Lets Talk Air Compressors

[Brad Johnson]

Are genuine Milton fittings any better than Harbor Freight knock-offs? 

Yes!

Brad

[Ben]

I've ordered a 10 foot (would rather have a 15) 3/8" rubber air hose with 1/4" fittings.  Now I need type M couplers because the fittings on the old hose are crimped on, not threaded.  I'm taking the tire chuck with me to the store so I don't get the wrong kind.  Are genuine Milton fittings any better than Harbor Freight knock-offs?  I've also seen no-name fittings at Home Depot that looked good.

I have had bad luck with the package of Harbor Freight fittings I bought a while back. I recently bought a pack of Husky fittings at Home Depot and am trying them. I haven't used them long enough to review them though, other than "so far, so good".

[K Frame]

'I was in shorts, flip flops, and a tee shirt with a little down vest over it'

Sexy!

 

Odd that it would break like that in not particularly cold weather. How old was it? Could it have been oxygen rot setting in and the cold made it brittler than it otherwise would be?

[zxcvbob]

'I was in shorts, flip flops, and a tee shirt with a little down vest over it'

Sexy!  :barf:

Odd that it would break like that in not particularly cold weather. How old was it? Could it have been oxygen rot setting in and the cold made it brittler than it otherwise would be?

At least it was actual shorts and not my boxers. :D

I don't think so.  It's maybe 5 years old and it was stored in the garage.  When warmed up to room temperature the hose looks and flexes just fine.  The OEM hose was made in China; I think they just didn't use the right kind of PVC because it would cost a penny more to make.  Porter Cable may have paid for the right kind of plastic, I dunno, but they didn't get it and they didn't care enough to test for it.

[K Frame]

OK, PVC, not a rubber hose. Generally those are a lot more immune to oxygen rot, and it if was stored in the garage it wasn't UV rot.

Ah, sweet mystery of life!

[Ben]

OK, PVC, not a rubber hose. Generally those are a lot more immune to oxygen rot, and it if was stored in the garage it wasn't UV rot.

Ah, sweet mystery of life!

I just have rubber hose, and have fired up the compressor in the 20s with no problems for the hose.

[RoadKingLarry]

I'm still using a 50' rubber air hose I "surplussed"* from the Navy 30+ years ago. I've had to replace both of the crimped on fittings with hose clamped fittings but it is still as flexible and as functional as ever.




* It was new issue but had a damaged fitting on one and was going to be thrown away

[zxcvbob]

I have some long black rubber hoses that I bought over 30 years ago that look a little rough but still work just fine; flexible enough and they don't leak.  I also have some 10 year old red rubber hoses, and they are fading and starting to crack.  UV probably, but I didn't think that really affected rubber.  There shouldn't be any ozone in my garage.  The red hoses were stored inside but where the sun could get to them when the garage door is open (and it's open a lot.)  I used those old black hoses outside in the Texas sun for a whole summer and they didn't care.

I went to HD and bought some Husky couplings today.  The new hose gets here tomorrow.

[zxcvbob]

My new air hose got here this morning (UPS delivered it at 06:00, what's up with that?) I thought I was buying a red rubber hose.  This is something else; they call it a "hybrid" but they don't say what they crossed.  It kind of reminds me of good quality vinyl-rubber garden hoses, but thicker.  I like it!  It is flexible, lighter than rubber but still feels sturdy, has a hard slick surface so it should drag well (not that that matters with a 10' hose), and it doesn't seem to kink or try to coil itself back up.  And it's made in USA.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z1K6L3Y  I haven't pressurized it yet. (waiting for the pipe goop to dry since I'm using it over 100 psi)  Maybe I ought to put it in the freezer to see what happens since it's 40° today.

[Cliffh]

  Are genuine Milton fittings any better than Harbor Freight knock-offs?  I've also seen no-name fittings at Home Depot that looked good.

Yes!

Brad

While that's undoubtedly true, I've been using the same HF fittings since the early '80's and they're still working without problems.  Some have been moved from one tool/hose/compressor to another, some are still on the original tools.