I bought a new Cub last year with the Kohler engine and the filter was a little over $11, and I noted that it looked exactly like the one I use on my 03 Camry, a Fram DG-3614.

I even put the Fram on the Kohler and it fit perfectly, but I didn't leave it on, I put the "OEM" filter back on.

I know you only buy the filter once a year, and the difference between $4 and $11 isn't all that much, and I wouldn't worry about it if I thought that I would damage the engine, but I hate to be "had" by the parts people . . .

Does anyone have any knowledge/thoughts on this issue ? ?

winwun
Welcome to the forum...
You have came across a problem in distribution...
There are many times more automotive filters made and sold than small engine filters.. with quantity comes economy.
If you look up the specs on those two filters you will find all the relevant issues to be the same... NOT similar but exactly the same.
The same: Full Flow Media: Paper Height: 3.404 Outer Diameter Top: 2.921 Outer Diameter Bottom: Closed Thread Size: 3/4-16 By-Pass Valve Setting-PSI: 8-11 Anti-Drain Back Valve: Max Flow Rate: 7-9 GPM Nominal Micron Rating: 21
The SAME gasket... O.D. I.D. and Thickness...
The automotive filter is the correct one for applications that range from the Yugo to the Lexus PLUS Various Lawn&Garden, Farm & HD Equipment ...

So... guess what one is the best for your application... Remember... the important components are identical... KennyV

welcome to the forum winwun i have the same filter on my toyota 4 runner that fits my jd mower the thing i can add is in my 20 plus years working on autos i have seen several fram filters colasp and cause major damage i never use them i know they advertize them alot but that don't make them good. we have used wix filters and never had any problm with them.

Originally Posted by jd335

...we have used wix filters and never had any problm with them.

I'm with you on WIX...
only problem ever seen on any Wix was for a short time they didn't have completed threads...
Aside from that short lived problem, I think they are toward the TOP of filters... My FIRST choice... KennyV

I think Fram got so bad... AND it became very common information as to how bad they had became... that they HAD to make things better...
I still stick with Wix ...
Fram has got to be better than they were...
But in fairness to all filters, any filter is better than no filter and air cooled small engines were around for decades with no filter at all, same with car engines, prior to the fifties automobile engines did not normally come with filters... KennyV

I've a Kohler Command engine on my Dixon, now 17 years old. I think the first 4-5 years I used the Kohler filter, then found a cross reference to Wix, Purolator (and Pure one) and Mobil 1 filters. Several of these are cosidered premium filters...and in my opinion, much better than Fram, and probably better than the Kohler. So, in the 12 years or so since I got the cross reference, I've used the others. I just replaced that mower with a larger one, another Kohler engine....and I intend to do the same. Now if I could just cross the Dixon hydraulic filter to a common brand, I'd be set.

i crossed both filters on my cadet to napa filtersit has a kohler motor was using original filters until i crossed them now use napa filters they are the same as wix filters.

Originally Posted by Jetblast

Always best to avoid Fram like the plague. If you Google around you'll find some comparisons where guys have cut apart different brand filters, and the Frams always look bad. They use cardboard endcaps glued on to the filter elements and other shortcuts, which lead to internal leaking.

Edit: I may have been too hasty condemning Fram. Seems there have been key improvements since the old data made the rounds. This thread features a fairly convincing response to them from a Fram representative.

How long ago was this last data released? I have a buddy that works in the paper industry, his factory produces paper for oil filters. I'm not going to give any names or locations for obvious reasons, but he and the factory are not located in Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri or Western Tennessee.

As part of their quality control process, they routinely purchase filters for which they produce the filter paper. They just go to the parts stores in their area and buy them off the shelf. Amongst other tests, they check for intial pass efficiency and multiple pass efficiency. He told me in 2004 or 2005 that the Frams do very well on the initial pass, but fail miserably on multiple passes. The paper Fram used, at least at that time, was the cheapest this factory made. An off brand filter sold at a huge box store retailer tested far better. I don't use Fram anymore.