Fram filters

[Richard Wahlstrand 81]

I get the impression that Fram filters generate debate about their quality.

 

I have used both Fram air and oil filters for years without a problem.

 

Am I lucky or missing something?

[lynnmor 7,303]

5 minutes ago, Richard Wahlstrand said:

I get the impression that Fram filters generate debate about their quality.

 

I have used both Fram air and oil filters for years without a problem.

 

Am I lucky or missing something?

There is no debate, a filter made with cardboard end caps is junk.  Do you feel lucky today?

[JoeM 7,873]

Oh no not Fram thing.

 

Fram does makes both high and low quality oil filters. So... you got to pay a little more to get a little more. 

And many Kohlers run without a filter but the oil change frequency is greater.

 

As far as air filters go, that is the most important filter on a tractor, it doesn't take much dust getting into the cylinders to start wear. 

 

If it is working for you, keep doing it. 

 

I am a wix or napa filter guy. 

[953 nut 55,156]

13 minutes ago, Richard Wahlstrand said:

have used both Fram air and oil filters for years without a problem.

[ri702bill 8,311]

All Fram products USED to be designed & manufactured here in Rhode Island. Fram sold out to Allied Signal in 1985 and moved production to Mexico City......

I would not even use a Fram oil filter on the ex-wife's car!!!

Had an instance where I was doing an oil change one Sunday afternoon on my Saturn 5 speed. The new Fram filter would only screw on about 3/4 of a turn. The end plate was only half tapped thru!!! Garbage.

[ebinmaine 67,393]

I haven't used a Fram since about 1993 when the parts store I worked at switched to Baldwin. 

There were all kinds of advertising promos FOR Baldwin and of course showing the inherent reasons not to use other brands. 

Thin shell and cardboard ends were the end of Fram for me. 

 

Since then I've used predominantly Motorcraft and AC Delco. 

For our equipment I use Wix 1410 bought as NOS so they're still USA made. 

 

 

[squonk 41,051]

You may get lucky with Fram Ultra synthetic or Titanium.

 

Xtra Guard = junk

 

Fram on the right Napa on the left

 

[lynnmor 7,303]

There are numerous YouTube videos about oil filters, here is just one.  I guess you could buy two of each flavor that you want so you could cut one apart to see if it suits you.

[wfrpalm 218]

My car recently blew up because the Fram oil filter I was using failed while going 70 MPH and the motor lost all its oil in seconds.

[8ntruck 6,998]

I used Fram oil filters from the late 70's until the early 90's.  Mostly on small block Chevys.  No issues. 

 

Since then, I've been using dealerships and oil change shops for oil maintenance - pretty munch dealerships for the last 10 years or so.  Don't know what filters the oil change shops use.  The dealerships are putting in 'OEM' filters.  Aside from the knucklehead that didn't tighten the filter correctly one time, no issues.

[JoeM 7,873]

Not so sure the metal ends on that filter make it better?? The element is paper. The element is glued to the metal ends and well as the paper ends. And it looks like the paper end one will flow with less restriction. 

When purchasing wanted to change our filters we sent them to an independent lab.  There is a lot more to it than looks. 

And when it comes to filters you can get good quality from all of the mfg. Just going to cost ya. 

[Charbs152 254]

On 4/13/2024 at 6:58 AM, lynnmor said:

There is no debate, a filter made with cardboard end caps is junk.  Do you feel lucky today?

the cheap orange basic fram yea. they are bad..but they make better grade lines and some of the are top tier..even the orange ones arent bad when used properly.  They arent made for 10,000 miles.  3k max.  i dont see an issue running it for 25-50hr in a lawn mower.

[lynnmor 7,303]

4 hours ago, Charbs152 said:

the cheap orange basic fram yea. they are bad..but they make better grade lines and some of the are top tier..even the orange ones arent bad when used properly.  They arent made for 10,000 miles.  3k max.  i dont see an issue running it for 25-50hr in a lawn mower.

Any company that sells the junk pictured in an above post does not deserve my business.  YMMV

[Brockport Bill 1,661]

On 4/13/2024 at 6:51 AM, Richard Wahlstrand said:

I get the impression that Fram filters generate debate about their quality.

 

I have used both Fram air and oil filters for years without a problem.

