Domestic Accessories .

[Evans Electric]

Unless specified , I always used Crabtree until the great MCB cock up of a couple of years ago . 

I stick to one make , if possible , so I'm carrying matching stuff & pattresses etc .

So being a Denmans customer I changed to Designa range but  now find the terminal screws seem to be really tight & the sockets haven't changed to the double earth terminal as yet.

So last job was using the Eaton  (MEM) range , nice solid chunky feel to the plastic , big rockers but look OK , terminals fine .

We used MK for the first 200 years trading,  always quality,  until all the other makes started dropping their prices & they were left behind , selling twin sky rockets @ £6.00 ea at one time .

So I'm recommending the Eaton range .

 

[kerching]

We used MK when we wired the Pyramids

Then peole would not pay....tried Legrand, Crabtree, el cheapo Sector, crapcious Selectric for the real,cheapskate jobs

All,i use now is Hager or Click mni grid

Hager switches have an onboard neutral terminal....not a millenium leap forwards in design BUT a hell,of a time/space saver

 

[Evans Electric]

Yes  must say Hager & Click are OK too .   As you say , all those makers and only Hager come up with a terminal to loop the neutrals . Hager are the only ones who make a HRC fuse carrier ...like an MCB , din rail mount , hinges out , replaces an MCB.

Didn't know you worked on the pyramids Kerch , we quoted for that job but were too expensive ,  my fault , I thought they were hollow .

Missed out on lighting Cistine Chapel as we allowed to run 25mm galv conduit across that ceiling with all the painting on it .   Clerk of Works wasn't happy .... what was his name ...Mike Angello or somat ?    Bloody jumped up decorator .

Had some bad luck at the begining TBH    ...  on the Last Supper job ...my mate chased a conduit in from the ceiling with a twin KO box fitted at 6"  above the table..... to allow for tiling ......there was some trouble over that I can tell you .  

 

[Apache]

Any comment on the LAP or BG ranges in SF?

I quite like the look of the sockets with the integral USB chargers.

I see there is a grid range with the LAP stuff. Any actual experiences?

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

I have used most of Lap stuff from the screwless flatplate to the cheap plastic and find it better than most. Am happy to use it in my own home. Have installed many of their usb charger sockets with no problems.

Mk must be second worst to anyToolstation. accesories.

 

[Blue Duck]

Thought the usb chargers had issues charging ipad's.?

mainly use BG/nexus the quality is just as good if not better than mk/craptree. they have decent size terminals you can use a real screwdriver on too.

I keep mk / craptree on the van for council jobs but find them both annoying to use like trying to get 2 cables in the back of a ctree db socket!

will have to find a hager supplier that's not an absolute rip off!

as for the din rail fuse carriers... loads do them just maybe hager still list them?

I find loads on ebay looks like someone's still making em.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=din+rail+fuse+carrier&isNewKw=1&isRefine=true&mfs=GOCLK&acimp=0&_trksid=p2056088.m2428.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xdin+rail+fuse+carrier&sqp=din+rail+fuse+carrier

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Thought the usb chargers had issues charging ipad's.?

]

They are mainly twin usb outlets, ok if only 1 outlet is used if a tablet is being charged.

 

[kerching]

Fuse carriers

Feraz Shawmut. Or however you,spell it

MEM

RS branded

CGD I think

Just saying

 

[Lurch]

I've used Crabtree since forever but have used just about everything else as well at some point. Not tried the Eaton stuff yet, looking for something else to use though as the Crabtree stuff is not that great nowadays, just Volex internals with a Crabtree front. A few years ago Ashley released a new redesigned range and the prices were reasonable, then they suddenly stopped when they sold to Hager.

Used some BG Nexus the other week on a refurb job, not 1 switch screw reached a lug, completely useless. Don't like flat plate designs either, especially when the range uses different depths (fitted some fused spurs next to sockets in the kitchen, looked terrible IMO).

Fitted some LAP chrome sockets when they were on offer a while back, didn't seem too bad for the price, but don't think I would be using LAP as my main supply as I'm stuck for suppliers. Also found some LAP stuff is OK and some of it is terrible depending wherfe they have sourced it from before rebranding, although I do get a lot of lighting from CPC when it's on offer and some of that is variable. Had some Eterna LED floods fail and a couple of Eterna PIRs, but some of the cheap unheard of stuff has been fine.

I like the Solysta stuff, just trying to get some decent pricing. Could do with shifting a van full of Crabtree stock first!

It's difficult to procure decent quality electrical equipment nowadays, and if you do it is ridiculously expensive.

 

[NozSpark]

I've had the misfortune to have to fit some customer supplied BG Nexus.... I fund that the Earth terminals in the light switches seem to be held in place with blue tac

 

[Evans Electric]

I always ask for BG  pendants instead of the shytte that Denmans sell .  BG  ( other makes are available)  have the big square hole in the ceiling rose and

( one of my foibles)   the four fixing holes ...two centre to match a BESA box and two off-set for picking up the joist without blocking the hole off.

A simple thing but there it is .  

Just not struggling.

 

[Blue Duck]

and the lampholders aren't plastic!

 

[sprocketflup]

Use the Denmans designer curve but like the look of the Eaton stuff, I see Denmans are doing a loaded Eaton RCBO board and you get a few Eaton switches and sockets  chucked in, might give that a go

 

[Harvey]

Any comment on the LAP or BG ranges in SF?

I quite like the look of the sockets with the integral USB chargers.

I see there is a grid range with the LAP stuff. Any actual experiences?

I use LAP they seem very good .BG to me are not so good

 

[pewter]

I like Schneiders range which i think is fantastic.

I also like Hager range.

Due to suppliers being local/offering best discount i usually end up with MK, BG, Knightsbridge.

Price and location make all the difference for me.

 

[NozSpark]

"Knightsbridge" :shakehead oh dear

 

[Lurch]

Screwfix rep must be on here then as anything saying LAP is good gets a scoob!

Just been looking at the Eaton range, not seen it in any wholesalers yet but pricing looks to be a little above the Sollysta.

 

[kerching]

Knightsbridge....a posh pretentious twatterybarea of London renowned for its high quality electrical,products.....NOT!

Total,s****

End of!

 

[Apache]

Screwfix rep must be on here then as anything saying LAP is good gets a scoob!

It's me scoobing as I asked about it.

As I live in the middle of nowhere anything I can get online is a bonus. I asked about the LAP stuff

 

[Sidewinder]

FWIW, I won't use anything that I may need to get duplicates of the exact spec of which matters, e.g. breakers for a board, or sockets/switches etc. which are only available at one supplier.

I will ALWAYS use branded that I can get from multiple sources, I've never had an issue explaining this to customers either.  They see it my way, why should we be held to ransom by a supplier because they are the only source for the device.

This happened to me at a site where boards were Proteus, and the local CEF branch were somewhat un-co-operative and wanted about £60 plus the cost of the breaker to get a single Proteus device in, trouble was, customer spec was whatever the board was, we could not change breaker manufacturer without a serious paperwork chain and work that would have cost more than the £60 plus the breaker.

So, we re-designed the whole site and ripped out all the Proteus kit and skipped it, it was easier to get the justification passed off!!!