Best Oil Extractors
Motor1 Reviews Team Take:
- The best-rated oil extractors on the market in 2024 are from OEMTools, HT Moto, Performance Tool, EWK, and Airpower America based on assembly, speed, and cleanliness.
- On average, you can expect to spend about $50 on a high-quality oil extractor that’s designed to remove your engine’s oil cleanly and efficiently.
- When looking to buy an oil extractor, consider the difference between a manual or battery-powered oil extractor.
Performing a DIY fluid change on your vehicle’s engine can get messy–especially when removing oil. Oil extractors eliminate this stress by pumping out used oil and storing it away so it can be recycled later. Using an oil extractor not only speeds up the fluid extraction process, it also reduces the chances of ruining your driveway or garage with an oil spill.
Our review team has tested and reviewed the best oil extractors available to help you get started on your next oil change. We break down each of our choices based on their portability, ease of use, and more to help you make an informed decision on your next oil extraction tool.
Oil Extractor Reviews
For this review, our team thoroughly tested and evaluated each oil extractor based on each item’s ease of assembly, extraction speed, and potential spillage. The scores in each category are compiled into a single overall rating that ranges from 1.0 to 5.0 stars.
What Is The Best Oil Extractor?
We named the OEMTools, HT Moto, Performance Tool, EWK, and Airpower America as the best-rated oil extractors on the market in 2024.
Brand/Model | Cost | Overall Rating | Award |
---|---|---|---|
OEMTools Manual Fluid Extractor |
$85 |
5.0 |
Best Overall |
HT Moto Oil Extractor |
$100 |
4.8 |
Easiest Oil Disposal |
Performance Tool Electronic Oil Extraction Pump |
$30 |
4.5 |
Best Electric |
EWK Pneumatic Oil Extractor Pump |
$70 |
4.3 |
Best Heavy Duty |
Airpower America FloTool Fluid Extractor Pump |
$70 |
3.8 |
Best Portability |
*Because cost data fluctuates, the prices in the table above are approximate values that our team regularly updates.
Oil Extractor Ratings: Our Testing Process
After considering factors such as ease of assembly, build quality, customer ratings, and prices, our product testing team ordered the oil extractors that best met these standards. A team member tested each product, taking note of how easily the extractor assembled, how long it took to pump a quart of oil, and how easy it was to empty. Each oil extractor was given a rating out of 5.0 stars based on these criteria.
Learn more about how we tested oil extractors here.
1. OEMTools Manual Fluid Extractor: Best Overall
2. HT Moto Oil Extractor: Easiest Oil Disposal
3. Performance Tool Electronic Oil Extraction Pump: Best Electric
4. EWK Pneumatic Oil Extractor Pump: Best Heavy Duty
5. Airpower America FloTool Topsider Pump: Best Portability
Oil Extractors Buying Guide
Whether you’re a first-time buyer or purchasing a replacement pump, keep reading for more information on oil extractors and their functions.
What Is An Oil Extractor?
An oil extractor is a device used to drain engine oil and other fluids from your vehicle. This device works by sucking the oil from the crankcase through a thin tube inserted into the dipstick opening. The pump creates a vacuum that pulls the warm oil into a separate container, which can then be recycled properly.
Different Types Of Oil Extractors
Manual oil extractors require users to pump a handle that creates vacuum pressure, which pulls oil from the engine. Some only require a few pumps for a steady flow while others require constant pumping. These pumps are highly portable and tend to store a tank’s worth of oil, but can be tiresome for daily use.
Electric oil extractors require 12.0 volts of power to function, which can typically be used from a vehicle’s battery (many electric pumps come included with attachment cables). They efficiently pump oil, but can struggle with large quantities and usually require an external storage container for the oil.
Pneumatic oil extractors are attached to an external air compressor in order to pump oil. Although they pump quickly, using these devices requires access to a large air compressor, as smaller ones won’t do. They’re good for everyday use in a shop but are not portable.
Key Oil Extractor Features
Storage: In order to ensure a clean extraction, oil must be safely stored. Certain features such as a flow control valve and automatic shutoff can stop oil from flowing to prevent an overfill. A pour spout can also make for clean transferring of used oil.
Portability: Oil extractor pumps must be lightweight and easy to move so the oil in them can be moved. Cylindrical pumps may be taller than spherical pumps, but that doesn’t always mean they have more capacity. Most portable pumps tend to be manually powered.
