How to Choose the Right Hydraulic Quick Coupler

Choosing the right hydraulic quick coupler involves much more than matching a port size or replacing a part that looks similar. Flow, pressure, temperature, materials, operating conditions, interchangeability, and residual pressure can all affect performance. Stucchi looks beyond the part number to understand the application and solve the operating problem.

In this episode of In Good Company: Where Relationships Drive Results, host Lisa Kilrea sits down with Jay Prins, Product Engineer at Stucchi USA, to break down how to select and troubleshoot hydraulic quick couplers for real-world applications.

Jay explains the STAMP method—Size, Temperature, Application, Materials and Medium, and Pressure—and how buyers can use it to evaluate a coupling application from the beginning. He also discusses flat face hydraulic quick couplings, ISO 16028 interchangeability, Connect Under Pressure solutions, heavy-duty applications, flow and pressure drop, material selection, and troubleshooting common connection problems.

Stucchi flat-face couplers provide zero-spill performance with virtually zero fluid loss per disconnect. The interface dimensions of the Stucchi flat-face design became the basis for ISO 16028, adopted in 1999.

The conversation goes beyond specifications to examine what happens in the field when an attachment won’t reconnect, a coupling begins leaking, residual pressure builds inside a hydraulic line, or different machines and attachments need to work together. Select Stucchi connect-under-pressure couplers are designed to connect under residual pressure.

Jay also explains how Stucchi supported a time-critical project in the bridge demolition case study. For help selecting or replacing a coupler for your application, contact Stucchi USA.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

🔹 02:02 — How to use the STAMP method when selecting a hydraulic quick coupler
🔹 03:38 — What to consider when choosing flat face couplings for skid steer attachments
🔹 06:28 — Why ISO 16028 matters for interchangeability between machines and attachments
🔹 10:59 — How to diagnose hydraulic coupler leaks and identify the root cause
🔹 14:07 — Why residual pressure can prevent an attachment from reconnecting
🔹 15:37 — When a Connect Under Pressure solution should be considered
🔹 18:31 — How flow requirements and pressure drop affect hydraulic quick disconnect sizing
🔹 23:53 — How to maintain interchangeability across mixed equipment and attachment brands
🔹 25:27 — How Stucchi approached a demanding bridge demolition application involving multiple attachments
🔹 38:45 — Why hydraulic quick couplers should be treated as important system components rather than accessories

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose the right hydraulic quick coupler?

Stucchi uses the S.T.A.M.P. method as a checklist: Size, Temperature, Application, Materials and Media, and Pressure. Get details from each of the five areas before you select a coupler. The most important checks are the correct pressure rating and the correct flow rating.

What should I look for in flat face couplings for a skid steer attachment?

In North America, skid steers use a flat face coupler standard. Standard-flow attachments use a 1/2-inch flat face, and high-flow attachments come in several sizes, so choose by the flow rating of the attachment. If the attachment is exposed to temperature swings, use a connect-under-pressure version. If it is stored indoors with little temperature change, a standard flat face can work.

Why is the flat face design so widely used in mobile hydraulics?

Both flat face valves are flush with the face, so there is no cavity where spilled oil, dirt or other contamination can collect, and both are easy to clean. The body of one half opens the valve of the other half, which ensures a full connection every time. The design is much more robust than earlier poppet-style valves.

Should buyers understand ISO 16028 for mobile equipment hydraulics?

Yes. ISO 16028 is the standard coupling profile that manufacturers like Stucchi build to, so couplings from different brands are compatible. On a job site, one OEM may build the machine and several other companies may build the attachments, and ISO 16028 lets them connect without problems.

What couplers are best for attachment rental fleets with mixed equipment?

Rental equipment is used by operators of all experience levels, so a standard ISO 16028 flat face coupling is a good choice because it is intuitive to connect. For hydraulic hammers and breakers in a rental fleet, Stucchi recommends a thread-to-connect coupling with the same valving and a threaded locking style.

