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In-Line Filters of Liskeard Cornwall


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I have previously used this firm to order filters for my Beta 43 engine with no problems.  However, due to recent experience, I would caution potential purchasers to be very careful about what they order from this firm.  I ordered what their website says is a substitute fuel filter for the Beta code 211-02817.  Their website says the Beta one is equivalent to a Baldwin BF954.  When this arrived it was clearly a lot smaller than the Beta one.  Their website says the BF954 is 89mm tall.  It wasn't, it was 75mm.  The picture on their website shows the filter with knurls around the top whereas the one supplied was smooth.  The website says that its width is 77mm, the Beta one is 81mm wide.  I doubt that the rubber sealing ring is correct but I didn't measure this before I returned the filter.  All in all the filter felt much smaller than the Beta one.

 

When I rang the firm the person I spoke to promised they would refund the cost of the filters if I returned them (which they have) and also refund the postage (which they haven't).  The outgoing postage was £8.34 (pretty steep anyway) and my postage cost for sending them back was £3.  I phoned and spoke to the manager (I think his name was Mr Weston).  He refused to refund any of the postage costs taking refuge in their terms and conditions and continuing to maintain that the filter supplied was a replacement for the Beta one and would work.  I have since ordered the genuine Beta filter (more expensive) and I will not be using In-Line Filters again.

 

So be careful, study the size quoted on their website and don't order unless you are quite certain that what you are ordering will fit.

 

Happy boating

 

Ian Wright (nb Leo)

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Serious question as it's never occurred to me before: as long as the mounting thread and seal dimensions are correct, are the exact outer dimensions of a filter actually critical?

 

Sorry you've had a bad experience, I've used them for years for "Beta equivalents" without problems :(

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2 minutes ago, AndrewIC said:

Serious question as it's never occurred to me before: as long as the mounting thread and seal dimensions are correct, are the exact outer dimensions of a filter actually critical?

 

Sorry you've had a bad experience, I've used them for years for "Beta equivalents" without problems :(

As long as they are equivalent I see no problem.

It would be as well to consider things such as anti drain back valves, bypass pressure release, even filter medium construction.

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We have used the in line filter equivalents for the past ten years with no problems for our oil, fuel and crankcase filters.

 

They may not be exactly the same dimensions but they are the same specifications and do the same job for a fraction of the price of the genuine Volvo penta filters.

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1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

We have used the in line filter equivalents for the past ten years with no problems for our oil, fuel and crankcase filters.

 

They may not be exactly the same dimensions but they are the same specifications and do the same job for a fraction of the price of the genuine Volvo penta filters.

 

And as for the Vetus equivalents.........   I've complained to InLine about their filters not being gold-plated, but got a response similar to the OP's.  Still work, though.

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2 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

As long as they are equivalent I see no problem.

It would be as well to consider things such as anti drain back valves, bypass pressure release, even filter medium construction.

Yes, I can understand that there may be a difference in quality, and I was assuming parity of features, but I wondered if can size, as they say, mattered much. Flow rate as a function of element surface area perhaps? I've had various brands of filters over the years, some of them very different in size but supposedly "equivalent", but they all seemed to work ok.

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2 hours ago, AndrewIC said:

Yes, I can understand that there may be a difference in quality, and I was assuming parity of features, but I wondered if can size, as they say, mattered much. Flow rate as a function of element surface area perhaps? I've had various brands of filters over the years, some of them very different in size but supposedly "equivalent", but they all seemed to work ok.

But how do you tell if they work, all you know is the engine doesn't stop, very few people sample and analyze the oil to see what is being taken out or left in. If the filter was just an empty can would you know.

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I have had similar problems with Mann oil flter supplied by a variety of motor factors.  About 5 years ago the  supposed Mann equivalent for the Bukh (I had a Fram number) suddenly halved in size, thread and seal were correct but not the size. Now, on a diesel I want the maximum filter area to collect and retain as much muck as possible, especially when you consider a reputable oil filter will have a bypass valve in it that opens when the filter clogs and allows unfiltered oil to circulate.  I find it gets harder and harder to find what I think is the correct filter although someone here posted a number for much larger filter I would be happy to use.

 

I think I am with the OP if his complaint was about an oil filter but as a decent fuel installation should have some kind of pre-filter/water trap plus annual tank cleaning I doubt the smaller dimensions would make a huge difference. Most engine fuel filters I have changed have been very clean after up to two years in use. Not so any pre-filters.

 

Its the return postage thing that stops me using any online parts suppliers unless there is no other way.

 

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I've banged on before about non-equivalent "equivalent" parts.  There's sometimes a case for it, but here you really have to ask yourself how badly buying a genuine Beta fuel filter every 750 hours or so might affect your overall financial position.  

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30 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I've banged on before about non-equivalent "equivalent" parts.  There's sometimes a case for it, but here you really have to ask yourself how badly buying a genuine Beta fuel filter every 750 hours or so might affect your overall financial position.  