Compare Oil Extractors
Brand/Model | Storage | Hose Size | Power Source |
---|---|---|---|
OEMTools Manual Fluid Extractor |
1.4 gallons |
5.0 feet |
Manual |
HT Moto Oil Extractor |
1.6 gal |
3.0 ft |
Manual |
Performance Tool Electronic Oil Extraction Pump |
None |
4.0 ft |
Manual, Battery |
EWK Pneumatic Oil Extractor Pump |
1.7 gal |
3.0 ft |
Manual, Air |
Airpower America FloTool Fluid Extractor Pump |
2.0 gal |
4.0 ft |
Manual |
Best Oil Extractors: Bottom Line
- Best Overall: OEMTools Manual Fluid Extractor
- Easiest Oil Disposal: HT Moto Oil Extractor
- Best Electric: Performance Tool Electronic Oil Extraction Pump
- Best Heavy Duty: EWK Pneumatic Oil Extractor Pump
- Best Portability: Airpower America FloTool Topsider Pump
Oil Extractors: FAQ
Below are some common frequently asked questions about oil extractors:
Do oil extractors get every last drop of oil from your engine?
Oil extractors remove almost all of the oil, but the oil drain method tends to leave the least amount of oil sitting in your vehicle’s engine. The oil drain method takes more careful planning and makes collecting used oil more difficult than using an extractor.
How long does it take for an oil extractor to drain oil?
A warm engine’s worth of oil takes about five minutes to be fully evacuated when using an oil extractor. This time varies depending on the oil, extractor, and amount of oil in your vehicle.
How often should I change my vehicle’s oil?
Most modern lubricants should be replaced every 5,000.0 to 7,500.0 miles. Some full synthetic oils can last up to 15,000.0 miles depending on how frequently your vehicle is driven.
Do oil extractor pumps affect your engine’s health?
No, extracting oil from your engine will not damage it. The extractor’s low vacuum pressure is not enough to affect the quality of your oil tank, or the drain tube. If you want to be extra cautious, readjust the oil fill cap while extracting to equalize the pressure of the oil compartment.
What can I use to collect oil?
Other than an oil pan and oil extractors, you can also use items like straws, corncobs, and peat moss to soak up oil from a spill.
How much does an oil extractor cost?
The best oil extractors are relatively inexpensive with most clocking in around $50 to under $100, with one of our top picks priced under $30. Of course, prices can fluctuate depending on features and capacity.
Full Oil Extractors Testing Methodology
Each oil extractor was assembled according to the manufacturer’s instructions. We then used each extractor to pump 1.0 quart of warmed synthetic oil and timed how long it took to empty its contents. After being filled, each pump was emptied and cleaned according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Assembly: The first step to using any oil extractor is putting it together. We tested each oil extractor by putting them together properly, determining both difficulty and time elapsed, while using the manufacturer’s instructions if included in our purchase. The oil extractors that were easiest to assemble and put together scored highest in this category.
Speed: When using an oil extractor, you want a quick and easy process to get the job done in no time. By comparing how quickly each product extracted oil during our testing process, we could accurately rank each oil extractor according to speed. The oil extractors that performed the quickest scored highest in this category.
Cleanliness: When handling oils and other liquids in your car, the process should be clean and not require much tidying up afterward. The oil extractors that were easiest to clean up and pour oil out of for proper disposal scored highest in this category during our testing process.
How We Score Products
We want to honestly evaluate and compare each oil extractor and all products in our reviews. To do this, star ratings help us rank and differentiate between the top products on the market. For the oil extractors in this review, we calculated an average of 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.
- 5.0 Stars: A 5.0-star rating is a well above-average score. If the oil extractors in this review exceeded our expectations in at least one testing criterion, you’ll see a 5.0-star rating.
- 4.0 Stars: A 4.0-star rating is an above-average rating. If the oil extractors in this review could have been quicker in the extraction process but still completed the job in a timely manner, you will likely see a 4.0-star rating.
- 3.0 Stars: A 3.0-star rating is an average rating. If the oil extractor posed some difficulty when it came to clean-up, but still had little to no spillage by the time we were done testing, we would give the extractor an average score.
- 2.0 Stars: A 2.0-star rating is a below-average score. If the oil extractor was very hard to clean and caused some spillage, making the entire process more time-consuming and difficult, the oil extractor would receive a lower rating.
- 1.0 Star: While rarely seen in our reviews, a 1.0-star score is a well below-average rating. If the oil extractor is defective in some way, either during the assembly process or operation, we’d give the extractor a 1.0-star rating.
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Each year, we test over 350 auto products on vehicles and in our testing lab. Our team of product testers thoroughly researches top products, unboxes and puts our hands on each component, and tests the items on real vehicles before making recommendations to readers.
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*Data accurate at time of publication. Products subject to availability.