Wal-Mart Canada - bye bye Fram, hello Purolator

[ProtegeZ5]

Originally Posted By: cp3
Originally Posted By: ProtegeZ5
I browsed the automotive section here in PEI today and all of the Fram oil and air filters are now gone. The prices seem much cheaper, too.

I'll be picking up a Purolator Synthetic filter when my oil change is due.


Was just down your way at Christmas and back in August. What part of the island are you from?

I'm from Summerside. What is the weather like up in Ontario? we've been having some brutally cold days this past week.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: ProtegeZ5
Originally Posted By: cp3
Originally Posted By: ProtegeZ5
I browsed the automotive section here in PEI today and all of the Fram oil and air filters are now gone. The prices seem much cheaper, too.

I'll be picking up a Purolator Synthetic filter when my oil change is due.


Was just down your way at Christmas and back in August. What part of the island are you from?

I'm from Summerside. What is the weather like up in Ontario? we've been having some brutally cold days this past week.


It is -19C about an hour N/E of the GTA.

 

[cp3]

About -16 most of the day here today. Was nice on the weekend though!

 

[cp3]

I think the Synthetic is being phased out for the Ultra here too.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
^^ 2nd photo looks sweeeeet! Looks like a one signature petition to me.

Although ... wish they would keep the FRAM Ultra line only.


The petition could be thanking WM for what they did.

Up here, the Fram Ultra or XG or whatever was never at our Walmarts, at least. Only Canadian Tire or Part Source had them readily available here.

 

[gogozy]

Originally Posted By: cp3
Originally Posted By: sayjac
Until relatively recently (Rank buyout), didn't Fram have a large manufacturing plant for Extra Guard/orange can oil filter production in Canada? Has that plant shut down or reduced production? Seems I remember reading that on this board. Could that also be a factor?


Yes they did close the plant in Stratford in the fall. I would be surprised if that would effect Rank's ability to supply Canada though. They have a pretty much got a strangle hold of the market here, to just give it up doesn't seem like a great move. I could see them wanting to charge more due to increased logistics costs of no longer producing in Canada and WalMart saying no.

I welcome the PC filter!! abit worry...I think this is must to do with the exchange rate, for instance the WM had these insane roll back price on PP, PYB, and QPDS, only in 4.7/5qt jug. to me this is clear enough that WM Canada can purchase limited stock from WM USA distributor at US price. I recalled most of these FRAM/Honeywell were made in Canada years ago, does Canada still produce filter at all? sometimes tariff only apply to import, if the good are still manufacture, but likely none... i forgot about NAFTA.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: sir1900
Whoo-hoo! Went to Walmart in Regina tonight and noticed the following:

All Frams are gone. Air filters replaced with Purolator. Oil filters replaced with PS, PC and Bosch.

PCs are roughly $5, Bosch $7, PS $11.


I saw the same thing, too, in the north end. They have the filters in all three varieties for my G, but for the F-150, they only have the Purolator Classic, which is understandable. These prices are much easier to swallow than the Fram prices, although the PS is really no bargain compared to the Fram XG. When CT or Partsource have those on special, they're hard to beat.

The downside is that now puts me in a dilemma. The Wix for the F-150 is still cheaper than the Classic. For the G, though, should I support local retailers (i.e. my Wix dealer) or Walmart? I complain when I have no filter choices, and now I complain when I do have a choice.

 

[jegs]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: sir1900
Whoo-hoo! Went to Walmart in Regina tonight and noticed the following:

All Frams are gone. Air filters replaced with Purolator. Oil filters replaced with PS, PC and Bosch.

PCs are roughly $5, Bosch $7, PS $11.


I saw the same thing, too, in the north end. They have the filters in all three varieties for my G, but for the F-150, they only have the Purolator Classic, which is understandable. These prices are much easier to swallow than the Fram prices, although the PS is really no bargain compared to the Fram XG. When CT or Partsource have those on special, they're hard to beat.

The downside is that now puts me in a dilemma. The Wix for the F-150 is still cheaper than the Classic. For the G, though, should I support local retailers (i.e. my Wix dealer) or Walmart? I complain when I have no filter choices, and now I complain when I do have a choice.

If you are talking about the NAPA Pro Select I would pass.
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2182704

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: jegs
If you are talking about the NAPA Pro Select I would pass.


No, genuine Wix. The NAPA wants too much for NAPA Golds which are the ones I would use anyhow, and I get the real Wix at a substantial discount.

 

[ProtegeZ5]

I stopped at Walmart today and picked up a Purolator Synthetic filter. It seems like a really well built filter, much better than the previous Fram Tough Guard I used.

