The Best Cheap Filter

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Originally Posted By: AvoidTheNoid
I drive 1000 miles a week all stop and go, lots of idling, taxi and delivery. So I'm changing oil every month and it is an expense, I can find oil on sale but don't know which bargain brand is the best, I've been using STP and so far so good but if there's a better one for the same price, I'm willing to try it out.


Isn't it actually cheaper (include labor in your expenses) to just get Mobil1 Extended Performance in the 5 quart jug at walmart for $26 and change your oil half as often? So you'd go 2 months between oil changes instead of your current one month. Savings. For a person who is very active driving, then it all makes sense.
 
Why OCI every week? 50k miles a year is a great candidate for syns and a bypass system!

However, I'd say that until he gets a couple UOAs, we're kind of lacking some key understanding.

But as a total stab in the dark, I'd say he's still OCIing way too often even in his current plan. 1k miles a week could easily be done every other month with a decent lube and filter. If the engine is in good shape and not a sludger, any decent dino and a TG would be fine. Use a FU and get quarterly OCIs.


But I'm a fan of getting some UOAs and then looking long term here. This is a true candidate for syns/bypass.
 
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Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Why OCI every week? 50k miles a year is a great candidate for syns and a bypass system!
However, I'd say that until he gets a couple UOAs, we're kind of lacking some key understanding.
But as a total stab in the dark, I'd say he's still OCIing way too often even in his current plan. 1k miles a week could easily be done every other month with a decent lube and filter. If the engine is in good shape and not a sludger, any decent dino and a TG would be fine. Use a FU and get quarterly OCIs.
But I'm a fan of getting some UOAs and then looking long term here. This is a true candidate for syns/bypass.


He is changing oil every month (not weekly) at about 4,000 miles with heavy idling, so he's right with severe-service intervals. dnewton3's advice is right on still though.

Originally Posted By: ExMachina
Originally Posted By: AvoidTheNoid
I drive 1000 miles a week all stop and go, lots of idling, taxi and delivery. So I'm changing oil every month and it is an expense, I can find oil on sale but don't know which bargain brand is the best, I've been using STP and so far so good but if there's a better one for the same price, I'm willing to try it out.


Isn't it actually cheaper (include labor in your expenses) to just get Mobil1 Extended Performance in the 5 quart jug at walmart for $26 and change your oil half as often? So you'd go 2 months between oil changes instead of your current one month. Savings. For a person who is very active driving, then it all makes sense.
 
You are correct; I misunderstood his OCIs. Thanks for correcting me.

Still, my advice stands that longer OCIs are easily achievable with normal products and he's a candidate for premium stuff with LONG OCIs.
 
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Originally Posted By: dnewton3
You are correct; I misunderstood his OCIs. Thanks for correcting me.
Still, my advice stands that longer OCIs are easily achievable with normal products and he's a candidate for premium stuff with LONG OCIs.


I wonder how many taxi fleet owners use Extended Performance oils (castrol, M1, amsoil, RoyPurp) to keep labor costs down? Makes sense to us. Material costs per might be $15 different per oil change, yet you get to go twice as long with the better oils, so it all depends on what you think labor and down-time expense is worth I guess.

Alternative #1: Mobil1 Ext Perf 5w-30 at $27 walmart and $9 fram ultra, $36 materials total, then add $30 labor makes $66 total.

Alternative #2: SuperTech 5w-30 conventional at $14 walmart and $7 oil filter, makes it $21, times 2 (changed twice as often as the M1 above), makes that total $42, then add $60 labor for two oil changes, $102 total so its more expensive to use the cheap conventional, cheap oil filter twice as often.

So over two months, the owner saves about forty bucks.
 
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We tended to run a conventional for 10,000 km at the time. I could get the oil change done without having any downtime, during driver shift change and car cleaning. Sure, one could extend it with other products, but there is something to be said for getting under a vehicle and seeing what the drivers had bent over the past few weeks.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: AvoidTheNoid
I drive 1000 miles a week all stop and go, lots of idling, taxi and delivery. So I'm changing oil every month and it is an expense, I can find oil on sale but don't know which bargain brand is the best, I've been using STP and so far so good but if there's a better one for the same price, I'm willing to try it out.


