WIX vs Fram display at O'reillys

[dlundblad]

Since I had a few $5 off $5 coupons for Oreillys, I went to a big city store yesterday while visiting the girlfriend. They didn't have my TG filters and the guy behind the counter said he tries to drive people away from them because they are made of cardboard. I said they are actually made from fiber and I'm sure you guys could imagine what happened next..

He showed me this WIX display. I've never seen a Fram cut open in person before so this was quite impressive to me. They do seem very well built and I'll admit, web pictures don't do them justice. I tried to get a decent shot which included the end cap thickness as well as the display.. while trying to be discrete. Looking back I should have gotten a shot of the WIX as well for the fairness of others, but you all know what it looks like.

PH8A



From what I could tell, the display mentioned nothing about efficiency.

 

[CharBaby]

The FRAM TG(OCOD) may not be the filter of choice but, FRAM's other filter above the TG are quite decent especially the ULTRA

And the ULTRA at Walmart* for $8.97 is a decent deal for an everyday price.

 

[CHARLIEBRONSON21]

Tough guards are silver. That OCOD is the extra guard.

 

[TTK]

Some people need a cause. Nothing wrong with fiber end caps.

 

[jeepman3071]

Given that I've had two filters with metal end caps that fell off (A Bosch D+ and a Motorcraft) the fiber end caps don't look all that bad now.

 

[SilverC6]

My Advance Auto has a display of every filter they sell cut open.

Subtle differences are apparent.

The thing that is overly apparent it that there is not a lot of difference between the best filter and the worst filter.

Joe Sixpack will look at the display and buy the Driveworks everytime.

Maybe he is right, they are just disposable oil filters.....

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Joe Sixpack will look at the display and buy the Driveworks everytime.

Maybe he is right, they are just disposable oil filters.....


I find myself thinking the same thing. Who really knows.

FWIW, I found out today O'reillys doesn't sell TG's anymore. I have like $40 in coupons I was wanting to use up.. Lol.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Local O'Reilly doesn't carry Fram TG either, but they have Wix for similar price at around $6.99 to $7.99 for most filters.

I have 3 $5 off $5, will buy 3 over-sized Wix filters 51347 at $6.99/ea for S2000 over the weekend. They don't have it in stock, but ordered it without extra charge.

 

[David1]

Originally Posted By: TTK
Some people need a cause. Nothing wrong with fiber end caps.


I think if you go over the OCI with fiber end caps can cause the fiber to to collapse or Tear or have problems.

However with FRAM TG I went 5000 Miles and opened the filter and was very impressed.

Pesonally I think people who have FORD cars are very lucky... They can buy a Motorcraft Oil filter for a very good price and MC oil filters always get the job done and the bypass at top and in one peice.....

However to your question... I think the OCOD, thats a 3K oil filter IMO.. I think 5K is pushing it.

The pics you see you of the OCOD that are all messed up Im confident they were way beyond the suggested manufacture OCI.

Perhaps with FRAMS great marketing some people feel the Extra Gaurd can go 7K miles or 15K miles or more.....

However if they use it for 3K miles with a high quality conventiaonl oil or syn blend oil I feel they will be fine.

Now price.

I think for the price of the Extra Gaurd there are better oil filters.... I really think the FRAM oil filters might cost less $ to MASS produce then other oil filters.

One of these days I might run a OCOD oil filter for 3K miles and take cut it open and see how it looks at the suggest OCI.

Now thats a picture of a oil filter cut open I would like to see.

Also people talk about the pleat count of FRAMs.. well if the filter material is of a higher quality then they would need less.. I have seen some oil filters with cheap paper for filter and there just being so much of it.... Perhaps thats a cheaper or less quailty filter paper and even to pass the lowest specs they need much more.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: David1

Perhaps with FRAMS great marketing some people feel the Extra Gaurd can go 7K miles or 15K miles or more.....


FRAM says about the Extra Guard:
"Cellulose and Glass blended media provides protection for oil change intervals up to 5,000 miles."

Ref: http://fram.com/oil-filters/fram-extra-guard-oil-filter.aspx

 

[JustinH]

Any oil filter in the store will serve you just fine if you change it regularly.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
Any oil filter in the store will serve you just fine if you change it regularly.


+1

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: TTK
Some people need a cause. Nothing wrong with fiber end caps.

It's not so much a cause as it is Wix marketing. Wix has similar displays up here, too.

 

[dlundblad]

They are comparing a higher tiered filter to a lower tiered competitors filter.. which isn't a fair comparison. It should have been the TG IMO.. or the low tiered WIX vs the Fram EG.

It's like comparing a Cadillac to a base model Ford Expedition.. more or less.

To me, it seems they are using the Fram EG horror stories in their favor by just displaying the construction and not mentioning what the media is made out of or how the filter performs efficiency wise.

If WIX made a low tiered filter that cranked out 95% efficiency, then they would have something to brag about.

 

[Kira]

Hello, Above there's a post which reads:
"Any oil filter in the store will serve you just fine if you change it regularly."

I agree except for the cheapest filters out there. My buddy who went to auto school and later worked in the industry saw cheap "Group 7" filters tear apart and plug the oil lines of several engines.

I believe in changing oil and that doing it 'early' is part of the economy of it. Pushing the outer limits of an OCI might not be worth it. A 15,000 mile OCI with a torn filter isn't worth the risk.

Like booze, stay away from the cheapest filters. Kira

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
They are comparing a higher tiered filter to a lower tiered competitors filter.. which isn't a fair comparison. It should have been the TG IMO.. or the low tiered WIX vs the Fram EG.

It's unfair in a way, and completely fair in another. It's unfair with respect to your above point. However, Wix doesn't market a lower tiered filter themselves. They do make them, but others market them and they're not branded as Wix. For Wix filters, it's Wix, period, one level, now with the XP, of course, for a higher end filter, but that's a relatively recent development and not relevant here.

Secondly, the Fram orange can is the most commonly found Fram filter on the shelf and has been their bread and butter for many, many years. Up here, the orange can (at least from my suppliers) is similarly priced to the Wix, with the TG being a little more expensive, not to mention rarer.

 

[KCJeep]

I like Wix and I like Fram. Wix has long hammered Fram's "paper construction" with fantastic success. Yet Fram's entry level filter has an efficiency as good or better than Wix's very best. So they both have something to crow about. Pick your poison!