Is there a coupler that lasts through days of heavy hammering on demolition work?

Yes. The Stucchi VEP HD and VEP HDL series are thread-to-connect flat face couplings designed for heavy-duty hydraulic hammering and demolition. The heavy-duty threaded lock spreads the high forces and impulses, and the HDL version adds a locking pin so the coupling set stays fully connected and does not back off during hammering.

How do you diagnose leaks at the connection point?

Start by identifying the coupling and valve style on the equipment and exactly where it leaks. Check whether the leak happens when the couplings are disconnected, and on which side, or only when they are connected. Then look for the root cause, so the same leak does not come back after the repair.

How do I choose couplers for closed-center versus open-center hydraulic systems?

A closed-center system traps a volume of oil when the valve is closed and the coupler is disconnected, and thermal expansion can build residual pressure in that line. That makes a connect-under-pressure solution critical. In an open-center system, fluid passes through the valve stack, so check that the coupling’s pressure ratings cover every scenario.

Why won’t an attachment reconnect after it sits for a while?

Usually oil is trapped in the attachment’s hydraulic lines, and a rise in temperature since the disconnection has built residual pressure. Try the connection as normal, and if it fails, relieve the pressure safely before you try again. Once you know residual pressure is the problem, the best solution is a connect-under-pressure coupling, which relieves the pressure without opening the system to contamination.

When should I consider a connect-under-pressure (CUP) coupler?

Consider a CUP coupler when trapped pressure causes lost productivity or unscheduled downtime, and the cost of that downtime starts to exceed the cost of upgrading the coupler. The Connect Under Pressure guide on the Stucchi website helps you decide between a push-to-connect CUP style, a threaded connection or a plate connection.

How do I size a hydraulic quick disconnect to minimize pressure drop?

A larger flow area inside the coupling gives less pressure drop and more efficient flow, balanced against the space available on the machine. The body size of the coupler, not its port size, determines its flow rating. Choosing by port size alone can give you a coupling that is too small or larger than you need.

How do I choose between carbon steel, stainless steel and brass couplings?

Carbon steel is usually the least expensive and offers a good balance of strength. Stainless steel is the choice when corrosion is a concern. Brass is typically used for water or steam, with corrosion resistance at a good cost. Aluminum is also an option for some applications.

How do I maintain interchangeability when machines and attachments come from different brands?

When you order parts or write a bill of materials, specify the coupler interface as a firm requirement, not just a part number. For an interchangeable flat face coupling, for example, call out “ISO 16028, 1/2-inch body size.” That tells every brand which connection interface the coupling must meet.

What should I have ready before I contact Stucchi about a coupler?

Have the port size and port type ready, such as SAE, NPT or BSP, so the coupler fits the connector without an extra adapter. The S.T.A.M.P. details help as well. The physical ID charts on the Stucchi website are a good first step, and the customer service team can help with interchanges that are not in the catalog.

 

Transcript

In Good Company podcast. Host: Lisa Kilrea, WSI eResults. Guest: Jay Prins, Stucchi USA. This transcript is lightly edited for readability: filler words and false starts are removed. Timestamps mark where each section begins.

[00:23] Introduction

Lisa: Welcome back to In Good Company, where relationships drive results, the podcast where we explore the expertise, innovation and relationships behind successful companies. I’m your host, Lisa Kilrea, president of WSI eResults. At WSI, we help industrial and B2B companies improve how they’re discovered and trusted across Google, AI search, ChatGPT, LinkedIn, YouTube and today’s evolving digital landscape, through our Search Everywhere Optimization approach.

My guest today is Jay Prins with Stucchi USA. Jay works closely with customers across mobile equipment, construction, agriculture and other demanding hydraulic applications, helping them identify the right quick coupling solution for their equipment and operating conditions. And that’s exactly what we’re going to tackle today.

