JM3 oil filter wrench Kickstarter

[Jon]

We have a lot of homemade oil filter wrenches listed here on HomemadeTools.net. However, I haven't yet seen one like this.

Most of what I see is the common swivel strap-type, or the cup-style ratchet attachments. The strap type requires a lot of travel, and is often a young car enthusiast's first experience with bloody knuckles. The cup-style wrench type (oil filter "socket") is nice, but you need room for the long wrench handle to exit the engine compartment and turn. There are also the purpose-built oil filter pliers, but they don't solve the problem of the clearance needed to turn the handle.

Then there is the jab-it-all-the-way-through-with-a-screwdriver-then-turn trick. This is a desperate tactic that works, but is dirty and destructive.

Enter the JM3 oil filter wrench, by Michael Gutierrez.





The handle plus squeeze mechanism is still a bit wide, but this has to be much easier on the knuckles.

Failed on Kickstarter with $3,019 pledged of $20,000 goal. For a failed Kickstarter, this one actually did pretty well. Kickstarters usually fail hard, with only a couple of backers and maybe $50 or $100 raised.

More:
JM3 Oil Filter Wrench Kickstarter
JM3OilFilterWrench.com

[Toolmaker51]

Hmmmmmm; maybe a contributing issue is still Kickstarter itself. Seems all kind of mechanically relevant projects fizzle there. If a crowd has little mechanical ability, that limits mechanical intuition and incentive to contribute $$. If this was 1950's - 1970's, where industrial vocations ruled, situation would be entirely different. I propose a cultural and economic era be recognized as "Pre-Cubicle".
Yes it pulled in 3 grand, wagering a huge percentage of contributors may have at one time ATTEMPTED changing oil and filter on their own, and vowed never again.
I've watched Kickstarter off and on [mostly off] awhile. Here's current categories and project counts. Film & Video 552, Food 316, Games 585, Journalism 56, Music 507, Photography 120, Publishing 511, Technology 554, Theater 79. How is it Film & Video, Games (rather specific), Music (actual music?) and Publishing have near identical queues as Technology [broadest of all]? The filter wrench is in there. Looking in Tech reveals lots not tech at all; it's design and inventiveness. Hate the idea creative juices are a subset of tech. Who can argue reversal of categorical importance is more correct?
Just me, or many seem so incidental, or represent service that don't spark what is economically paramount; Manufacturing, investment in capital equipment, subcontracting and whole income stream they generate.

[Jon]

Agreed; many of these tool builds are useful, but they're just not particularly viral or marketable. That's the internet for you. Cheesy gimmickry like Combat Kitchenware gets funded just fine.

I am beginning to suspect that the tool industry is extremely difficult to break into. High costs of entry, pre-established industry "groups" that campaign for their members' corporate interests, the huge power of big box stores, planned obsolescence, etc.

However, these "failed" Kickstarters are a gold mine for ideas. There are photos, videos, patents, years of development. Even if the intellectual property surrounding the invention is well-established, as long as you don't try to sell it, it's perfectly legal to create one for your own home use.

[Toolmaker51]

Agreed; many of these tool builds are useful, but they're just not particularly viral or marketable. That's the internet for you. Cheesy gimmickry like Combat Kitchenware gets funded just fine.

So kitchenware gets added to list of objects sought to compensate for virility? At one time, all we had was firearms, knives, and big 4WD trucks. Anyone have all three? I do...
Thank goodness, now stay-at-homes, Boulevardiers, and veterans of Warcraft can make that all-important statement over quiche, bœuf bourguignon, or in some cases saute' their tofu in gonads.

Apparently the electric vehicles now sell so well; that cut into the servicing of oil filters?

