Rubbish products/materials

[Big n Daft]

Right ho chaps and chapesses,
Its time rat out the rubbish. What have you used recently that has been complete and utter poo.
Lets start with anything that has Proteus on the label, and there is some completely useless swa cable out there as well. You know the stuff, its like a coiled spring sitting on the drum waiting to snare you at first pull.

 

[Richard Burns]

adaptable boxes that have pre determined holes with not enough clearance to get a lock nut on

I definitely go along with that one and also the cheap screws supplied with fittings that strip as soon as you look at them.
Cheap cable that is stuck together so you can't strip it.
All patresses that shatter and those that do not have enough break out to fit a 2.5 T&E

 

[Amp David]

Definately anything to do with MCG is pants.


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What a suprise, another CEF own brand, a replacement for the good old Proteus they tell me

 

[Amp David]

Tamlight....often poorly thought out and thrown together....Gotta say,despite the slagging off of proteus here,I use it on cheap jobs/temp site supplies etc and have never had a problem with it.
Niglon,stopped using their stuff years ago,after SWA glands which either wouldnt start or pulled off even when wound right down...and 2" locknuts which were so flimsy and loose you could tighten them by hand and they would strip.
RPP IP sockets.....Oh dear.
Marshall tuflex minitrunking....where do you start?
BELL linear T/H lamps...no end of hassle,contacts set too far back in the endcap so they wont meet the pins on the fitting.

Could be here all day!

RPP sockets and switches, the whole range, pants

 

[ruston]

I wonder between us all how many man hours have been wasted rectifying c9ap gear. And when you go to the wholesaler they tell you- "you are the only one that brings stuff back".
So it's not just us then!

 

[Kamikaze]

Just as a matter of curiosity, does anyone else have problems tightening the screws on 16A Crabtree Polestar breakers, or is it just me? All other sizes appear ok, just not the 16A once.

 

[Rockingit]

Just as a matter of curiosity, does anyone else have problems tightening the screws on 16A Crabtree Polestar breakers, or is it just me?

Can't comment on Crabtree specifically, but one recent-ish thing which is really getting on my ---- is that we are now all encouraged / required by the various CU manufacturers to go out and buy expensive torque screwdrivers.....and then they fit cheapy cheap screws inside that shear before you get anywhere near the setting they say to tighten too - neutral and earth bars normally. FFS, really.

 

[Rockingit]

And to add to the list of crap kit: Any light fitting, ever, that has come out of a box with 'Homebase' written on it.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

This crappy bathroom lightfitting that a client insisted we put up for her the other day B&Q with "made in china" on the inside...pressed out of tin so thin you risked buckling it just by holding it too tightly...cable entries in the wrong place and crappy plastic clips holding a glass shade to it all....just dying to come off and conk someone on the head that one......if it were my choice it would have been in the bin with it..........

 

[D Skelton]

Any plasterboard backboxes from TLC! They're horrendous.

 

[rsmck]

Magnetic cable guide Magna Mole cheaply made plastic tool, suitable for the DIY market but aimed at professional electricians. Anything tougher than plaster board walls and plastic splits or disintegrates spilling the magnets the tool relies on to work. Utter crap!

This product was featured on Dragon's Den when it first came out and I seem to remember the quote "You kind of almost want your product to break occasionally" when addressing the size of the market. Guess this is why they sell spare magnets

 

[Rockingit]

This product was featured on Dragon's Den when it first came out and I seem to remember the quote "You kind of almost want your product to break occasionally" when addressing the size of the market. Guess this is why they sell spare magnets

I found a set in the bargain bin at a CEF a few weeks back for 50p....alright for pushing a bit of 10mm earth through a cavity wall but chuff all use for anything else.

 

[Bud1975]

I am just starting out and I am now too scared to buy anything after reading this post! Lol :willy_nilly:

CEF just gave me all their information on Proteus switchgear as I am looking to change my first consumer unit soon. After this post I may just use a different brand. Any thoughts from you guys on which split load CU make you would use first?

Regards, Bud1975

 

[High Tower]

I am just starting out and I am now too scared to buy anything after reading this post! Lol :willy_nilly:

CEF just gave me all their information on Proteus switchgear as I am looking to change my first consumer unit soon. After this post I may just use a different brand. Any thoughts from you guys on which split load CU make you would use first?

Regards, Bud1975

Hager Hager hager!!!

 

[telectrix]

I am just starting out and I am now too scared to buy anything after reading this post! Lol :willy_nilly:

CEF just gave me all their information on Proteus switchgear as I am looking to change my first consumer unit soon. After this post I may just use a different brand. Any thoughts from you guys on which split load CU make you would use first?

Regards, Bud1975

crabtree starbreaker or BG for cheaper alternative.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Definately not MK Sentry, unless you have the time to be very carefull and a flat surface to fix to.