Choosing a hydraulic quick coupler can look straightforward until you start considering the equipment, attachment, flow, pressure, environment, interchange requirements, and even what happens when residual pressure prevents an attachment from reconnecting. So today we’re going to walk through the selection process from beginning to end and answer some of the questions buyers most often ask. Jay, welcome back to In Good Company.

Jay: Thank you, Lisa. Thanks for having me back.

[01:50] The S.T.A.M.P. Method

Lisa: It’s great to have you. Let’s start with how to choose the right hydraulic quick coupler. Walk me through how a buyer should think about it.

Jay: A buyer has a lot to think about when picking a quick coupler. We use a method called the S.T.A.M.P. method. It’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re not forgetting any details. The biggest things are making sure your pressure rating and your flow rating are correct, but there are lots of things to consider, so we really suggest following the S.T.A.M.P. method when picking a quick coupler.

Lisa: What does S.T.A.M.P. stand for, and how do you use it on a real customer call?

Jay: The acronym stands for S for Size, T for Temperature, A for Application, M for Materials and Media, and P for Pressure. Those are the top five things to consider when picking a quick coupler. When discussing it with a customer, it’s important to get details from them on each of those five areas to make sure you pick the correct one.

[03:07] Skid Steer Attachments

Lisa: So rather than starting with a part number, or simply trying to match the coupler that’s already on the machine, you’re really starting with the application. Let’s put that into the context of equipment people work with every day. What should I look for when choosing flat face hydraulic quick couplings for a skid steer attachment?

Jay: For skid steer attachments, there is an adopted standard, at least in North America, where you have a flat face coupler, and there are different kinds of that same flat face coupler. The biggest thing is to make sure the size you pick matches the attachments you need. There are standard-flow and high-flow attachments for skid steers. Standard-flow attachments use a 1/2-inch flat face, so right there you’re likely to pick that size. If you’re going to high flow, there are a couple of different sizes available, so you look at the flow rating of your high-flow or continuous-use attachment to choose the coupling size.

Beyond that, look at where the skid steer attachment is going to be used. If it’s going to be exposed to temperature swings, we recommend a connect-under-pressure version of the flat face. If it’s more of a controlled environment, where you keep your attachments stored inside and there’s not much temperature swing between connections and disconnections, you can go with a less expensive standard flat face. Those are some things to consider for skid steers, and obviously it varies for different equipment.

[05:05] Why Flat Face Dominates Mobile Hydraulics

Lisa: While we’re talking about flat face couplers, can you explain why that design has become so widely used in mobile hydraulic applications?

Jay: The flat face design was an optimized solution for outdoor, mobile environments. Both valves are designed to be easy to clean, and both are completely flush with the face, which means there’s no cavity or pocket for spilled oil, dirt or other contamination to collect in. Beyond that, the way the valves open ensures a full connection every time: the body of one half opens the valve of the other half. That design is much more robust than the earlier poppet-style valves.

[06:01] ISO 16028 and Interchangeability

Lisa: Where does the ISO 16028 interface come into the conversation? In other words, should buyers understand ISO 16028 for mobile equipment hydraulics?

Jay: ISO 16028 is an adopted standard that manufacturers like Stucchi build the coupling profile to, ensuring you’ll be compatible with other couplings. That’s important especially in mobile hydraulics and the construction industry, where you may have a machine built by one OEM and several attachments from different attachment companies. The quick coupling essentially has to interchange between all of them. Going with the ISO 16028 standard allows seamless connection between those attachments and the machine, no matter which manufacturer the OEMs choose.

[07:15] Rental Fleets and Heavy-Duty Hammering

Lisa: Thank you for explaining that, Jay. What couplers are ideal for attachment rental fleets with mixed equipment?

Jay: This is the perfect case for where the standard comes into play. A rental fleet is used by many different operators, ranging from experienced to novice, and they may or may not be familiar with hydraulic quick connectors. So it’s really important to pick a standard quick connect that’s very user-friendly and easy to figure out. That way there’s less potential for problems with novice users. In this case, the standard flat face coupling is probably a pretty good choice, because it’s intuitive to connect.

