Originally Posted By: Cuda70383
... but is there a list or agreement on who makes a sturdy can? one that can take high psi pumps and maybe a rock attack?
Actually, most all of the makers have a premium type offering that has more features in them; silicone ADBV, heavy duty construction, upgraded springs and seals, denser media. When you buy a premium filter, you kind of get it all. Conceptually, the filter market does offer (this is a generalization) a "good; better; best" in many brands.
All of the talk about can thickness is typically moot, though, IMO. Most any filter is typically rated for 250psi or greater, and considering that the oil pump relief valve will open way before that, the burst strength of the can is not really in play if things are working as designed. If one has a filter that hangs down in harms way, then perhaps a thicker can might be important, but most filters are actually well protected overall.
I have only known two filters to "fail" in my entire life. It happened when I started up an older F150 with the old 360 FE truck motor. The pump relief stuck closed, and the even at idle the filter burst upon start-up. Not knowing what happend at first, we found that the seam on the filter had relieved the pressure; we blamed the can and put a new one on. The second one failed at the filter gasket; pushed it right outward. We then realized the problem was much deeper than a screw-on filter.
I have never known a filter to fail simply because of a perceived thinner wall issue.
So to answer your question, most any major filter maker has a good filter available. Some of them choose to not offer a "base" model. So when comparing/contrasting criteria, you need to be realistic and be fair in your reviews. You cannot really do a fair review contrasting a bargin STP or OCOD Fram to a high-end M1 or EaO. But if you look at the premium Fram Ultra versus a BDP or K&N, I think you'll see some obvious similarities.
You do get what you pay for; that is true. But the reality is that overpaying for more than you need will not result in significantly better performance. If a "normal" filter is more than sufficient, then using a premium filter won't result in benefits equal to the ROI. If the filter does not hang in harms way, and the pump relieves as designed, then a thicker can is not needed and is generally capacity that is never utilized. And therefore that unrealized capacity is not a benefit; it's a waste. That is true of a filter when you speak of not only the can thickness, but also efficiency and capacity. If you never put your engine into a postion where a "normal" filter would fail, then the unrealized performance differences don't manifest into tangible results. They sit unused. Hence, you paid for stuff you never realize; you get a poor ROI.
So if one truly "needs" a better filter, many brands offer many options. But I suspect most folks don't "need" one. They just "want" one. And that's OK too, but if one is going to choose with emotion rather than logic, then just admit it and pick the filter that is the prettiest and has the strongest marketing appeal, so that one sleeps "better" at night.
