Air chuck

[fixerupper]

Who makes a good air chuck that doesn't start hissing at you after two days of use? I can't seem to find quality anymore. I have tried new male fittings because they wear too but a new female will still start failing after a very sort time. I used to get at least a couple of months good use out of these.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Might try ARO brand, they seem to be a little heavier-duty, made of steel instead of brass.

The Milton's are repairable, take it apart and turn the washer over. The washers are available individually, or with repair kits that have the spring and plunger. But they do tend to wallow out the inside, once that happens they're beyond repair.

But what you don't want to do is bring in another style that won't work with what is already in the shop! Some look identical, but won't quite work. I've run into that buying off brands at HD/Lowes.

 

[Ted in NE-OH]

One of the problems is that there are so many different types of these couplers that are close but not exactly compatible that if
you mix them they will leak.

 

[fixerupper]

I do admit two of the air tools I use commonly that are hard on air fittings are the air chisel and needle scaler. The shoulders on the male fittings visibly wear on those two tools so they are bound to be hard on the FM chuck too. I do try to use fittings from the same manufacturer but mix ups can happen. One buddy of mine who lives in Waterloo introduced me to the brand of coupler Deere supposedly used at that time. It did last longer but was terribly hard to couple up.

 

[gab]

Don't see a name on them, but this is what we used at work, 1/4 inch or bigger hole in them. Think I could get at least 2 or 3 years out my hoses. Nobody said a word to me about turning them in when I retired, most guys did when they quit. Between the box in the garage and my shop/shed, blow guns to impacts and every thing in-between I must have close to 40 of the male ends screwed into something.

 

[Handyman]

(quoted from post at 10:53:39 06/04/16) Don't see a name on them, but this is what we used at work, 1/4 inch or bigger hole in them. Think I could get at least 2 or 3 years out my hoses. Nobody said a word to me about turning them in when I retired, most guys did when they quit. Between the box in the garage and my shop/shed, blow guns to impacts and every thing in-between I must have close to 40 of the male ends screwed into something.

those are the type M couplers, looks like the 3/8 size. those come in at least three sizes 1/4,3/8,and 1/2 inch.

 

[JF in MI]

I buy the steel ones over the brass. Not because it is more durable but usually the design is slightly different and they can be
unscrewed apart. I then sand down the end (of the part that holds the coupler balls) where it meets the rubber. Holds the chuck
much tighter against the rubber and I have no leak issues.

 

[MSM]

Maybe use a short whip hose on the tools that vibrate alot. Screw the whip into the tool and put the male coupler on the other end. The whip will take all the vibration and not the coupler.

 

[fixerupper]

Good idea. I never thought about a whip.

 

[D beatty]

I have brass air chucks that are 30 years old and still work fine. If they want to leak a little I give them a twist or plug and unplug them several times.

 

[Dalex]

Milton and Amflo are good brands

 

[Phil9N3667]

I've been using the ones like gab shows in his pics for about 17 years now. Used them for a year and a half at one shop and then for the past 15 years at two shops. Granted, they're harder to hook up/unhook, but last a whole lot longer than the 1/4" couplers that most folks use. They also flow more air. I can't think of the Milton model number, but they're worth the extra bucks if you use a lot of air tools.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Used Foster where I used to work. Usually with 3/8 hose. They are brass with an outside ferrule that screws on over the hose and a tapered inner end that threads into the outer. The taper expands the hose to lock on. Reusable.

 

[504]

Slide the collar back and tighten the end with pliers. They unscrew themselves and then the balls fall out.

 

[old]

But that is not an air chuck it is a quick connect.. An air chuck is what you use to air up a tire a quick connect it how you hook up a hose. Yep I like to use correct terms. Back years ago when I worked at Tracker Marine I had to deal with those all the time and found you could take them apart and flip the rubber washer over and they would work fine for a while but now days things have gotten so poorly made you lucky if they work at all

 

[Alan K]

I second the whip hose. That will help, plus you can get into places easier at times as there isnt the bulk of the connector in the way.

 

[Stephen Newell]

Could it be your exaggerating the two months? That coupler looks more like it has been used a couple years. Anyway you are right some couplers don't last as long as others. I still buy cheap ones though, just keep a handful of new ones in stock. It doesn't take five minutes to change one out.

 

[Chris in SK]

I switched over to Milton V type. The good thing
with V's is male M types will still work on tools I
didn't change over yet. I have an 18 inch whip on
my hammer. I try not to drag couplings around the
floor.

 

[hd6gtom]

fixerupper -- in the tire shop we found the only quick disconnects that were dependable were Parker brand. we got them from our tire shop supply guy. They would last years in daily use, unless some clown stuck them on a valve stem and tried to air up a tire. it did not matter what brand you had, they were toast.

 

[TIGT]

We buy all of our air couplers at NAPA

 

[El Hombre]

Get one you can attach to the valve stem and step away. Don't ask me how I know this....