There are some applications within a rental fleet, especially hydraulic hammers or breakers, where a push-to-connect ISO 16028 flat face coupling isn’t the best choice for that heavy-duty use. In that case we recommend a thread-to-connect coupling: basically the same valving, just with a threaded locking style.

Lisa: Let’s take that example to an extreme. Do you have a heavy-duty coupler that lasts through days of heavy hammering on demolition work?

Jay: Yes, we do. The Stucchi VEP HD and VEP HDL series were specifically designed for heavy-duty hydraulic hammering and demolition. This is a thread-to-connect flat face product line, and the HDL version has a locking pin to make sure the coupling set stays fully connected during hammering. Couplings without a locking feature can tend to back off during use, which restricts flow and can cause lost productivity or even damage to the coupling set.

That series also handles the high forces and high impulses of that work. The forces applied to the coupling set are spread across the heavy-duty threaded lock, so the coupling has a long life compared to a push-to-connect design.

[10:16] Diagnosing Leaks

Lisa: We’ve been talking about specific examples where someone is proactively choosing the right coupler, but I’m guessing a lot of calls to Stucchi start very differently. Something isn’t working: there’s a leak, an attachment won’t connect, pressure is building up, or a coupler is failing. Let’s walk through how you diagnose these problems. For example, a customer calls about leaks at the connection points. Where does your diagnosis start?

Jay: Diagnosis starts with understanding what coupling, if any, they’re using. Different coupling styles and valve styles tend to have different leak points or paths, so we like to understand what’s on the equipment first and exactly where it’s leaking.

The next step is to identify whether the leak happens when the couplings are disconnected, and if so, on which side or on both. Or does it only happen when connected? If so, we try to identify where in the connected position the leak is coming from, which can be hard. All of those details are critical for understanding which seal or sealing joint has failed and what replacement part might be needed.

Beyond that, we like to take a root-cause analysis approach rather than just correcting the issue. Root cause helps us identify how the leak started and what we can do to prevent it from happening again. If you only troubleshoot to stop the leak, you might have the same leak happen again later in the same use.

[12:08] Closed-Center vs. Open-Center Systems

Lisa: Got it. How do I choose couplers for closed-center versus open-center hydraulic systems?

Jay: Those two system types definitely come into play, because downstream of that valve you have your tubes and connectors and then your quick coupler joint. With a closed-center valve, you have to look at how that valve behaves in the circuit. A closed-center system will have a trapped volume when the valve is closed and the quick disconnect is disconnected. That leaves room for thermal expansion to build up residual pressure in the line, so a connect-under-pressure solution is pretty critical.

With an open-center system, fluid passes through the center of the valve stack, so the quick coupling will be exposed to it. There we look at the coupling’s pressure ratings in all scenarios to make sure it’s OK for the coupling to see that pressure.

[13:25] Attachments That Won’t Reconnect

Lisa: Great answer. Here’s another situation that I know can be frustrating in the field. An operator disconnects an attachment, it sits for a while, and when they come back they can’t reconnect it. What’s typically happening inside that attachment that causes pressure to build, and how should someone diagnose the problem?

Jay: Typically, if that’s the failure being described, there’s a trapped volume of oil inside the hydraulic lines. Between the time the attachment was disconnected and the time they try to connect it again, there’s likely been a change in temperature, usually an increase.

To diagnose it, the first step is to attempt the connection as normal. If that’s not possible, there’s likely trapped pressure on the attachment side, so look for a safe way to relieve the pressure and then attempt the connection again.

One way to relieve the pressure is to unthread one of the joints in the hydraulic system, for example unthreading the coupling, spilling a little oil and relieving the pressure. But once you’ve determined you have residual pressure, the best solution really is a connect-under-pressure coupling. That allows the system to relieve residual pressure without opening it to the atmosphere and potential contamination.