But Beta, other marinisers and even the engine makers do not make filters, they buy them in from other suppliers so when you buy from the mainiser you are actually buying a third party product. Unfortunately many marinisers seem to think they can add a considerable mark up to the price and basically rip their customers off. There may be a case for paying up and looking good if the engine is still under guarantee but for years vehicle manufacturers have not been able to legally refute a claim solely on the grounds "non-genuine" parts have been use (but I bet many still try it on) as long as the parts are of equal quality to the OEM ones. This means that  parts from  reputable sources should be perfectly satisfactory - that is until we come to second line suppliers who are trying to maximise profits or minimise the cost by reducing their stock inventory (what I think has happened re the Bukh oil filter) and supply a "near enough" product or by buying cheaper components, maybe from unusual sources. The problem is as end users we have no idea what we are being sold. It may even be that the marinisers change suppliers as well so even then one can't be 100% sure about what they sell you. I now try to ensure the filters I buy are apparently made within the EU, preferably Germany, Austria, and the UK - not so sure about Italy & France. I would also be happy with Baldwin that I think is a US make.

 

I find it hard to see how a reputable fuel filter can cause any damage to the fuel system even if it is a bit small but I can see a dodgy oil filter could easily do so. Basically the argument boils down to - get ripped off by the mariniser or do your best to source reliable second line products.

 

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Had the same with car oil filters too, different sized 'can' but they fit ok. I have a vague idea that the Kubota fuel filter is a bit smaller than the Beta version too but I could be wrong.

Edited by Bee
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56 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

But Beta, other marinisers and even the engine makers do not make filters, they buy them in from other suppliers so when you buy from the mainiser you are actually buying a third party product. Unfortunately many marinisers seem to think they can add a considerable mark up to the price and basically rip their customers off. There may be a case for paying up and looking good if the engine is still under guarantee but for years vehicle manufacturers have not been able to legally refute a claim solely on the grounds "non-genuine" parts have been use (but I bet many still try it on) as long as the parts are of equal quality to the OEM ones. This means that  parts from  reputable sources should be perfectly satisfactory - that is until we come to second line suppliers who are trying to maximise profits or minimise the cost by reducing their stock inventory (what I think has happened re the Bukh oil filter) and supply a "near enough" product or by buying cheaper components, maybe from unusual sources. The problem is as end users we have no idea what we are being sold. It may even be that the marinisers change suppliers as well so even then one can't be 100% sure about what they sell you. I now try to ensure the filters I buy are apparently made within the EU, preferably Germany, Austria, and the UK - not so sure about Italy & France. I would also be happy with Baldwin that I think is a US make.

 

I find it hard to see how a reputable fuel filter can cause any damage to the fuel system even if it is a bit small but I can see a dodgy oil filter could easily do so. Basically the argument boils down to - get ripped off by the mariniser or do your best to source reliable second line products.

 

I don't disagree with anything you say Tony, but the Beta  OEM filter the OP's engine uses can be bought widely for less than a tenner (the ones my Beta 43 uses for quite a bit less) and he paid £8.43 for the postage alone!  Plus another 3 quid to send it back because he didn't think it wasn't really "equivalent" (although it may be fine in truth).  So, he's at £11.43 already and he still doesn't have a filter.  I just don't think the costs and faff add up in many cases. 

 

That said, my alternator belt would have been 20 quid plus postage from Beta and I sourced a Continental Contitech belt for £4.99 delivered and it's perfect.  So, I agree, there is a case to do your best to source reliable second line parts, but its not necessarily the right default option, particularly where the savings are insignificant - or not there at all.

 

Where we also align is that, when fitting my pre-filter assembly, I selected one to take an widely available Mann & Hummell filter so I knew I had a reliable source of known good quality replacements.

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1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

But Beta, other marinisers and even the engine makers do not make filters, they buy them in from other suppliers so when you buy from the mainiser you are actually buying a third party product. Unfortunately many marinisers seem to think they can add a considerable mark up to the price and basically rip their customers off. There may be a case for paying up and looking good if the engine is still under guarantee but for years vehicle manufacturers have not been able to legally refute a claim solely on the grounds "non-genuine" parts have been use (but I bet many still try it on) as long as the parts are of equal quality to the OEM ones. This means that  parts from  reputable sources should be perfectly satisfactory - that is until we come to second line suppliers who are trying to maximise profits or minimise the cost by reducing their stock inventory (what I think has happened re the Bukh oil filter) and supply a "near enough" product or by buying cheaper components, maybe from unusual sources. The problem is as end users we have no idea what we are being sold. It may even be that the marinisers change suppliers as well so even then one can't be 100% sure about what they sell you. I now try to ensure the filters I buy are apparently made within the EU, preferably Germany, Austria, and the UK - not so sure about Italy & France. I would also be happy with Baldwin that I think is a US make.

