Well I do favour the SQ-D a lot even though they are pricey.. You all are going to think I am nuts but I like the FPE... We have NEVER had a problem with any of their new stuff, although I will admit they are slow to trip, but DO TRIP... When I worked at the supplier I had people coming in that would use EXCLUSEIVELY FPE and nothing else, they were the only ones that seemed to hold up in barns and outbuildings!
Cutler Hammer.. their older resi panels that used bolt on breakers I think were junk... seen too many with the sides of the main breaker burnt out of them!
The push on siemens ITE Cutler... Meh, not fussy about them, I have had some that were so loose they kept falling out of the panel, had some arc and spark to the point where they welded themselves in and I could NOT get them out of the panel. Problem being that chincy aluminum- copper connection between the buss and the breaker... To top it off I dont like the way the lugs on some of the higher amperage breakers hold the conductors.. the lugs dont seem " deep" enough...
The FPE and Sq-D seem to have nice deep lugs that grab the wire and hold very tight..
Ahh well, I have my whining!
A.D
