why are basic cartridge filters so expensive?

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They HAVE to be far cheaper to produce. They have no can, adbv, base plate, nothing. Basically an e-core guts. Why aren't they like $1-2/per?
mad.gif
 
Demand? I mean, who uses these filters? Probably a drop in the bucket for all sales.

[Yes, that was sarcastic. And I agree, it should be a buck. Then again, the metal and paint to make a cannister is probably cheap; both filters require a cardboard box, stocking fees, etc. Also the cartridges I've seen still come with a little baggie containing o-rings. So perhaps the items making up the true cost of the filter haven't changed.]
 
it's another automotive rip off, still they are not as mass produced as spin on filters!

In a few years when spin-on is the exception not the rule, the market will force prices down after a while!
 
I imagine volume, maybe application. If manufacturing few costs more than many (per unit sold). If a car costs 23K people will be less likely to pay $100 for a filter than in a McLaren owner, though it may be a simple PH47 oil filter.
 
Originally Posted By: dwcopple
They HAVE to be far cheaper to produce. They have no can, adbv, base plate, nothing. Basically an e-core guts. Why aren't they like $1-2/per?
mad.gif



If you understood a little about manufacturing, you'd understand that the actual materials that go into the item are only a portion of the cost to put it on the shelf. Assuming there are fewer cartridge filters produced, when a line switches over and produces cartridge filters the overhead doesn't decrease; instead since there are fewer units produced the amount of overhead per unit often increases. There are also R&D costs, equipment costs, government taxes and regulation costs that get passed on in the price (because the consumer pays for them no matter what), shipping costs, retail markup, etc.

It's simple manufacturing/business 101 combined with a little common sense (which clearly isn't all that common).
 
Not as much demand for them. As they become more popular my guess is the price will come in a bit.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Not as much demand for them.

All Toyota V6's? That's got to be pretty good demand. Mazda fours? I believe the OEMs are moving toward cartridges and away from canisters for the following reason.

The cartridge style oil filter makes the oil change much more of a hassle, messier and longer time-wise. Therefore, it will discourage DIY sending more owners to the dealer. Think about it. They've made just about everything under the hood difficult to work on. The oil change is about the last bastion of the DIY'er. I will testify that the Toyota cartridge is a beeyatch.

Step 1. Loosen filter assembly drain cap.
Step 2. Insert plastic drain furnished in OE cartridge box and allow oil to drain out of filter.
Step 3. Remove drain cap.
Step 4. Remove cartridge housing.
Step 5. Remove cartridge.
Step 6. Insert new O ring onto cartridge housing.
Step 7. Insert new O ring into drain cap.
Step 8. Re-install cartridge housing.
Step 9. Re-install housing drain cap.
Step 10. Clean up the mess.

Another thought: There is no way to pre-fill the filter housing (as many do with canisters) to minimize lack of oil pressure during initial start-up.
 
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yeah i changed oil on a Hyundai Sonata a couple months ago and as it was a decent car, I did not care for the cartridge filter. put a toughguard filter in it, was over 10 bucks.



I do services on Freightliners and International trucks with cartridge filters and for whatever reason those seemed easier to change.
 
Running a line of millions of filters can be cheaper because of the large market.

Starting and adjusting a line for a small market that runs cartridge filters requires time, money, equipment, and because the demand is lower, they have to raise prices to make up for their expenses. If they can't make any money off of them, then they'll stop making them and you'll have no filter.
 
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
demarpaint said:
...

The cartridge style oil filter makes the oil change much more of a hassle, messier and longer time-wise...

Step 1. Loosen filter assembly drain cap.
Step 2. Insert plastic drain furnished in OE cartridge box and allow oil to drain out of filter.
Step 3. Remove drain cap.
Step 4. Remove cartridge housing.
Step 5. Remove cartridge.
Step 6. Insert new O ring onto cartridge housing.
Step 7. Insert new O ring into drain cap.
Step 8. Re-install cartridge housing.
Step 9. Re-install housing drain cap.
Step 10. Clean up the mess.

Another thought: There is no way to pre-fill the filter housing (as many do with canisters) to minimize lack of oil pressure during initial start-up.

Only cartridge filter I have dealt with is my mom's Saturn Vue, and my experience is much better than yours. It sits right at the front top of the engine.
  1. Remove cap on cartridge housing
  2. Remove cartridge
  3. Insert new cartridge
  4. Put cap back on

No mess to clean up. Don't have to get under vehicle. OEM cap o-ring is good for multiple changes. New filter cartridge comes with o-ring already on filter body. I could change it in less than a minute if I tried.
I agree though on the no way to pre-fill it, but not a huge deal breaker for me. If it bothered me enough, I would pour some oil in the housing
Only thing I did not like about it is I needed to get a special socket to get the cap off, but after that $7 expense, not an issue.

Wife's Scion:
  1. Jack up car
  2. Crawl under car
  3. Remove air deflector
  4. Move drain pan under filter
  5. Loosen filter and let it drain into pan
  6. Remove filter completely (checking for o-ring on mount)
  7. Wipe off mount
  8. Pre-fill oil filter
  9. Lube the gasket
  10. Install filter
  11. Install air deflector
  12. Remove jackstands and jack


For my truck:
  1. Crawl under truck
  2. Move drain pan under filter
  3. Become a contortionist and loosen filter and let it drain into pan (and all over the crossmember)
  4. Remove filter completely (checking for o-ring on mount)
  5. Wipe off mount
  6. Spend 10 minutes cleaning the mess that removing the oil filter made
  7. Lube the gasket (filter mounts sideways, can't pre-fill)
  8. Install filter


But I do agree, cartridge filters are very common today. As said, most manufacturers are going to them, but I guess the initial startup cost for them has not been recouped so they will stay high. Maybe they actually have to use quality material since the filter is easy to inspect compared to a canister filter?
I know for my mom's Vue, it will be getting the ST oil filter from Walmart for less than $3. Pretty much same as the NAPA Proselect that I pulled out of her Vue a while back and looked excellent.
 
My tractor has a cartridge filter, since 1951. (Ford 8N)

I wonder if the center of the filter must be stronger in a cartridge filter, because there is no outer shell? Kind of like a convertible car vs. a hardtop?
 
It costs a lot to leave out most of the parts!

I'm not buying the low-volume argument, when many of the biggest selling car models use cartridges, and filter manufacturers are assured of increasing future sales of cartridges.

Way back when spin-ons were the new type (circa 1960), they were more expensive than the old cartridges, for all the same excuses, plus the added parts.
 
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Originally Posted By: crw
I wonder if the center of the filter must be stronger in a cartridge filter, because there is no outer shell? Kind of like a convertible car vs. a hardtop?


All the force on a filter element is from the outside to the inside, regardless if cartridge or spin-on design. Therefore, the media and center tube need to be able to withstand the max expected pressure difference across it.
 
The cartridge filter on my Camry just [censored] me off every time I have to change it!!! The spin on was usually uneventful. BMW is the only OEM than designed the cartridge filter right. It's on top of the engine, and all you have to do is remove center bolt/cap and change it. It even self drains for zero mess too. Perfect!
 
Originally Posted By: Traction
The cartridge filter on my Camry just [censored] me off every time I have to change it!!! The spin on was usually uneventful. BMW is the only OEM than designed the cartridge filter right. It's on top of the engine, and all you have to do is remove center bolt/cap and change it. It even self drains for zero mess too. Perfect!


Mercedes does the same thing on their engine. They use a fleece filter element instead of just paper like some regular canister filters so that the filter lasts for 10k miles.
 
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