So I just received a free sample ring from Cooper. I didn’t realize these things were brand new to the market when I asked if anyone had used them before.
They sent me a 1-gang that mounts on a 4-square for a sample. It has a metal pull-tab cover with a bump out that protrudes about a 1/2-inch outward to help prevent the rockers from burying it. The bump out in the metal cover also acts as a guide for their rotozip and at the same time prevents them from turning your wires into Swiss cheese with it.
The device ring locks into the mounting ring with two spring tabs on the sides. The tabs engage a series of shallow slots in the device ring that look sort of like ribs on a tie wrap, and the whole thing ratchets together as you push it inward. You can pre-install a device with pig tails or a plug tail device and wall plate, then press the whole thing in place as one assembly. Sounds good on paper, but I’m thinking that some final adjustments as far a leveling of the device and wall plate may need to be done, so that might affect the actual install speed.
If you happen to insert the ring in too far and need to bring it back out further, or need to remove it after installation, you have to order a two-piece removal tool separately. It just looks like two thin, flat steel fingers, similar to what you use to remove some car stereos from their mounting bracket. You slip one tool in the center of each side of the ring and insert a screwdriver between them, then slowly wiggle the ring out.
I haven't actually priced these things yet, so don't know how cost effective it is to use them at the moment.
