Are metal Din Plugs and Caps overrated? Where do you put em'?

[knowone]

And if you cut a slot in one you can use it for cleaning threads.
And if you go to the industrial gas supplier you can get hollow soft plastic plugs to keep crap out. Red for full and blue for empty.
And if you get a fawcet re-seater you can true the O ring face.

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

And if you get a fawcet re-seater you can true the O ring face.

Do tell... I have one that needs a slight adustment.

 

[spectrum]

Metal DIN plug are a must in my opinion.
I had a tank fall over and hit directly on the valve with a plastic plug in it and the valve deformed to the point where the reg no longer fits into it.
Though I haven't had any tanks fall over with the metal plug, I do know folks who have and said the metal plug saved them.
As far as first stage caps....I have tried both and prefer plastic for the reason you stated.
I had metal originally and had a problem with corrosion from salt water causing it to become stiff and difficult to remove.

I don't know that your friends good fortune translates into the plug saving the valve. A deforming fall is a pretty unpredictable event and it's just as easy to believe that it was just their lucky day. Thread fits being thread fits The valve could still deform enough that you won't want to be winding your regulator in and out of the port until forever.

I have a number of DIN valves in service and the big deal for me is to keep them covered so no grit gets in there.

Also since the DIN threads are outboard to the seal they are subjected to salt on every ocean dive and a periodic cleaning if very important. The same true for the convertible valves. If they are being used with the inserts for yoke gear the plugs should be pulled from time to time to clean the DIN threads.

Pete

 

[StokedAvian]

Has anyone tried Aluminum DIN plugs? I saw them on a site but a review said they were a few threads shorter than SS, I'm guessing they're designed for a 200 bar. On a hard impact would the softer aluminum hold the shape of the valve the way a SS one would?