Yes, Ms Fix erred in connecting neodymium to batteries rather than the motors but it is still an issue.
While neodymium-free AC induction motors would eliminate the need for this material, using rare earth magnets seems to be a way to shape the performance and range of the electric motor. The article below is a bit old now (2018) but does point out the Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Bolt’s apparent use of rare earth magnets in their motors.
Confirmed by this report from Reuters;
This much later article, also from Reuters, points out the rush to remove neodymium because of the scarcity, ecological and political nature of the material.
I’m slow today, not sure what you mean by the first statement. I’m specifically talking about the battery manufacturer:
They can have returns or they can have finished product that fails internal inspection and cannot be shipped to the name brand customer. Those are the yield issues I refer to above.
I am not sure about the cheapo batteries being just rebrands from reputable brands that failed testing. The battery cells themselves are often much lighter weight as well. I guess spacers are made of paper which is why these are more dangerous than more expensive batteries. The batteries feel like a completely different animal than the real counterparts.
I hear that many oil filters are all made by the same basic people as well. One I hear to avoid is the basic cheap orange FRAM but that the rest of the FRAMs are OK. If FRAM is all I can find, I at least splurge a few extra dollars for an upgraded model. I hear there are gaps in the filter media, etc. if you cut enough of them apart.
The filters in that video look to come from a crude manufacturing facility overseas. I don’t know if this reflects on the overall quality but could see defects getting past at times.
I also hear that pretty much anything can be copied and cheap ripoffs made in China these days… One of my friends who is a machinist says that R&D in China means “Receive and Duplicate”.
Some of the power tools at Harbor Frieght, etc. looks very similar to real brands. Also, many Chinese engines on power equipment are just a Honda clone and some call them a Chonda engine, meaning Chinese Honda.
I hear the Chinese copy regular cars brands from other countries as well. My brother rented a Chinese Jeep while traveling overseas once. He said it wasn’t bad and could go anywhere but didn’t have any of the creature comforts that most Americans would demand and safety features were pretty sparse as well.
Fram, the favorite target of the internet. I’d think if there was a problem we’d be flooded with Fram filter failure stories. We aren’t, and I think the criticism is unfounded in most all cases.
It is likely one of those deals where even if the filter isn’t that great, just changing the oil on time is probably going to be as good as is needed to keep most of the dirt from damaging the engine.
I have seen posts about people letting their oil drip out overnight during changes to get as much as possible of the old oil out before refilling. A spoonful or two of old oil isn’t going to hurt a thing.
I did watch some teardowns of FRAM basic filters and it seemed there were maybe some QA/QC issues in them at times. Maybe this applies to all filters though.
Yeah, those are the videos that get folks all worked up about Fram filters. ‘Look, the end is held together with cardboard!’. But that’s not really a problem. If it was, those videos would be showing failed Fram filters. They don’t, for a reason.
I saw ones where the filter media wasn’t bonded to the end caps and/or the crimp wasn’t placed properly where the filter media is joined. The guy shined a light through the holes to show the defects. Again, I am sure the filter was doing SOME good and if the oil was changed on time, damage was likely minimal or nonexistent.
If Fram (or any other of the large filter companies) had any problem with their design, then we’d be seeing THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of destroyed engines due to this problem. Any (and I mean ANY) oil filter from one of the major companies will be as good as anything you can buy.
Gotcha! If there are any defects, maybe they aren’t really so bad to cause a major engine failure. It just seems like so many people have a bad opinion of them.
I know that oil filters are largely made by the same companies and rebranded just like many other things these days.
I am on a Harbor Freight forum and someone was laughing that the label peeled off a cutting wheel for an angle grinder and revealed the DeWalt logo and design. I had some of these on hand so pulled the label and it wasn’t made up. I wonder if these are DeWalt rejects or if the same company just makes them for others as well. Either way, I couldn’t see anything bad about the Harbor Freight/DeWalt cutting wheels. If I splurge, it is Milwaukee for me and often they have great sales around Black Friday so that is the time to stock up on bits, blades, etc.
Most of those opinions started with the ‘cut and compare’ videos, which show the base Fram is more cheaply built than some others. That’s certainly true, but I doubt it makes much difference in how well they work. As for defective filters, one would have to get, say, 10 of each then compare how many have construction defects. Finding one Fram with an incomplete glue or crimp doesn’t answer that question.
Unless the filter blew apart, how would you tell if it was an effective filter? Like lack of oil change the results will not be immediately apparent unless the engine is dis assembled and inspected, and who is going to do that? So they are deemed just fine as long as the valve doesn’t stick or they blow arpart. I use oem unless it was not available, but I have yet to cut one apart to take a look.
I like to use OEM Motorcraft on Fords. I have noticed less lifter clatter on startup with the OHC V8s on these. It might be all in my head but these aren’t much more money than something basic and cheap. I am sure any AC Delco or MOPAR filter, etc. is also fine.
I have cut dozens of oil filters over the years and while none that I cut were catastrophic failures many were obviously poor quality. Cheap filters of various brands had comparatively minimal filtering material which was often quite flimsy and often collapsing against the core especially those with paper end caps on the pleated filter.
The only catastrophic filter failure I witnessed was on a Jeep Wrangler many years ago. The Jeep passed in front of my shop then pulled onto a parking lot and walked to my shop with an oik filter in his hand which had stripped threads on its base, The owner had just left a quick change shop where a bargain oil change carried him less than 2 miles because the filter base was obviously too thin. It was a white, unbranded part.
The owner bought a filter and oil from me and headed back to settle up with the quick changer. I never heard how that worked out.
The price difference in OE, Wix and Hastings filters and bargain filters was never worth considering for me.
I may not buy the most costly filters but avoid at least the low-end FRAMs. This might be overkill with my 5K OCIs but is worth the peace of mind. With me doing the changes, it is still way cheaper than any shop I would trust around here although many use oil changes as a loss-leader to lure people in.
I like to look for a sale on something like a NAPA Gold and stock up with a few. I even settle for STP at AutoZone if that is where I am at when I need to change oil but generally get the “mid grade” one if that even matters.
I figure any brand name sold in a regular store is likely fine. Bulk packs of ultra cheap filters online are something I wouldn’t go near. I see how those ultra cheap computer accessories work out! No thanks on these cheap car parts!
One more data point on engine oil filters, I’ve used Frams (half the time it’s the least expensive version) on my Corolla for 30 years, never had any oil related problems. I’ve always used MotorCraft oil filters on my 50 year old Ford truck, again no oil related problems. Knocking on wood …
