manufacturer must make their own filters, just that if a manufacturer specs a given brand & type of filter, they must make it available at a market reasonable cost. They can't require some specific filter that is so proprietary as to be double or triple the price other filters of the similar spec and we aren't talking the inclusion of a magnet here (which is only a minor filter asset, not a major one. It doesn't effect the filtration capability of the filter.)

Drop an N50 magnet on the end of your drain plug if you really want particle removal.