Any difference?

[TrainingPolicy]

I recently changed the air filter in my wife 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. I had an Amazon special (EPAuto) filter and changed it out for a Purolator One air filter and let’s just say, they look IDENTICAL. It’s crazy because one is a $19.99 filter and the other is $8.97. Thankfully I only paid like $10 for the Purolator since I had a speedperk. But it really makes you think if it’s worth it for ‘name brand’. The EPAuto is the ‘darker/dirtier’ one. What is y’all thoughts?

 

[circuitsmith]

They probably both came off the same assembly line; they maybe cost ~$4 to make.
The factory makes a quota for Purolator. Then extra shifts and overtime to make the "gray market" pieces.

 

[madeej11]

Puro has 2 more rows of filter material plus the frames are different.

 

[92saturnsl2]

The media on top (of bottom picture) seems better made and more substantial.

Between those two filters, I don't see a $10 difference though. I'd be plenty comfortable with running the cheaper filter.

Not all cheaper filters are created equal. There are many out there that rival OEM in quality, fit and function, but then there's plenty out there that skimp in one or more ways. For example some use pleated paper instead of synthetic (or cotton, whatever the white stuff is called) for cost cutting. I've seen others use substantially fewer pleats, spaced further apart.

 

[madeej11]

Isn't that white stuff called cellulose?

 

[samven]

Its really hard to compare 2 air filters just by looking unless 1 has obvious defects like holes or hardened sealing gaskets. It would be nice if they gave us some kind of standardized efficiency and flow rating.

 

[JeffKeryk]

You could change the cheaper on more often.
I do wonder about efficiency. The air filter is where dirt comes in; it's pretty important, right?

 

[Kira]

The air filter being, "The most important filter", is Gospel, written in stone, common knowledge and filed under, "EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS".

What nobody every knows is what any filtering media they're looking at is made of. There's no way.

What are the product numbers where are the data sheets of the various media?

 

[samven]

While it may not be an apples to apples comparison we do have the MERV system used for furnace filters that have some specification associated. It should not be a huge issue for the automotive filter makers to give the MERV rating of their filter media but unless the EPA or Consumer Protection passes some guidelines we wont see much action.

 

[TrainingPolicy]

You could change the cheaper on more often.
I do wonder about efficiency. The air filter is where dirt comes in; it's pretty important, right?

That is the comical part, both are rated for one year/12K miles. So they both should be changed in the same amount of time.

 

[TrainingPolicy]

Its really hard to compare 2 air filters just by looking unless 1 has obvious defects like holes or hardened sealing gaskets. It would be nice if they gave us some kind of standardized efficiency and flow rating.

We can only compare them the only way we know how. That is 'performance' do they filter (UOA) and by the way they look, so far that is the only 'objective' measure we have.

 

[TrainingPolicy]

The media on top (of bottom picture) seems better made and more substantial.

Between those two filters, I don't see a $10 difference though. I'd be plenty comfortable with running the cheaper filter.

Not all cheaper filters are created equal. There are many out there that rival OEM in quality, fit and function, but then there's plenty out there that skimp in one or more ways. For example some use pleated paper instead of synthetic (or cotton, whatever the white stuff is called) for cost cutting. I've seen others use substantially fewer pleats, spaced further apart.

I thought that too, BUT the bottom one has been ran for over a year, so simply due to air being sucked through the pleats it could have 'squished' them. Although, I haven't seen the OEM filter yet, and would be interested if it could rival this $9 amazon special for the price.

 

[wdn]

The filter on the left has 29 pleats, the one on the right has 28 pleats. They are not identical.

 

[TrainingPolicy]

The filter on the left has 29 pleats, the one on the right has 28 pleats. They are not identical.

The identical phrase was a bit of sarcasm, not really meant to be taken literal. Just that they are 95% similar.

 

[ZeeOSix]

While it may not be an apples to apples comparison we do have the MERV system used for furnace filters that have some specification associated. It should not be a huge issue for the automotive filter makers to give the MERV rating of their filter media but unless the EPA or Consumer Protection passes some guidelines we wont see much action.

Automotive air filters use ISO 5011 to measure the filtering performance. The ISO test can use "fine dust" or "course dust", so that needs to be stipulated in the test for complete transparency.

 

[Job]

Purolator, a large company, doesn't buy generic Chinese goods made in sweat shops,. EP auto, I bet they do.

 

[Fattylocks]

They're both made in China. Yech!

 

[TrainingPolicy]

Purolator, a large company, doesn't buy generic Chinese goods made in sweat shops,. EP auto, I bet they do.

Well they both are coming out of China.. so, they actually are probably produced in the same factory.

 

[TrainingPolicy]

They're both made in China. Yech!

Chinese manufacturing has came a long way. I wouldn't be so bias.

 

[circuitsmith]

They're both made in China. Yech!

In the 1960s people would say "both made in Japan. Yech!"