Who makes MicroGard oil filters and are they any good?

MicroGard oil filters remain a solid value choice. Here’s why.

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Stop in at any O’Reilly Auto Parts store for an oil filter and you’ll come across O’Reilly’s house brand MicroGard.

MicroGard oil filters come in two grades, there’s regular “MicroGard” meant for conventional oil and “MicroGard Select” for semi-synthetic and synthetic oil users.

As with any store brand, O’Reilly’s partners with established oil filter makers.

O’Reilly Auto Parts partners with filter conglomerate Mann+Hummel to produce their standard MicroGard oil filters, specifically with Wix and Purolater, two companies M+H acquired within the last decade.

O’Reilly partners with Premium Guard and potentially STP to make their MicroGard Select oil filters.

Since MicroGard Oil Filters aren’t made by one specific company, countries of origin include Mexico, Vietnam, Korea, and Germany (Euro-spec oil filters.)

You may see country of origin variations depending on if you choose a MicroGard spin-on or drop-in filter.

For example, standard MicroGard Spin-on filters are made in Mexico but standard MicroGard drop-in filters are made in Korea.

Standard MicroGard

Standard MicroGard is advertised as “Oil Filters that provide good engine protection using conventional motor oil for everyday normal driving conditions. Oil change intervals up to 5,000 miles.

Laboratory Test Performance per ISO 454812 13 grams dirt, 95% efficient at 29 microns.

Standard MicroGards use a cellulose filter media and come with a one-year limited warranty.

Standard MicroGard oil filters used to be made in the United States and were nearly identical to Fram Filters. After MicroGard changed from being available in WalMart to an O’Reilly-only brand, MicroGard switched to Wix as a manufacturer.

As early as 2020, parent company Mann and Hummel changed the design, went with a leaf spring instead of a coil spring, now use a Purolater base plate and changed manufacturing facilities where they’re now Made in Mexico.

Youtuber Whip City Wrencher does a good job tearing down a regular MicroGard, showing you what’s inside.

MicroGard Select

MicroGard Selects are advertised as “oil filters that come equipped with synthetic blended filtering media for extended drain intervals. When paired with synthetic oil, oil change intervals up to 10,000 miles.“

Laboratory Test Performance per ISO 454812, 99% efficient at 25 microns.

MicroGard select uses a synthetic blend filter media and come with a one-year limited warranty.

MicroGard selects appear to be Premium Guard Extended Life Oil Filters with a different label and box.

MicroGard Select spin-on oil filters are made in Vietnam.

Again, YouTuber Whip City Wrencher does a good job showing you what to expect inside.

Are MicroGard Oil Filters any good?

With regular MicroGard oil filters, you get what you pay for. Despite the MicroGard design switching to a leaf spring inside, it’s a simple, yet solidly designed and constructed oil filter.

At 95 percent filtering efficiency, MicroGard oil filters are just as good as OEM, if not better.

The regular MicroGard oil filter still remains an incredible value for the money.

With MicroGard Select you get more than you pay for. The MicroGard Select oil filters is a solidly constructed oil filter, with evidence of good quality control (even pleats, little to no glue residue.)

And, at 99 percent filtering efficiency, it’s better than an OEM filter.

If you’re a synthetic or semi-synthetic oil user, it doesn’t make sense to pair non-conventional oil with a cheaper, cellulose oil filter. It also doesn’t make sense to step up to a super expensive oil filter if this MicroGard Select is just as good.

MicroGard,the O’Reilly house brand, appears to be a solid oil filter choice no matter what your application is.

Do you use MicroGard oil filters? Let me know in the comments below.