FAKE MCB's

[EasyFox]

Got told today that there are Square D & Merlin Gerin fakes on the scene in Berkshire.
It's also been posted over on IEE, the mcb's are just an internal switch & sod all else . The link below is a piccy of a fake MG mcb from an IEE member, so thanks to them if they are here.
GTEC Training - gtec training, electrical training, electrical courses, electrical engineers, electricians training courses, city and guilds courses

Dont buy cheep dodgy electrical goods off ebay you may get one of the above

 

[LukeScotty]

my boss is always getting cheap stuff off ebay, I must warn him, haha

 

[Girlyspark]

Good lord! What a lot of trouble to go to to try to make some illicit money!

 

[alex]

Good lord! What a lot of trouble to go to to try to make some illicit money!

here here.

 

[ian.settle1]

Their supposed to be made in China

 

[mdshunk]

We got a batch of counterfeit Square D breakers over here too. The rumor was that they were just a switch inside, but I actually got stuck with a few boxes full. They were real breakers all right. I think Square D was trying to scare people. Counterfeit branded breakers to be sure, but not just switches inside as they wanted you to believe.

 

[tony.towa]

It is interesting that the photograph shows a C45 mcb. This breaker was superceded by the C60 when the Isobar range was launched about sixteen years ago.

When the C45 was in full use (the older members will remember the busbar connecting forks ) fake mcbs were produced in great numbers in China and fakes were also produced in Africa. The African fakes were often found to be just switches and in some cases a direct link between the two terminals.

Several of the recognised and accepted low cost mcbs available legitimately on the market are produced in China using mouldings taken from older models of the majors products and comply with the necessary standards and requirements.

The old phrase of "Buyer Beware" comes to mind when buying from any unknown source.

Love them or hate them, at least when you buy from your local wholesaler you do have some form of "comeback".

 

[Spudmiester]

Caveat Emptor indeed.

Yes I remember the forks. Crap idea !

 

[Carter]

These vermin will counterfeit absolutely anything if there's (literally) a few pence in it. If they sell enough into the market then they're quids in. The fact that it could kill someone is not even a consideration in the business plan. I've heard of stuff like aircraft brake discs and pads being faked in monkey metal so they'll have no compunction in selling a little bit of crud like that breaker.

I recall a site engineer buying in 10 brand new 'De Walt' batt drills from some bloke who pitched up to the site car park with his BMW Touring loaded with kit.
Within a week all ten were in the skip, they literally fell in half the first time they snagged in a hole causing the whole motor to rotate in the housing which of course burst open. An autopsy on the last unused drill revealed an undersized motor sitting on spacer/packing and the casing screws (which in a proper De Walt are an inch long) were half inch, fine thread jobbies which instantly stripped in the 'play-doh plastic casing' when they were assembled. There seemed to have been an attempt to GLUE the casings together with the 'screws' there just to hold it till it set! But without withdrawing one of those screws it was impossible to tell that this was not a pukka item.

 

[spark-doctor]

the older members will remember the busbar connecting forks

Who are you calling old?

Wait a few minutes whilst i get my walking stick and take the tablets and i will show you who is zzzzzzzzzz...............

 

[London Luke]

These vermin will counterfeit absolutely anything if there's (literally) a few pence in it. If they sell enough into the market then they're quids in. The fact that it could kill someone is not even a consideration in the business plan. I've heard of stuff like aircraft brake discs and pads being faked in monkey metal so they'll have no compunction in selling a little bit of crud like that breaker.

I recall a site engineer buying in 10 brand new 'De Walt' batt drills from some bloke who pitched up to the site car park with his BMW Touring loaded with kit.
Within a week all ten were in the skip, they literally fell in half the first time they snagged in a hole causing the whole motor to rotate in the housing which of course burst open. An autopsy on the last unused drill revealed an undersized motor sitting on spacer/packing and the casing screws (which in a proper De Walt are an inch long) were half inch, fine thread jobbies which instantly stripped in the 'play-doh plastic casing' when they were assembled. There seemed to have been an attempt to GLUE the casings together with the 'screws' there just to hold it till it set! But without withdrawing one of those screws it was impossible to tell that this was not a pukka item.

his fault for been so stupid !!!!