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Confused about air compressor fittings

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air compressor air hose fittings
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118K views 30 replies 18 participants last post by  bigike  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello there,

my sweet wife got me a nail gun combo (Freeman P4FRFNCB) which I wanted for a long time. She didn't think about the air compressor though…

I will probably go for the Dewalt DWFP55130 air compressor, 'should be sufficient for finish nailing and the occasional framing.

What I am confused about is what hose I need. The Dewalt, and most other compressors that I have seen, have a quick-connect type of fitting, but all the air hoses that I see available, have a different fitting? Do I need to buy another adapter to connect the hose to the air compressor? The Dewalt has a 1/4" industrial quick connect type.

Can anybody tell me which would be the right hose to get, and, if necessary, which adapter?

Thanks for any help in advance…
 
J
#3 ·
Air hoses typically come with brass pipe threads, ready to accept the quick-connect fitting of your choice.

For nail guns, I use 1/4" hose-although 3/8" hose is ok, too, but 1/4" fittings should be plenty.

There are two common "standard" quick-connect fittings: Milton-type, and Tru-Flate type (sometimes called "type M" and "type T"). Around here, the Milton is the most common, but when I lived in another state, Tru-Flate was more common. Pick your style.

Milton:
Image


Tru-Flate:

Image


You can make an adapter by threading the male end of one type into the female end of another type.
 

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#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
DrTebi, it depends on how much air you will need and the distance you will need to run the hose. 1/4" should be fine for the purposes you mentioned, but if you ever want to use an air sander at a distance you would need to go to 3/8" hose and fittings. I recently purchased a PVC hose and like it because it is lighter weight and less expensive than a rubber one. You don't need 3/8" however.
 
#7 ·
OK, I am a little smarter now. But as I mentioned before, it seems that all hoses come with a screw-type end, called MPT or MNPT fitting. So in order to connect nail gun and compressor, I need to get 1/4" interchange connectors, is that correct?

So I need, for example, an MPT to Industrial Interchange adapter for both ends of the hose?

I have a the Teflon pipe tape…
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
The hoses rarely have quick connects. They use pipe thread fittings as you noticed. Get a male quick connect for one end, and a quick coupler (female) for the other… I've used the HF ones and they seem to do just as good a job as any of the others: In essence, you are just extending the quick coupler that is on the compressor out to the end of the hose.

Image


But you can get them at any of the big box stores, tractor supply, hardware stores, etc…

Cheers,
Brad
 
#9 ·
Milton makes three versions, following Alaska guy's graphic above, you'll see Type M, A, or I on the package. They don't interchange well, if at all. If you look closely at Jerry's graphic, the Tru-Flate is the same as a Milton Type A.

Lots of nail guns, including some Porter Cable examples, come with a Type M connector pre-installed.

Shop around, Milton prices can vary widely. I'm lucky to have a local tool shop, Coastal Tool, that sells all three genuine Milton variants at extremely attractive prices.

I have some of the Harbor Freight type M, and some work fine, others don't completely seal if the female is disconnected, and a few others have gotten stuck together, where the female wouldn't eject the male end, so I went back to buying Milton. I also have some connectors from the big box home centers, and they appear identical to the Harbor Freight versions, but function better. This may be one of those HF items where the buyer is the QC dept.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
Set everything up with quick connect fittings. That way it is easy to remove the hose from the compressor, or change tools. I have always used the Milton type (type 15 in the photo above). They work fine. My compressor has a female quick connect, and the end of the hose has a male quick connect.
On the other end of the hose I have a female quick connect, and the tool itself has a male quick connect.

I run a 50' 3/8" Flexzilla hose, which works fine. 3/8 hose is compatible with 1/4" NPT fittings, it is just a slightly larger hose diameter.
 
T
#11 ·
I own 7 nail/staple guns (PC/Bostich/Dewalt). They all came with the 1/4" "male" quick connect fittings installed. If you go with a "pancake" compressor it will likely come with a hose "ready to go". Other hoses will likely come with the threaded male…I buy those kits that include the female quick connect and other pieces (like tire inflators). Won't break the bank.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Alright, so I think my questions have been answered, thanks to everyone.

I will need a hose and couplers. That's the part I was most unsure about.

Now I have another question… I just looked into the manual of the finishing nailer, and it says that it requires 9.39 SCFM with 100 fasteners per minute @90 psi. But that doesn't mean my compressor does need to have 9.39 SCFM, does it? If that's so, I am looking at a big compressor in the $800+ range?

If I use a compressor with less SCFM, does it simply mean it will shoot less nails per minute, or will I not have enough power to properly seat a e.g. 2 1/2" nail?

Man this stuff is confusing… maybe I should just keep hammering by hand, but I have at least 300 lft more to go in baseboards etc!
 
#14 ·
The pressure (PSI) dictates how deep you can sink a nail. The SCFM dictates nails per minute.

