Fleetguard air filter - sad to say.....

[Bigfoot62]

I don't know who makes Motorcraft oil filters but they seem decent quality. Usually all I will buy.

Pretty sure that Purolator makes those.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Teampryor and Sixdogs,
Agree that the NAPA filters are way overpriced. I like WIX filters, but refuse to pay NAPA's price to get them.

As I posted above, I buy the K&N air filters for my pickups. (from AutoZone) Buy one, and you're done. Wash, dry, oil, and use it again.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Until recently, I have been using all Fleetguard filters on my goat... have been trying to find a Caterpillar filter part # to replace the Fleetguard oil filter.. Will start using the Baldwin fuel filter when I get the Cat secondary filter head installed.

??? If you don't like Fleetguard filters, then don't bother trying to find the CAT equivalent. Fleetguard makes the CAT filters.

 

[Pops15]

It's hard to know who or what to believe anymore on filters. I have used K&N filters on cars/trucks, only to have them bashed by the dealer and others for a higher micron (pass rate?) than oem paper filter. Yes they allow more air in but allegedly more dirt too? Hard to believe...Equally hard to believe is that Kubota would put in a manual that air filters should be allowed to get pretty dirty, as they filter "better" when dirty. Huh? Shouldn't a product meet its best spec when new? I changed the air filter on an older Kubota diesel mower, and got chewed out by my brother in law, who is pretty knowledgeable, that the "new" filter wasn't as good as what was in there. I told him he was nuts and he had the last laugh when I looked up the manual entry.

For whatever reason, probably not a good one, I have always thought oil filter quality was more critical than air. So I never bought the cheap Frams, only the Tough Guards, and then over time, moved to Mobil 1, K&N and Purolator Pure One. Like most of you, I've never had a failure either. (correction: a Wix fuel filter on an outboard motor fell apart internally when the primer bulb was used too energetically) Used Baldwin oil filters on my boat diesels and they were impressive filters.

Wix was always my go to filter when convenience counted; their possible decline in quality is not good to hear. Last time I bought the Napa equiv to Wix on an oil filter I paid fourteen bucks (for a little filter) and asked the guy if he made a mistake with the price. Nope. Well no more Napa if they are going to charge 30-40% more for nothing but convenience.

But then nothing was more expensive than a 60 dollar oem Kubota filter. I could not for the life of me figure out what was inside that filter to make it so expensive. When I got my new RTV400, its Subaru engine was so strange/unique that I ordered one complete set of filters just to be sure they'd be available. Nice to see they spec'd their normal oil filter, but some of the other filters were crazy expensive. I'd expect sixty bucks on a Komatsu dozer not my little sixteen hp one lunger.

Most of us would pay more if we were sure we were getting something, some extra performance, for more money spent. Just not sure we are and I wonder if too much of the product cost is going into paying for Super Bowl ads...

It's been proven in dirt track racing that a quality paper filter like Wix does a better job of filtering than K&N. While it's crucial to use a good oil filter, it's equally important to use a quality air filter in dusty conditions.

 

[brain55]

Teampryor and Sixdogs,
Agree that the NAPA filters are way overpriced. I like WIX filters, but refuse to pay NAPA's price to get them.

I do appreciate my master installer pricing at my Napa store even after I mark them up a little to my customers I'm still cheaper than what their list price for Joe Schmo is.

 

[sixdogs]

I'm thinking a switch to Baldwin filters for me. I cross-referenced some tractors and they had what I needed. Now to find a mail order dealer to check prices.

 

[3930dave]

I went with Wix air filters for my 7.3. Good media, well constructed, fit well.

If Penske still owns Fleetguard , I'm expecting/hoping that what I found was a one time aberration. The International dealer near here stocks Fleetguard and has great Parts Counter hours 4 nights a week. Very convenient if I happen to be in the area late, or suddenly need "something" in the middle of a minor maintenance task. I'm not ruling Fleetguard out, just yet, but will definitely be checking their air filters closely in the future.

Rgds, D.

 

[Bigfoot62]

I do appreciate my master installer pricing at my Napa store even after I mark them up a little to my customers I'm still cheaper than what their list price for Joe Schmo is.

Sad thing about our local NAPA store is that it was a locally owned "mom & pop" franchise until a few years ago. Back then, they were very competitive on prices, even to us "Joe Schmo's." ;D
Now, it's owned by a big company and the prices they charge are ridiculous. For example, the NAPA air filter for my Kenworth is $91. The Fleetguard filter, from the Kenworth dealer, is $35. (BTW, the CAT filter from the KW place doesn't even cost as much as the NAPA filter)

 

[Copperhead]

??? If you don't like Fleetguard filters, then don't bother trying to find the CAT equivalent. Fleetguard makes the CAT filters.

Might want to check with a Donaldson filter rep on that one. Donaldson is making Cat filters. Just had a discussion recently with the regional rep for Donaldson regarding another issue and the Cat filter thing came up. He verified that Donaldson is the supplier for Cat filters. As a side note, Deka / East Penn is the supplier for Cat Batteries. Same folks who make batteries for O'reillys and several other so-called "no name" brands. I have hauled their batteries, labeled as Cat, direct to Cat dealers.

I primarily use Wix and Donaldson on everything I own. I got burned on Fleetguard when I owned a Cummins ISX. They had serious issues and had to re-issue different filters a couple of times due to filters not performing properly with the ISX. I switched to Donaldson early on in that game and have not regretted it.

Baldwin has a fine reputation. If I didn't have one of the Donaldson or Wix available, I would have no problem throwing on a Baldwin. Regarding ownership of Fleetguard, the controlling interest ownership is Cummins.

 

[Copperhead]

Teampryor and Sixdogs,
Agree that the NAPA filters are way overpriced. I like WIX filters, but refuse to pay NAPA's price to get them.

As I posted above, I buy the K&N air filters for my pickups. (from AutoZone) Buy one, and you're done. Wash, dry, oil, and use it again.

I have always been amazed at Napa's pricing. The Napa gold line of filters are made by Wix, part numbers are interchangeable except for one number. You can get the very same Wix filter as a Napa gold at substantially lower price elsewhere than buying the Napa branded one in most cases.