what do you use for filters?

I would like to inform you folks that Donaldson makes Cat filters and a lot of other brands... in fact the guy told me they make all of the major brands.... I think with the exception of Baldwin. How would I know this you ask ? Because I picked up at the mfg in KY and noticed stacks of boxes labeled CAT and that is when I asked him and he told me that they make filters for everyone. I do believe he did leave out that they make them with the brands specs, but that still doesn't change the fact that Donaldson still mfg these filters.

 

I had heard that before and you're right they must build the housing to CAT specs cause it looks nothing like a Donaldson. But the filter media is the important part anyways.

 

champion labs in albion il makes the luberfiner and many other filter brands, mainly for cars other than the luberfiner. I had 3 different filters on my acert. Had a baldwin oil filter, fleetguard primary, and cat secondary fuel filter. For some reason I was having issues with cat oil filters to where they wouldnt spin all the way on but the baldwins did so just stuck with them. Got the adapter for the filter, fought with it for a couple hours trying to change it but just gave up and stuck with baldwins.

 

I can gurrantee they do not make Baldwin or LuberFiner filters, but I think LF makes Baldwin or vice-versa....... the fuel filter is completely different from the CAT one's, and that's why I use them LOL

I know the feeling when you see a bunch of different products coming from the same place tho. I was suprised to find out that Sam's Cola was made at the RC factory... and Love's oil comes from the same refinery as Mobil Delvac.

 

CAT oil is Delvac too
Detroit anti freeze is the same as your basic green, just with a different color die

 

Truth be told, virtually all the standard HDEO base oil is made by one company for the North American market... Motiva out of Port Arthur, TX. And most of the additive packages are produced by one company... Infineum. While these products may be blended at name brand facilities, the resulting oil on the shelf is almost identical. And also, the CJ-4 specification does not allow for much playing around with additive packages, so just about every HDEO on the market that meets the CJ-4 spec is almost identical. They days of stating for an absolute certainty that one oil is better than another, are rapidly coming to an end. Synthetics may be another issue, but for standard HDEO, there is really no real difference that means anything. It all comes down to brand loyalty and the familiar Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge style of debates. Just take a close look at all the brand name oil data sheets, and the similarities are striking. There is very little variation. They all have the same pour points within a couple of degrees, they have almost the same TBN within a point or two, they all have virtually identical viscosity ratings of 14.5 - 15 cST at 100c. There may be slight traces of moly or zinc, but nothing on the scale of what we used to find in past HDEO's.

But the marketing gurus are true genius in how they can convince us that one brand is soooo much better than another.

And has been stated, most filters are made by only a couple of companies. Cut open a Baldwin, Fleetguard, Wix, and Napa filters and compare. They are identical. The oil filters under the actual Donaldson label are not made the same way as these other brands in most cases. Most of the Donaldson label oil filters are made of a synthetic mesh structure instead of traditional pleated paper material. Their fuel filters are virtually identical to everyone else. I have always had a preference for Donaldson filters, though I cannot show in uncertain terms they are better or worse than any other label. For an air filter, I use a Fleet Air filter.

 

Same thing with Cummins - Mobil Delvac from the factory.

 

That one I'll dispute... Cummins is part owner of Valvoline. That is why their literature and manuals will sometime specify Valvoline oil, though an OEM might do an initial fill at the factory of Delvac, Rotella, whatever. Just do a search on "cummins and valvoline" and it ought to clear that one up.

 

Donaldson fuel filters

 

Not all filters are identical