[15:10] When to Move to Connect-Under-Pressure (CUP)

Lisa: When does it become an application where a connect-under-pressure, or CUP, solution should be considered?

Jay: It becomes a big consideration when your operators are facing lost productivity or unscheduled downtime because they can’t make that connection quickly and easily. Quick disconnects got their name because they’re supposed to be quick, but with trapped pressure the connection is sometimes neither quick nor easy. A connect-under-pressure (CUP) valve should really be considered when the cost of downtime starts to exceed the cost of upgrading your coupler.

Lisa: For someone dealing with this regularly, Stucchi has a Connect Under Pressure guide on its website. What does that guide help them determine?

Jay: The guide helps them determine which connect-under-pressure valve is best for them: whether they can use a standard push-to-connect CUP style, or whether a threaded connection or even a plate connection would be better suited to the application.

[16:38] Cold Weather and Freeze-Up

Lisa: Cold weather is coming up in many parts of the country, and it creates another set of challenges. What goes wrong with couplers in freeze-up conditions, and what should cold-climate fleets specify?

Jay: Cold weather is definitely another thing to consider. The couplings are made of metal, and they’re prone to collecting moisture and to contracting in cold temperatures. In extreme scenarios, that moisture can freeze and bind up the couplings, preventing the valves from opening or the locking sleeve from connecting. In those scenarios, it’s important to raise the coupling’s ambient temperature up to its rating if possible. If that’s not possible, consider not making the connection or disconnection until the coupling is in a suitable ambient environment.

[17:47] Sizing for Flow and Pressure Drop

Lisa: So application and symptoms give you important clues, but once you understand what’s happening in the field, you still have to get the actual specification right. Let’s talk about sizing, flow, pressure and materials. How do I size hydraulic quick disconnects to minimize pressure drop at high flow rates?

Jay: To properly size a quick disconnect, generally the bigger the better. In fluid power, we’re trying to minimize pressure drop, which is essentially lost efficiency. A larger flow area inside the coupling gives you less pressure drop and more efficient flow. The trade-off is the bulk of the quick disconnect, since it has to fit within a certain envelope on the machine or equipment. So there’s a balance. When picking your size, you’re looking to keep laminar flow inside the coupling and be right at the threshold of its maximum flow. Anything beyond that means either the coupling is too large or the flow is too low for the coupling size.

Lisa: What happens when someone chooses a coupler based simply on port size rather than on actual flow requirements?

Jay: Picking on port size alone is a pretty transactional way to choose a coupling. The port size is often a jump size or a drop size, just for plumbing convenience. It’s the body size of the coupler that determines its flow rating. So if you pick based only on port size, you might get a coupling that’s too small, or one that’s overkill and larger than necessary, where a smaller body profile would have worked.

[20:04] Choosing Materials

Lisa: How do I choose between carbon steel, stainless steel and brass couplings for my application?

Jay: Those three materials, and I’ll add aluminum as a possibility, all have different properties that benefit different applications. Carbon steel is usually less expensive and offers a good balance of strength. You’d pick stainless steel if you’re concerned about corrosion in the application. Brass is typically chosen for use with water or steam, offering corrosion resistance with a good balance of cost.

[20:51] Narrowing to the Right Stucchi Series

Lisa: Interesting. Let’s close the loop on the selection process. Once you understand the application, flow, pressure and connection conditions, how do you narrow the choice to the appropriate Stucchi series?

Jay: The Stucchi series can be sorted and filtered on those criteria: the sizes available, the body material, and so on. You use the application data to work backward to the Stucchi series, looking at which series are possible matches for all the application requirements.

Lisa: Could you give us a few examples of how different operating conditions might lead you to different series, whether that’s the VEP HD, the VEP HDL, a connect-under-pressure solution or another series?