No need to change the oil every 4K miles, you're dumping perfectly good oil.

My suggestion would be to use an oil like Mobil 1 EP and a high quality filter like a Fram Ultra or Mobil 1 oil filter. This way you could change the oil about every 10K miles.

Maybe look into Amsoil as they claim 25K oil change intervals when using their Signature Series oil with one of their fancy Ea oil filters.
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Look for a better filter and use it 2 or three oci's I like Wix And The fram Ultra also seems to be a decent filter that can be used for more than one oci.


I would only use the same filter for multiple OCI's if you're using the same oil. If you plan on switching oils based on best price/value, then I would not run the same filter again.

you are basically mixing the left-over dirty oil in the filter with the new oil with a different add pack. I have mixed same oils of the same brand (rotella/shell), but I would not mix M1 with Sopus for example.

Cheap quality filters like Wix are so easy to get, why even bother re-using the same filter.
 
Originally Posted By: Hessam
I know fleetfilter.com used to be a big site here.... they sell wix filters at a good discount. If I were you, I would just check rockauto.com every couple of months and order a few of their better clearance filters. They currently have some M1 filters, along with the hastings and some of the Purolators on clearance for $1.50.
I would stay away from the Prurolators, but anything hastings, M1, or Wix made (like Protec) are probably better than the STP filters you're using.
Other option you have is just doing the monthly OC specials at AAP or AZ every month. I'm a AAP fan myself, since I recently bought their stock and their company is being added to the S&P 500 index.


Champion Laboratories makes Mobil One filters....says so right on the website.
 
I also just checked rockauto.com and they have both hastings and private brand federated parts (rebranded hastings made filters) for $1.18 for most applications. You can use this discount code to get an additional 5% of your total on rockauto.com : 3294690327646130

whatever you decide to do, I would stay away from the ecore STP's for your application.
 
Also motorcraft I think are good. Even though puro makes em it appears teir still good. I have one in use now ima check it out after. Its a cartridge and I inspected it other day after 7k in use. Intent was to change it out but it looked perfect so I put it back in. Will leave for 3k more
 
Originally Posted By: AvoidTheNoid
I drive 1000 miles a week all stop and go, lots of idling, taxi and delivery. So I'm changing oil every month and it is an expense, I can find oil on sale but don't know which bargain brand is the best, I've been using STP and so far so good but if there's a better one for the same price, I'm willing to try it out.


Microguard filter and Supertech oil.
 
Originally Posted By: Hessam
I also just checked rockauto.com and they have both hastings and private brand federated parts (rebranded hastings made filters) for $1.18 for most applications. You can use this discount code to get an additional 5% of your total on rockauto.com : 3294690327646130

whatever you decide to do, I would stay away from the ecore STP's for your application.


I just bought a bunch of those and they look great all produced late 2014 identical to my baldwins and hastings
 
Originally Posted By: robo339
Originally Posted By: Hessam
I also just checked rockauto.com and they have both hastings and private brand federated parts (rebranded hastings made filters) for $1.18 for most applications. You can use this discount code to get an additional 5% of your total on rockauto.com : 3294690327646130

whatever you decide to do, I would stay away from the ecore STP's for your application.


I just bought a bunch of those and they look great all produced late 2014 identical to my baldwins and hastings
I did also, will cut and post when I use
 
Drive Works are very good for the $

some of them filters are only $2.89

and I have seen them cut OPEN and they have a COIL SPRING and look to be

very durable.

Now they dont have any silicon ADBV

but they use a coil spring and the filter element looks good and IMO
its the best cheap oil filter

also honorable mention is Microguard

its basically a WIX oil filter.

but I do not think they are as cheap as DRIVE WORKS...
 
Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted By: AvoidTheNoid
I drive 1000 miles a week all stop and go, lots of idling, taxi and delivery. So I'm changing oil every month and it is an expense, I can find oil on sale but don't know which bargain brand is the best, I've been using STP and so far so good but if there's a better one for the same price, I'm willing to try it out.


Microguard filter and Supertech oil.


also you can get supertech FULL SYN oil for near the price of regular conventional oil , I think its like 17$ for 5QT JUG

thats a good deal for 17$ and I have read the supertech FULL SYN is a good full syn for the price.
 
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