Do any tractor or automotive builders make their own oil, fluid and air filters?

[Parabolst]

I haver noticed that [AFFILIATE='1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"']Kubota[/AFFILIATE] filters are made in various places including China. I presume made to [AFFILIATE='1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"']Kubota[/AFFILIATE] specs. I know the air filters are made by Donaldson as well as the filter housings. Chinese stuff always scares me because without proper oversight, it can be sub standard.


I Wouldn't worry to much about China filters since you have a Kubota anyways the engines are Chinese made Japanese design. About half of the tractors sold in the US are Japanese design American assembled with Chinese parts to save costs. The other half are either assembled in Japan China or probably Mexico all under supervision of the Japanese. And I know from experience Kubota is very very strict on what goes on their engines or what they go into. I used to be a R&D manager for a machine company that used Kubota engines in them and they did a whole battery of tests on the motors in our applications before we got the application approval. And every one of the engines we got shipped from China had Chinese filters and never had an issue with them even after cutting into them after cycle tests.

 

[Parabolst]

So I know with [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]kubota[/AFFILIATE] and john deere the case is john deere or [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]kubota[/AFFILIATE] engineers design the oil that works best in their equipment then they contract it out to a company to mass produce at one time it was Exxon that made both deere and [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]kubota[/AFFILIATE] formulas not sure if it still is but they produce it then deere or [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]kubota[/AFFILIATE] slap their brand on their own formula. Best guess is who ever can make it the fastest and closest to each companies engineer specs the cheapest gets a so many year contract at that time.















And as far as the mexico thing on filters goes john deere has a large facility in Mexico where tractors and other things are assembled. All under their close supervision.



I used to work for a company that we designed and built prototypes here in the US then our main production was done in Korea or China. But nothing hit the market until it passed through our facility here in the US where it was tested and final quality control was preformed. And anytime there was assembly issues oversees or even from time to time checkups our engineers would travel there to help and check things out. Honestly things designed by the US and built in other countries isn't that bad the scary and sketchy things are things designed and built in China trust me the company that built things for us tried there own stuff and sent it for us to test were absolute junk but the stuff they built for us designed by us were good quality

 

[Dftodd]

I looked all over for the thumbs down icon but couldn't find it. Things like this infuriate me......

That was years ago. Local deere dealer was supplying me with filters for all my equipment. Even the non deere stuff.

They switched makers for some of their aftermarket filters. All those stamped made in USA were good. They had to buy back a couple of cases stamped made in Mexico.

About that time, I talked my boss into switching to Baldwin filters instead.

 

[Torvy]

I promise you that JD and [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] do not employ engineers who design their own oil.

They have engineers who test oil formulations to see what works best with their components. They then contract with actual oil producers to formulate oils to their specifications...then they market that oil as JD or [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] oil. In all likelihood, the oil they contract is just re-branded versions of oil formulations they already sell.

 

[5030]

Don't use [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] fluids but I do use [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] filters. I tick with my Chevron Synthetic. It ain't cheap however.