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NAPA GOLD FILTERS........... AHHHH NO

I tried to buy a wix 51515 from Summit last week and couldn’t find it on their site.
I know I’ve bought them there before.
 
We need to search for a updated filter test.
 
The situation is even more complicated than reported...
It oftentimes, heck most of the time, boils down to individual part numbers as to where they're made,
even within the same brand.
In the case of Wix, for example - well, they got bought by Baldwin a while back, so there has been some
shakeup on their product line.
The 51515 is still a USA made item - but the 51515R is now made in China.
 
khryslerkid said:
Wix and NAPA Gold filters have seperated.
Click to expand...
I've been big on doing the homework to try to purchase USA-made stuff, regardless of whatever it was
that was needed. I've actually sent stuff back that was bought online if it showed US-made online, then
arrived otherwise...
The Wix I just put on Fred prominently say USA on it; I'll be pestering my friend in the near future for
some of that Baldwin USA goodness in the future, though - seems Wix is wandering away from USA since
the "red brand" acquired them.

I just bought two replacement (and pricy) skillets for my wife online that were specifically sought out to
be USA made, for example. They're "lifetime" types - that's the intent, anyways.
Won't be hard to last as long as my lifetime anyhoo. :)
 
moparedtn said:
The situation is even more complicated than reported...
It oftentimes, heck most of the time, boils down to individual part numbers as to where they're made,
even within the same brand.
In the case of Wix, for example - well, they got bought by Baldwin a while back, so there has been some
shakeup on their product line.
The 51515 is still a USA made item - but the 51515R is now made in China.
Click to expand...
WIX is owned by MANN+HUMMEL, a German company based in Ludwigsburg. They also own Filtron, Purolator Filters, Filterpak and make filters under their own name. They have factories all over the world.
 
Photon440 said:
WIX is owned by MANN+HUMMEL, a German company based in Ludwigsburg. They also own Filtron, Purolator Filters, Filterpak and make filters under their own name. They have factories all over the world.
Click to expand...
You are correct, my apologies. Baldwin owns Hastings, not Wix.
I always get those two mixed up; no idea why.
Baldwin has manufacturing in not only the USA, but in (deep breath) Europe, Mexico, Australia,
China, South Africa and Morocco - under the Parker Hannifan corporate blanket.
 
I buy my Wix filters from one of the only speed shops in my area. I pay a little more but not much. I try to buy whatever I can from them. They are Mopar people, and I value the opinions and information they give me. Thats worth the little extra coin I pay.
If you are in southern Mn. R&S racing, great people.
 
I called my local NAPA store and asked the manager about this yesterday. Conveniently there was a NAPA trade show last night and she asked about this. In Canada NAPA Gold is made by WIX. In the US it's about 50%, split geographically. WIX wants to move to just producing OEM filters so over time they will move completely away from NAPA. My guess is that if the filter says Made in USA then likely it's made by WIX.
 
Mr moparedtn is correct; it comes down to individual part numbers. As of now, the 5151 for most of our cars is still made in the US. Others, not so much...
The oil filter for my Jeep is still made here and has the metal valve when branded Mopar, but the NAPA one isnt apparently. But the NAPA Gold fuel filter for it IS made here, while the Mopar one isnt..Personally, I spend a ridiculous amount of time researching and will not buy anything from anyone that makes things in redchina. Or anywhere else in 'asia' save japan. But it is getting nigh on impossible regrettably, so I spend hours looking into each individual piece and quite often send ordered items back when it arrives and says 'made in redchina', or vietnam or something. Its pathetic.
[and remember that you and your parents/grandparents paid most of the bill to build their industrial infrastructure.... oops - dont want to get the the tread closed...]
 
People get what they want.
They go to Walmart to buy the WIX filter because it was $1 cheaper there.
Why was it $1 cheaper?
because Walmart is not a store, it is a contractor where they allow manufacturers to seel wares in their stores under contract. When the contract comes up for renewal, they tell manufacturer" lower your price or get out." So then manufacturer starts a death spiral trying to apease the "rollbacks" until they eventually fold, get bought, leave the walmart stores and lose a giant chunk of sales as customers went there, or make alternative products specifically for walmart to make the price point. Like walmart goodyears, for example.

So you try to tell people, if they support that absolute predatory business practice, they will simply bankrupt the company they love.
BUT MUH DOLLAR!!
Well here ya go. Chinese WIXX, NAPA Gold from China, globalized worthless trash because people were saving a buck.

Buy quality, buy from a store that doesn't pull this BS. Going to be pretty hard, real soon, people won;t give up on the Walmart way until everything is ****. A fantastic race to the bottom, and then everyone will look around and say "remember when you could buy something good?". But at least they saved like $10 for the last 10 filters they bought over the last decade.
 
@Detective D
“Buy quality, buy from a store that doesn't pull this BS. Going to be pretty hard, real soon, people won;t give up on the Walmart way until everything is ****. A fantastic race to the bottom, and then everyone will look around and say "remember when you could buy something good?". But at least they saved like $10 for the last 10 filters they bought over the last decade.”

Where have you been? All this happened a long, long time ago……
 
GetX'd said:
@Detective D
“Buy quality, buy from a store that doesn't pull this BS. Going to be pretty hard, real soon, people won;t give up on the Walmart way until everything is ****. A fantastic race to the bottom, and then everyone will look around and say "remember when you could buy something good?". But at least they saved like $10 for the last 10 filters they bought over the last decade.”

