Air filters don't go cheap and are probably most neglected.

[JoeM 8,879]

In the grass mowing world, most machines I rescue, either have an air filter in poor condition or no filter at all. Amazed at how long they run in such a harsh environment. 

On my machines I spend a little more and like OE or at the min Stens filters. I stay away from the bargains. 

If a filter is not packaged sealed in plastic I don't buy it. (also good oil filters have a plastic disc cover on the business end or shrunk wrapped)

I refrain from blowing out air filters. I learned it can possibly damage the fibers and allow bad air to pass through. 

 

 

Back in the day, we used air filters in dust collection process for underground drilling. Filters had to had an approval and just certain mfg were allowed to have their filters in the system. From time to time the operators would wear dust sample pumps and those were analyzed to see how well the filter system was working. I was lucky enough to visit labs like the one in the video. Both oil and air filter labs. Amazing how some filter salesmen would twist the numbers to make sales.

The up and up manufacture would always show you. Donaldson was one of those. 

 

 

[953 nut 62,143]

48 minutes ago, JoeM said:

I refrain from blowing out air filters. I learned it can possibly damage the fibers and allow bad air to pass through. 

I use the foam pre-filters and wash and re-oil them a couple of times in the mowing season. A little maintenance is cheap insurance.

[lynnmor 8,076]

23 hours ago, 953 nut said:

I use the foam pre-filters and wash and re-oil them a couple of times in the mowing season. A little maintenance is cheap insurance.

 

I keep after the foam pre-filters on my 520's as well.  I was surprised when the air filter light came on and the paper filter appeared in good condition.  The foam keeps the larger stuff out but the fine dust passes thru and coats the paper.  Always check a paper filter with a light inside and compare it to a new one.

[oliver2-44 10,976]

Over my 40 years career I worked with a group from each of the power plants to source the large oil supplies and the oil analysis' lab. Back in the early 2000’s ConocoPhillips Philips had the supply contract and there were the best to work with. The salesmen gave us direct access to their engineers and lab. Texaco was good,  Gulf had an old cigar chewing salesman that had every answer right off the cuff. 

One of interesting things we did if the was a major bearing failure or a significant oil problem was to have the independent lab do a filter analysis, cut it open and look at it under a microscope. We did quarterly oil sampling- analysis. Sometimes when a sample was surprising results we had the lab so.particle analysis to determine what the particles actually were so we could figure out where the were coming from. Always amazing how much dust could leak in to a closed system. Bad sample with dust , ask plant maintenance question and o yay we used the plant air to blow everything clean before the VIP tour last month. 

[953 nut 62,143]

In 2007 south Georgia had an abundance of forest fires and I was driving through there about once a week. Smoke was quite thick at times and I had to replace the truck's air filter about once a month. Wonder how many people didn't even bother to look at theirs.