Is it worth paying extra for branded fittings?

[kc1]

What's the difference, for example, between Conex brass fittings and own-brand or unbranded? - is it worth paying 50% more?

- Are there less burrs or sharp edges?
- Are they less likely to leak / better toleranced?

Kevin.

 

[mountainman]

Could be a better quality alloy or machined to closer tolerances
Generally a branded unit will be better than unbranded though.

 

[REDSAW]

but i costs more out of your profit

 

[tamz]

I wouldn't trust an imported compression without paste. Kuterlites are the best compressions but 3 times the price.

 

[Best]

The cheap fittings tend to leak more easily if they are fitted by guys that don't use paste. Should use paste always anyhow IMO. The cheap fittings have also nuts that are tighter on the pipe which is a pain on pipes that are a tad heavier, like 1/2" or 1" pipes & on slightly swollen pipes that the frost has expanded. I think the fitting itself is usually tighter as well.
The more expensive fittings tend to corrode virtually as bad as the cheap ones.
Cheap fittings would be okay on a heating system (provided you pasted them) as the system will have inhibitor.
Where conex excels is in awkward places you can grip the nuts with footprints or basin spanners easily & you can, after compressing them out of place, tighten a joint, say at a back of a boiler & tap it the last turn tight with a hammer & chisel.
A lot of suppliers here are stocking little or no conex as plumbers just won't buy it.

 

[tamz]

Kuterlite 900 dzr's seem to resist the corrosion but you pay a premium for them.
Always liked conex for the reasons Best said.
Normally you will just buy the cheap italian or chinese stuff tho as not many people outside the council or big jobs will pay for the quality ones where they spec them for the quality.

 

[WHPES]

Got a quantity of the Irish Instantor branded pipe fittings from about 20 years ago given last year and talk about solid! Even the olives were carefully machined. Dread to think how much those would have cost were they still being made today.