Advice please -Air Compressor -Euro Coupler or PCL fittings?

[bilabonic]

Hi all.

I have read a few threads on here and still slightly confused on what route to take tbh.

I have a SGS compressor with 1/4”BSP and Euro plug in ends.

I also had the the tools all short Euro style.

Plus the cheapy plastic siding hose also has a female Euro end for tools I already have other end is make and goes into compressor.

Do I stay with the shorter Euro tyoe ends sds my blowers/tyre inflator/sprayer etc all have these or do I swap to the longer PCL type.

I only found out there was another type as I purchased a air hammer to reclaim/clean bricks.

I also want a decent 10m rubber hose but there are non on EBay with the female euro ends pressed on?

Where do I go from here guys?
Switch to PLE and use an adapter fir my tools?
What about the line then as it would not fit compressor???

Pics below

Cheers

My existing tool ends that fit my cheap female to female spring hose. Plus the longer PLE fitting that came with my new hammer gun.



This is my hose that I want to replace as it plastic /brittle/spring loaded.
It has female end for tools. Male into compressor.


It seems most air line is the longer PLE type?

Any suggestions on what to use as standard and what 10m line I require?

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I use pneumatic tools for sub-flooring and structural flooring work (nailing) and I've been on Euro fittings for maybe 20 years, having chosen CEJNs over PCLs in the 1980s. With high air volume tools the Euro fittings are streets ahead of the old PCL types because they have a bigger 'ole, so have a higher flow rate (not surprising as the PCL connectors date back to about the 1920s or 30s). This makes PCL a poor choice on tools such as needle scalers, etc. The only time this affects most users is if they need to run a very long hose like I sometimes do (say 50 metres plus), when you find some tools can become a bit breathless. PCL connectors also seem more likely to accidentally disconnect than Euros.

So one vote for Euros here

Incidentally, PCL manufacture their own Euro-compatible fittings called "XF". These are Euro fitting and are incompatible with the original PCLs

I'd chuck the "curly whirly" hose - they mark stuff and seem to trap and drag everything around. Especially bad when spraying, sanding or working on finished materials (e.g. polished floors). Something like a 10 or 12mm ID (3/8 in or 1/2in in old money) reinforced rubber hose is best for longer distances (more durable but the black rubber can mark delicate surfaces). For shorter distances in relatively clean environments I use 8 or 10mm ID reinforced PVC. Not as durable, but lighter. I also fit all my pneumatic tools with a whip hose:

rather than have a make connector direct into the tool, which can cause premature cracking of the end casting of the tool with frequent tool swapping (and in any case as I am trade I am also following HSE recommendations on this one)

 

[bilabonic]

Great reply.
Think I will stick with Euro Type then.
Tbh I only use it a few times a year and yes the curled 3m hose is absolute pain!

I have looked on EBay and all the hoses with mail/female ends seem to be PLE?

I also noticed that you can just purchase the hose separately with no ends. I then presume I just need to order the correct size end s to fit plus jubilee clips doubled up oe something?

I have also seen adapters from one to another but don’t want to go down that route.

Plus I have seen on screwfix that is listed as a PLE fitting yet the pic is clearly Euro style??

I’m presuming below would screw into my new gun which is 1/4” BSP ams the other end would fit my SGS Euro hose.

I’ll get there in the end. Lol

PCL AA7102 XF Male Adaptor Plug 1/4" x 1/4" - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Provides the workshop with increased airflow when required, enhancing air tool efficiency. Hardened steel with corrosive-resistant plating for long life and durability. For use with PCL XF-Euro couplings (sold separately). Designed and manufactured in Sheffield...

www.screwfix.com

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I have looked on EBay and all the hoses with mail/female ends seem to be PLE?

PLE? Most of the hoses I've looked at have either PCL ends or threaded ends, either NPT or BSPT. Most non European tools seem to come with a NPT female threaded body, so I make up my whip hoses by using an appropriate NPTM (male) x barbed air hose connector, a length of air hose, two crimp connectors (which technically require a special crimp tool but in reality can be pressed to fit using a bluntish pair of carpenters nippers) and a barbed air hose x Euro male end. This is a BSPT male x barbed hose connector and a hose crimp with the crimping tool and a hose cutter (sorry, no spare other ends or hose at the moment):

Hoses come in various sizes with dimensions stated as inside diameters (ID) and the banjos come in different sizes to fit them. BTW don't worry too much about NPT and BSPT - BSPT forms a non-air tight connection with NPT, you make it air tight by wrapping the male threads with a turn of PTFE tape before assembling.

The collated flooring nailer in my previous post uses this type of banjo crimp at the body end of the whip hose

There are other hose connection clips such as this type used a lot on cars:

Again, these can be tightened with a pair of nippers. I don't but Jubilee clips as they are quite bulky and can catch on stuff

Another way to buy a hose is simply to buy one with BSP threaded ends (often 3/8in BSPM or 3/8in BSPF) and add your own adaptors, such as these (from top to bottom - BSPM x Euro female, BSPF x Euro female, BSPM x Euro male, BSPF x Euro male):

They are all 3/8in (I think), but 1/4in is another common size, especially on smaller tools with limited air consumption

Hope this helps

 

[Burnerman]

Great posts from J&K there......!
Use the biggest diameter hoses possible and keep them short as possible if you are using heavy duty air tools. Coiled hoses are hopeless.
I have a 14 cfm compressor that struggled with PCL stuff - I use euro now and have drilled them out a little on a lathe. I've never had an issue with jubilee clip connections at 120 psi.
Mind you, I'm converted to battery guns now!
John

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I have a 14 cfm compressor that struggled with PCL stuff - I use euro now and have drilled them out a little on a lathe. I've never had an issue with jubilee clip connections at 120 psi.

