Strictly to make sure I see it from both sides of the table, K&N is not a completely bad company making completely bad products. For Marine and and aviation, their technology completely blows away everything else their competition makes in terms of filtering efficiency. Their use of cotton-gauze media as a competent and even Superior flame arrestor is the forefront of technical development and performance. As time goes on, the "metal slat" flame arrestor becomes harder and harder to find, and something that either is or looks like a K&N turns up more and more. One way or another, K&N is the commercial and technological leader in this field.
Their "any size, any shape" selection for true racing air filters is also industry leading.
Their oil filters that have nuts on the dome and holes for safety wire is incredibly on-point for the racing market, and also industry leading. Efficiency takes a back seat to flow in the racing industry, so that's a factor not even worth discussing. All oil filter manufacturers who do a racing series make Rock catcher oil filters. K&N might even be beating others in flow/efficiency compromise.
Their cotton-gauze filter combined with their foam filter-saver is identical to what comes OEM with many off road machines. Thumbs up here when used together.
My gripe with K&N is a lack of clear representation for many applications. Just be honest about the compromise in filtration, and direct people to the appropriate products.
Example? My Rams trucks. K&N has two air filters available for my truck. Their K&N filter, and the DryFlow made by their AEM branch. Both filters are slick and smart. They both directly replace the flat panel filter with a GIANT cone filter that extends out into the factory air box. Both have massive flow. K&N obviously did some serious homework on both filters. I have the AEM versions, and they are GREAT. Si numbers low as ever, squeaky clean intake tract, and I've gone more than 40k miles on one with no cleaning, and my filter minder (routinely tested) shows no restriction. Brand new Mopar filter indicated 50% restriction. Worth noting that I routinely drive on unpaved roads behind trucks that kick up such a dust cloud that I have only 10 feet visibility. This filter does not have it easy at all.
Now they could just come out and tell me that the K&N flows better with a sacrifice in efficiency, and that they AEM flows a little less but has exemplary efficiency, but they don't. They could say so, and they'd get my money either way, but choose to just hand me the marketing spiel for the K&N and leave me to do whatever. There's nothing groundbreaking or risky about this. Go on S&B website and you'll find the difference between their oiled and dry on full display. More flow on oiled, better efficiency on dry. They don't care which you buy. Same dollars. Same pocket.
K&N is just whacking the "cotton gauze>all" ideology too much. They are a giant in the industry. They purchased a dry resusable filter company. Just change the friggin narrative already. Arlen Spicer's visit to K&N proved that they know that their filter is a compromise to efficiency for flow. Just come out with it and let people make an educated decision.
The marketing to the commercial truck and equipment sector just needs to stop entirely. Cotton-gauze can't even urinate on the same sidewalk as the filter assemblies used in commercial trucks and equipment.
Their "any size, any shape" selection for true racing air filters is also industry leading.
Their oil filters that have nuts on the dome and holes for safety wire is incredibly on-point for the racing market, and also industry leading. Efficiency takes a back seat to flow in the racing industry, so that's a factor not even worth discussing. All oil filter manufacturers who do a racing series make Rock catcher oil filters. K&N might even be beating others in flow/efficiency compromise.
Their cotton-gauze filter combined with their foam filter-saver is identical to what comes OEM with many off road machines. Thumbs up here when used together.
My gripe with K&N is a lack of clear representation for many applications. Just be honest about the compromise in filtration, and direct people to the appropriate products.
Example? My Rams trucks. K&N has two air filters available for my truck. Their K&N filter, and the DryFlow made by their AEM branch. Both filters are slick and smart. They both directly replace the flat panel filter with a GIANT cone filter that extends out into the factory air box. Both have massive flow. K&N obviously did some serious homework on both filters. I have the AEM versions, and they are GREAT. Si numbers low as ever, squeaky clean intake tract, and I've gone more than 40k miles on one with no cleaning, and my filter minder (routinely tested) shows no restriction. Brand new Mopar filter indicated 50% restriction. Worth noting that I routinely drive on unpaved roads behind trucks that kick up such a dust cloud that I have only 10 feet visibility. This filter does not have it easy at all.
Now they could just come out and tell me that the K&N flows better with a sacrifice in efficiency, and that they AEM flows a little less but has exemplary efficiency, but they don't. They could say so, and they'd get my money either way, but choose to just hand me the marketing spiel for the K&N and leave me to do whatever. There's nothing groundbreaking or risky about this. Go on S&B website and you'll find the difference between their oiled and dry on full display. More flow on oiled, better efficiency on dry. They don't care which you buy. Same dollars. Same pocket.
K&N is just whacking the "cotton gauze>all" ideology too much. They are a giant in the industry. They purchased a dry resusable filter company. Just change the friggin narrative already. Arlen Spicer's visit to K&N proved that they know that their filter is a compromise to efficiency for flow. Just come out with it and let people make an educated decision.
The marketing to the commercial truck and equipment sector just needs to stop entirely. Cotton-gauze can't even urinate on the same sidewalk as the filter assemblies used in commercial trucks and equipment.
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