> There are (at least) two kinds of air hose
> fittings I've seen: The "automotive" kind,
> and the more common "industrial" kind (which is the
> one
> with the narrower tip.
>
> So how do you decide which to use?
There are a lot more than two. "Industrial", "ARO", "European", "Lincoln",
and "Tru-flate" are just a few. There's lots of good information at
http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?pagenum=250
I started out with "Industrial", but decided to switch after they all
started leaking after just a few years of occasional service. They also
developed a tendency to pop apart suddenly, which I found very worrisome.
50' of 3/8" hose at 175 psi can do a lot of flopping around before the air
runs out. Never actually ruined anything, but I could easily imagine it
taking out a windshield or something. So, based on input from several
sources (including friends in the business), I switched to "Tru-flate"
fittings. That was several years ago, and no leaks or failures so far.
One distinction, though, to connect the Tru-flate fittings, you must first
pull back the collar while forcing the fitting together. This can be harder
to do with one hand than the "push-to-lock" Industrial fittings, where you
just force the fitting together.
Randall
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