Cheepo toolstation sockets

[Justmovedin]

Hi just wandering if there is anything wrong with cheepo toolstation sockets. They are switched and like £2.50 for double sockets but I see some more expensive. Surely they must meet standards?

 

[dmxtothemax]

Do they have standards in China ?

 

[Richard Burns]

The sockets will meet the minimum standards in the UK but probably would not in any way exceed those minima, they will work but the chance of failure is higher than with the more recognised brands, if you are just running low current appliances and not switching them then they would probably hold out, high current and frequent switching will encourage failure. Then again Toolstation does have some surprisingly useful things at times so they may be OK, but if you want longevity choose a different make.

 

[SparkyChick]

As in many other arenas, you get what you pay for. Personally I won't fit cheap accessories because they are likely to cause me a headache down the line with premature failure.

 

[The Ghost]

The most compelling reason I pay more for sockets apart from the above is that the way the terminals and screws are laid out. Cheaper ones seem to have the terminals and screws in strange places and poor quality screws making fitting the socket a bit of a nuisance having to turn the socket at weird angles to get to the screw. It seems Hager and MK have worked out we like to screw from the top of the socket and have all the terminals in line on the top, at last!

 

[The Ghost]

Do they have standards in China

Have you not heard of CE marking? Chinese Export, tut tut.

 

[Justmovedin]

Is crabtree a good brand? Also from places like screwfix and toolstation do you guys in the trade get a better discount???

 

[SparkyChick]

Is crabtree a good brand? Also from places like screwfix and toolstation do you guys in the trade get a better discount???

Not used too much Crabtree gear, but what little I have has always seemed of reasonable quality.

Trade discount, yes, but it's no guarantee you'd be able to buy decent accessories for less than your cheapo price.

Let's put this into context. Your home is one of the biggest investments you're going to ever make. Lets say you have 100 double socket outlets... the difference between a good brand and your cheepo example may be as little as a couple of quid each. Is it worth that little saving in the grand scheme of things? If you're going for fancy finishes like brushed chrome... they cost an arm and a leg compared to standard plastic accessories.

If your faced with a choice between scrimping on say the electrical installation and decorating... personally I'd fit top notch electrical gear and stick woodchip wallpaper on the walls... your wall paper's not going to kill you as a result of manufacturing defects or premature failure. The same can be said of furnishings and other home accessories.

 

[ED17]

We use Click accessories on a lot of jobs and don't have many go faulty. Just seem to get the odd switched fused spur that fails.

 

[hightower]

Aren't we seeing the same trend everywhere now? Brand new family size cars for less than £10,000, with all the mod cons. Looks brilliant doesn't it? My mates a mechanic, and he said there's 3 makes not to touch with a barge pole. Ssang Yong, Dacia, and Mazda. He said the metals used are so below standard that they start dropping to bits the minute you drive them out the showroom. But hey, you can have a brand new car for less than £10,000!

 

[hightower]

We use Click accessories on a lot of jobs and don't have many go faulty. Just seem to get the odd switched fused spur that fails.

I use Click because that's what my wholesaler stocks, and I'm happy enough with them. Had to laugh the time I wanted a double architrave switch though - Click double architrave switch, Click double architrave KO box..... screw holes didn't line up with each other.

 

[Pete999]

Is crabtree a good brand? Also from places like screwfix and toolstation do you guys in the trade get a better discount???

 

[Pete999]

You do if you have an "electrifix" account, but you have to be a Trades Person to get one, why not ask the Electrician doing your work to buy them from Electrifix, or better still get him to supply them.

 

[davesparks]

Surely they must meet standards?

Not necessarily, and you wouldn't find out until after a fault has occurred, been investigated and a product recall has been started.

 

[telectrix]

You do if you have an "electrifix" account, but you have to be a Trades Person to get one, why not ask the Electrician doing your work to buy them from Electrifix, or better still get him to supply them.

he might end up with LAP then. still, for a budget price LAP ain't as bad as some members make out.