why do mowers use paper air filters?

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I had two mowers - briggs- that I used 20 years each and they had reusable FOAM air filters that you washed out before reuse. mowers ran fine when I sold them.
my 5 year old intek 6.75 briggs has $15 paper air filters that u throw away each year.
not too green. I wish I had the old filters back, why the change to paper?.
 
I think you're in a weird situation where you're replacing your filter every year and spending $15 a year and have a unfair comparison of the maintenance.
I've had paper filters in 30year old mowers and last many many years.

Perhaps you're throwing out your $15 paper filters too often (Filter change interval). Or if you're really using your mower that much, you need to buy (or create) a foam Pre-filter that you can then wash or blow out to preserve your expensive filter.

If you compare apples/apples, a foam filter also doesn't last forever at peak efficiency, and 20 years of use with the same usage should give you foam that is disintegrating into foam dust or no longer filtering. To have the same comparo, you could just blow out your paper filter and poke a bunch of extra holes in it to have the same behavior. I think the mower still will run or at least run as good as your old mower
 
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Unless you run ALOT of hours in a season or mow in a bunch of dust there is no reason to change them out every year.
I do understand your frustration, although my 30 year old Wheel Horse has a paper air filter. It generally sees 2-3 years of service depending on how it looks. I keep a spare handy for when it needs changed but generally I just inspect and gently tap it to check for dirt, possibly run my shop vac across the outside. My intake is always super clean.
 
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The change to paper, for two reasons.

1. Most people don't want to get their hands dirty OR they don't know how to do any maintenance on a mower (same reason the "never needs oil changes" mowers are coming out.)

2. Profit. Yes, B&S and other companies make money on the replacements.

I know my filter gets pretty dirty on the push mower and I only get a year or two out of it. The tractor, no so much. That one lasts for years.
 
Depends on where you live and what kind of turf you mow. Here in eastern NC where I'm at it gets dusty and by the end of the cutting season, my paper filter on my ExMark is packed with dirt. The Mayor's mower, which I service for him is packed as well.

To me it is just a way for money to be made. Nothing wrong with the old oil foam filters of past. No money can be made if you only buy one of them every 10 years if that because the fall apart.

Growing up we had a Briggs 3.5hp push mower that would go through a qt of oil every fourth use. Basically it took about 2hrs of run time a week to trim up the creek banks and other areas the rider wouldn't get. So about once a month it would use a qt of oil. He never changed the oil in it, just kept the foam air filter clean and from what I can remember he had that mower for 20yrs.

Not sure if many remember the old wind up crank top. You would flip up the crank handle, wind it up until it stopped then flip the handle back and hit a lever and it would spin it over. Cool setup really.
 
Originally Posted By: Rat407
Depends on where you live and what kind of turf you mow. Here in eastern NC where I'm at it gets dusty and by the end of the cutting season, my paper filter on my ExMark is packed with dirt. The Mayor's mower, which I service for him is packed as well.

To me it is just a way for money to be made. Nothing wrong with the old oil foam filters of past. No money can be made if you only buy one of them every 10 years if that because the fall apart.

Growing up we had a Briggs 3.5hp push mower that would go through a qt of oil every fourth use. Basically it took about 2hrs of run time a week to trim up the creek banks and other areas the rider wouldn't get. So about once a month it would use a qt of oil. He never changed the oil in it, just kept the foam air filter clean and from what I can remember he had that mower for 20yrs.

Not sure if many remember the old wind up crank top. You would flip up the crank handle, wind it up until it stopped then flip the handle back and hit a lever and it would spin it over. Cool setup really.


I for one remember them, Black knob on top that would snap down into the top
wink.gif
 
You can get filters for half that price. Do a search on the part #. Amazon has lots of venders. My local indi hdwr store has good filters for about the same price as the ones on Amazon.

Make yourself a pre-filter. I use regular kitchen paper towels. I cut 2 layers of paper towel and install on the outside of the regular filter. I replace the paper towel pieces once a year, the regular filter stays clean and can be used for 3-4 years.
 
Years ago, the average suburban homeowner could both read and perform simple mechanical tasks informed by his reading of a set of simple instructions.
He would have thought nothing of cleaning and oiling a foam air filter.
Today, you can find YouTube videos in which changing a plug is invested with all of the drama of an emergency trach by the side of the road.
Paper filters are cheaper for the engine maker and easier for the average ham-handed homeowner of today.
You can run them unitl the engine starts showing symptoms of choking for air and then change them.
Unless they tear, which I've never seen, they can only grow more efficient with use.
You can also buy the filters on clearance in fall and winter for cheap, as I do, and keep a couple on hand.
No way on this earth I'd pay fifteen dollars for an air filter to protect an engine worth no more than ten of them.
 
Originally Posted By: Oldmoparguy1
You can get filters for half that price. Do a search on the part #. Amazon has lots of venders. My local indi hdwr store has good filters for about the same price as the ones on Amazon.

Make yourself a pre-filter. I use regular kitchen paper towels. I cut 2 layers of paper towel and install on the outside of the regular filter. I replace the paper towel pieces once a year, the regular filter stays clean and can be used for 3-4 years.


good tip
 
"Today, you can find YouTube videos in which changing a plug is invested with all of the drama of an emergency trach by the side of the road."

now that's funny...lol
 
I've noticed that the older engines I have with the oiled foam filter keep the engine oil a lot cleaner for a longer period of time than my newer engines with the pleated paper filter.
 
personally, I'm a big fan of paper filter. I'd buy any mower (or OPE engines) that comes with paper filter @ any given day than that of an oiled foam filter.

Again, that's just me. That's why I run B&S 6.75 series, Honda OPE engines.

Q.
 
edwardh1,

See if you can brush off the dirt/grass and use it a few more yrs. I've never changed the paper filter on my ten year old Toro - I just brush it off and then hold it up to a light to inspect it.
 
I have converted all my Briggs engines that used the oil foam filter to a Briggs paper element(396424s). It seemed to me that the oil foam filters actually clogged easier and seemed to actually attract dirt. The paper filters have lasted several seasons with no issues whatsoever.
 
if you don't like the paper filter setup you could try and find a suitable foam insert that fit, or could be cut to fit, in dirt bike stores etc. They also sell filter cleaner and oil by the gallon, often cheap. Seems like dirty condition users like reusable filters.
 
Best set-up seems to be a foam pre-cleaner over or wrapped around a paper element. Foam filter gets the big stuff and makes the paper element last longer.

To make a paper-only element last longer, I'd gently vacuum it with a brush attachment. Inspect for any tears then replace.
 
Originally Posted By: Lubener
Paper elements are simply better.


No, they are not "better."

Oiled foam filters, properly maintained, do an excellent job of capturing dirt/dust. Everything will stick to the oil. They are less likely to tear than a paper filter as well.
 
I disagree with the "simply better" claim. I have the original foam filter from my 76' Ariens and it gets alternated with a replacement foam filter. For a small engine, it doesn't make sense other than from a derpy consumer perspective that people can't figure out all you have to do is wash the filter with Dawn and re-oil it.

I've sold many a foam filter to customers that didn't need it simply because they couldn't comprehend that all they needed to do was wash and oil the filter. I laugh to myself every time I put that $6 in my till knowing they won't even oil that new foam filter. It's all dollar signs to me.
 
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