I get a lot of questions about which panelboards, 200A, are the best to install. Most of them are looking at long life and low maintenance. We are forced to use a specfic brand at my shop and I was hoping that maybe some of the people on this board might have one they like better than others.
I always tell them to skip the cheaper brands anyway.

I like Square D and Cutler Hammer. Also, T+B panels and breakers are good, and they are identical to Cutler Hammer stuff for less money.

I have used them all. I like the new Siemens panels and breakers. All the screws are backed out. I think they call it speedwire. You never realize what a good idea the simple things can be until you try them. Also like the homeline panels from SQ D. I beleive if they work as they are suposed to than no panel is really any better than another. If someone can prove otherwise please do.

I have used all of them but I am partial to Siemens, one is the most obvious the price, I get exceptionally great prices, also the Siemens panels are series rated.
Best of all IMO is the bus arrangement one on either and a tie bar that is removable if it needs to be made into a sub-panel. GE is the closet wiht their parallel bus arrangement but it is set off the bottom, and will use them only if it is requested.
The new Siemens panels have cut the length of there neutral bus in half and now they only give you 14 holes per side for a 20 space panel. Where they used to give almost 25.
Thats how I see it.
-Mark-

Fireftr, I use Square D exclusively and have not had any problems. Used to use C/H but the I got a better price on the Square D @ the blue house place. Also there is better access to the Square D breakers in my area. Don't like the cheap Murray panels though.

I use Sq D's Homeline panels for residential and Sq D's QO for light commercial. I will use GE once in awhile, but try not to. Just my personal preference.

I used Siemens, C/H, and Sq.D.
I like Siemens the best. The Ground and neutral bars are on opposite sides. Not stacked right on top of eachother like Sq.d and C/H.
I can only say this about residential panels, because I have no commercial exp. or any clue if the panels are the same.

We install over 100 panels a year, both residential and multi family. I have had great luck with the GE gold line series. A little cheaper than a QO and a bit more than a Homeline. Had two bad 30A DP's and one bad 20A SP. Not a bad record for the thousands I have installed over the years. Just stay away from their small panels (6 to 12 cir). They are not built as rugged. As for the 32 or 40 cir, true split neutral / grounding buss. MBJ removes in about 5 seconds with 3/8 nut driver or common screwdriver. Ground lug factory installed. Plenty of gutter space for wire bending and a pretty good KO layout with a 1 1/4" ko on right and left sides. Hope my Square Dog rep never sees this!

Has anybody had any/many callbacks or failures with any of the above mentioned panels?
Murray works just fine for me, but I'm a QO lover

GE mostly in residential, have had no problems and I like the ground/neutral bus arrangement. SQ D in commercial work, hate the neutral bus location on SQ D... Cutler Hammer is available for me, and I like the trip curves (comparable to SQ D) but the darn neutral bus is placed so that a screwdriver cannot be square with the screws and are more likely to strip. Who designed that?!?!

Good discussion about panel boards. I need to replace a fuse box in the home I just purchased. I need a 200 amp panel board. Home Depot sells a QO 200 amp panel for $195. Is this a decent choice? I am willing to spend spend more if I need to for protection of my investment.

A QO???!!!! Ifits a QO and not a homeline, grab it and run. The big boxes have been selling a retail packaged homeline panel, panel and assorted breakers,and a flush front for it. Even if its is a homeline, I got a couple of em in, and haven't regretted it.
Trainwire

Home Depot has a contractor pack ITE 200A copper buss 30/40 with (8) 1P 20A breakers and (2) 2P 30A breakers for $119.95. They also have a SqD 200A 30/40 QO with breakers for $175.00. Both are good panels at good prices. My local supply house was charging me $169.00 for the same ITE panel without any breakers until I started going to the Depot. They quickly matched the Depot price after I went there for my second load of panels in a month.

I have abruptly changed my opinion of GE panels...

Yesterday, Joe Musser of Musser Electric was installing a breaker in a GE panel and the bus flexed and was broken off its mounts. It wasn't like he was over-torquing a lug or something, just snapping a breaker in place.

He removed the panel to show me, but I haven't seen it yet.

I'm officially switching to Cutler Hammer now.

I purchased the Sq D Homeline 200 amp value pack panel and a 10-pack of 20amp breakers. Total cost at Home Depot was $149. The feeder wires to the new panel were a little short. So, the panel was boosted up 6" before clamping the wires in place. The electrician installed it with no problems. I need a 30 amp and 2 twenty amp breakers and will be finished. Next up is the new meter base for my new underground line.

Pardon me while I become wishy-washy...

Saw the panel today, a 6 circuit 125A MLO (GE), you know, the type with the 8 circuit bus that has two "poles" blocked off...

Joe was trying to put a two pole breaker in the wrong spot, he thought he'd bought an 8 space MLO panel, and he forced a breaker where it was NOT designed to go, and broke a tab holding the left bus in...

I didn't have to scold him after it all came to light... He was feeling rather sheepish...

No other problems with GE...