This channel started out as a way to show my home made 3D videos. It has become a way to show what I have learned about pneumatic fittings. I started by designing an air compressor from scratch and it evolved from there. While I was testing prototypes I became aware of how poorly designed pneumatic couplers are. I wound up designing my own plugs and couplers and now sell them under the Stedlin brand. I started the company with some friends and now we manufacture them and sell them in Duluth Minnesota.
If you oil them a bit they dont fail, they are also harder to open because they have a larger opening which means more air rests on the plug you are moving inside. But there are huge consistent psi and cfm gains with this style.
I've been asking this question a lot and got many different answers. I was led to believe that the plug is the only part that is highflow and the coupler does nothing different other than accept the high flow plug. You are saying that the coupler itself is responsible for the higher flow rate? What is the purpose of opening the plug internal diameter then?
My air impact will not run with standard I/M 1/4" plugs. Only with v style or t automotive style. The standards also restrict my iwata hvlp lph400 but not my conventional w400. Too much pressure drop especially when using a cheater valve. The cheater combined with I/M plugs really cause a restriction. When painting I like to set the wall regulator as low as possible to maintain around 35psi at the gun so I don't get fluctuation when the tank pressure is around cut in. If I use standard fittings and 90psi at the wall, I don't get enough pressure to my hvlp. With standards and my conventional, I can set the wall at 50-60psi and maintain pressure
I have been using the "v" style miltons for 2 years now and im done with them. Continued coupler failures and takes way too much effort to attatch. I now switched to a P style and am going to see how they hold up long term.
This is 100% correct and a complete waste of money if you buy these and think you can use them with different tools. I was able to pry the cupler back with a small pry tool
Nice videos. I am now rebuilding the backbone of my air system in the garage. I knew about milton M style, which is what i was using, but did not know about steadlin, so decided to go with 1/2 inch hoses and Milton G style for the backbone routes. How does steadlin compare to G style? Any reason not to just go with G style everywhere if weight and size don't bother me? basically trying to decide on couplers to use on 1/4 inch hoses that would plug into 1/2 inch backbone at the pressure regulator for low cfm demand uses.
No joke, the Stedlin couplings are in a special class of their own! High flow, way less bulky and lighter weight, very safe, super easy to connect or disconnect under pressure, well engineered and top quality made. You'll feel it just when it's in your hand. They are a joy to use! Check out all the videos. I bought the professional kit. Buy once, cry once but I never regretted it.
High flow is better if your using air tools that need a ton of air if it’s an air gun you don’t need a high flow fittings you only need a industrial fittings or automotive fittings but for die grinders definitely high flow fittings are the best option this is my personal opinion
I think you might want to adjust your test apparatus mate. 75% more area making only 10% more CFM is a red flag. E.G. If you are using a regulator at the compressor then that is the bottleneck. In which case your findings look plausible, because you aren’t testing the fitting, you’re testing your regulator.
Another restriction on top of that small M connector, with an impact gun no less, no thanks. I guess he doesn't work on cars/trucks for a living. I like that he admits the pressure drop with his favorite swivel coupler at least. My shop went all 3/8th hose large bore, and all high flow V Type fittings, never going back, also they accept our low demand tools with their M type no problems.. life is too short for air restrictions.
I ran v styles for 2 years and won't ever use them again. Constantly cooking off and pissing air constantly out the couplers. Not to mention what a pain in the ass they are to connect. I now use p style. Way better system with the same flow rate. The couplers last 20xs longer because they are made of steel and use 8 steel bearings to lock up. Also takes less than half the force to connect a tool. For what it's worth Our shop air set up is A 10hp Quincy with a 200 gallon tank unregulated to 180psi static. Our air is plummed with 1" pipe and goes down to our 1/2" hoses.
