Monsoon compression fittings come in an array of sizes and colors now. At the time of writing there were 4 sizes and 10 colors:
ID x OD – 3/8″ x 1/2″, 3/8″ x 5/8″, 7/16″x5/8″ and 1/2″ x 3/4″
Colors: Matte White, Matte Black, Chrome, Black Chrome, Gloss Yellow/Gold, Gloss Purple, Gloss Red, Gloss Orange, Gloss Blue and Gloss Green
They can be ordered individually or for a slight discount in a “Modders six pack” with the accompanying tool. Here we have the 1/2″x3/4″ Modders six pack in black on the left, while on the right are some individually ordered 3/8″x5/8″ fittings:
Opening up the six-pack shows some decent packaging and the included wrench. Underneath the wrench are the bundled o-rings. Two colors are supplied for each fitting, one matches the color of the fitting and one is plain black.
Here’s a close up of the 3/8″x5/8″ Modder’s Pack in white:
Removing the fitting from the box shows us the detail of the compression and the special window on the locking part of the fitting:
Taking the window lockring off we see more detail of the barb itself:
The window is nice, not only does it let you look different but it’s also functional as it lets you see if a tube is slipping out:
The tool can be slotted into either the barb or the lock ring to provide extra tightening torque above and beyond what fingers could do. However I did find that if you tried to tighten a fitting particularly tightly and the tool slipped that you could easily scratch off the powder coat. This happened to me on two fittings with a particularly persistently leaky Black Ice GTTX 360 radiator. Eventually I found that using a low profile adapter solved the problem. I assume this is due to a shallow threading on the radiator.
Conclusion
Overall I like the compression fittings. At ~$6-7 each they are priced in the middle of the market, more expensive than XSPC but cheaper than Bitspower. They do however bring some unique features and colors that the competition doesn’t and my fingers will be grateful in the future!
10/10
