2 Fram Oil Filters at Kragen for $6

[SLOviper]

The current Kragen auto parts ad (in California at least) has Fram oil filters listed at 2 for $6. For some this isn't a great deal, but if they normally cost $4.79 like mine do (at Kragen,) then this is decent. B&M only - they should have an ad at the store with the coupon.

Normal:
$4.79 x 2 = $9.58
+tax = $10.30

Deal:
$6.00
+tax = $6.45

Savings of $3.85! Not bad if you change your own oil regularly.

Note: This deal doesn't include the extended life type of filters - just the "normal" ones. Expires Jan-4-2003.

 

[freeloaderz]

Buy a couple and take them to the guys who change your oil

It will be better than the tissue paper they use!

 

[Henny]

Never use Fram filters. They're garbage.

Search for "oil filter survey" for details.

 

[fe2o3]

not to thread crap, but stp, purolator, and supertech (wal-mart brand) are much better choices. they are all <=$3 everyday.

 

[Sesopedalian]

fe2o3 is one old and ugly icon who forgot to add Mobile 1 and Bosch to that list. In my local auto parts store, they had all the major brands cut in half for display. Fram had by far the least amount of filter material in it.

 

[defuse]

Fram is not a good oil filter

Engine Oil Filter Study

 

[FrancescoRinaldi]

Sheesh...let the Fram bashing begin!

Let me try to sum up, although this could devolve into a massive oil and filter debate regardless:
1. Fram _is_ crap. Compared to just about anything else, Fram is probably the cheapest construction (yet not the cheapest pricewise, odd). Given that oil is the "blood" of your car...wouldn't you rather spend an extra buck or two every couple months (or at least choose better parts that aren't going to let oil bypass the filter)?
2. Fram filters are $3 or less at wal-mart. Not familiar with Kragen and if you despise Walmart, then this deal is "warm"
3.. Depends on your car and how you drive it, but let's assume you are a grandmother with a midsize sedan who only takes medium length (20 minutes or so) trips and doesn't gun it and changes the oil religiously at 3-5k miles. Assuming all of the above, Fram is probably "OK" (in other words, it probably won't make any noticeable difference in performance or longevity of your engine). If any of the above do not describe you, then yes there are better filters available, some of them are actually less expensive than Fram, even at Wal-mart.

 

[all168]

Originally posted by: fe2o3
not to thread crap, but stp, purolator, and supertech (wal-mart brand) are much better choices. they are all <=$3 everyday.

I heard supertech is made by fram.
I have been used fram for about 15 years, their price is higher than other brand, but seems like quality is worst than others, so I decide to change to pep-boy brand( I forgot what they called it).

 

[Amber]

:disgust:

Wix ,NAPA or Mobile 1 Filter
are the only good oil filters
Fram was good 20 years ago but they suck now

:disgust:

 

[Johneverd]

This is the first time that I've heard that Fram makes a POS filter. #$%&, I just bought one today at Walmart ($3). Too bad, because I like the rough-grip finish-you don't need an oil filter wrench to change the filter anymore.

Here's what the LINK that defuse posted had to say,

"Years ago Fram was a quality filter manufacturer. Now their standard filter (the radioactive-orange cans) is one of the worst out there. It features cardboard end caps for the filter element that are glued in place. The rubber anti-drainback valve seals against the cardboard and frequently leaks, causing dirty oil to drain back into the pan. The bypass valves are plastic and are sometimes not molded correctly, which allows them to leak all the time. The stamped-metal threaded end is weakly constructed and it has smaller and fewer oil inlet holes, which may restrict flow. I had one of these filters fail in my previous car. The filter element collapsed and bits of filter and glue were circuilating through my system. The oil passge to the head became blocked and the head got so hot from oil starvation that it actually melted the vacuum lines connected to it as well as the wires near it. "

Looks like it's going back tomorrow.

At Long's Drug store they are selling a case of Castrol GTX for $21.48 - $9.60 rebate = .99 quart. I'm not sure when it ends as I saw the ad this afternoon in passing and never really read the dates.

 

[GnatGoSplat]

Walmart SuperTech filters are made by Champion Labs and are among the better non-synthetic filters available.

Fram is probably the worst filter you can get, but it still meets certain standards so it shouldn't hurt your engine.
But why buy a Fram? That's like paying more for rough, nasty recycled single ply toilet paper when the soft cushy triple ply stuff is cheaper.

 

[Thump553]

I've been using Frams, almost exclusively, in all my cars, for 30+ years. I change my oil at every 5k miles or three months and tend to use whatever major brand oil was on sale (and has the appropriate quality seal for my cars). I've never had any fiilter or oil related problems. Barring accidents, all my cars have gone 100k plus, some 200k plus, before disposing of them. I'm convinced that the key is regular oil changes and making sure your oil level is always proper.

As I recall, Consumer Reports did a fairly extensive testing of oil filters maybe five years back which said essentially all big name filters are essentially the same quality, for all practical purposes.