Jay: A good example: say you need to connect and disconnect a hydraulic cylinder on the coast. Stepping through the process, we’d identify potential exposure to salt fog or salty air. We’d identify that the hydraulic cylinder will be exposed to temperature swings and may need a connect-under-pressure solution. With those application-specific criteria, we’d start filtering and find that the VEP HD series, made from QPQ-treated carbon steel that is very good at resisting corrosion, also includes connect-under-pressure capability. So we would likely pick that as the appropriate Stucchi series and recommend it for that application.

[22:57] Interchangeability Across Brands

Lisa: I’m going to move on to questions about interchangeability and mixed equipment. We’ve talked about choosing the right coupler for one machine and one application, but real job sites, as we all know, aren’t always that neat. You’ve got different machine brands, rented equipment, multiple attachments, and equipment that wasn’t necessarily designed to work together. That’s where interchangeability becomes really important. How do I maintain interchangeability when the machines and attachments come from different brands?

Jay: The best way is, when ordering parts or specifying a bill of materials, to specify the interface between the couplings as a firm requirement. Most of the time a spec just includes a part number, but a part number doesn’t show the critical point, which is the coupler’s interface type. For example, for an interchangeable flat face coupling, we’d want the specification to call out “ISO 16028, 1/2-inch body size” as a requirement. Having that in the spec goes a long way toward communicating across brands that the connection interface has to meet those requirements.

[24:27] Case Study: Bridge Demolition

Lisa: I know Stucchi was involved in a particularly interesting bridge demolition application that brought several of these issues together, and you have a case study about it on your website. There was a multi-function excavator, rented equipment, and different attachments that all needed to work together. Without getting into confidential customer details, can you walk us through that situation and how your team approached it?

Jay: On this project, they were balancing a lot for the bridge demolition. There was a specific time frame for the work, which made equipment uptime critical, and the hydraulic quick couplings had to handle a lot of attachment changeovers. Because the window was short, they not only had to keep the machines working, but if they were late, they would face fines.

So it was critical that we ensured seamless connections, meaning interchangeability with other quick disconnects, leak-free connections every time they changed over, and a product that would stand up to heavy hammering. We used our Stucchi VEP HDL, which we talked about earlier, as the product of choice, and with that solution the contractor was able to demolish the bridge and achieve a successful project.

Lisa: That’s awesome. My understanding is that this wasn’t simply about supplying a coupler. Your team worked with both the customer and the equipment supplier to troubleshoot the entire application. Is this a good example of why understanding the complete system matters?

Jay: Yes. Pardon the pun, but it helps us build a bridge and get the right solution in place for everyone’s success.

Lisa: And it sounds like the VEP HDL ultimately is what allowed them to maintain interchangeability across the excavator, rented equipment and attachments. Am I understanding that correctly?

Jay: Right. Once the VEP HD was in place, they were able to keep it as the spec across all of the attachments used, to make sure the changeover process went well.

[27:12] Getting a Replacement Fast

Lisa: Let’s talk about another very practical situation. When a coupler fails on a job and the equipment is down, what does getting a replacement look like?

Jay: It can look a couple of different ways depending on the product. If it’s a commonly available ISO product, Stucchi has distributors that may have it in stock. Some have a walk-up counter where you can pick up the order; other distributors offer mobile service and will bring the quick disconnect to you. If it’s a more specialized item that needs to be ordered, you would typically contact your preferred local distributor, and we’ll either ship it to their facility so they can get it to you, or we offer drop shipping to minimize transit time and get the part directly to the customer where it needs to be installed.

Lisa: How important is it for a supplier to have both the inventory and the technical expertise to identify the correct replacement quickly?

Jay: Having the inventory is very important, because it saves a day, two or three, depending on where you are in the country and how easy it is to ship there. Having the part right there can cut downtime by up to three days. And having the technical knowledge to identify the part you need is also critical. Understanding every aspect of the quick coupling, from the port to the valve style to additional features like connect-under-pressure, ensures that the proper replacement goes in and there are no problems after it’s installed and you start working.

