Buying a set of air fittings can be convenient. You can always find couplers and plugs at home centers and tool suppliers, but will it fit with your tools, air compressor, and other equipment?
A set gives you a variety of plugs and couplers, usually with both male and female threads.
Will you use all of them? Probably not. I find the convenience to outweigh the wastefulness and am okay having a couple of extra fittings around for when I need them.
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Shown above is a Legacy ColorConnex set, with 1/4″ NPT threads and industrial Type D-style quick connect profile.
You can buy other fitting sets with other profiles – that’s where the color coding comes into play.
Picking up a kit means that all of your fittings will always be compatible, which might not be true if you’re not careful about mixing and matching couplers and plugs from different brands and suppliers.
Milton also has a similar set of color-coded industrial fittings.
Maybe you don’t need 14pc sets, in which case both brands have smaller assortments.
Legacy’s 5pc ColorConnext set is a cost-effective way to get started. It includes a female-threaded quick-release coupler, (3) male-threaded plugs, and (1) female-threaded plug, all 1/4″ NPT. This is enough to replace a hose-end coupler and standardize the connection across a couple of air tools.
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The 5pc set is usually $9-10.
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Steve
I always buy a set as well when needed, although my air usage had gone down significantly since battery tools can do so much now. I have the M18 compressor and inflator and they do everything I need. The convenience of no cords and hoses has been huge…
Bonnie
In my case the “set” was a pile of small parts bins I bought off a retiring guy fifteen years ago who had amassed a collection of 1/4″ NPT fittings, but I definitely agree that air couplers are a good thing to stock up on and keep in stock.
MM
I find myself using fewer pneumatic tools these days. I’ve always used Milton M (aka Industrial or Dixon DF) for 1/4 inch lines. I have had bad luck with off brand fittings leaking as well. Now I buy exclusively Milton, Dixon, or similar USA made ones. The cheap ones aren’t worth messing with. Neither are aluminum or brass male ends (plugs)–they don’t last.
I find that the female couplers are rarely needed–you really only need one of those if you’re doing some kind of new construction–adding a drop, building some piece of machinery which uses air, or perhaps fabricating a hose. So it’s simple enough to buy them alongside the other parts for the project. I might keep one spare around for emergency repair. But the plugs which go on tools are worth keeping a few extras on hand with both male and female pipe threads. You may need one if you get a new tool or borrow a tool that has the wrong fitting on it. They’re also useful for rigging up blow guns, assembling fittings to pressure-test something, and they get damaged over time and require replacement now and then since they’re exposed and stick out of the tools they are attached to. They’re also much cheaper than the female couplers, so I try and keep a handful in my toolbox at all times.
I only use standard shop air for pneumatic tools so I kept all my fittings standardized, but I could see using different types of fittings if you needed to keep certain tools and lines separate. For example, you might have clean dry air (no lubrication) for paint spraying and sandblasting on one set of fittings while you have air that’s gone through a lubricator for running pneumatic tools with a different type of fitting, that way nobody accidentally runs the paint gun with oily air.
Stuart
The same is true for me as well, but there are still plenty of applications for air tools and air lines.
I’ve been planning out a setup for airbrushing, and another for chip removal air streams, and I don’t yet have plans for a permanent air compressor placement. So, I’ll install machine or setup-localized piping and filter/regulator units, to which I’ll connect an air compressor via quick coupler.
Which air compressor? Most I assume have industrial couplers, but every now and then there’s a different one that I need to change out. The same with hoses.
Sticking with one brand and style helps to simplify things. And if/when I need additional fittings, I have them ready.
I priced things out a couple of times before, and the 14pc set works out well.
If not, the 5pc set is a more cost-effective way to get started.
Chris I
HF has a name brand option at their store now. I had been using their really cheap junk for like 6yrs with leaks at the compressor fitting joint as well as at the hose end air pressure nozzle. The tolerances for compressed air wasn’t very good. I just recently changed over to their blue/red brand name stuff just for sh!ts n giggles, and they are awesome.
