Best brand/quality magnetic oil drain plug?

[spasm3]

I’m not certain how much difference they make in engine oil, but they catch a tiny amount of that very fine debris.

So, they’re doing something.

Question is: does that make a difference?

No one knows, it may not. But it can't hurt to remove any free floating ferrous metal.

On aircooled engines with no filter, i can't see how removing ( especially on initial startup) it is not helping reduce wear.

Pics of my magnetic dipstick, from my Honda powered pressure washer. From initial start, after 2 hrs or so.

Anyone think it would be better to leave that amount of iron in the oil?

 

[UncleDave]

In liu of no filtration Ill take a magnetic dipstick or drain plug any day.

I look at magnetic drain plugs as a diagnostic tool as much as anything.

The effectiveness of external filter mags appears to be between 1 and 3 iso code drops - which if true - is notable.

Magnafine trans filter seem to to a notable job, as do trans pan magnets.

Noria has a great article on magnetic separators authors by Carlton Fitch. The diagram from that is attached below.

Their conseus is they make a lot of sense to employ.

They are not an end all be all, but another tool in particle reduction.

 

[UncleDave]

No one knows, it may not. But it can't hurt to remove any free floating ferrous metal.

On aircooled engines with no filter, i can't see how removing ( especially on initial startup) it is not helping reduce wear.

Pics of my magnetic dipstick, from my Honda powered pressure washer. From initial start, after 2 hrs or so.

Anyone think it would be better to leave that amount of iron in the oil?
View attachment 118022View attachment 118023



View attachment 118025

same goo from my honda 2K's -

and I agree, Id prefer it to be captured vs floating.

 

[billt460]

I have to agree with this logic, (magnets), on non oil filtered, air cooled, small engines. In addition to having no oil filtration system, most of these engines have very small oil capacities. (Usually under 1 quart). And run considerably higher oil temperatures and loads than liquid cooled automotive engines.

But then again, we're right back to the same logic, that if they did help, and were proven to achieve even the smallest increase of engine life, manufacturers would ship their engines with them already installed.

If there was a provable percentage of engine life to be gained by using magnets on dipsticks and / or drain plugs, I can't see where a small engine manufacturer wouldn't spend the small additional amount to capture this longer engine life over their competitors.

 

[UncleDave]

I have to agree with this logic, (magnets), on non oil filtered, air cooled, small engines. In addition to having no oil filtration system, most of these engines have very small oil capacities. (Usually under 1 quart). And run considerably higher oil temperatures and loads than liquid cooled automotive engines.

But then again, we're right back to the same logic, that if they did help, and were proven to achieve even the smallest increase of engine life, manufacturers would ship their engines with them already installed.

If there was a provable percentage of engine life to be gained by using magnets on dipsticks and / or drain plugs, I can't see where a small engine manufacturer wouldn't spend the small additional amount to capture this longer engine life over their competitors.

A manufacturer must multiply the cost something like 5x, on a 8 dollar part thats a significant msrp bump in a very competitive market.

It cost them nothing to tell you to change oil earlier - they shift cost to you in the form of a lower OCI and more work and expense on your part.

Much like bypass systems dont so much extend the life of the engine as they extend the life of the oil so does a magnet by helping with oxidative stability in a tiny sump. I dont expect much if any more engine life, but I can keep the oil I am running cleaner and buy myself a little bit more run time in a scenario like a power outage that lasted 7 days.

The trees took out the power lines and blocked the roads. We had to snowmobile in my 2K to an older woman that lived by herself with her birds and cats. She kept it running continuously for 7 days or 68 hours over what the manual says the OCI should have been.

At the end of the period the oil I dumped out was still golden and the band of goo on the mag pretty prominent.

Basically it performed 3 of the 5 potential benefits in the chart above, all of which helped me - did I "increase engine life" by using it? No but I received other tangible benefits.

 

[billt460]

A manufacturer must multiply the cost something like 5x, on a 8 dollar part thats a significant msrp bump in a very competitive market.

True to a point. But you have to remember if it costs the buying public $8.00 for that part on Amazon, the cost to the manufacturer is going to be much less. Simply because they'll purchase it in massive quantities. Or else manufacture the thing themselves, and save even more over millions of parts. I would be surprised if it ended up costing them a fraction of a dollar.

Especially when you consider most of that stuff is manufactured in China to begin with. If you can buy a complete set of sockets from Harbor Freight, with a lifetime warranty these days for under $10.00, and they're realizing a profit at that price, imagine the actual manufacturing cost of a small drain plug with a magnet in it. It's mere pennies.

 

[UncleDave]

True to a point. But you have to remember if it costs the buying public $8.00 for that part on Amazon, the cost to the manufacturer is going to be much less. Simply because they'll purchase it in massive quantities. Or else manufacture the thing themselves, and save even more over millions of parts. I would be surprised if it ended up costing them a fraction of a dollar.

Especially when you consider most of that stuff is manufactured in China to begin with. If you can buy a complete set of sockets from Harbor Freight, with a lifetime warranty these days for under $10.00, and they're realizing a profit at that price, imagine the actual manufacturing cost of a small drain plug with a magnet in it. It's mere pennies.

Everybody gets to decide if its worth it to them. To ME its worth it.

For sure the plastic cheapie you get is pennies.

The gold plug msrp is around 23.5 with a nice knurled top and a quality rare earth mag.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

A nice member here at BITOG made one for my trucks oil pan. He used an Earth magnet.

Thank You spasm3!