Your opinion on using a manual oil extractor .

[ken masoumi]

Winter is coming and It's time to change the oil/filter in my car, I don't really enjoy doing the task ( don't really mind it either) but I was thinking of buying one of these oil extractors to make the job a little faster and easier/cleaner:
"Pneumatic/manual fluid extractors ",they do go on sale often and although I have never used one but I wonder if it's a good idea to get one just to change the oil in my car (and also my son's car) , does anyone own or use one? what's your overall opinion on them ? will it get rid of all the oil in the oil pan?

[Art Mann]

I used to use a device similar to this on my boat and it worked fine. I do have some concerns that removing oil this way rather than draining from the bottom will leave some sludge in the crankcase.

[Tom M King]

Don't you have to get under it to change the filter anyway?

[ken masoumi]

removing oil this way rather than draining from the bottom will leave some sludge in the crankcase.

Don't you have to get under it to change the filter anyway?

both points make sense, I wonder under what circumstances this tool would be useful, it looks like you can use it to do the oil change quickly on the side of the road but in most cases I assume people change both oil and filter at the same time ,the only good thing I see about this contraption is, it can hold almost 2 Gallons of used oil in that container ,that's 2 oil changes for my Civic.

[Chris Padilla]

I used one on my BMW for 14 years...from day 1 I picked it up until I sold it with 125k miles on it. However, my oil filter is on the top so I could change the oil in a tuxedo if I so desired. They are also useful for all sort of fluids: transmission, power steering, brakes.... No sludge problems.

I used this one although you should be able to find it for about 1/2-2/3 that cost elsewhere. I found one on eBay, item#262060975818. Google "Astro Oil Extractor" and you'll come up with some good hits.

[ken masoumi]

I didn't know about BMWs but I remember Mercedes owners used to recommend using them for oil changes years ago, that's when I first saw one of these units.

[Ole Anderson]

I use a simple brass marine oil pump with a garden hose fitting that fits my boat engines garden hose threaded dipstick and pump directly into an old one gallon plastic jug. Jabsco, about $40. The problem sliding a hose down your dipstick hole is that it is so small, and oil so viscous, that it takes a long time so suck the oil up that tiny tube. At least make sure your oil is warm when you do it.

[Mike Cutler]

I have two of them made by Mity-Mite. They work just fine.
Most oil pan drain bolts are screwed into a thicker section of material in the drain pan. You won't get all of the oil out draining it through the plug. They'll always be a little bit left.
Where you're really going to like that unit is when you need to transfer the oil to another container. Push the valve the opposite direction, and pump it out into a waste container. No pouring nasty oil out of a drain collection pan and into an old antifreeze, or windshield wiper fluid bottle. and spilling it. The other place it shines is no need to jack up the car, if it's low slung.

I haven't had a vehicle in years that needed you to access the oil filter from underneath.

[Randy Red Bemont]

I have one that I used to use on my jet ski. It was the only way to change the oil on that engine. I use it today for my mower. It's a handy little tool.

Red

[Curt Harms]

I used to use a device similar to this on my boat and it worked fine. I do have some concerns that removing oil this way rather than draining from the bottom will leave some sludge in the crankcase.

The sludge issue is my concern as well. I'd read some time ago that the last little bit of oil to come out of a drain hole contains the highest concentration of stuff you want to get rid of. We have 2 Fords with the same engine - 4.0 SOHC. The oil pan has a little sump cast into it so I expect it drains pretty completely. And yeah, the filter has to accessed from underneath.

[Jeff Monson]

I think they are pretty handy, the Mity Mite is a good unit. I have used mine many times when the drain plug is hard to get at or in some cases not there. For auto's I'd still
prefer to pull the plug as its not that hard (unless you have an Audi or VW where the large plastic skid plate takes an act of congress to remove)