Cutting oil filters open

[rideon]

Whats the best oil filter cutter for the money? Is there a better way of opening filters than using a filter cutter?

Thanks

 

[chad8]

$12 harbor freight angle grinder with metal wheel.
Works just fine.

 

[KD0AXS]

I just use my angle grinder with a cut off wheel. Works well enough for me. I suppose a filter cutter makes a nicer cut, but they're used oil filters that I'm just going to throw away anyway.

 

[Tegger]

I use my Dremel. Usually takes three heavy-duty wheels (gray-top can) to decapitate a filter.

 

[tinmanSC]

Originally Posted By: chad8
$12 harbor freight angle grinder with metal wheel.
Works just fine.

Doesn't that create metal shavings? How would you know if those were in the filter before or after the cut?

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I bought mine from Filtermag. Wasn't on website but they had it when asked. Also a thread in tools section with links to some others.

 

[Hosteen]

I purchased a Longacre cutter several months ago and it easily removed the base of a Toyota oil filter. Not to be picky ,but worth mentioning, the engineering could have been better.The cutter wheel rotates on bolt threads. Longacre should have used an Allen head bolt with a long enough grip to give the cutter wheel a solid surface on which to rotate. The plastic shims on each side of the wheel are flimsy. I found a bolt and shims at our local farm and ranch store to do what Longacre should have done. I know its picking [censored] with the chickens, but things like this have bugged me all my life. It wouldn't cost Longacre fifty cents to improve a very good design. Most individuals who purchase this cutter will never know or care about its shortcomings. Regards

 

[A_Harman]

Yeah, I have a Longacre filter cutter, and it does a fine job on all my filters. I don't have any complaints about the cutter wheel mounting.

 

[Errtt]

I don't know why, but I use a exhaust pipe cutter to cut oil filters. It has never cut exhaust pipe.

 

[99Saturn]

I use an exhaust pipe cutter from Harbor Freight. Works well enough, I'm only cutting open a handful of filters a year.