Amazon’ Fleetguard LF1400NN

[walterk]

(04-11-2024 )SquareOne Wrote:  Just in case you were still wondering, the filters I ordered just arrived. Quick shipping as I just ordered about 4 days ago. Both packaged (6/box) within a larger box. Appears to be untampered Fleetguard boxes - as in, haven't had the original tape seal broken until just now.

Filters all look good. Consistent markings throughout both the fuel filters and F/W separators. If they're counterfeit, they've fooled me for quite some time lol. The price is usually pretty damn good when ya buy in bulk as well.

By the way, the return address is in Orlando, FL if that helps any...

Do they have a date and where they were made stamped on the bottom?

[JimT]

Just throwing this out there, but some counterfeit products are exactly the same as the legit product, manufactured from the same foreign factories. Some may have the exact same markings while others have the same internals but different graphics. Also, just because there are no directly authorized Fleetguard sellers on Amazon doesn't mean that there aren't some genuine Fleetguard products acquired indirectly. Searching for authorized dealers on Fleetguard's website requires a zip code to search with and that makes it hard to find specific companies unless you know the correct location.

I just ordered a pair of new oil filters from my usual source on Amazon, a 2-pack for the same price as 1 from Cummins or Fleetpride. I'm thinking of cutting one open as suggested on here and comparing it to one that I'm going to pick up directly from Peterbilt. If these filters that I've been using for almost 5 years are fake then I really can't tell the difference by looking at my oil sample results.

[walterk]

JimT, you bring some valid points - my Fleetgurad fuel water separator filter from Amazon mentioned before.
But, this whole thread started with a knockoff of Fleetguard LF1400NN that had very different internals. I would love to hear what you found out when you cut one of your filters.

[JimT]

(04-14-2024 )walterk Wrote:  JimT, you bring some valid points - my Fleetgurad fuel water separator filter from Amazon mentioned before.
But, this whole thread started with a knockoff of Fleetguard LF1400NN that had very different internals. I would love to hear what you found out when you cut one of your filters.

This whole thread has gotten me very curious as well.

Outwardly the items I've been receiving from Amazon have been identical to ones that I've bought from Peterbilt (in a weird twist the dealer was actually the cheapest place I could find locally). So now it's time to compare the internals. My busy season has recently kicked in so expect a few weeks to go by before I can find the time to acquire, try and post results.

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Attached are pictures of the Amazon purchased filters that I received today. They are, to the best of my recollection, identical to the ones I've received in the past. At the moment I don't have any filters from "authorized" distributors with which to compare. If someone else does maybe they can post similar pictures for comparison.

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The following is greater detail about counterfeits based on MY understanding. I'm not claiming to be an expert or to have first hand knowledge about the sources of any filters, legit or not. I'm just sharing my understanding.

From what I understand of the Asian counterfeit market (which is mainly based on information collected on the internet) there are basically 5 types of counterfeits:

* different physically internal products made to look outwardly like the original - your traditional cheap knockoffs

* outwardly (near) identical physical products but with some cheaper internal materials

* officially produced products that failed QC testing

* 100% identical products that were simply manufactured off the books without the client company's knowledge.

* same as above, 100% functionally identical, except with completely different branding, maybe slight packaging changes

The first could come from anywhere and are usually the easiest to spot. The second could come from the same factories as the original or from somewhere else that somehow obtained official outer shells. The latter 3 typically come from the same factories and product lines as the official product. The 5th was usually only destined for local markets where the legit company has no knowledge of the product or no way to legally enforce it's IP protections, although the internet marketplaces like Amazon and Ebay have become flooded with these products in recent years (dash cams and portable fridge/freezers are the first things that comes to my mind here). Similar to the 5th one, the 4th entry exists because the base materials/components themselves are cheap and not worth swapping out OR the retooling is impractical. I learned about this many years ago when I was briefly considering a business venture making custom android phones. These off the books production runs are a big problem in the computer chip sector. These products are often initially sent to countries that don't enforce the blatant IP violations. Similar to the 5th one, the internet has made getting these products to consumers much easier and harder to catch.

In addition to the 5 above there's also a 6th scenario: Official produced products originally destined for non-US markets that are later imported to the US, legally or not. For the consumer this usually results in a cheaper cost to buy with the only real downside being a lack of valid warranty or OEM service. I've seen this first hand with computer NAS hard drives I bought on amazon. I have a feeling the filters I've been getting on Amazon fall into this category, or perhaps the 4th category above. I'm now curious to see what's inside.

[JimT]

More pictures

[JimT]

And a few more

[amermextrucker]

I personally wouldn't risk buying a counterfeit part like an oil filter , I haven't bought one in awhile, parked truck 1 yr ago , last I checked they where running $60 bucks, even if they where $100 bucks I wouldn't chance it , it's filtering the lifeblood of the engine for crying out loud. JMO.

[SquareOne]

(04-13-2024 )walterk Wrote:  Do they have a date and where they were made stamped on the bottom?

The fuel filters have the date and country of origin just like the oil filter pic bottoms that JimT posted recently.

[SquareOne]

(04-14-2024 )amermextrucker Wrote:  I personally wouldn't risk buying a counterfeit part like an oil filter , I haven't bought one in awhile, parked truck 1 yr ago , last I checked they where running $60 bucks, even if they where $100 bucks I wouldn't chance it , it's filtering the lifeblood of the engine for crying out loud. JMO.

I'll agree with that as well, but what some have seen (myself included) has been issues at the dealer as well, whom obviously is an authorized retailer for Cummins. While I haven't had this issue with filters (yet), it has definitely happened a few times while getting sensors.

With the dealer's often times outrageous pricing, you would at least expect to get a genuine product. Somehow, that's not always the case....moral being, try to verify everything to the best of your ability. Don't assume a name and a high price will get you exactly what you were expecting.