OEM Filters

PHPaul · Jun 18, 2015

Don't see a poll feature here, but curious:

How many folks insist on using OEM filters (oil, fuel, air, hydraulic, trans) on their tractors?

Not limited to a specific brand, but if you have a JD do you buy JD filters at the dealer, or if a Kubota at the Kubota dealer, etc.

I'm gonna let this thread sit here for a while before I post my opinion/practice.

Please don't turn this into a free-for-all. Just post your preference (dealer or after-market) and maybe a brief explanation of why.

Oaktree · Jun 18, 2015

I have a Kioti, so not everything is available aftermarket but I have no problem with getting filters from NAPA if they have them. A lot more convenient than the dealer, and comparable if not better quality.

timinsanborn · Jun 18, 2015

while under warranty , I usually buy oem filters. after warranty I buy after market.

Wagtail · Jun 18, 2015

Seeing as I bought both of my tractors new and that I'm not particularly mechanically 'gifted', I've gone with OEM.

Mind you, part of that is out of ignorance as, this past summer (haying season), I needed a fuel filter quick-smart... a 5hr round trip to my dealership got the part. A while after that crisis I inquired at my town's auto supply shop if they had the same filter (Yanmar engine) and they did, under a different stocknumber.

truckdiagnostics · Jun 18, 2015

Napa gold filters on everything :thumbsup:and I run the snot out of my stuff!

prs · Jun 18, 2015

Not all filters that physically fit are necessarily in compliance with the maker's spec. This was probably more important in the past when oil pump designs were possibly less robust and uniform. I use aftermarket or OEM, what ever is convenient so long as the aftermarket not only fits, but is from a reputable maker who specifies that particular filter as meeting my application. NAPA does not make filters, but they do get them from a top maker, WIX and WIX does provide very specific application data, and NAPA evidently adheres to that too. So here is a gold nugget for Ya, visit this site and go through the flow chart with your tractor, or car, or truck, or mower, or ATV, or whatever and see for yourself:

WIX Filters - Products Catalog Home

prs

pat32rf · Jun 18, 2015

Our JD dealer seems to have a filter sale on occasion so I always paid the big bucks. Then a buddy started his own little muffler/ lube shop. He buys mostly jobber stuff that has the same rating as OEM.
Last week I asked him to order an oil filter for my JD4300 so he looked it up, went to his shelf and gave me one. Seems it is a very common automotive filter and his cost is 87 cents Canadian....

Fawken · Jun 18, 2015

Always used Wix or Phram 32 years no problems. There is no such thing as a Ford or NH oil filter anyway. They just repaint them and jack up the price. As far as air, fuel, and hydraulic- they are cleanable and reusable but I did get a new fuel filter from NH a couple a years back because I needed the bowl and petcock and the filter came with it. $60. Will likely get a new air filter soon. They're on Ebay pretty reasonable.

Mace Canute · Jun 18, 2015

I use Pure One oil filters on my Nissan SUV and Chevy truck, and a Fram air filter on my truck..the SUV air filter is OEM. Many of the JD tractors use the same cartridge type oil filter and those come from JD when they have a filter sale.

One thing I'd like to mention about aftermarket air filters is the flat rectangular ones seem to be poor fitting and leak. I've seen many vehicles in my friend's garage that have the UOA come back showing dirt in the oil and a quick check of the intake shows a film of dust. When comparing the OEM to the aftermarket filters the OEM have a softer rubber seal and sometimes it's also just a smidgen thicker. Just something to think about...

GManBart · Jun 18, 2015

prs said:
Not all filters that physically fit are necessarily in compliance with the maker's spec. This was probably more important in the past when oil pump designs were possibly less robust and uniform. I use aftermarket or OEM, what ever is convenient so long as the aftermarket not only fits, but is from a reputable maker who specifies that particular filter as meeting my application. NAPA does not make filters, but they do get them from a top maker, WIX and WIX does provide very specific application data, and NAPA evidently adheres to that too. So here is a gold nugget for Ya, visit this site and go through the flow chart with your tractor, or car, or truck, or mower, or ATV, or whatever and see for yourself:

WIX Filters - Products Catalog Home

prs

That's pretty much what I've settled on. If I were to buy a new machine again, I'd probably bite the bullet and buy OEM filters just to avoid any argument in case of a warranty claim, but other than that I tend to stick with Wix or the NAPA version, assuming it fits and meets specs. I tend to change oil/filters early anyway, so I'm not trying to save $2 on a cheaper filter in the first place.

coobie · Jun 19, 2015

I use oem filters on all of my equipment.JD,Kioti and Kubota.