I'll check out the sites given, and maybe I'll change my buying practices in the future if they are persuasive. BUt for me, the regular Frams have been fine. For the meantime, I'll continue to buy Frams at Walmart. They are about $3 (or less, I don't recall) there everyday.

 

[Analog]

Fram filters are good filters. Like any, change every 3K miles.

 

[Ziptar]

And don't forget the $27.00 ($30.00 for 15 point) Mobil1 Synthetic Oil Change at Walmart!! Can't beat that with a stick, Mobil1 is $4.77 a quart on the shelf at Walmart. It's not even worth it to do it yourself. They give you a Fram filter in that deal but, you can bring your own and they will credit you back the cost. I went for my first oil change on my 2003 Jetta at Walmart last week and found out that Fram doesn't make filters for my car. It's a Jetta Turbo Diesel that uses a cartridge type filter. I got OEM Mann filters from a local euro parts place for $7.45 and Walmart will Credit the difference back on the oil change. I am going back to get it changed today.

 

[Henny]

AC Delco are also very good filters. Unfortunately they're a little hard to find but Autozone still sells them.

Purolators are also far better than Fram but at roughly equivalent prices.

 

[GnatGoSplat]

Originally posted by: Thump553
I'll check out the sites given, and maybe I'll change my buying practices in the future if they are persuasive. BUt for me, the regular Frams have been fine. For the meantime, I'll continue to buy Frams at Walmart. They are about $3 (or less, I don't recall) there everyday.

Like I said, Fram filters are fine, they will work, but they are cheap quality and the worst materials.
It's like paying more for cheap scratchy recycled tears-in-your-hand brown toilet paper for your butt when cushy soft good stuff is cheaper.
It's like paying more for a PC Chips motherboard when an Asus motherboard is cheaper.
It's like paying more for an Apex TV when a Sony Wega is cheaper.

Sure, the cheap crap works, but the better stuff costs less! I don't understand why anyone would pay MORE for an inferior quality product and worse yet, continue to do it when made aware of this fact. I used to use Fram filters exclusively as well, and then went to the Oil Filter Study site. I was skeptical, so I cut apart one of my own Fram filters (PH3980) and took pics of it. It's the same cheap crap as is pictured on the website.

 

[l31itz]

Fram rocks if you like doing it yourself

 

[formulav8]

Fram filters are among the worst. If you guys want to know about oil and filters. This Site is the best oil site out there and these guys know their stuff without a doubt. Check it out. You will learn something. Has a very nice forum also. If you use a synthetic oil, Mobil 1 is the only TRUE commercially(autozone, discount auto, ect..) available oil that is a TRUE synthetic oil. It is also among the top quality worldwide oils made. So, if you spend the extra money to buy sythetic, buy Mobil 1. As the others are a fake(groupIII based) sythetic oil.



Jason

 

[kenja]

Bobistheoilguy.com is even more interesting than the URLs cited in the recent Walmart mobile1 thread.

Many years ago, Fram was among the best.

 

[huesmann]

Originally posted by: GnatGoSplat
It's like paying more for cheap scratchy recycled tears-in-your-hand brown toilet paper for your butt when cushy soft good stuff is cheaper.

Very descriptive!

 

[Password]

If you own a Ford, buy a MotorCraft filter. They are only $3.00-3.50 at Walmart and are better than the cheap Frams.

 

[T2T III]

One of the threads that I've read regarding the Fram filters indicated that the outside orange paint is frequently oversprayed on the inside surfaces - leading to additional contamination. At times, Fram has been the only filter available for my car, so I've used them. However, I've done so sparingly.

 

[Racketear]

I don't know why everyone is so stuck on 3k, or 3 months. Most oems suggest 5k miles and do not have a monthly regimine.. I would say 3k for a truck, but most cars need not be replaced that often. This is something that has been said for years to sell more oil. We run alot of vehicles in our fleet, and change the oil every 5k. Most vehicles get at least 150k+ wich is alot for a fleet vehicle (employees abuse the hell out of them). We sell them after 150k so I dont know about after that. Talk to your dealer, everyone that I have talked to said 5k unless, yours wants to sell you oil changes.

 

[Parja]

Originally posted by: Password
If you own a Ford, buy a MotorCraft filter. They are only $3.00-3.50 at Walmart and are better than the cheap Frams.

Yup, that's what I use. I've heard Motorcraft filters are actually Purolator Pure One filters. They're a great deal considering how cheap they are at WalMart.

 

[Thump553]

Actually racktear, look in your car or truck owner's manual-I'd bet it says 7,500 miles or three months between oil changes under normal conditions. The reason is that federal law requires manufacturers to produce their engines to acheive that standard-for oil conservation reasons. The 3,000 mile thing comes from the quickie oil change places who advertise that relentlessly.

I go 5,000 miles for several reasons: (1) its very easy to remember, esp. on a spouse's/child's car, (2) its more likely that I will fall within the three month change standard then and (3) it gives me a healthy margin over what I have to do to compile with the warranty requirments.