I still have an 11cfm 110 volt compressor for sub-flooring work (e.g. diaphragm floors where we look at driving 10 to 15k nails a daybetween two of us) as well as a smaller 7cfm model, again 110 volt. In site work you are extremely limited in how far away from your site transformer (a big 10 or 20kVA box) you can habe the compressor, so the it is never on more than 100ft of 6mm 3-core x 32Amp extension cable, to minimise voltage drop (16A cables don't cut it). The rest of the distance to the work area I do with up to a couple of hundred feet of 12mm ID rubber hoses with Euros on them, and maybe a 40 to 50ft PVC 10mm ID over the floor, which is just enough to keep my Senco first fix gun going. But only just. I did wonder about Schrader connectors, which have a higher flow rate, but TBH I haven't thought much about it recently

 

[lostinthelight]

If your securing the fittings with clips it sometimes gets a tighter fit by dipping the end in hot water which softens the tube

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Use the biggest diameter hoses possible and keep them short as possible if you are using heavy duty air tools. Coiled hoses are hopeless.

I have/use a coiled hose plugged in to a socket at the roof of my workshop, close to the workbench. It's quite handy for use on the bench, and tucks itself away when not needed - but worse than useless on the floor..

 

[Burnerman]

I use a coiled hose for the blow gun or tyre inflation, but when using the windy spanner it needs all the volume of air that it can get!
John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

For blowing my tyres up, I bought one of those Aldi/Lidl auto-rewinding air hoses long ago. Compressor is at the rear end of the garage, so I piped air all the way to the front, and fitted the auto-rewind by the big front door. That makes it easy to just reverse the car out, plug in the gauge, and pull it out to the far corner first, then work back to the other corners. What ever length you pull out, it latches - I haven't quite worked out how to trigger it to rewind the hose reliably yet, so it takes me a few attempts

 

[Burnerman]

I've done much the same - I use a quality plastic hose strapped to the garage ceiling and a couple of Q/D outlets at the door.
I did away with one of the compressor air taps just to minimise any restriction.
John

 

[bilabonic]

PLE? Most of the hoses I've looked at have either PCL ends or threaded ends, either NPT or BSPT. Most non European tools seem to come with a NPT female threaded body, so I make up my whip hoses by using an appropriate NPTM (male) x barbed air hose connector, a length of air hose, two crimp connectors (which technically require a special crimp tool but in reality can be pressed to fit using a bluntish pair of carpenters nippers) and a barbed air hose x Euro male end. This is a BSPT male x barbed hose connector and a hose crimp with the crimping tool and a hose cutter (sorry, no spare other ends or hose at the moment):

View attachment 311871

Hoses come in various sizes with dimensions stated as inside diameters (ID) and the banjos come in different sizes to fit them. BTW don't worry too much about NPT and BSPT - BSPT forms a non-air tight connection with NPT, you make it air tight by wrapping the male threads with a turn of PTFE tape before assembling.

The collated flooring nailer in my previous post uses this type of banjo crimp at the body end of the whip hose

There are other hose connection clips such as this type used a lot on cars:

View attachment 311872

Again, these can be tightened with a pair of nippers. I don't but Jubilee clips as they are quite bulky and can catch on stuff

Another way to buy a hose is simply to buy one with BSP threaded ends (often 3/8in BSPM or 3/8in BSPF) and add your own adaptors, such as these (from top to bottom - BSPM x Euro female, BSPF x Euro female, BSPM x Euro male, BSPF x Euro male):

View attachment 311881

They are all 3/8in (I think), but 1/4in is another common size, especially on smaller tools with limited air consumption

Hope this helps

Thank for a brilliant explanation!
know it all makes sense.
Brilliant!!

 

[bilabonic]

For blowing my tyres up, I bought one of those Aldi/Lidl auto-rewinding air hoses long ago. Compressor is at the rear end of the garage, so I piped air all the way to the front, and fitted the auto-rewind by the big front door. That makes it easy to just reverse the car out, plug in the gauge, and pull it out to the far corner first, then work back to the other corners. What ever length you pull out, it latches - I haven't quite worked out how to trigger it to rewind the hose reliably yet, so it takes me a few attempts

How much are they and how long?
Do they have Euro ends?

I’ve just purchased this to get me going.

 

[bilabonic]

Plus I’ve purchased oil as well.

I presumed my compressor was oil less

No idea where it goes.
It’s only a small SGS 24l (prob China import and their stickers on it) one but I only use to air blowing air to clean Bitcoin miner cards.

I have pumped my tyres up as well.

Also I have just had a scraper air hammer and it has oil port on it.
Nothing in instructions on what to do with though ?

You can see through the hole as in pic.

Can I use the compressor oil in it plus how much and how or does it go in that tiny hole?

Thanks guys.

 

[Burnerman]

I used to use an in line oiler, that was jointed into the air line itself.
This used to keep the air tools healthy enough, but the oil consumption was excessive (dripping out of the tool itself) so I abandoned that one.
Occasionally I'll squirt some thin oil into the air connection at the tool itself - or maybe use the oil hole with a trigger oil can. The tool will shoot most of the lube out anyway.
This is a big no-no if paint spraying, of course!
Regularly drain the air tank though - you'll be surprised at what quantity of rusty watery gunge comes out.
If it's a piston compressor there will be an oil level sight hole or a dip stick on the compressor unit.....if it's a diaphragm one this doesn't apply.
John