Confusion in Purolator Boss filtration efficiency

[Creavey26]

Would like people’s thoughts on this. So I’m trying to figure out the true effiency of the Purolator Boss since the build quality seems fantastic. But everywhere I look it’s saying different things. So according to the information on the listing, it says 99% dirt removing power, then on the fine print it says “10,000 miles at 20 micron”, meaning the first 10,000 miles it’s at 20, but after that it’s worse?

On other threads on this site, it’s 99% at 46 and 50% at 22.

Then on 3rd party testing, it beats out a filter that had a rating of 99% at 20 before it stopped being sold (royal purple)

So I guess I’m just confused on how good this filter actually is. Independent testing says it blows that 46 micron rating out of the water. I don’t think anybody is lying but maybe that’s only the number they can guarantee? Why even include that 10,000 mile at 20 micron fine print?

 

[ZeeOSix]

On other threads on this site, it’s 99% at 46 and 50% at 22.

That is the official efficiency right from Mann+Hummel's spec sheet. I called Purolator Tech line a few months ago and they told me it was 99% @ 45u. They also told me the new Purolator 20K filter is the same efficiency as the Boss. Then I called them only a few weeks ago and now they won't even tell you what the efficiency is, like it's some kind of secret now. Give them a call and see what they say.

https://www.purolatornow.com/en/contact.html

 

[MrBubba]

That is the official efficiency right from Mann+Hummel's spec sheet. I called Purolator Tech line a few months ago and they told me it was 99% @ 45u. They also told me the new Purolator 20K filter is the same efficiency as the Boss. Then I called them only a few weeks ago and now they won't even tell you what the efficiency is, like it's some kind of secret now. Give them a call and see what they say.

https://www.purolatornow.com/en/contact.html

View attachment 340879

I am emailing them, calls kind of put them on the spot of which they may not have had access to accurate information at the time especially when some of their products have been updated/redesigned such as WIX XP, or the representative was just lazy.

 

[Fair enough]

I use these since they were sold, still are off and on, at fantastic prices. All the filters in the chart have the 10,000 mile note, but the red is already 10,000 of course. The 46 micron sheets have no test date. It could be when they were developing the Boss from the Mann fleece filter on which the Boss is based.

I looked myself at different medias under a microscope. I had an old but new Mercedes Mann fleece filter and compared it to the new Boss media. The new media is not full of light spots like the old one was. Looks much better. The media is not glass which I believe is a good thing, some kind of polymer. No black glue, excellent glue.

That’s all I can report except unfortunately it led to buying a few stereo microscopes from ebay as I have a weakness for optics. Great deals though but that’s the call of ebay, bargains.

 

[GW.]

I called as well to confirm spec sheets are accurate. Was told spec sheets are up to date and accurate. This was about a year ago before they stopped providing efficiency numbers because we caught them false advertising.

 

[fantastic]

Specification sheets posted on here are the official efficiency. Those Boss filters were normally 99% at 46 Microns. There was an oil filter testing company that came here to the forum and posted a popular oil filter PBL22500? that measured 99% at 34 microns. The Purolator One has shown to be the better filter for efficiency.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I am emailing them, calls kind of put them on the spot of which they may not have had access to accurate information at the time especially when some of their products have been updated/redesigned such as WIX XP, or the representative was just lazy.

Let us know ... my bet is they won't respond or tell you they haven't been told what the efficiency is. What oil filter company doesn't know the efficiency specs on their oil filters? WIX did the same thing when the XP was shown to be 50% @20u efficiency. Then they took the spec off of their website and I called them they said the efficiency of the XP was "proprietary". I laughed at the guy on the phone and asked if they are now being made for a top secret UFO program.

 

[ZeeOSix]

It could be when they were developing the Boss from the Mann fleece filter on which the Boss is based.