- gfadvm
Click to expand...
Thanks, that makes more sense. The funny thing is, the online manual of the same nailer must be newer, and they took out the SCFM requirement completely.

Anyway, I went with the following items:

  • DEWALT DWFP55130 (link)
  • Goodyear EP 46504 (link)
  • Central Pneumatic 12 Piece Professional Air Tool Accessory Kit (link)

... and a few nails. Should work.
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
* Central Pneumatic 12 Piece Professional Air Tool Accessory Kit (link)
- DrTebi
Click to expand...
Not to distract from your purchases… but that "Central Pneumatic" kit for $25 on amazon is an HF brand and can be had for $12 directly from Harbor Freight with a 20% off coupon (or $14.99 without one). I'm amazed that Amazon has that much of a mark-up for a HF tool.

Also, CFM (or SCFM) is pretty irrelevant to a nailer… it only shoots a short burst with each nail at the rated PSI. That is why the little bitty pancake compressors can be used. CFM is much more important for something like a spray gun or die grinder where the air stream is for the most part continuous, and the CFM rating of the compressor will dictate how long it can be run before having to kick in. Using a high demand CFM tool with a low CFM capable compressor will cause it to run continuously, and could eventually over-run the compressors ability to run the tool at all.

Cheers,
Brad
 
#16 ·
  • Central Pneumatic 12 Piece Professional Air Tool Accessory Kit (link)
    - DrTebi

Not to distract from your purchases… but that "Central Pneumatic" kit for $25 on amazon is an HF brand and can be had for $12 directly from Harbor Freight with a 20% off coupon (or $14.99 without one). I m amazed that Amazon has that much of a mark-up for a HF tool.

Cheers,
Brad

- MrUnix
Click to expand...
Yes, but I would have to pay shipping… which I don't with Amazon. I am not a Amazon fanboy or anything, but sometimes it just works out the best.
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
Yes, but I would have to pay shipping… which I don't with Amazon.
- DrTebi
Click to expand...
Or just pick it up at the store :)

They are based out of CA and have more store in that state than any other AFAIK… (and a quick search turned up 10 near SF)... You mean you don't have one somehere close? I feel for you man! I'm in a little rinky dink town all the way across the country that the majority of the country has never even heard of, and we even got one!

Cheers,
Brad
 
#18 ·
Yes, but I would have to pay shipping… which I don t with Amazon.
- DrTebi

Or just pick it up at the store :)

They are based out of CA and have more store in that state than any other AFAIK… (and a quick search turned up 10 near SF)... You mean you don t have one somehere close? I feel for you man! I m in a little rinky dink town all the way across the country that the majority of the country has never even heard of, and we even got one!

Cheers,
Brad

- MrUnix
Click to expand...
Well, the thing is, I don't own a car… I do the city-car-share thing and do the occasional big grocery shopping day, or get their truck for picking up wood. But for $15 savings it would not be worth it :)
 
R
#20 ·
I wonder if anyone is still following this discussion. I, too, am confused about compressor couplers.
I won a compressor and nail gun in a raffle! It was a DeWalt DWFP55126 Compressor and it comes with one length of hose. I want to buy a blow-gun for cleaning off dust and am looking at one from Milton. But I'm confused about the fittings. The compressor lists that it takes 1/4" thread and that the hose is fitted for "universal industrial quick-release" . So I know I need to put a 1/4 female to a quick-release fitting on the blow gun I buy. But as described above (two years ago, I know, but maybe someone will see this message) Milton lists several styles of quick-connect: M-, A-, T-, AMT-, D-, L-, and V-style. No where in DeWalt's manual or on their website can I find anything that give me more specific information than "industrial quick-release." Which style from Milton would I buy to fit the hose and connectors that came with this compressor and nail gun kit?
Thank you so much for helping!
 
J
#21 ·
The array of air fittings can be confusing, for sure.

The two most common 1/4" fittings-in my experience-are the "Milton" type (sometimes called type M or type 16) and the "Tru-Flate" (sometimes called type T or type 15). Your "Universal" female fitting should fit both.

Your blow-gun should be connected to a male fitting, not a female. The first fitting exiting the compressor should be female (so it keeps the pressure in the tank when the hose is disconnected). The air tools that you attach to the hose should have male fittings.

Here is a pic of 3 fairly common fitting types. HTH
Image
 

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O
#22 ·
I have had trouble getting the 'Universal' connectors to work with all fittings.

So I have taken to installing a 'Y' block and putting both 'M' and 'T' fittings on my compressors. That way I can't lose them and can always connect any hose up.

Always a good idea to make up a kit that has a few of every sort of connector so when someone shows up with an obscure connector you can adapt to it. They're pretty cheap all in all. Fasten it to the compressor so you can't misplace it. Don't forget to restock it when you have to give someone else a fitting because they don't have such a kit! ;-)
 
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