[68ragtop]

So tired of 1/4 npt air line couplers that either leak or are hard to connect/disconnect. I have some old ones that have been great for decades but I have no clue where I got them. I was at a swap meet this summer were you often see these things in droves & decided to buy a few that looked & felt like they where pretty good for the money. They leak.

What do you guys find is a good value for the money?

[nytrainer]

Because of the high cfm needs of modern gravity fed spray guns I had switched over to a combination of 1/4" & 3/8" Milton V style fittings years ago. I found that other tools benefited from this high flow too (blast cabinet for ex).
Here's an example of a V style 1/4" set Milton
Some of my tools still have the Milton M style which are compatible with the V style coupler so tools that don't need high cfm (nail gun for ex) you don't have to buy new ends.
IMO what shortens the life of the couplers is the habit many have of disconnecting a tool and letting the hose end drop to the floor. The heavy end of any coupler doesn't do well after repeated floor hits.

[dataway]

Excellent, going to try some of those. My system is 3/8 hose with M style, could use an extra bit of air to the cabinet.

[68ragtop]

On a related note, I bought a flexzilla air hose about 18 months ago. I highly recommend them. They are lightweight, very flexible and don't kink. They seem to flow air better than a conventional three eights line as well. The only downside is they are a little bit porous and get dirty easily. I use mine for doing all my painting so it's very trashed looking.

[68ragtop]

Originally Posted by nytrainer

Because of the high cfm needs of modern gravity fed spray guns I had switched over to a combination of 1/4" & 3/8" Milton V style fittings years ago. I found that other tools benefited from this high flow too (blast cabinet for ex).
Here's an example of a V style 1/4" set Milton
Some of my tools still have the Milton M style which are compatible with the V style coupler so tools that don't need high cfm (nail gun for ex) you don't have to buy new ends.
IMO what shortens the life of the couplers is the habit many have of disconnecting a tool and letting the hose end drop to the floor. The heavy end of any coupler doesn't do well after repeated floor hits.

Kinda funny, just in the shop painting a wheel & looked at my fittings. I thought I recognized the name. But these are very old & yes, I dropped it on the floor right after I took the picture... This one still works ok. Some of mine have no name on them.

[Cardo]

Rural King sells Milton.

[MUSLCAH]

I use the air fitting ..you just jam air fitting onto the air tool.....then push the red button on the side to release.....slicker than snot on a door knob...

[salem1912]

Like to use these Milton with large release collar.

[68ragtop]

I decided to order more of the standard fitting size Miltons. I Really Like the V style NYtrainer made a link to & was going to go that route. But I have so many hoses & tools with the std fittings I don't feel like switching everything over just yet. I also ordered another Flexilla hose. They have come down in price some since my first one a couple years ago. those of you have not tried one of those hoses yet, you really need too. http://www.flexzilla.com/air/air-hose/ I remove the black "grip" ends. The are more of a nuisance for what I do.

[saltman 1965]

I use the Milton M style. That air hose looks nice but down here only a couple times a year it gets below 32 degrees in the shop. Might have to try the V Style if I start to spray more. I go to Cruzin the Coast every year and there is a vendor that I stock up on for cheap. Have seen them on Amazon And Ebay but beware it might be cheap Chinese knock off crap.

[68ragtop]

The hose isn't really about the temperature for me so much as they are lighter & so flexible. My shop is seldom below 65 degrees. I bought my first flexilla just for auto painting so its easier to move the gun around freely. Was very impressed. Just wished (and maybe they will some day) make the hoses in black. They get soooo dirty looking in no time. you can see it in the picture I posted above. still works great, but looks terrible.

If I was starting over, I would gets the V's I just have way to many using the M's & I borrow my air tools out to friends, so they would be switching couplers around too. thought about making a short hose with a V on one end & a M on the other, but just decided to stick with the M's for now.

[dataway]

I was just thinking the other night after reading this topic ... seems like I could drill out some M style male fittings, maybe get some more flow. Looks like they could handle 1/16th without any problems. Looks like the male end is the most restrictive part of the system. Was going to try it on the fittings on the hose at the compressor and the blaster.

[74gto]

I found some Ingersol-Rand 1/4 fittings that are thin walled with large openings. Made out of aluminum. Noticed a difference in my impact gun with more flow.

[dataway]

The cheapo Home Depot couplings I have on most of my stuff has a very thick wall, and not particularly well formed wall either.