 

[wing0]

I was hoping to see PureOne as that's my main oil filter to get whenever I head down south. At least if I run out of my stash, I can go to Wally and grab a Bosch Prem to hold out. I do find the texture paint does help with grip when removing the filter though.

One thing still missing from Wally compared to the south is the availability of Techron Concentrate Plus cleaners. I wish I gotten a few more bottles of that or cheaper Regane.

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: KevGuy
Was in Wallly Today. Last time I was there the oil and air filter section looked like this:

Now it looks like this:

This is a big issue that we all need to be concerned about. Walmart did this without telling anybody nor without MY permission!

We need to get a petition going.

One too many OCOD jokes. Wally was listening. Now your choices are taken away and your left with the cheap Purolator line. Enjoy your classic paper filters with the "metal end caps". Too bad, Fram makes make a superior air filter.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals

One too many OCOD jokes. Wally was listening. Now your choices are taken away and your left with the cheap Purolator line. Enjoy your classic paper filters with the "metal end caps". Too bad, Fram makes make a superior air filter.


I've noticed that the OCOD lovers have very thin skin. Somebody makes one post about the faults of an orange can, true or not, and the blood pressures start to boil. Seriously, it's not the end of the world. If you must have your orange filters, vote with your purchasing dollars and buy them elsewhere. There are plenty of stores that still sell Fram, the number one selling filter for the consumer market. If enough people keep their dollars away from WM, the accountants will take notice and bring them back. Or maybe it will prod the owners of Fram into finally making a better orange filter. And please don't tell me that the orange filter can't be improved. Before you complain that I hate Fram, I have some Fram-built MicroGards on both of my Jeeps. I don't fear them.
I actually love that WM sells Purolator filters. And yea, Fram does have a good air filter.

 

[LeakySeals]

No I don't think anything. I was being sarcastic. Only thing that bothers me is during a discussion about other Fram products somebody brings the OCOD ignorance into the discussion. Like the Ultra for example. I'm not a loyalist, enjoy testing and trying things too much. But I admit, I do get an urge to defend Fram every so often for some reason. I don't know why.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
One too many OCOD jokes. Wally was listening. Now your choices are taken away and your left with the cheap Purolator line. Enjoy your classic paper filters with the "metal end caps".......

Really? And this conclusion was arrived at through extensive research I presume. FYI, Wally Canada oil filter customers had no choice before, it was all Fram. So now they have Purolator instead of Fram, a different supplier, what's the problem? And FYI, majority Classic's have a better efficiency rating than the current orange can spec, 97.5% @ 20 um vs 95% > 20um. So that so called "cheap" Puro line specs out better than the orange can it replaces. And, I suspect if like here in US the Classic is selling for less in Canada than the comparable orange can went for. And what wasn't mentioned is the Purolator made Bosch Premium, a P1 clone and the Purolator Synthetic PSL are also being sold in addition to the high value Classic line.

Also if OCOD jokes was the reason I suspect that the same thing would be happening in the US, it's not, and not likely to ever. But, at least the Classic has taken the place of the Super Tech line in Wally US.

However, one thing seems clear now based on your post, you have an illogical dislike of Purolator oil filters/products, which makes you the same as those you accuse of having a closed mind to the "OCOD", your term. Something to think about.

 

[LeakySeals]

I just said I was being sarcastic one reply above.

 

[Sayjac]

My reply was posted before read the sarcasm explanation/reply. Obviously though I'm not the only one that missed the sarcasm in the comments

 

[ZeeOSix]

He was replying to KevGuy, which makes it sarcastic by default.

 

[Audioquest]

Hmmm. I'm usually on top of this kind of news. What a shock when I walked into the White Oaks London Walmart today and saw the Frams sitting on a lonely shelf up by the service counter. Then I saw a wall of white, blue and black and couldn't believe my eyes. This is fantastic news. Looking forward to trying the Bosch and PS filters.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: sayjac
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
One too many OCOD jokes. Wally was listening. Now your choices are taken away and your left with the cheap Purolator line. Enjoy your classic paper filters with the "metal end caps".......

Really? And this conclusion was arrived at through extensive research I presume. FYI, Wally Canada oil filter customers had no choice before, it was all Fram. So now they have Purolator instead of Fram, a different supplier, what's the problem? And FYI, majority Classic's have a better efficiency rating than the current orange can spec, 97.5% @ 20 um vs 95% > 20um.


BTW - the few Purolators classics that I've purchased have all said 97.5% at 40 um on the box, which is hardly efficient at all. You keep restating this statistic, yet I've failed to see any documentation that this spec applies to all of their part numbers.