PHPaul · Jun 19, 2015

It is said "You can judge a man's intelligence by how much he agrees with you".

: :laughing:

I've always gone aftermarket with Wix/NAPA filters. I do not believe for one second that OEM filters are anything but somebody else's product painted in OEM colors.

Same for engine oil, IMHO. If it meets the API specifications listed in the owner's manual, you're good to go.

One gray area, at least for me, is transmission fluid for hydro transmissions. It does seem reasonable to me that Kubota may use different additives than John Deere or Case/IH, for instance. I'd be interested in well-documented evidence to support or refute that idea.

rjkobbeman · Jun 19, 2015

For my autos (even new ones) I usually go aftermarket. Fram, whatever. I have always felt comfortable with the stability of the automotive aftermarket (up-to-date info/specs getting to the aftermarket manufacturers).

For my tractors, I always go with OEM. The dealer is close by and I just feel better about it. As often as these are changed (not very often for me), the cost(s) difference (if any) doesn't really matter.

And for a real silly reason... with tractors, everything is out in the open on display. The OEM stuff is visible and just looks right! (Told you it was kind of silly!)

Industrial Toys · Jun 19, 2015

Dealers can't gouge you too badly because of the aftermarket filters. Good thing! So, in my mind, there is not enough difference to take a chance on what could potentially be a very expensive lesson, so why bother. It also alows me to support my equipment dealers which I would rarely see.

I do however use Kubota Filters in non Kobota Equipment equipment that have Kubota engines because some of these manufacturers take you to the cleaners. Have you bought an oil filter for an ONAN genset lately?

GManBart · Jun 19, 2015

rjkobbeman said:
For my autos (even new ones) I usually go aftermarket. Fram, whatever. I have always felt comfortable with the stability of the automotive aftermarket (up-to-date info/specs getting to the aftermarket manufacturers).

I'm not suggesting you're wrong...just saying that up front.

The concern I have with aftermarket filters in the automotive scenario is that I don't think the specifications for equivalency include filtration requirements. For example, the standard Fram filters are considered by many to be quite poor when it comes to their actual ability to filter (and I used them for years back in the day). On the flip side, some brands are considered to be significantly better than most OEM from a filtration standpoint. That leaves a wide range of quality when it comes down to actual filtration, but all are considered equivalents because they fit and meet some of the other requirements (size, etc). If someone buys OEM, at least they know it will meet the filtration requirements the OEM feels are reasonable.

On the equipment side of the things, it doesn't seem that standards are nearly so tightly controlled. I've spent a fair amount of time cross-referencing filters and noted that there are many times a filter is listed as an OEM equivalent, but there are significant differences in things like by-pass pressures (if it has a valve), flow rates, burst pressures, etc. I can't help but think that some of those companies think that if the filter fits the threads, and has the right gasket diameter, it's good enough.

With all of that said, I've used a lot of aftermarket filters over the years and haven't had any problems, but I've tried to do some research before making the switch.

jaydee325 · Jun 19, 2015

I live in a rural area. My tractor dealer is 20 miles away. Next closest is 60 miles.

The owner of the dealer and his employees are good local people. I don't mind spending a few extra bucks supporting them by buying consumables like oil and filters from them.

namesray · Jun 19, 2015

I use oem always now. I tried napa/wix for a spell, and had immediate issues in the hydraulics of my kubota tractor. As soon as I put kubota hyd filters back on, issue was gone and tractor operated noticeably smoother. That convinced me.

Now I did not have any issues with napa engine filter, fuel filter, or air filters, but to keep it simple and peace of mind, its all oem now.

I still use napa and fram on my vehicles, but I think for some reason, tractors, especially the newer ones seem a bit more fussy. In fact I now feel that the way they build all this new stuff, it might be even more important to stick with oem as compared to the older, simpler equipment.

Maybe my kubota hydraulic filter experience with napa/wix was just a fluke, but I am not taking any more chances, so I personally will stick with oem.

Wagtail · Jun 19, 2015

GManBart said:
I've spent a fair amount of time cross-referencing filters and noted that there are many times a filter is listed as an OEM equivalent, but there are significant differences in things like by-pass pressures (if it has a valve), flow rates, burst pressures, etc. I can't help but think that some of those companies think that if the filter fits the threads, and has the right gasket diameter, it's good enough.

<jokingly> I get the mental image of you, locked away in a darkened back room of your house, lit only by the glow of the computer monitor as you cross-reference filter after filter... a 'white board' in the background with filter photos, scribbled notes and arrows pointing back & forth. :laughing: