Use bigger and better filters in your OPE

[4WD]

I upped a buddy’s lawn mower to the only filter in stock around me, coincidentally also the biggest filter it can fit. Hood just kisses the filter when closed, perfect.

View attachment 275282

3600?

 

[Bighorn2500]

Wix 57145 on my JD riding mower currently instead of Fram FS4967 like previously used. About 1/2" longer, diameter is the same.
Bypass Valve setting is basically the same 11-14 psi vs 12 psi.
OE John Deere AM107423 looks like Champ filter with John Deere markup.

 

[Braapdaddy]

Baldwin BT223

 

[Lockasiam]

Small engines are super tough. No need to get fancy with expensive filters. Many don't even have filters.

if supertech is good enough for my car it's good enough for my mower. cheap enough to do a yearly replacement and not notice the extra $

 

[Sumboodie]

For sure, no need to do things better, let's just keep doing everything the trash @$$ way we've always done it! /s

Nobody's forcing you to take care of your equipment, sir. Do what you want.

Just changing the oil every few years is doing more than many engines see. The average home owner isn't going to wear out a mower, tiller, etc engine before the rest of the machine is worn out.

"Better" in what aspect? The filter is an "add on" on many small engines to begin with. They do fine without too.
Many don't even have air filters, or just a foam that filters out the big chunks.

The oil change interval is generally the same regardless.

I have several years experience in a small engine shop. Most failures we saw was from running out of oil or overheating from plugged up cooling (grass, mouse nests, or even missing sheetmetal)

If you sleep better at night with special filters, so be it, but no reason to look down your nose at everyone else doing normal maintenance

 

[WiredForStereo]

If you sleep better at night with special filters, so be it, but no reason to look down your nose at everyone else doing normal maintenance

I only look down my nose at people who assume they know what's going on in my head.

 

[ripcord]

It's all cool. We just all gotta do what the voices tell us. Some times they just take a while to come to a consensus.

 

[kimmillard1]

One thing I have been doing with my OPE for years is using Amsoil synthetic media filters in my OPE.

Now, before you get the wrong idea, I use Amsoil because they have high efficiency filters, no other reason. I am not a dealer. I tried it, I got really weirded out by the MM groupthink, so I quit. In fact, I have begun using other filters, Fram Endurance, which are nearly identical, with the same media, and up to half the price.
View attachment 275139
Stock Briggs and Stratton filters will cost you from $10 up, more likely $12+ on Amazon or locally. The Amsoil EaO34 filter only costs $15.45 (Preferred Customer price) and an equivalent FRAM Endurance will be about $12 at Walmart.

For a negligible increase in price, you get a filtering area that is around 3 times as large, and synthetic media. That means, with these low flow (relatively), low pressure engines, you get vastly increased contaminant holding capacity, and vastly increased filtering efficiency. Furthermore, because the filter is so large, you get much lower filter loading, which means the particles are not pushed so hard through the filter media, increasing filter efficiency, and chances are, the filter bypass will never need to open even when the engine is cold. Additionally, the filter volume increases oil capacity, which may allow extending OCIs. The larger filter also offers a little extra cooling.

In aggregate, this means vastly better filtering performance. My experience in my 13 year old Kawasaki powered Husqvarna lawn tractor is, that using Mobil 1 Extended oil, and an Amsoil filter, after 2 years, the oil is not even black. The oil has darkened somewhat but remains translucent. And this mower gets many hours every year, being used for mowing and hauling utility trailers around.

Recently, I purchased a piece of equipment for my fire engine, a 23hp B&S Vanguard powered pump. It had the standard oil filter housing on the side of the engine, with hoses to the oil cooler. The Amsoil EaO34 filter did not fit in the available space, and it turns out the B&S makes and sells a remote oil filter mount setup, I assume for big lawn mowers, maybe generators. So I purchased that, and have installed it. Now I can put the filter wherever I want, mounted in a spot which is easy to get to and change the filter while keeping it upright and not spilling, which is definitely better than the original option, hard to get to, and mounted diagonally.

So, next time you change your oil in your OPE, think about putting a better filter on it. On most lawn tractors, the filter sticks out the side, so you can put the biggest one on there you can find with no clearance issues. And if there are clearance issues, options are available.

Would LOVE to bump up to the EaO34 IF it would fit on my Cub Cadet LT46, but it barely takes the EA15K51, and I'm using a EA15K53 to be on the safe side as far as fitting and not hitting the steering linkage. But yeah, if space is not an issue, I say go for it with the EAO34. It will probably give you 400 hours in conjunction with a high-end synthetic oil, no problem.

 

[Nessism1]

I give up, what is OPE?

 

[ripcord]

I give up, what is OPE?

Outdoor power equipment. Basically a fancy acronym for lawn mowers

 

[WiredForStereo]

Outdoor power equipment. Basically a fancy acronym for lawn mowers

Lot more than lawn mowers, though lawn mowers are the main customer.

Pressure washers, generators, pumps, go-karts, etc. Mostly air cooled. Mostly one or two cylinder.

 

[1maniac]

I wondered who else uses an OS filter on their ope!!
For our property I have a 2015 Wright Stander with a Kawasaki engine that sees 30 or so hours a season with Amsoil ope 10w40 and eao34 filter.
I was changing the oil & filter every other season. Finally sent a UOA sample to Blackstone, came back great and with a recommendation of changing every three years.
I don't know if I can do every three.......

 

[oilboy123]

I am running the Amsoil small engine10w-40 with EAO53 on a Kawasaki FR730V. I was going to change the oil every year, and the filter every other year........ Maybe that is still overkill.

 

[4WD]

Right now I have the STP 3614XL (Kohler 5400) from grabbing the VRP bundle at AZ - oil was not for the mower - something I have done B4

 

[kimmillard1]

I am running the Amsoil small engine10w-40 with EAO53 on a Kawasaki FR730V. I was going to change the oil every year, and the filter every other year........ Maybe that is still overkill.

Thinking you mean the EA15K53 filter. Amsoil doesn't offer an EAO53 in their catalogue. I'm running that on a Cub Cadet XT1 with a Kohler KT725 engine. As far as changing the filter every 2 years being overkill, heck, I change out every year, and I don't think I'll put 40 hours on it in a season.

As far as the oil, I'm going with the Amsoil Premium Protection 10W-40, but I've used the 10W-40 Z-rod as well as I perceive them to have a little bit more robust additive package.

 

[userfriendly]

3614 can be upsized to a 16, which can be upsized to an 8, which is the equivalent of an FL1a. imagine that beast on a lawn mower

Got it. JD X320 PH8A, Kubota 2290 #3600.
Both have the 726 Kawasaki engine. The big OD PH8A won’t fit the Kubota because there’s a low oil pressure kill switch in the way.

 

[Lubener]

3614 can be upsized to a 16, which can be upsized to an 8, which is the equivalent of an FL1a. imagine that beast on a lawn mower

The diameter of a PH8 and FL1A are larger than a 3614 or 3616 so they are not compatable.

 

[Lockasiam]

The diameter of a PH8 and FL1A are larger than a 3614 or 3616 so they are not compatable.

gasket size and thread is still the same. if you have the extra 1/4 in on clearance around then it will fit

 

[kimmillard1]

Had a guy over yesterday for lawnmower maintenance and we tried to put on a PL10241 (Equivalent to the 3614.) I was sure it would fit on a Cub Cadet XT1 LT46. But he called me over and showed steering linkage hitting it on moderate right turns. Had to swap it out and put on an Amsoil EA15K53 which is about 0.7" shorter.