Archer Oil - History

History of Archer Quality

Those who hear the Archer story for the first time are often surprised. Archer has been producing quality lubricants for farmers and heavy duty equipment operators since 1929. But Archer got its start in the air-not on the ground.

Back in the twenties, both commercial and private aviation were in their infancy. Little was known about airplanes, their power plants and their lubrication problems. As the airplane became more common for commercial use, it became evident that every precaution must be taken to improve its safety record if the industry was to make a permanent place for itself in the transportation world. Thorough investigation of accidents led to the knowledge that a large percentage of accidents were caused from engine failures brought on by faulty lubrication.

A new system of quality control of aircraft oils came into effect. Only oils of proven high quality could be used. Oils that were so well refined that all of the non-lubricating materials were removed and the finished product had that extra stamina built into it for aviation use. Archer developed this high-quality oil, and thus this is what launched Archer’s tradition of superior quality. (The 6082D designation on Archer product labels today specifies that the base oil meets military specification MIL-6082D for aircraft reciprocating engines.)

When Archer introduced this tougher oil to the agricultural and heavy duty equipment markets, operators soon discovered that this oil – built to withstand the extra heat and strain of an aircraft engine – naturally lasted longer and protected better than any of the conventional oils. That quality was something they wanted in their equipment – that quality was what they wanted to tell their neighbors about.