Genuine vs. non-genuine spare parts
Is it worth saving maybe twenty euros on the cost of a filter but at the same time generating maybe hundreds of euros in additional expenses? Saving on tractor spare parts and maintenance can easily become quite expensive if, for example, fuel consumption increases by 10 percent due to a bad filter or the life of the engine is shortened.
“Not all non-genuine spare parts are necessarily bad, but the problem is that you cannot be sure of the quality. Oil filters are a good example, because the quality can vary a lot. There are filters on the market that are so bad that they are an immediate risk to the tractor’s engine. Original filters are a safe choice, as they are of uniform quality and exactly suitable for Valtras,” says Jussi Anttonen, Sales Manager for AGCO Parts.
Genuine spare parts installed by an authorised service dealer are safe and optimised for Valtra. For example, a universal oil suitable for many uses is always a compromise compared to a lubricant optimised specifically for Valtra.
Valtra’s engineering, procurement and spare parts teams regularly research the filters found on the market. In the worst cases, the filter material is of such low quality that there is only a quarter of the required amount, the bypass valve lets dirty oil through too easily, the cap is several millimetres thinner than it should be, and an extra, old cap has been added to the bottom of the filter cup to make the filter feel as heavy as the real one.
“In this case, the filter immediately lets most of the oil through unfiltered when it is new, and over time the filtration efficiency rapidly decreases to almost zero. Using such a filter is almost the same as not doing maintenance. The engine wears out quickly. If you compare the money saved on the filter to the price of a new or remanufactured engine, for example, the small savings can turn out to be really expensive.”
Poor quality spare parts can not only shorten the life of the tractor but also increase fuel consumption or cause power losses. For example, an air filter that is too dense can quickly become clogged, reducing power and increasing fuel consumption by up to 8%. Filters that are too thin, on the other hand, will radically shorten the life of the engine. It is important that there is just the right amount of filter paper and that the filterability and flow resistance of the paper are correct. In this way, correct operation can be guaranteed throughout the service interval, though in particularly dusty conditions, of course, a more frequent air filter change interval is recommended.
Text Tommi Pitenius Photo Valtra archive
