Harbor Freight 3/8" Auto Coupler Kit + Alternatives
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- čas přidán 16. 02. 2018
- There are a few discussions about where to find alternatives for this kit that Harbor Freight offers. This is what I've found so far.
Harbor Freight 1/4" - 3/8" automotive coupler kit.
Look at Home Depot if you want the full kit, or Milton P Style #1809 if you just need the air plugs.
Milton #1805 is the coupler if needed. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I just did a rather large air plant upgrade to 3/8" quick disconnects (industrial). HF only carries the automotive style. I obtained my industrial quick disconnects at Menard's (a Midwest large hardware chain). But, even the Menard's kits had limited fittings.
But, as with all mechanical and fix-it difficult-to-obtain items, it was McMaster-Carr to the rescue.
FYI, I was upgrading the air plant to operate a new 3/4" impact hammer at full-power.
AWESOME...THANKS
You can also buy generic ones from O'Reilly's for a buck a piece Part # 15-7325 They also have the female plugs and couplers sold individually.
Generally, any auto parts store will have them, but they might not carry a generic brand and will be more expensive than those Miltons. The problem with finding them is that not all brands use the same name for that type of fitting. It's becoming more common to call them "automotive", but they're also referred to as "tru flate" or "truflate" (which causes even more confusion because there's also a brand called tru flate which makes a variety of air fittings). Then there's companies, like Milton, that use letters to address the different types. For these fittings, Milton calls them "P style" while the ones from O'Reilly's are labeled "Type G". It's just a big mess if you don't know what you're looking for.
Over the past few years, high flow fittings are becoming more popular and preferred. You can get a 1/4" NPT fitting with a 1/4" plug body (technically 3/8" body) with the flow of a 3/8" body. This means you don't have to deal with the extra bulk and weight of a 3/8" coupler. Of course, high flow fittings suffer from the same naming problems as every other fitting in North America. They're a European fitting style and are commonly referred to as a "euro style", but different brands have different names for them. Milton calls them "V style", Flexzilla calls them "pro high flow", Husky calls them "high flow" (husky ones are junk, too fragile), Prevost also "high flow", Coilhose "Megaflow", and etc.. Also, some paint sprayer brands call them HVLP fittings. They're all interchangeable, but I would highly recommend sticking to a brand since some of them appear to have very minor differences in design which may lead to problems depending on tolerances. In other words, if you go with Milton V-style plugs, make sure to use Milton couplers to avoid air leaks long term. If you want to use Prevost safety couplers, stick with Prevost air plugs since it seems the coupler works better with their own fittings.
Ultimately, as long as people start understanding that the 1/4" industrial plugs that come installed on every air tool are junk, switching to anything else is a benefit. The 1/4" automotive style fittings are better and were probably the most popular in shops for several years. They have a slightly larger orifice that provides slightly better airflow than the industrial style and tend to not leak like industrial. The 3/8" version are better, but the bulkiness of the couplers prevented them from getting popular.
... and that's probably more than anyone expects from a youtube comment. Just thought I'd share all that because I thought it was interesting to see someone bring up this kit from HF which I used to be a fan of for years.
RoloisRight Thanks for the info! The O'Reilly generics make it so much more affordable to update all my fittings.
Ze26 You're welcome. Here's all the relevant part numbers
15-7325 male air plug
15-7335 female air plug
15-7321 male coupler
15-7327 female coupler
HOLY SHIT!!!!!....YOU WIN THE COMMENTS OF THE YEAR AWARD!!!!...WOW....THANKS