Push-On Hose Adapters, Barb to Tube, 316 Stainless, Superlok and Swagelok

Push-on hose adapters in 316 stainless, one end a hose barb and the other a tube connection, from $12.99. Superlok and Swagelok, in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4 inch, all stocked in Bend, Oregon. Part numbers are listed on this page so you can match what you already have.

Read this before you order: stub or compression

Two different tube ends get called the same thing, and ordering the wrong one is the single most common mistake on this part.

• A tube stub end (Superlok -T, Swagelok TA) is a bare length of tube. It goes into a compression fitting, and it needs a nut and ferrule set to hold it. Most of what is on this page is a tube stub.
• A compression end (Superlok -S, Swagelok SL) already has the nut and ferrule. It goes straight onto your tube, no extra parts.

If you are plumbing into an existing Superlok or Swagelok fitting body, you want the stub. If you are going straight onto a run of tube, you want the compression. We sell nut and ferrule sets separately and they are not included with any adapter on this page.

What hose these go on

These are push-on barbs, built for push-on hose: Rubber Fab, Parker Push-Lok, Swagelok push-on and equivalents. On that hose the barb holds without a clamp, which is the whole point of the design.

They are not for use with our braided PTFE hose. That hose is built with swaged compression tube adapter ends and does not take a push-on barb. They are also not for plastic tubing or garden hose. Putting a push-on barb on hose it was not designed for is how a line comes off under pressure.

Sizes and part numbers

The first number is the hose, the second is the tube. A 3/8 inch barb by 1/2 inch tube stub takes 3/8 inch hose and plumbs into a 1/2 inch fitting.

• 1/4 in barb x 1/4 in tube stub, Superlok SPH-4-4T, Swagelok equivalent SS-PB4-TA4. $12.99
• 3/8 in barb x 3/8 in tube, compression, Superlok SPH-6-6S, Swagelok equivalent SS-PB6-SL6. $15.95. This is the one with the nut and ferrule built in.
• 3/8 in barb x 3/8 in tube stub, Superlok SPH-6-6T, Swagelok equivalent SS-PB6-TA6. $14.45
• 1/2 in barb x 3/8 in tube stub. $18.00
• 3/8 in barb x 1/2 in tube stub, Superlok SPH-6-8T-S316. $24.95
• 3/8 in barb x 1/2 in tube stub, Swagelok SS-PB6-TA8. $24.95. Same fitting as the Superlok above, in the other brand.
• 1/2 in barb x 1/2 in tube stub, Superlok SPH-8-8T, Swagelok equivalent SS-PB8-TA8. $29.45. This is the one we run on our own systems.
• 3/4 in barb x 3/4 in tube stub, Superlok SPH-12-12T, Swagelok equivalent SS-PB12-TA12. $21.95

Superlok and Swagelok, side by side

Where we hold both brands of the same fitting they are listed as separate options, because some buyers need to match a brand for their own paperwork. Dimensionally they interchange. Superlok is built to the same specification and sold by its manufacturer as a drop in replacement, and we run them against Swagelok on our own builds. Swagelok does not warrant an assembly containing another manufacturer's parts, which is a warranty position rather than a dimensional one.

If you have no reason to care which, take whichever is in stock.

Fitting the hose on

Push-on hose goes on dry and cold. Do not lubricate it, because the grip depends on friction between the barb and the hose bore, and oil or soap is exactly what defeats it. Push it on until it bottoms against the shoulder of the fitting. It will fight you, and that is the fitting working correctly.

Getting it back off usually means cutting the hose. Cut lengthwise along the barb with a knife rather than pulling, so you do not score the barb.

What sets the pressure rating

The joint is rated by the hose, not by this fitting. A push-on barb in 316 stainless is not the weak point. Look up the working pressure of the hose you are putting it on and use that number.

What these are not

They are not NPT and they do not thread into a pipe port. They are not tri-clamp. They do not include a nut and ferrule set, which every tube stub version needs. They are not for our braided PTFE hose. They do not include the hose.

Stock and shipping

Everything on this page is on the shelf in Bend, Oregon, and quantities are tight on several of them, so the count you see is real. Restock from our distributor runs a few days. If you need a quantity, email info@nboler.com.