If that was the case, why don't they ever update the info? You know the president of Mann+Hummel had Purolator put the 99% >46u on the Purolator website. LSJr even mentions it in one of his recent videos. Snap shots of that have also been posted in various threads on this chat board. Then the spec disappeared from the website (and no spec is shown for the Gold 20K either) and the M+H president told the people giving out specs sheets to the public to stop. Do the math.

 

[Hohn]

If a filter company won't provide a trustworthy efficiency spec to a current industry standard, that's reason enough to not use them.

That's a part of why I'm such a PGI fanboy now and use them so enthusiastically. Then again, if you had filters with performance as good as the PGI 10k filters, you'd be bragging about it at every opportunity also.

 

[MrBubba]

Let us know ... my bet is they won't respond or tell you they haven't been told what the efficiency is. What oil filter company doesn't know the efficiency specs on their oil filters? WIX did the same thing when the XP was shown to be 50% @20u efficiency. Then they took the spec off of their website and I called them they said the efficiency of the XP was "proprietary". I laughed at the guy on the phone and asked if they are now being made for a top secret UFO program.

Their response for my vehicle specific oil filters

PBL10111 = Not listed

PL10111 = 99% at 20 microns

LX3387A = Not Listed

LX3614 = Not listed

PBL10241 = Not listed

PL10241 = 99% at 20 microns

 

[ZeeOSix]

Their response for my vehicle specific oil filters

PBL10111 = Not listed

PL10111 = 99% at 20 microns

LX3387A = Not Listed

LX3614 = Not listed

PBL10241 = Not listed

PL10241 = 99% at 20 microns

There ya go ... "Not Listed" means they don't want to tell anybody. PBL is the Boss and LX is the Gold 20K. If they were 99% @ 20u as shown in post 1, they'd be screaming it from the rooftops.

 

[fantastic]

If a filter company won't provide a trustworthy efficiency spec to a current industry standard, that's reason enough to not use them.

That's a part of why I'm such a PGI fanboy now and use them so enthusiastically. Then again, if you had filters with performance as good as the PGI 10k filters, you'd be bragging about it at every opportunity also.

I make no excuses for Purolator pulling the stop on handing out the spec sheets but at least they did offer them for a short bit to give us a pretty good idea of what efficiencies they were. The Purolator One is okay but they tend to drop a cap or two upon removal.

Far as I know PGI doesn't provide any concrete efficiency data but that's not why most of us use them. Most of that reason comes from the downright consistency of quality control.

I just picked up a new Carquest Extended Performance filter with the reinforced media and looks real good for my planned <10,000 mile intervals. I'd cut it open before using it but it was $17.xx after tax.

Best to get it with the bundle which I plan on doing once they finally get API SQ 5w-30 ESP. They had the SP in stock though.

 

[MrBubba]

There ya go ... "Not Listed" means they don't want to tell anybody. PBL is the Boss and LX is the Gold 20K. If they were 99% @ 20u as shown in post 1, they'd be screaming it from the rooftops.

WIX XP are 99% 23 Microns though which is a good buy if you look at the new design, they are very clean filters now.

But its not acceptable for MANN + HUMMEL to do this, be confident in your products, make good products and share the efficiency/micron ratings or don't have a product at all.

 

[ZeeOSix]

WIX XP are 99% 23 Microns though which is a good buy if you look at the new design, they are very clean filters now.

Yeah, looks like they finally stepped it up on the XP. I'd like to see an independent ISO test to verify it. WIX probably got too much bad publicity on the horrible efficiency they use to be.

 

[rollins.]

...

 

[Hohn]

Yeah, looks like they finally stepped it up on the XP. I'd like to see an independent ISO test to verify it. WIX probably got too much bad publicity on the horrible efficiency they use to be.

Could be, but then it always raises the question in my mind of why it takes horrible publicity to get them to no longer suck. To me, it reflects a mindset of "what can we get away with" rather than "how much value can we provide".

