Changed my mind about those cheap plastic oil filter wrenches

I was doing an oil change on a 2015 Civic last week and the filter was on there good. My old plastic strap wrench just snapped clean in half, spraying a bit of oil on my arm. I had to run to the parts store and grab a metal band wrench, which got it off in two seconds flat. I'm never trusting a plastic one on a stuck filter again. What's your go-to tool for a stubborn filter?

3 comments

3 Comments

christopher673mo ago

Honestly I've had the exact opposite experience, those metal band wrenches can chew up a filter canister real bad. My plastic cup wrench has never failed me, you just gotta get the right size so it fits snug. I feel like a lot of people crank their filters on way too tight to begin with, that's the real problem lol. A good plastic tool with some elbow grease has always done the job for me.

bettyl373mo ago

Elbow grease" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. My plastic cup wrench just flexes and makes me feel weak. I guess I'm one of those people who cranks things too tight, because that thing has never worked for me.

riverknight1mo ago

My buddy tried to do an oil change on his old Tacoma and same thing happened, that plastic wrench just gave up and left him holding two pieces of useless plastic. He ended up having to hammer a screwdriver through the filter just to get enough leverage to twist it off, and then the damn thing leaked for a week because he mangled the threads on the new one. Now he keeps one of those metal claw style tools in his trunk but he's too stubborn to buy the right size. Some people never learn I guess.