The International Cessna 170 Association

I'm in the market for an oil filter cutter. I see several styles available from Aircraft Spruce. Anybody have any recommendations for one they like? Ease of use? Issues?

I also find myself needing a heat gun occasionally. Again I see several brands and price points. Any recommendations?

Both of these are for occasional shop use, not commercial, daily applications.

I usually prefer quality tools but for only occasional use I'll buy a cheapie... this is from aircraft spruce: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/t ... ckkey=4975 It's easy to clamp the filter's 1" nut on the bottom to the bench-vise....which will hold the filter securely...then spin the cutter. You can then "lift" the filter-element straight up and out of the "can"... and I place it in a plastic coffee-container to rinse it out and pour the contents thru a coffee-filter to look for stuff.
(It's not as tasty as Starbucks... but it does the job.)


From the cheap chinesse store: and it'll put out a lot of heat and has lasted for over ten years now...but one they claim is better ...(How can ten years of use for $9 be any better?) :

Thanks Guys.

I too usually go out of my way to buy quality tools. I recently got fed up with screwdrivers that have tips so soft that they erode and I ordered a set that averages out to about $9 per driver. I'm waiting for them to arrive to see if they live up to their advertised quality.

But in this case for a couple of oil changes a year and occasional use of a heat gun I probably don't want to spend hundreds on them.

Thanks for the suggestions!
Happy Flying
Keith

I'm a tool snob too. I proudly admit it. Standing on your head with your arm bent backwards in some blind hole is not the time to be screwing around with a ratchet that is sloppy. I've never regretted buying the expensive tool. Have regretted lots of cheap ones.

That being said I bought a Wagner heat gun from my local hardware store. Nothing special, but works fine for my non-professional use. What I really like about it is it came with a couple slip on tips. One is a funnel type that necks it down to about 3/4 of an inch. This is really handy when shrinking shrink tubing and not melting the surroundings.

DEM

Follow up...

I bought the Airwolf oil can cutter as recommended by Arash ... It is MUCH better than the one I had previously. It cut quickly and cleanly and I'm sure it will last a lifetime. Thanks for the suggestion!

And I picked up a Wagner heat gun at my local hardware store. It did just what I needed. I was having trouble removing last years custom's sticker from the plane. A little heat and it came off easily.