Best air filter for later model 17 to 21hp Briggs and Stratton riding mower?

[oil pan 4]

I was replacing the battery on my tractor, to replace the group 31 on my Kubota tractor that I turboed my self I have to pull a flexible silicone reducer elbow or use a smaller battery, not likely since I get free group 31s from work. Inside the elbow there was a light coating of dust that made it past the filter.
The filter I use is one of those 1.5 inch inside diameter 3 inch outside diameter about 6 inch long riding lawnmower filters used on all kinds of stuff. Part numbers I believe are 793569, 793685, 4241, 5415, 5415K, 4260, ect.
Any idea who makes the best one?
Since it's a lawn mower air filter it's not like I can just go buy an ACdelco and be done with it.
I noticed John deere makes one, it's double the price of the Briggs. I'm skeptical that double the price means is double gooder.

 

[tmorris1]

I was replacing the battery on my tractor, to replace the group 31 on my Kubota tractor that I turboed my self I have to pull a flexible silicone reducer elbow or use a smaller battery, not likely since I get free group 31s from work. Inside the elbow there was a light coating of dust that made it past the filter.
The filter I use is one of those 1.5 inch inside diameter 3 inch outside diameter about 6 inch long riding lawnmower filters used on all kinds of stuff. Part numbers I believe are 793569, 793685, 4241, 5415, 5415K, 4260, ect.
Any idea who makes the best one?
Since it's a lawn mower air filter it's not like I can just go buy an ACdelco and be done with it.
I noticed John deere makes one, it's double the price of the Briggs. I'm skeptical that double the price means is double gooder.

Make sure it is all sealed up and you could also try one of those wrap around pre-filters that is washable.

 

[oil pan 4]

Make sure it is all sealed up and you could also try one of those wrap around pre-filters that is washable.

Its got the thin foam air filter that only stops grass. I can go with a bigger foam filter.
I plan on sticking a new filter on there with some rtv around the base to both glue and seal into place.

 

[GMBoy]

Not sure the room or setup you have but would it be possible to get a junkyard airbox and retrofit it? You could get a small air filter box from a Civic or similar small car and run your ducts . The air filter would be cheap and readily available and would filter well.

 

[oil pan 4]

Not sure the room or setup you have but would it be possible to get a junkyard airbox and retrofit it? You could get a small air filter box from a Civic or similar small car and run your ducts . The air filter would be cheap and readily available and would filter well.

If I a run a filter housing I'll have to cut the intake pipe shorter and then I will be back down in the dust cloud created by the tractor.
The point of running the bare filter was put it up high out of the dust cloud. The filter is already sucking up about 90% less dirt because I relocated it.

 

[oil pan 4]

I examined a cheap Stevens brand air filter, a Briggs, John Deere and a Kohler.

The $15 Briggs and $22 John Deere had suspiciously thin, cheap looking paper pleats, both filters looked identical to each other, 10% to 20% of the pleats were haphazardly spaced, both filters very likely came from the same factory. These filters allowed dust to stick to my silicone elbows on my Turbota.

The cheaper $12 Stevens I would say wow. The paper was definitely thicker than the Briggs and Deere, pleat spacing was at least as good, usually appeared better, 90 to 95% even spacing. For the money this one is definitely the best value all around.

The Kohler. Definitely the best of the 4 by far. The filter paper appears thick and robust. At least double the thickness of the Briggs and Deere. Noticablely thicker than Steven's. The Kohler's pleat spacing was perfect on 4 filters I looked at. The foam is denser than Steven's, Briggs and Deere. The 1.5 inch opening that provides the sealing surface was the tightest of all 3 brands, I almost had to spit on it to get it to go on.
The foam outer cover prefilter was made with denser thicker foam than the other 3.

I know looking at the pleats isn't an iso5011 test but my money is on the Kohler for the best filtration.

So for my turbocharged Kubota it's getting the Kohler.
The Craftsman riding lawnmower can run a Steven's or a second hand Kohler from the Kubota.