NAPA GOLD FILTERS........... AHHHH NO

[6PKRTSE]

Even the Wix 51515 filter is getting harder to find. I always run the 51515R (racing) filter. It is more money, but has a flow of 28 gph over 7-8 gph over the 51515 filter. Same bypass rating for both though.

 

[padam]

What $45 gets you at Napa.
Made in USA though

 

[gtx6970]

Interesting. Just 2 weeks ago a NAPA employee told me NAPA gold was Wix. Not that the modern NAPA employee knows anything. I wonder when this changed.

in the past year that changed

 

[gtx6970]

I think they've been selling chinesium ones for a couple of years now, at least out here. I started buying real WIX 51515s at the O'Kragens near me, they're still about 8 bucks a piece.

Thats what I use,,,,with some home made mods of my own

 

[Slap Stick]

When was WIX part of Champion Filter? WIX started in 1939 and merged with Dana in 1979. They were bought out by Cypress in 2004, with Affinia as the parent company. Man + Hummell and Affinia merged in 2016.

Stores like N.A.P.A. and Walmart do have a say in the quality. They are either willing to pay the price for a good quality product, or willing to pay less for something with lower standards. They are the customers of the factories, and as customers they can dictate what sort of product they'll put on the shelf. In many cases they will actually set the standards and specs of the product that they want, and accept tenders from various manufacturers who will produce that item for them.

Negative. Walmart doesn't build the product and has NOTHING to do with how it's made. When the MANUFACTURER makes the decision to lower quality to meet a price point, once again it it THEIR decision, not the retailer.
In my soap example the producer made the decision to meet the price point. Walmart doesn't care how you meet it as long as you do. The factories have some choices. Sell the same product at a loss, lower the quality and try not to lose money (in my example they lowered price, lowered quality and still lost money) or say NO and, let someone else lose money. Eventually the manufacturers go out of business and then the guys left over (who kept to their scruples) control the retailers. Walmart, you want a good filter or, any filter? This is what it costs. We will not sell a junk product so you can undercut another retailer.

And, I effed up on Wix formerly being made by Champion Labs. I mixed up in my pornographic memory the two ownership groups. But, Champion Labs was most certainly acquired by First Brands but some of the labels, such as Purolator went to M+H.
Thanks for setting me straight.

 

[Kern Dog]

I think they've been selling chinesium ones for a couple of years now, at least out here. I started buying real WIX 51515s at the O'Kragens near me, they're still about 8 bucks a piece.

That is a funny play on the name. They have been called O'Riellys for years but I still slip up and call it Kragen quite often.

Even the Wix 51515 filter is getting harder to find. I always run the 51515R (racing) filter. It is more money, but has a flow of 28 gph over 7-8 gph over the 51515 filter. Same bypass rating for both though.

I recently changed the oil in the car from a "Driven" 10 w 40 to this VR1 20 w 50 and this filter. The pressure jumped up a bit. I was wondering how much of the difference was due to it being fresh oil, thicker oil or the filter itself.

 

[Photon440]

Negative. Walmart doesn't build the product and has NOTHING to do with how it's made. When the MANUFACTURER makes the decision to lower quality to meet a price point, once again it it THEIR decision, not the retailer.
In my soap example the producer made the decision to meet the price point. Walmart doesn't care how you meet it as long as you do. The factories have some choices. Sell the same product at a loss, lower the quality and try not to lose money (in my example they lowered price, lowered quality and still lost money) or say NO and, let someone else lose money. Eventually the manufacturers go out of business and then the guys left over (who kept to their scruples) control the retailers. Walmart, you want a good filter or, any filter? This is what it costs. We will not sell a junk product so you can undercut another retailer.

And, I effed up on Wix formerly being made by Champion Labs. I mixed up in my pornographic memory the two ownership groups. But, Champion Labs was most certainly acquired by First Brands but some of the labels, such as Purolator went to M+H.
Thanks for setting me straight.

Well, you're the one who explained how Walmart specified a certain size of soap. It seems that they do indeed have something to do with the end product. But I get your point. I try to buy on this side of the ocean as well. It's too bad that some items, like a cel phone, don't give you any choice. Well, except for Librem, but most people don't buy that phone even if they despise overseas products, because it won't allow spyware. Purism– Librem 5 USA

 

[GetX'd]

Negative. Walmart doesn't build the product and has NOTHING to do with how it's made. When the MANUFACTURER makes the decision to lower quality to meet a price point, once again it it THEIR decision, not the retailer.
In my soap example the producer made the decision to meet the price point. Walmart doesn't care how you meet it as long as you do. The factories have some choices. Sell the same product at a loss, lower the quality and try not to lose money (in my example they lowered price, lowered quality and still lost money) or say NO and, let someone else lose money. Eventually the manufacturers go out of business and then the guys left over (who kept to their scruples) control the retailers. Walmart, you want a good filter or, any filter? This is what it costs. We will not sell a junk product so you can undercut another retailer.

And, I effed up on Wix formerly being made by Champion Labs. I mixed up in my pornographic memory the two ownership groups. But, Champion Labs was most certainly acquired by First Brands but some of the labels, such as Purolator went to M+H.
Thanks for setting me straight.

I have to disagree with part of your point. Huge retailers DO impact the mfg of certain products - including those of name brands. Walmart, Costco and others deviate from the original mfg specs to have a product they can sell at a lower cost - yet with the same big brand name. Most consumers aren’t proficient enough to notice the often subtle differences to a point we often think we’re purchasing the same as original product just at a lower cost because of bulk purchasing or some such thoughts. This occurs a lot in electronic products but not just those. If you believe these lovers sleep in separate beds I believe you’re mistaken on that front.