I think the better interpretation of the result is: "Wow, 10% more flow with just a nipple change when there's all that other restriction in the system!". The High flow drops pressure only to 104.7 (and rising) while the standard flow nipples drop pressure to 97.5 (and falling). It would be nice if the system was allow to achieve equilibrium before the camera panned away. So even with all that other restriction, the nipple change alone is good for >8psi less pressure drop. That's significant to me. If you run shorter hoses of larger diameter, the significance of the high flow fittings only increases. Air plumbing has no magic bullets. It's the death of a thousand cuts, so building a low restriction system means looking at every part of it-- not just a fitting or coupler. I consider the system shown to have excessive restriction with other nipple because some smaller compressors have cut in pressures under 125psi. So if you have a regulator that maxes out at 125 (like my Milton does) then the compressor won't cut in until you are below your regulated pressure value, which defeats the regulator. Thus, the advantage of the low restriction plumbing is that you can run a lower regulator pressure (static) for any dynamic pressure value. And this helps assure the cut in pressure on the compressor will always be above regulated and you'll never fall off the regulator.
I was a bit surprised to learn that even the new Prevost I just bought is still pretty hard to connect against 120psi (I run 120 to get my dynamic at 90 for my air gun). That's really irritating when you are having to swap tools dozens of times as a DIYer in the garage. Conversely, the vented 5-in-1 safety coupler is effortless all the time because there's never pressure to fight.
I got the Milton S style plugs and brass connectors and they are a pain because you need to pull the connector back to insert the plug . I used to use their Lincoln at work and they were even worse and also the poppet would stick most of the time. I am 74 and usually connect the tool with no pressure in the line now days using my old sears 12 gallon 5.8CFM @ 90 PSI twin cylinder belt driven oil lubed army green air compressor . I have a Milton water trap with no quick coupler at the 3/8" hose just the hose end to the air tool . Since it is a 1/4" regulator using high flow fittings I doubt they will make enough difference as far as CFM drop is concerned.
Thank you Frank.. and the other commenters having the same issue. I've endured this Milton 764 and 765 failure for several years, just moving the bad couplers to a connection that stays in place.. till I forget and release the hose.. blammo, wide open failure. I have three of these doing the same thing, and others (Milton 764/765) that have been working fine for the same duration. Like one commenter suggested, dumping the line pressure works.. but that's not an option on my tank mounted couplers. And like you mention Frank.. the 40# plus tool insertion force is getting really old! Definitely going to try the Menards's Master Force at 21# *Thanks for the engineering viewpoint!* PS.. for others doubting the 40# insertion requirement at 120# Air, the 764/765 with no air pressure click in effortlessly against that spring alone🙂 adding air pressure brings mine up over 40# .. way too high!
@@Stedlin you just demonstrated the flow psi of the stedlin female coupler using a stedlin male fitting and compared the difference in psi flow to the high flow connectors, right? Is there a difference of 1 psi between your female coupler fitted with a standard high flow male connector? also, will any 1/4 inch male standard coupler connect into the female stedlin? Here's what I want. A female air coupler that will work with high flow and M style couplers because I hate how hard it is to get the male fittings into my air line couplers.
You didn't answer my questions, but I bought your coupler anyway. It is very expensive, but it is the best coupler out there. It is exactly what I was looking for.
This clown is always trying to shit on high flow plugs/couplers by claiming that they’re aluminum, ignoring the huge amount of brass and steel options, which will greatly outlive the aluminum Stedlin junk, and cost a fraction of the price. Snake oil.
Why is it my 3" cutoff wheel cuts metal faster with the milton? I do notice my air compressor turns on quicker. I run 120 psi in my tank compressor is rated at 30cfm.
Many old style non HiFlo couplers are very restrictive. Most people incorrectly assume that a flow improvement is caused by the large bore plug when in many cases it’s is because of the coupler.
How long do they last? I work in a classic car restoration shop and I’m absolutely sick of buying fittings and couplers every other month and they start leaking…..
Unlike most couplers the Stedlins are designed to be leak tight for many years. They utilize properly designed o-rings seats with optimized load factors.
I have one of your couplers I’ve had it for about one year and it is very hard to put on it does not lock into place most of the time and when this happens it makes a super loud air noise I have to physically push it so it will slide into place with arthritis hands this is virtually impossible for me so I had to remove it I know these are of quality I think I just got a bad one is there anything you can do about this for me Please advise thanks
