I've recently found out about pumps you can buy to change your oil from the TOP of the engine, through the dipstick tube. I live in an apartment, and I don't really have anywhere to put my car on jackstands to change the oil otherwise... the pumps cost about $30-$50, depending on features etc.
I browsed around forums here and elsewhere, and found some people who recommended these devices, and others who claimed that topside pumps leave a lot of the sludge in the sump. I thought that if I buy a pump, I could flush the engine every couple of times I change the oil, to try and loosen up as much gunk as possible. Either that, or I could alternate self changes with professional ones, on a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. The pros could get the built up crap out, but the routine changes I could do myself.
Thoughts? I drive 90 highway miles a day to/from school, plus relatively frequent roadtrips... so I get an oil change about once a month. This could be a significant cost-saver for me...