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Traveling Man

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I just purchased a new mower with a Vanguard motor, 2 hours on it now that I cut the weeds. I purchased a pair of FilterMag magnets that I installed on the oil filter. Supposedly these very strong magnets that attach to the stock oil filter will captures all ferrous metal break-in particulates during break-in and over the life span of the engine. This is my second set as I have another set on my 2012 Super Duty with a 6.7 Powerstoke. I have no data to report with regards to effectiveness but my Scag Turf Tiger 2 was $12k and the most expensive component to replace is the engine. Both these engines have their share of ferrous components that wear over the lifespan of the equipment. Did I waste my money or will my grandson be able to cut his grass with this new mower?
http://www.filtermag.com/
 
#2 ·
The filter magnet cant hurt but I doubt it will provide any more longetivity to your engine that could not be obtained with good preventative maintenance. Keeping the cooling fins clear and doing oil and filter changes (air filter too) when needed is the best thing. Are you prepared to cut open your oil fiter each time to inspect the filter media to check what the magnet may have caught? My fear is that by the time you catch the ferrous metal, it may be time to rebuild or replace the engine. Small equipment engines are not made to last forever. In fact, generally if an operator gets three thousand hours out of an engine, they have gotten thier moneys worth. This is just my opinion. Others may feel differently
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
No, I have no desire to validate the effectiveness but my goal is 3k hours. I appreciate your comments and you are correct, regular and timely maintenance has more to do with longevity than any other factor. I'm probably over thinking this but I already purchased the 10 hour oil/filter change and I'm going to use the Briggs 15W-40 synthetic formula despite my dealer recommending the straight 30 weight for my climate. Is it realistic to expect 3k hours on this engine with regular maintenance? I have the Vanguard 35HP big block and I am meticulous when it comes to maintaining my tools and equipment.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
wheatus said:
You wasted your money and your grandson will probably never cut grass with that mower. What exactly do you think the purpose of the oil filter is??
Click to expand...
Would you believe this mower is replacing a 1957 Ford Workmaster that my Grandfather planted beans and corn with up until 1979? It was rebuilt in 1993 and I have been bush hogging and working it ever since.
 
#8 ·
Traveling Man said:
Did I waste my money or will my grandson be able to cut his grass with this new mower?
http://www.filtermag.com/
Click to expand...
That is the 64,000 dollar question......You will have to take a filter apart and post some pics for the rest of us to judge.:nod: I would love to see what you find.

Personally, I think they are a great idea. I didn't know they made such an animal.

I have been using these little guys for a long time.

1/4 and 3/8 pipe thread
Image


3/8 pipe thread

Image


I know these work because I have to clean the grey film off of them when I do oil changes. You can get them from places like Stens,Thomas etc

You can get metric ones for Kawasaki and Honda, but I had to go to a motorcycle dealer for those....
 
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Discussion starter · #9 ·
We
Breezmeister said:
That is the 64,000 dollar question......You will have to take a filter apart and post some pics for the rest of us to judge.:nod: I would love to see what you find.

Personally, I think they are a great idea. I didn't know they made such an animal.

I have been using these little guys for a long time.

1/4 and 3/8 pipe thread
View attachment 360009

3/8 pipe thread

View attachment 360010

I know these work because I have to clean the grey film off of them when I do oil changes. You can get them from places like Stens,Thomas etc

You can get metric ones for Kawasaki and Honda, but I had to go to a motorcycle dealer for those....
Click to expand...
Well just as Walker56 pointed out, as the engine wears it also begins to use oil and it loose it's compression. By capturing these wear items via the magnet you are still left with a worn engine so why bother? I say and by no means am I a subject matter expert but if you can remove the fine particles, your overall wear will happen slower since these fine ferrous particles that are not captured by the oil filter media are suspended by the magnet.
 
#10 ·
Here is another discussion on oil filter magnets, but these drop in the filter and can be removed so you can see what the magnet actually attracted, in addition to cutting the filter apart.
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4506820/Ceramic_Magnets_Inside_oil_fil
But also remember, the bearings on the crank and rods are coated in non ferrous metal so you will never see bearing wear from the use of the magnet. Bearing wear can only be found by visual inspection or cutting the filter apart and checking the filter media.
I believe three thousand hours is easily attainable with proper maintenance. The problem with maintenance is that it costs money and time. Too many folks are quick to bash engine manufacturers for short engine life when in reality, it is the lack of maintenance that is the root cause.
 
#12 ·
Regular maintenance will only get you so far. There is still some amount of luck involved. An engine can only go around so many times before it’s worn out. You are counting down hours. It doesn’t matter if you hit those numbers in three years or fifty. Modern engines run to much tighter tolerances than those of the past and are less forgiving of wear.
 
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wheatus
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