The early Toyota oil filter wrenches were made of aluminum by Assenmacher Specialty Tools. For instance, the TOY640 was made in the USA, but there was a problem; the aluminum was weak and the oil filter slipped.
Some of the Toyota canister type oil filters were very tight, adding to the problem. Thin steel oil filter wrenches became popular but they wore out quick and even broke because of the extreme torque required to pull off the canisters.
Aluminum is cheaper to work with. Aluminum is much easier to machine than steel. Both are metals, but steel is just more expensive. So the solution was to put a slotted collar around the end of the oil filter wrench.
The slotted collar worked well, but again manufactures like CTA, PBT, and many others made the tool out of aluminum. This allowed for more torque on the canister, but over time these wrenches broke and also broke some of the expensive Toyota oil filter canisters.
Finally, PBT and VIM came up with a solution. Their product is slightly more expensive than their aluminum counterparts, but held up to the rigors of the professional automotive technician. Not only do they perform, they are now more desirable than either the thin steel or aluminum oil filter wrenches.
Both the PBT and the VIM oil filter wrenches are forged and machined. The PBT oil filter wrench has a sturdy mirror chrome finish while the VIM oil filter wrench has a satin chrome finish. Both perform equally well and come with a manufactures warranty.
The 4 cylinder oil filter wrench (or oil filter) than the 6 & 8 cylinder oil filter wrench, but they are actually the same size. The PBT, Assenmacher, and Vim oil filter wrenches will fit on all filters. Only the collar on the CTA oil filter wrenches is different, as seen in the photos. The slot pattern is different.
Warranties are important, especially for the aluminum and thin steel oil filter wrenches. Both Lisle and CTA offer a warranty. But why deal with the warranty? Just buy the VIM or PBT oil filter wrenches.
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