 

Am I lucky or missing something?

when it comes to the longevity of the tractor or its over all well being i use OEM WH products -- so my oil filters are WH originals -- for whatever the few dollars difference may be i prefer the WH products for something like an oil filter

[JoeM 7,873]

16 hours ago, Brockport Bill said:

WH products for something like an oil filter

this might surprise you

Champion Lab makes the oil filters for Kohler. And there are some other subsidiaries of Kohler who makes other parts. There is a new filter manufacturing company which is Fram Filtration. Champion Lab INC and Fram, these two get merged together and built Fram filtration.

 

I believe there is some value in the Kohler branded filter since it is manufactured to their (Kohler) spec.

I also like filters that provide a spec on request sheet. I found that Purolator will provide that info and tech support. Nice surprise.

 

[ebinmaine 67,393]

29 minutes ago, JoeM said:

I believe there is some value in the Kohler branded filter since it is manufactured to their (Kohler) spec.

 

 

I agree with that in principle but I've witnessed otherwise in several cases. National seals and bearings switched over to being made overseas several years ago.

Craftsman tools, along with many others as we all know.

On paper the specs did not change but it seems with very little research that we've been getting inferior products from certain situations.

 

 

Things like that is why I decided to start finding USA made NOS filters.

[JoeM 7,873]

23 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Things like that is why I decided to start finding USA made NOS filters

Can work but i had some seals, just a couple, that we hard and bad. As in very old stock. 

 

It is real hard to find companies today that do diligence with QC. $$

[ebinmaine 67,393]

1 minute ago, JoeM said:

Can work but i had some seals, just a couple, that we hard and bad. As in very old stock. 

 

Definitely a concern.  

 

I've been lucky for the most part.  

 

I got some Wheelhorse sized (different brand) outer wheel bearings once that were so old the grease was near to holding fossils like LaBrea. 

I seem to recall some ignition wires were an issue as well. 

Both cases the sellers were great and gave refunds. 

 

 

[Brockport Bill 1,661]

1 hour ago, JoeM said:

this might surprise you

Champion Lab makes the oil filters for Kohler. And there are some other subsidiaries of Kohler who makes other parts. There is a new filter manufacturing company which is Fram Filtration. Champion Lab INC and Fram, these two get merged together and built Fram filtration.

 

I believe there is some value in the Kohler branded filter since it is manufactured to their (Kohler) spec.

I also like filters that provide a spec on request sheet. I found that Purolator will provide that info and tech support. Nice surprise.

 

understood that many manufacturers sub out their work to other firms -- but my thinking on OEM is that companies like Kohler set the specifications to the engineering design for their engines

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

No Fram filters on anything we own, been running Napa Gold on everything for years, but thinking of switching to Baldwin, I usually buy in bulk and keep filters for all our equipment on the shelf at the farm, and the local bearing and industrial supply quoted me a better price for Baldwin filters than what I get them for at Napa. 
 

Even my pickup gets Napa filters, I’ve read everywhere to use nothing but Motorcraft filters on the 6.0 PowerStroke, but I’ve been running a Napa filter ever since I bought it, 40k miles in the past year and a half and no trouble yet

[Charbs152 254]

On 4/14/2024 at 4:19 PM, lynnmor said:

Any company that sells the junk pictured in an above post does not deserve my business.  YMMV

They all sell them...yes even wix, they call them protec

[lynnmor 7,303]

2 hours ago, Charbs152 said:

They all sell them...yes even wix, they call them protec

Protec does not have cardboard junk.

[Brockport Bill 1,661]

I just purchased 2 wheel horse oil filters online from TORO @ $ 18 each. ( for a 314h and C175h ) I have no idea who manufacturers them or where? Just hoping TORO would spec a quality filter for their own machines?

[adsm08 2,046]

On 4/18/2024 at 11:51 PM, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

Even my pickup gets Napa filters, I’ve read everywhere to use nothing but Motorcraft filters on the 6.0 PowerStroke, but I’ve been running a Napa filter ever since I bought it, 40k miles in the past year and a half and no trouble yet

 

The reason for this is not the quality of the filters, or the pickiness of the engine, its about the length dimension of the aftermarket filters. If you are using ones that come with a cap, or using a cap from the same brand you will be fine.

 

There is an anti drain-back valve at the bottom of the oil filter housing that is closed by the oil filter, and opens when the filter is removed. Using the wrong combination leaves the valve open and causes long cranks and dry starts. Basically if you aren't having to crank until you start building oil pressure you should be good.

 

Also, this is why it's important to remove the oil filter before draining the pan on a 6.0 (or any other paper insert filter that's at the top of the engine). On a 6.0 you can be leaving up to 2 qts of old oil in the engine by draining the pan first.