Tried that cheap oil filter wrench from Harbor Freight and it slipped right off

I was doing an oil change on my buddy's 2003 F-150 last weekend and that stupid plastic cup wrench just spun on the filter without gripping it. The filter was on tight from the last shop, maybe over-torqued or something. After wrestling with it for 20 minutes I had to jab a screwdriver through the filter just to get it off, which made a huge mess of oil on the driveway. Learned my lesson the hard way that those cheap wrenches are worthless once a filter is stuck on there. I'm wondering if anyone here has a go-to filter wrench that actually works every time without destroying the filter? Been thinking about getting a metal one with the three-jaw design instead.

3 comments

3 Comments

keith_rodriguez1mo ago

Harbor Freight tools are basically made of hopes and dreams. I bought one of those same plastic cup wrenches and it just shattered on the first oil filter I tried. Had to go get my dad's old metal strap wrench from the 80s and that worked like a charm. The three-jaw metal ones are way better but you gotta make sure the jaws actually bite into the metal of the filter and not just slide around. My buddy swears by the cheap metal clamp style from AutoZone.

lane.eric1mo ago

That three-jaw style is the way to go if you can get a good grip, but you're right about the jaws slipping. I've had better luck with the ones that have a little chain or a metal band that wraps around tight. My old man had this old school metal cup wrench that fit perfectly on the Ford filters, but it was a pain if you didn't have the right size. The trick I've found is to clean the filter with a rag first so the tool can really bite in, especially if it's been on there for a while and gotten greasy. Those plastic ones are useless once the filter is even a little bit tight from rust or just sitting too long.

amy_foster791mo ago

Agree with @keith_rodriguez those HF wrenches are basically disposable. The metal strap style from AutoZone is solid but even better if you put a rag around the filter first for extra grip.