Certain fittings...Why so expensive??

[Industrial Toys]

There is big mark up on some of this stuff. Fortunately, a friend of mine buys wholesale and I can get in on this action. But it's an eye opener.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Honestly I have no current need for the double female swivel...thought a couple of them in 3/8" and 1/2" would be handy to have on hand but not at that price...!...I am opting for something similar to what you cited as well as just a couple of standard (steel) female pipe couplings and nipples etc...
I do have a little invested but I also have a better selection of assorted (tractor applicable) hydraulic fittings etc. than any place within 50+ miles including a couple of TSC stores...don't always have exactly what I need (without pirating something else) but a majority of the time I can improvise with what I do have on hand...my latest endeavor exposed a lack of a few type/sizes of fittings/adapters that I'll be adding...

I hope that you mean std steel hydraulic fittings & nipples. Most Std steel fittings are only rated as 300psi and are not a good idea to be used with hydraulic pressures.

 

[/pine]

I hope that you mean std steel hydraulic fittings & nipples. Most Std steel fittings are only rated as 300psi and are not a good idea to be used with hydraulic pressures.

Yes I do mean steel hydraulic fittings & nipples and some stainless...

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Interesting timing of this thread.

Last week I needed a pair of #8 SAE male to 1/4" NPTM fittings which are $12.11 at Discount Hydraulic Hose

BUT

I ended up with #8 SAE male to 1/4" NPTF swivel and 1/4" NPT double male which are $2.26 and $0.62 to accomplish the same thing. $3 vs $12 definitely a volume thing vs a manufacturing cost.

The sad part is those same $3 worth of fittings cost me $16 at my local shop as I didn't want to wait to order online and it's not worth the 3 hr round trip to the States for me to pick them up from UPS Store. That $12 fitting that I would have preferred is $67 at my local shop

 

[Steave]

BUT

I ended up with #8 SAE male to 1/4" NPTF swivel and 1/4" NPT double male which are $2.26 and $0.62 to accomplish the same thing. $3 vs $12 definitely a volume thing vs a manufacturing cost.

If I've got the room I don't mine "Macgiver"ing to save a little money or to get by till later.

 

[LD1]

I use the same logic you do /pine.

Try to keep the hoses as simple as possible. That way I can swap around if needed, and the hoses are 10x more likely to need replaced than a fitting. So when I do a hose change, (like I just did on dads 4500tlb and IH444 loader) I try to avoid the bastard and expensive ends.

For example, I have ran into many fittings like these SAE/ORB Male Swivel 90° (MBX90) or these NPTF Male Pipe Swivel 90° (MPX90) on loaders before.

But instead, I like to use one of these 6801 | JIC 37° x Straight Thread (ORB) 90° with just a standard JIC hose. The initial cost of the adapter and hose is about the same as the hose with the bastard fitting, but future replacement is FAR easier and cheaper. Especially if needed quick and have to be sourced locally, everyone has standard JIC hose ends. Not everyone has a 90 degree ORB swivel fitting.

I personally prefer the JIC stuff, as thats whats most common OEM. But have no issues at all using NPSM stuff. Works just as good as JIC and I see your point about QD's being NPT.

As to the price of those fittings. YEA, that does sound high. Have you tried calling them? perhaps they have the decimal in the wrong place? Probably not, because the JIC double female swivel unions are pricey too.

But I cannot think of any instance where you would need a double swivel that you couldnt get by with a single swivel Female x female? Just loosen the swivel side first then you can loosen the rigid side as if it were a swivel. Something like this NPTF Female Pipe x NPSM Female Pipe Swivel

 

[LD1]

Interesting timing of this thread.

Last week I needed a pair of #8 SAE male to 1/4" NPTM fittings which are $12.11 at Discount Hydraulic Hose

BUT

I ended up with #8 SAE male to 1/4" NPTF swivel and 1/4" NPT double male which are $2.26 and $0.62 to accomplish the same thing. $3 vs $12 definitely a volume thing vs a manufacturing cost.

The sad part is those same $3 worth of fittings cost me $16 at my local shop as I didn't want to wait to order online and it's not worth the 3 hr round trip to the States for me to pick them up from UPS Store. That $12 fitting that I would have preferred is $67 at my local shop

What am I missing here?

You needed one end to be #8 male, and the other end to be 1/4" pipe thread male?
Seems its a $0.91 fitting Steel Fittings: JIC 37° Male x NPTF Male Pipe

 

[oldnslo]

In most instances I try to use the NPSM swivel fittings wherever possible...they use a machined 30 degree camfer seat...male ends have the camfer and the female (swivel nut) ends have a (male) bevel inside...no sealant, tape etc. is required...all the ease of JIC flares but a little stouter IMO...

Not sure if you have run into this yet but some NPT fittings are not chamfered to accept the NPS swivel and don't seal at all. These may have been cheap Chinese fittings but they were a very common size of fitting.

 

[/pine]

In most instances I try to use the NPSM swivel fittings wherever possible...they use a machined 30 degree camfer seat...male ends have the camfer and the female (swivel nut) ends have a (male) bevel inside...no sealant, tape etc. is required...all the ease of JIC flares but a little stouter IMO...

Not sure if you have run into this yet but some NPT fittings are not chamfered to accept the NPS swivel and don't seal at all. These may have been cheap Chinese fittings but they were a very common size of fitting.

For sure...Actually the only male pipe fittings I have that are not chamfered are stainless steel and maybe a couple of reducing bushings...

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

What am I missing here?

You needed one end to be #8 male, and the other end to be 1/4" pipe thread male?
Seems its a $0.91 fitting Steel Fittings: JIC 37° Male x NPTF Male Pipe

Close. That's JIC/pipe. I needed SAE/pipe
This was what I was looking for: 6401-08-04 | #8 SAE/ORB Male x 1/4" NPTF Male

When they told me $67, I said the same thing, decimal must be in the wrong spot, and asked them to double check. I should also clarify, that $67 is list price. I setup a business account with them that I get a pretty decent discount even not being a huge volume buyer. If I was just a regular Joe buying a few pieces now and then it would have been pretty close to list.

Hydraulics are one of the many things that are ridiculously and unexplainably more expensive this side of the border.