[Frank S]

Well my wife would say that I have too many knives and way too many firearms , currently a little short on 4wd but make up for that with Trucks off road construction equipment and machines. I wonder if that kitchenware comes in pink camouflage for those penthouse dwellers who's idea of rughing it would be a trip to the kiddie park
Nice idea for the oil filter wrench but sadly like so many other filter wrenches already in the market place due to the mind set of the all too young and in experienced engineering staffs employed by automakers today who make their decisions under the assumptions that everything must be fall within the realm of six sigma optimization. While this may be fine for the bottom line out the door of a product. The older more hands on experienced engineers back in the day held a much higher regard for serviceability therefore designed where ever possible ease of access to service critical assemblies

[C-Bag]

For what it's worth as a guy who spent most of his life doing more oil changes than he cares to admit, that filter wrench does nothing for me. It's too complicated, too clunky and IMHO just as useful as the Kombat kitchen fluff. I'll take my old SnapOn filter wrenches any day of the week. They automatically adjust to the size and the handle hinges to be able miss just about any obstruction.

The worst thing you can do if you ever want to DIY an oil change is take it to one of those oil change places. They over tighten the stupidly cheap filters they use, making them a nightmare to take off. If properly installed and a quality filter, they are not problem to take off.

I never saw a filter on anything that was ever designed with the mech in mind until my wife's 05 Mercedes CLK 320 with the filter on the top front of the engine. I was skeptical of the whole no drain plug or dip stick, suck it out from the top setup. But after living with it for 6yrs I can only shake my head in praise. Once the oil sucker was in place and doing its thing, by the time I got the filter changed with its assorted o-rings the sucker had pulled all 8qts of old oil out of the crank case and was ready for refilling. All without EVER getting under the car. Now THAT is engineering. But I'll be glad when all this goes away for electric with no stupid oil changes or tune ups and the associated knuckle busting, finger slicing and pocket draining trying to keep up with the next engineering blunder and associated tool to cope with it.

Rant off.

[Frank S]

C-bag I had a favorite filter wrench that I kept for probably 30 years It was one of those promotional give away things, I got at a heavy equipment or oilfield trade show back around 1980 ish. What I liked so much about it was the way it was constructed the steel strap that wrapped around the filter was perforated like plumber's tape with a rotating tang mounted in the hock where the handle was attached one could adjust it to fit virtually any filter from 2.5" to 9" in diameter and strong enough that you could use a 3 ft cheater pipe over the handle if need be. And some filters on heavy equipment especially the 2 gallon hydraulic filters would be on so tight I needed all the leverage I could get I was not amused when a non attentive helper dropped in it the workings of a machine which destroyed it.

[C-Bag]

THAT is a heartbreaker that most of the populace don't get. Every once in a while i get a good series of tools(because all the tool makers are always "improving" them) that just does the job. It sounds like the wrench you had was trying to break into the market and never caught on. Too bad as it sounds like an amazing wrench!

The new SnapOn are not as heavy duty. And this is across the line. I had the pinch bar that came with my original Proto set I got in '76 and I loved that thing. Like your filter wrench I think the bond grows when a tool proves its worth over and over saving your butt and getting the job done while not breaking or bending. I kept my toolbox very orderly with everything I it's place just so I could tell if something came up missing. When I loaned the pinch bar to a "helper" when we were building a sizer to help align bolt holes for installing a section it suddenly disappeared. I called him on it and he said he put it back in my box. It never showed up again and I searched for it for the rest of the time I was on the project which was a month or so. I was going to buy another but all the pinch bars were now made of softer material, so I just bought a HF. I still miss that bar.

I don't know which is worse, having the tool fall into destruction or having it stolen.

[hemmjo]

Having it stolen is WAY WORSE. You know some jerk took your baby, and does not have any respect for other people. Since he has no respect for others, he has no respect for himself or your tool that he stole. So he probably lost it anyway.

Sorry to rant, but that struck a nerve with me!!

[C-Bag]

In my case this guy was sneaky enough for me to never catch him so it's only conjecture on my part. But like so many in that shop, he had a meth problem that didn't come to light until later. And yeah, you're probably right that he either lost it or more than likely sold it. Installing heavy machinery and being around people with any kind of problem is why I became extremely picky about who I worked with.