Where have you been? All this happened a long, long time ago……
Click to expand...
yeah walmart started a couple decades back.
now we are approaching the finale, where nothing will be left at all, no place to turn to and find the last good thing. No place to save a buck on a brand you trust, because they will all be worthless.
The towel has been wrung and wrung and the last tiny drips have been squeezed out.
I didn't participate in the wringing. Not now, not last year, not in the 90's. I was in short company wasn't I? Half my life explaining how Walmart worked and no one wanted to listen, that $1 they saved was still worth it, the good stuff was still out there someplace.

Edit:
Example, people talking about the 51515 Wix still being USA made.
Will those people seek it out somewhere besides a box store with cut throat business practices? Will they order it off Amazon? Buy it at Walmart?
How long will it remain made in USA if people order it off of Amazon or the next rollback at Walmart is due?

Even when people see the door closing on them they wait for it to shut.
 
Don't blame Walmart for a lesser quality product. The blame goes to the MANUFACTURER for lowering their quality. They can always say NO.
My brother used to work in a soap factory. I won't say the name but it's the same as using a rotary phone to call someone.
Walmart wanted them to produce soap in a package size they didn't even offer and lower the price. In order to get the contract they cheapened the product and had to install new machinery to product the package Walmart wanted.
The worst part is, they lost money on the product. So, why did they do it? To prevent the competition from doing the same thing!
Wix, Purolator and others used to be made by Champion Filter. They were bought by the parent company of Fram, but some of the brands went to Mann + Hummel.
When the switch was made people started reporting quality problems with Wix.
It always seems when a company is bought quality goes down because the new owner needs to show a profit to the shareholders as quickly as possible.
Again, Walmart is not to blame for the reduced quality. They only buy and sell products. The manufacturers control the quality. They choose to make a crap product, but at what cost to their own business?
 
Slap Stick said:
Don't blame Walmart for a lesser quality product. The blame goes to the MANUFACTURER for lowering their quality. They can always say NO.
My brother used to work in a soap factory. I won't say the name but it's the same as using a rotary phone to call someone.
Walmart wanted them to produce soap in a package size they didn't even offer and lower the price. In order to get the contract they cheapened the product and had to install new machinery to product the package Walmart wanted.
The worst part is, they lost money on the product. So, why did they do it? To prevent the competition from doing the same thing!
Wix, Purolator and others used to be made by Champion Filter. They were bought by the parent company of Fram, but some of the brands went to Mann + Hummel.
When the switch was made people started reporting quality problems with Wix.
It always seems when a company is bought quality goes down because the new owner needs to show a profit to the shareholders as quickly as possible.
Again, Walmart is not to blame for the reduced quality. They only buy and sell products. The manufacturers control the quality. They choose to make a crap product, but at what cost to their own business?
Click to expand...
When was WIX part of Champion Filter? WIX started in 1939 and merged with Dana in 1979. They were bought out by Cypress in 2004, with Affinia as the parent company. Man + Hummell and Affinia merged in 2016.

Stores like N.A.P.A. and Walmart do have a say in the quality. They are either willing to pay the price for a good quality product, or willing to pay less for something with lower standards. They are the customers of the factories, and as customers they can dictate what sort of product they'll put on the shelf. In many cases they will actually set the standards and specs of the product that they want, and accept tenders from various manufacturers who will produce that item for them.
 
Detective D said:
yeah walmart started a couple decades back.
now we are approaching the finale, where nothing will be left at all, no place to turn to and find the last good thing. No place to save a buck on a brand you trust, because they will all be worthless.
The towel has been wrung and wrung and the last tiny drips have been squeezed out.
I didn't participate in the wringing. Not now, not last year, not in the 90's. I was in short company wasn't I? Half my life explaining how Walmart worked and no one wanted to listen, that $1 they saved was still worth it, the good stuff was still out there someplace.

Edit:
Example, people talking about the 51515 Wix still being USA made.
Will those people seek it out somewhere besides a box store with cut throat business practices? Will they order it off Amazon? Buy it at Walmart?
How long will it remain made in USA if people order it off of Amazon or the next rollback at Walmart is due?

Even when people see the door closing on them they wait for it to shut.
Click to expand...
AMEN!
Haven't been to the evil empire [ w**m**t ] come 36 years this fall. Don't use amazon. Don't use autozone. Try to explain what ''the evil'' does to the community and the country and am met with a glazed over look; that 13 cents saved today is more important...And still the lemmings rush over the cliff.
 
That was a lot of work when you could just look on the box.
But I guess people have to be shown.
If it says China on it don't buy it if you have a choice.
I've been saying that for a generation now.
From the internet:
It also is "the average period, generally considered to be about 20–⁠30 years, during which children are born and grow up, become adults, and begin to have children."

I think we old ones all know where the China mess started. (Don't go there)
I got flamed one time for saying I wasn't a regular Walmart customer.

People. SMH.
Check the recent comments from this almost 20 years ago.
Look at about 10 mins into it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n224P8snMk

"Walmart Killed The Country Store".
(And won't sell his record)
Rev. Payton
 
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