There's a ton of media innovation going on these days (in some corners), but outside of the media, the basic approach to a spin-on hasn't changed in 50+ years. If a company cannot consistently produce properly manufactured filters to a known, mature architecture when they have the very tooling to do so, it says to me there's a culture problem at the the company. Workers don't care. Leaders don't care. They have a mindset as cheap as their products.

I was taught to believe that "everything speaks." And I don't like what many of these brands have been saying for awhile. Especially when you've cut open several filters that are frankly just beautiful inside.

 

[Urshurak776]

I make no excuses for Purolator pulling the stop on handing out the spec sheets but at least they did offer them for a short bit to give us a pretty good idea of what efficiencies they were. The Purolator One is okay but they tend to drop a cap or two upon removal.

Far as I know PGI doesn't provide any concrete efficiency data but that's not why most of us use them. Most of that reason comes from the downright consistency of quality control.

I just picked up a new Carquest Extended Performance filter with the reinforced media and looks real good for my planned <10,000 mile intervals. I'd cut it open before using it but it was $17.xx after tax.

Best to get it with the bundle which I plan on doing once they finally get API SQ 5w-30 ESP. They had the SP in stock though.

PGI does publish it for the filter I use:

https://www.pgfilters.com/product-catalog/product-page/PG4612EX/2023-Honda-Accord/Oil-Filter/

 

[fantastic]

PGI does publish it for the filter I use:

https://www.pgfilters.com/product-catalog/product-page/PG4612EX/2023-Honda-Accord/Oil-Filter/

View attachment 341060

That's just a generic marketing statement & I understand your confusion. There is no ISO test wording there & looking at other PG EX filters on their site shows the same language. There is no evidence your specific model was tested to ISO standards.

You can not seriously take that wording to mean 99% at 25 microns. Most oil filters can remove "particles as small as 25 microns". Just look at that lousy statement (emphasis mine).

• 99% Multi-Pass efficiency and removal of particles as small as 25 microns

 

[Urshurak776]

That's just a generic marketing statement & I understand your confusion. I see no ISO testing wording there & looking at other PG EX filters on their site & it shows the same language on other filters. There is no evidence your specific model was tested to ISO standards.

You can not seriously take that wording to mean 99% at 25 microns. Most oil filters can remove "particles as small as 25 microns".

• 99% Multi-Pass efficiency and removal of particles as small as 25 microns

What filter manufacturers do, beyond what PGi does I mean? I honestly haven't dug into the weeds on it that much. I assume if they publish it on their website or on the box, whatever, they're being truthful. If they're lying I'm sure that wouldn't end well for them. I honestly think, in most cases no way to really know, that most OEM filters are probably closer to the Boss efficiency. In long run, I doubt it matters much. OCI of 5K, meh, you're good.

 

[fantastic]

What filter manufacturers do, beyond what PGi does I mean? I honestly haven't dug into the weeds on it that much. I assume if they publish it on their website or on the box, whatever, they're being truthful. If they're lying I'm sure that wouldn't end well for them. I honestly think, in most cases no way to really know, that most OEM filters are probably closer to the Boss efficiency. In long run, I doubt it matters much. OCI of 5K, meh, you're good.

Ah, your kind of green on the topic. That's perfectly fine & you're asking a great question. Just know that when you hear me repeat over & over the filter companies should state & test every filter they sell, it's for this very good reason... Marketing language! (continued below)

I understand that we all think "It won't end well for them" but that's just it, a lot of them are in on the misleading claims so it's probably more along the lines of "I'm not saying anything about theirs b/c they'd tell on me too".

There are a few of us on here that have seen all of this nonsense too many times. When you go look at that specific model PG4612EX you want to see "ISO 4548-12, 99% at 25 Microns" or similar. Not "This filter is 99% efficient AND removes particles AS SMALL AS 25 microns". Of course the oil filter removes SOME particles at 25 microns but that's not the same as removing 99% of particles 25um in size. Like I said I don't think any oil filter out there can't remove at least 25 micron size particles...LOL!!