My $12 lens spanner beat my $45 rubber grip pads on a stuck ring

I picked up a beat up Canon 50mm f1.8 last week at a garage sale in Sacramento for $15, and the front ring was fused on there solid from who knows how many years of gunk. I grabbed my trusty rubber grip pads first since that is what I always reach for, and they just spun and slipped for 20 minutes while I felt the ring starting to flex. Out of frustration I dug out the cheap two prong spanner I got off eBay for $12 and had that ring off in about 30 seconds flat. The rubber pads are great for gently holding a barrel when you are unscrewing a retaining ring from the inside, but for a filter ring that is glued shut with old sealant, nothing beats actual metal tips seated in the slots. Anyone else find that the fancy soft tools let you down on the stubborn jobs?