Should you use detergent or non detergent oil?

If you're standing in the automotive aisle staring at a shelf full of bottles wondering whether to grab detergent or non detergent oil, you aren't alone. It's one of those questions that seems like it should have a simple "modern is better" answer, but it's actually a bit more nuanced than that. Most of us are used to just grabbing whatever the manual says for our cars, but the moment you start working on an old tractor, a vintage lawnmower, or a shop air compressor, the rules of the game change. ...

May 7, 2026 · 6 min · Marlin Jorgensen