 

[Detective D]

Don't blame Walmart for a lesser quality product. The blame goes to the MANUFACTURER for lowering their quality. They can always say NO.
My brother used to work in a soap factory. I won't say the name but it's the same as using a rotary phone to call someone.
Walmart wanted them to produce soap in a package size they didn't even offer and lower the price. In order to get the contract they cheapened the product and had to install new machinery to product the package Walmart wanted.
The worst part is, they lost money on the product. So, why did they do it? To prevent the competition from doing the same thing!
Wix, Purolator and others used to be made by Champion Filter. They were bought by the parent company of Fram, but some of the brands went to Mann + Hummel.
When the switch was made people started reporting quality problems with Wix.
It always seems when a company is bought quality goes down because the new owner needs to show a profit to the shareholders as quickly as possible.
Again, Walmart is not to blame for the reduced quality. They only buy and sell products. The manufacturers control the quality. They choose to make a crap product, but at what cost to their own business?

You are missing one thing.
Walmart would not have worked if people would have listened to how Walmart did business 30 years ago and decided not to go there because of it.
But they went, so Walmart had omega level leveraging power in the market.
If people didn;t go buy that soap at walmart, walmart never would have sucked the life out of that soap company.
It goes back to what people decide. Evil wins when people allow it is the sentiment. People going to Walmart to save $1 on a product they could get elsewhere starts the entire snowball.
No one wants to hear that, and people stick up for Walmart.......
I will call out Walmart for their business practices, but I called out the consumers who empower them to succeed at it the same.

 

[moparedtn]

Wix 51515R country of origin = China.
Wix 51515 country of origin = USA.
All I need to know, right there, especially since Baldwin killed off the old Hastings filter I used to love
some years ago.

 

[moparedtn]

I've been big on doing the homework to try to purchase USA-made stuff, regardless of whatever it was
that was needed. I've actually sent stuff back that was bought online if it showed US-made online, then
arrived otherwise...
The Wix I just put on Fred prominently say USA on it; I'll be pestering my friend in the near future for
some of that Baldwin USA goodness in the future, though - seems Wix is wandering away from USA since
the "red brand" acquired them.

I just bought two replacement (and pricy) skillets for my wife online that were specifically sought out to
be USA made, for example. They're "lifetime" types - that's the intent, anyways.
Won't be hard to last as long as my lifetime anyhoo.

Skillets arrived today. Made in Wisconsin!
They look terrific in comparison to the typical Chinesium fare.

Lousy pic, sorry...

 

[ESOXER]

Skillets arrived today. Made in Wisconsin!
They look terrific in comparison to the typical Chinesium fare.
View attachment 1657435
Lousy pic, sorry...

What brand is that? I'd like some local made pans. I've been collecting cast iron to replace all the crap they sell these days.

 

[Frank Mopar]

I wonder what oil filters the Chinese run on their cars?

 

[ESOXER]

I purchased a Wix for the JK to do a transmission fluid change. Sure enough made in Taiwan. I searched high and low for a USA made filter, apparently it doesn't exist for a Nag1, unless anyone knows where to get one.
The bolt head on the the driver middle snapped, so I just replaced the fluid. Two turns and it snapped without warning. All the others loosened up fine. I'll flow some more fluid in again tomorrow until I have time to remove that stupid spacer hook thingy. I replaced 3qrts yesterday and will do another 3-4 tomorrow depending. Guess it was a good thing, I'll get mostly fresh fluid, It was kinda dark.
Dremel time in my future.

 

[moparedtn]

What brand is that? I'd like some local made pans. I've been collecting cast iron to replace all the crap they sell these days.

Man, I wish I could use my cast iron pans....I've got some that are third and 4th generation family ones
that I was taught to cook in as a kid, but with these glass top stoves, they just gather dust these days...

An interesting thing I've learned while doing my usual research on USA-made skillets and such is that there
are several US manufacturers of them - and after watching a bunch of videos on YT, they all appear to
be making these pans in similar ways, some of them on equipment that's 60+ years old!
There's a whole bunch of brands in Wisconsin alone - and a bunch more here in Tennessee.
Pretty cool to find out for a change...

I'll post the Amazon link to these we just got - but understand, I do NOT yet recommend them, as we just
got the dang things, so I'm not sure yet if I like them.
I DO know I like how they're built on initial inspection though.
American Kitchen
American Kitchen by Regal - made in West Bend, WI.
Gee, that town name looks familiar, eh?

 

[moparedtn]

I wonder what oil filters the Chinese run on their cars?

Their cars don't have oil filters....

 

[gary h]

Man, I wish I could use my cast iron pans....I've got some that are third and 4th generation family ones
that I was taught to cook in as a kid, but with these glass top stoves, they just gather dust these days...

We Use Vintage Cast iron on our Glass top stove Daily, Carefully !

 

[ESOXER]

 

[GetX'd]

I wonder what oil filters the Chinese run on their cars?

They only buy American ….

 

[Photon440]

Wix 51515R country of origin = China.
Wix 51515 country of origin = USA.
All I need to know, right there, especially since Baldwin killed off the old Hastings filter I used to love
some years ago.

No need for that 51515R on the street anyway. It is a racing filter, it allows more flow volume but doesn't filter out dirt as well, because they assume that a race car will have fresh oil every race.