DC
Milton “V”.
fred
What I have in the shop are mostly Milton industrial style that have served me well – some in use since the 1970’s. For whatever reason – when I piped up the garage – I went with Amflo automotive style – so sometimes I need to do some swapping or try a universal coupler. I have not tried any of the HF couplers – but have bought some Husky (made by Campbell-Hausfeld) at HD and they seemed OK. I have had some leakage issues over the years with mating some plug-ends that came with tools to my quick connectors – sometimes needing to swap out parts for better fit. When I’ve bought pneumatic tools, it was always hard to know who the OEM for the air fitting was – so affixing blame for a poor fit was problematical.
Like others have said, my use of pneumatics has decreased significantly – and we (my wife and I) are happier that the big old compressor is more often silent from lack of use.
KeithinKC
I tried a few brands. Tekton wasn’t great, Milton are always excellent and those ColorConex ones you listed are pretty good too. The ColorConex have done well for the last 6 years at a reasonable price.
Similar to other posters, I have almost 100% converted over to battery tools at this point. I do have a 30 gallon compressor that I use to clear sprinkler lines and for using a cutting wheel since my Milwaukee 90 degree grinder with cutting wheel gets hot too fast. Also still have a pancake compressor for air nailers, but those are getting replaced with battery options too!
David
I got tired of making mistakes with these. I purchased a set from the most reliable – most likely store to still be around selling the same type in 10-20 years. Harbor Freight.
Stuart
Sure, but will they ever change suppliers?
The brand isn’t as important as being consistent.
10-20 years ago, how many Sears stores were there? What did people assume about Sears’ longevity?
skfarmer
me thinks you missed the tounge in cheek humor stuart.
Stuart
Are you sure they’re joking? Seems like a 4-1 chance they’re 100% sincere.
Adam
A bunch of Milton high flow couplers and ends have dropped to crazy prices on Amazon the last few months. 10 universal couplers for ~$14, 10 ends for ~$1.50.
I changed one of the outputs on the compressor, and changed out all my fittings to high flow. Even with my small 6gal pancake, I noticed an improvement.
While most of my tools, or all really, are cordless, I have found myself using air a lot more lately for cleaning. Hard substitute for that
Bill
I have been using Parker Hannifin pneumatic fittings for many years now. The 30 series quick connect couplings with easy one handed connect and disconnect are my favorite. Parker Hannifin connectors have been an industry standard for years and will probably be around long after I am gone. They can be found online at places like Zoro and Grainger as well as local hydraulic supply houses.
Skfarmer
I was told there would be no math!
Chip
I bought 10 Milton high flow male and female several years ago,for $50ish?
Best thing about a specialty fitting, no body wants to borrow a tool with them on!
JoeM
I… Only need air for replacing compressed air cans… I have the DeWALT Cordless Tire Inflator, and it is mostly capable of everything I need… I’m pondering the DeWALT 20V Air Compressor to step it up… I thought it would be a simple matter of that, plus a hose with a quick disconnect on one side, so I could potentially switch back and forth between a simple blower, and an Airbrush, at most.
I’m reading this article, and everyone’s responses, and it sounds like I have underestimated what I need to buy for this setup. And I have done so quite drastically! Now I’m a bit worried I’m looking into an entirely different setup than I thought! What quick-connect system appears to matter a lot more than I anticipated.
Stuart
Start off with an air compressor – which usually has a quick-release coupler, get an air hose – either with preinstalled fittings or separate fittings – and plugs for each additional device or connection.
With airbrushes, that’s always a headache as most models do NOT have NPT-style fittings and require some kind of *something* to NPT adapter.
For a blower handle, you just need a plug. If things don’t fit together, or you need to fit ends to a hose with threaded ends, that’s where a quick-connect kit really helps.
For an airbrush, you really need to contact the manufacturer about compatibility, or get a hose with NPT on one end – to which you can attach a plug – and an end fitting compatible with your make/model airbrush. Also don’t forget to install a filter or moisture trap.
Al
I’ve been buying the HF 57571, 5-in-1 coupler with a safety release. The ring lets out the air with less noise and nothing blowing at the user. Also lets you connect the hose or tool with no pressure.
For 12 bucks, not an expensive replacement. If I get 5-10 years, it will be worth it. No more walks back and forth because everybody else is afraid of the whoosh. My kids will use it now.
Kbustera
No one mentions of Stedlin? I love them. Quiet, easy connect and disconnect, and high flow (with data to back it up).