On Mar 6, 9:43 pm, "Don Dando" wrote:
I have seen a lot of engines, outboards, I/O's, motorcycle, 4 wheelers, etc
that have been ruined because an "equivalent" oil filter was used and it was
not exactly right. It is my opinion that the higher cost of the
manufacturers brand of oil filter may be cheaper in the long run.

Don Dando


Don, have you looked closely at any of the many web sites that examine
these filters in depth? There are signficant differences in type of
construction, amount of filtration media, gasketing materials, and
overall construction quality. And (this should come as no surprise),
there is often not a correlation between price and quality. Believe
it or not, Walmart's oil filters, made by Champion Labs, are actually
better made than quite a few of the other brands, while selling at
1/3rd the price.

You might also be surprised to know that some names you'd expect good
quality from are actually rebranding lesser quality items. Yamaha's
filters are considered to be inferior by those who examine the innerds
of such things. They employ some of the same consruction techniques
that Fram does, and Fram is universally considered the worst by people
who like to cut open oil filters.

This is one of those areas where you are trusting that the OEM folks
are putting a premium on quality rather than profit. And, given how
business works, there is no way for you or I to know the mind of the
manager(s) who made that decision when it was time to choose a
supplier for the OEM branded part.

The only way to know which product is best is to research it, rather
than blindly assuming the OEM product is best.