Opinions on using compressed air to clean primary air filter

[ronjhall]

My dealer gave me a DVD from Kubota. It's on Diesel Engine Maintenance, Customer Edition. They recommend that filter be blown off with low air pressure. They also recommend that filter be changed when the hours between replacement has been met. One other check they suggested was that secondary filter (if your tractor has one) should be checked for dirt. If it has any on it. It indicates that the primary filter has failed or one of the gaskets is damaged or missing.

[ovrszd]

I too had a highly educated friend/mechanic of mine tell me that it damages the paper element and it lets more dirt and dust get by. BTW he does not work for JD or anyone affiliated with them in case you were thinking he just wants to make a percentage. Supposably the damage that occurs is so small you can't see it with the naked eye just like a single dirt/dust particle. On my 990 I have replaced my primary filter 3 times and it only has about 175 hours so far, but I do work in alot of dust with it.

My answer to those highly educated friends would be, that's what my secondary filter is for. As long as I don't see dirt accumulating on the secondary filter, the primary is doing it's job. On the other hand, when the secondary starts becoming dirty, I'd be buying a new filter. I've bought dozens of primary filters, but I've never replaced a secondary filter and I've air cleaned hundreds of times.

[rockyridgefarm]

then the manual doesn't even mention the 50 hour break in service!

Didn't they do away with the 50 hour service with the TWENTY series? I am almost certain that they did and even show this as a competetive advantage for reduced cost of ownership....