Microgard Filter Quality Control?

[KFoster]

So i was looking at my Microgard filters from the oil change special and noticed some strange differences in the ones I picked up.

Out of the 3 - 1 was in good shape, 1 was beat up and smashed in and one looked like it missed part of the manufacturing process.

I guess i should just return them but I no longer have the receipt..

Here are some pictures:

 

[Rand]

wow those are some 6 year old oil filters

just take em in.. I'm sure they will exchange them as they are not used.

 

[oggb]

Well those sure look like junk.

 

[tenderloin]

Wow. Pays to open them up before you buy. I have 12 from the OReilly deals and they are all in good shape. BTW the two filters you show seem to be different manufacturers.

 

[jim302]

The one without the boss around the threads is a newer filter. I suspect one that was beat up was bought and returned... maybe someone bought the wrong filter, or bought them as part of an oil change deal and returned it for something else later.

These filters are made by FRAM, who has recently switched to a new base plate design. I guess they found a way to save more money... here's a link to a discussion about the change: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2478531&page=1

 

[Sayjac]

Yeah, still Fram. The one on the top right uses the newer(but older), cheaper, less user friendly Fram mounting hole design.

Always best practice, if possible, to examine the filter prior to purchase.

 

[Silver02ex]

People are too quick the Filter manufacture. There filter could be damage during shipping. It could be droppped by someone who bought it, then retured it. There's many other reason why it was damaged. I personally wouldn't buy a filter, take it home, then find out there's dents all around it, when I could pick up a different one at the store.

 

[diddlyd]

The first two filters are perfectly fine. The one on the left is the old Microgard baseplate style, and the one on the right is the new Microgard baseplate style. They switched just within the last few months, so the old style isn't that old.

The third filter looks like it was slightly damaged in shipping or somewhere along the line. However, a couple chips and dents at the top aren't going to make the filter fail.