Most are the SAME ......
The 'working' portion of these filters is the 'filter media'. Unfortunately this filter media (a resinated cellulose technical paper) is produced essentially by ONE SINGLE company in the entire world - Ahlstrom of Finland. Very few other technical (resinated) paper filter media manufacturers can compete with Ahlstrom who has essentially become a world monopoly producer of such technical filter paper. Sure there are 'some' other manufacturers of this type of filter media ... but usually dont come close to the precision and 'reproducibility' of Ahlstrom. An automotive filter 'manufacturer' in most cases is nothing more than a 'packager' ... BUYS the technical paper (from Ahlstrom and some others), pleats the paper and assembles it into various configurations, etc. So, the hububb of "this is better over another one" is simply not usually true. Large scale production of such filters is only by a very few manufacturers .... and many of the 'off-brands' (including engine manufacturer brands) are simply 'private labeled' for them at these large manufacturing plants. So, with the filter media being essentially produced by ONE worlds manufacturer ....... If an oil or fuel filter has the same amount of filter surface area .... they will be exactly EQUAL in performance. Your choice, buy a filter with a quality 'brand name' (Fram, Wix, Racor, MANN, etc. etc.) OR buy the SAME private-branded filter from probably the SAME quality manufacture but now including an EXTREME 'price markup'. (Anyone whoever owned a Volvo, etc. product will know the meaning of 'USURY' markup'). The LARGER the surface area the BETTER as the fluid flow will be slower through the filter media and not penetrate the particles so deeply into the media which will quickly 'blind' the filter, if the fluid velocity is very low then the debris will be captured on the upper surface of the media and you will get very long service life. The most important technical consideration of oil filters are: they are not 'single pass' capture mechanisms as the oil flows over and over and over again through the same filter. This is a VERY efficient means of filtration as if a particle doesnt get captured on the first pass through, by statistics, it WILL get captured during successive passes. Such filter media dont capture particles 'all at one specific particle size' .... there are big and little sized capture sites within the media .... so by statistics that small particle if it doenst get captured on the first pass it probably will find the the right sized capture site on successive passes later on. You could use compressed pubic hair in such a filter and simply wait long enough until a target particle gets captured .... eventually. The 'comparisons' that you find on the internet are mostly slick BS done by folks who simply have NO IDEA nor technical basis of what they say ... OR are probably done to slant very slick 'marketing' toward one particular 'manufacturer' (packager actually)- a Profit motive!!!!!! Same motive with engine manufacturers 'filters' .... obscene profit margins. The moral of this rant is simply buy from a reliable source (as there are 'shysters' as in every industry), buy what looks like 'quality' and put on the LARGEST (filter surface area) possible filter you can fit for best economy and technical ability. The rest is simply over-priced bullshit. Your choice. BTW - as said and posted by many other ....CHANGE THE OIL OFTEN. ;-)