Lisa: Jay, you touched briefly on your same-day shipping policy. I know Stucchi maintains an extensive inventory at its Romeoville, Illinois location, and offers same-day shipping on qualifying in-stock orders received by 4:30 p.m. Central Time. How does same-day shipping help U.S. customers when downtime is costing them money?

Jay: If you can get your order in, and sometimes even if it comes in after 4:30, our same-day shipping makes sure we’re working just as hard as the customer to get their machine back up. We understand that when it’s a critical order, downtime is costing the customer money, and we want to do our part and take care of them. Getting the part shipped the same day, rather than losing a day or two to order processing, is pretty important.

[30:24] What to Have Ready Before You Order

Lisa: Jay, we’ve covered a lot, and I still have a couple more questions. We’ve covered everything from application and S.T.A.M.P. to pressure, flow, materials, interchangeability and troubleshooting. I’d like to bring that together for someone who’s listening because they’re actually trying to identify and order a coupler. If someone is choosing a hydraulic quick coupler today, what are the three or four most important questions they should answer before they place an order?

Jay: Looking at the S.T.A.M.P. method again, the most important is to make sure the size is correct. Especially when replacing a coupler, you want to make sure the port style and port size are correct, so it can be installed without trouble or the need for an additional adapter. Beyond that, look at the material and the other S.T.A.M.P. factors. [Answer trails off in the recording.]

Lisa: What do you wish every buyer had ready before they called Stucchi? What specifications, measurements and photos make it easier for your team to identify exactly what they need?

Jay: In an ideal world, having the port size and type, so the coupler interfaces seamlessly with the connector, would be perfect every time. There are a lot of different port styles, our most common being SAE, NPT and BSP. All of those specs and port styles are pretty confusing to a novice or to someone less familiar with fluid connector types. But having that information helps our team know which SKU, which part number, to sell. Without it, we’re essentially guessing.

Lisa: When should someone use the physical ID charts on the Stucchi website versus contacting the technical help desk directly?

Jay: The charts are a good first step to get an idea of what product you think you might need. There are detailed measurements that give you a firm sense that you’re ordering the correct size and body type, and comparing your part with the product ID pictures is a good start too. It’s a good starting place.

[33:04] Stucchi’s History and Approach

Lisa: Great advice. Before we wrap up, I want to move away from parts, numbers and specs for a few minutes. One of the themes of In Good Company is that even in highly technical industries, business ultimately comes back to expertise, trust and relationships. Stucchi has a long history in hydraulic quick coupling technology, going back to the Stucchi brothers in the 1960s, and then Giovanni Stucchi, who was instrumental in developing the flat face coupling design and the ISO 16028 standard we discussed earlier. I heard that Giovanni actually led the ISO committee during the development of ISO 16028, which is pretty interesting. How does that history of engineering and innovation influence the way the company approaches solving customer problems today?

Jay: What that history really highlights is that Stucchi is very passionate about the quick coupling product and what it does for the fluid power industry. When we developed ISO 16028, it showed that we weren’t in it necessarily for the profits; we were in it to make a difference and improve how the industry does things. The culture and passion Giovanni had back then carries through Stucchi’s whole history and inside our company today. We’re looking for innovative solutions to help the market, to help our end users, to ensure quality, and to make the fluid power industry better in the small area we’re passionate about, which is quick couplings.

[35:19] Technical Partner, Not Just a Parts Supplier

Lisa: You’ve probably had customers come to you thinking they simply needed a replacement coupler, only to discover the real issue was something very different. What does being a technical partner, rather than simply a parts supplier, look like in those situations?

Jay: Looking beyond a simple replacement, at the technical specs, as a technical partner opens up a lot of conversations about how we can do this better. It’s more of a partnership, where we’re trying to benefit them and at the same time we get a benefit back from the partnership. It opens up opportunities for something better, rather than a transactional interchange or sale.