 

I find it hard to see how a reputable fuel filter can cause any damage to the fuel system even if it is a bit small but I can see a dodgy oil filter could easily do so. Basically the argument boils down to - get ripped off by the mariniser or do your best to source reliable second line products.

 

The Baldwin filters that I've used from Inline filters said ''Made in Morocco'' on the boxes. But I think they'e made of thicker metal as they seem heavier than most others.

Edited by bizzard
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3 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I've banged on before about non-equivalent "equivalent" parts.  There's sometimes a case for it, but here you really have to ask yourself how badly buying a genuine Beta fuel filter every 750 hours or so might affect your overall financial position.  

This is the Cooper equivalent 

Capture.JPG

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And the cooper is a pleated filter so has less filter area. Cooper, Fram, Purolator and a number of other brands all seem to now be owned by a single company that was known as something like Filtre Auto, now maybe Soggi or somesuch.  Had a long talk with Fram technical about pleated fuel filters and he could not reassure me they had equal performance to pocket filter, hence I wont buy pleated fuel filters. I know Mann supply pocket filters and they don't cost significantly more than others. I doubt the CAV element from a diesel equipment supplier would be any more expensive.

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2 hours ago, bizzard said:

The Baldwin filters that I've used from Inline filters said ''Made in Morocco'' on the boxes. But I think they'e made of thicker metal as they seem heavier than most others.

I have used mostly Baldwin filters on our Vetus engine and fuel system for a number of years now (sometimes Blueprint for the engine oil filter.) I agree they seem heavy compared to say a Fram filter. They are cheaper than Vetus and seem fine to date (prolly used them for ten years. now) I get mine from filtermania .com whom I would highly recommend.
The Ferrari red colour rather clashes with the vetus orange though ;)
I did used to argue the case for using Vetus filters some years ago, until I found out who made filters for Vetus. 

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On 14/04/2019 at 07:27, Tony Brooks said:

 

 

Its the return postage thing that stops me using any online parts suppliers unless there is no other way.

 

 

The only time Inline filters sent me an unsuitable filter (it had a plastic drain tap - a BSS fail), they quickly sent me a one with a metal tap and told me not to bother sending the other back.  I'm not put off them by the OP's experience.

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2 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

The only time Inline filters sent me an unsuitable filter (it had a plastic drain tap - a BSS fail), they quickly sent me a one with a metal tap and told me not to bother sending the other back.  I'm not put off them by the OP's experience.

Must admit that the company in question gave me some very good advice a few years ago. I haven't used them yet, but judging by other people's experience I would certainly give them a go.

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3 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

I'm not put off them by the OP's experience.

 

55 minutes ago, catweasel said:

Must admit that the company in question gave me some very good advice a few years ago. I haven't used them yet, but judging by other people's experience I would certainly give them a go.

 

Not knocking the company in any way, I'm sure they're both helpful and fair, but the OP paid £8.34 in postage alone on an equivalent filter (never mind whether it was correct or not) when the OEM filter can be had for less than a tenner. How does that add up for the typical private individual customer (who is probably not what their business model is based upon)?

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4 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 

 

Not knocking the company in any way, I'm sure they're both helpful and fair, but the OP paid £8.34 in postage alone on an equivalent filter (never mind whether it was correct or not) when the OEM filter can be had for less than a tenner. How does that add up for the typical private individual customer (who is probably not what their business model is based upon)?

That's why I buy a few filters at a time.  My last order was 4 oil filters, 2 air filters and a fuel filter.  The courier charge is the same as for one filter.

 

Interestingly re Beta fuel filters, the page for my Beta 38 filter clearly states:

 

"For Beta Marine applications that require a larger filter and will accept a 72mm OD sealing ring use [different product code]"

 

Searching for the OP's product code indeed gives the Baldwin BF954, but that page also says for the long version use the Baldwin BF941 which is 148mm, so about twice as long as the BF954.

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1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

 

 

Not knocking the company in any way, I'm sure they're both helpful and fair, but the OP paid £8.34 in postage alone on an equivalent filter (never mind whether it was correct or not) when the OEM filter can be had for less than a tenner. How does that add up for the typical private individual customer (who is probably not what their business model is based upon)?

Good point about p&p. 
I always order a few filters from my supplier per order, so in effect making the p&p negligible and saving a serious amount per season when compared to Vetus prices. If I wanted just one filter I would buy locally.

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Isuzu oil filters for my bote are fourteen million pounds each. I buy mine from the local motor factors for £4.13 pence each. The can is different size but it fits and works spot on as used by a certain hire fleet on their isuzu engines.

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1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

Isuzu oil filters for my bote are fourteen million pounds each. I buy mine from the local motor factors for £4.13 pence each. The can is different size but it fits and works spot on as used by a certain hire fleet on their isuzu engines.

Now that is a valid reason to source the right equivalent. 

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