Foam or paper, and an engine number rather than a mower number
Replacement mower air filters, compared
A petrol mower breathes through a filter the size of a sandwich, and a clogged one is the most common reason a mower that ran last summer will not start this spring. The shelf is unusual on this site in one respect: the fits column names ENGINES, not mowers. Briggs & Stratton, Honda, EMAK, LCT and SABO units are fitted to machines sold under a dozen other brands, so the useful identifier is the engine plate on the side of the block and the original part number — 399959, 31749, 799579 and their kin appear throughout these listings — rather than the name on the deck. A buyer who searches by mower brand will find nothing; one who reads the engine plate finds a €6 part in five minutes. The type is the second question and there are only two answers. Foam filters are oiled sponge, washable, and fitted to the smaller engines; paper cartridges are pleated, not washable, and fitted to the larger ones, sometimes with a foam pre-filter wrapped around them. Cleaning a paper element with compressed air ruins it, which is the mistake that costs an engine. The dimensions matter because several listings sell a shape rather than a part number, and a filter that is five millimetres short seals against nothing. The pack is worth reading too: these are sold in twos and threes at barely more than the price of one, and one is fitted while the other soaks. We compare type, dimensions, fits and pack.