Lisa: I agree. What’s one thing you’ve learned from working directly with equipment owners and operators that you wouldn’t necessarily learn from an engineering spec sheet?

Jay: That there are an infinite number of other parameters beyond a technical spec sheet that can come into play: how the coupling is being used, where it’s being used, even the process they use to connect and disconnect. Each application is specific and unique, and it’s important to have those conversations and understand as many of those variables as you can. Often there are so many variables that you can’t capture them all on paper.

[36:55] Looking Ahead

Lisa: Looking ahead, what changes in hydraulic equipment or quick coupling technology do you think will have the greatest impact on customers over the next several years?

Jay: I believe our continued development for specific applications where there are current product gaps will have the biggest impact. The industry always has requirements for heavy-duty quick couplings, and often people are applying whatever is available in the market, and it isn’t lasting as long or isn’t satisfactory. So I see Stucchi continuing to develop solutions for those niche cases where a suitable coupling doesn’t exist yet.

Lisa: That’s very impressive.

[37:52] The One Takeaway

Lisa: I’d like to end with one final question, Jay. If someone listening today remembers just one thing about choosing the right hydraulic quick coupler, what do you hope they take away from our conversation?

Jay: I really hope they look at the quick coupling less as an accessory and more as a tool, a larger component in the hydraulic system. Since the operator interfaces with the quick disconnect quite a bit, a lot of care should be taken when specifying it. And there are more options in quick disconnect technology than one would realize. So I hope people take away that it’s an important choice that deserves time and understanding, not an afterthought.

[38:43] Where to Start on the Stucchi Website

Lisa: If someone wants help identifying a coupler, selecting the right series for an application, or accessing the technical resources we’ve talked about today, where’s the best place to start on the website?

Jay: The best place to start is our recently revamped OEM and Engineering Hub. There’s a lot of information on quick coupling types, using the S.T.A.M.P. method we talked about, and understanding pressure drop. It’s a really good starting point for a quick coupling search.

Lisa: I was poking around there, and there’s a lot of really good information. I noticed the back of the catalog includes an interchange guide listing the most popular interchanges Stucchi offers for couplers made by other brands, like Faster, Parker, Dixon and others. I assume customers can contact a Stucchi customer service rep for items not listed in the catalog?

Jay: Yes. The interchange guide is a start, but there are many interchanges not included there, and our customer service team is well versed in which series might be interchangeable with a Stucchi series.

Lisa: We’ll be sure to include the Stucchi website, www.stucchiusa.com. Is that correct?

Jay: Yes, correct.

Lisa: We’ll also include the Connect Under Pressure guide, the physical ID charts and other relevant resources in the show notes.

[40:15] Closing

Lisa: Jay, thank you for joining me again. It’s always a pleasure. I think one of the biggest takeaways from today’s conversation is that choosing the right hydraulic quick coupler isn’t simply about matching a size or finding a part that looks like the one you’re replacing. It starts with understanding the entire application: the equipment, flow, pressure, operating environment, media and connection conditions, and then selecting a solution designed to perform reliably in that environment. And when something isn’t working, understanding why it’s happening is often just as important as replacing the component itself. Did I hear that all correctly?

Jay: Yes, that’s a really good summary.

Lisa: Great. Jay, thanks for walking us through that process and sharing your experience and expertise. And thank you to everyone for listening. I hope today’s conversation gives you a much clearer framework for choosing and troubleshooting hydraulic quick couplers. I look forward to being in good company with you again next time.

Today’s episode was brought to you by WSI eResults. Today’s B2B buyers don’t begin their journey with a sales call. They begin with questions. They search Google. They ask ChatGPT and other AI platforms. They watch videos, read technical content, and evaluate companies long before they ever speak with a salesperson. To learn more about WSI, visit www.wsi-manufacturingmarketing.com. Thank you again for joining us, and thank you, Jay.