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#203669 10/18/11 11:04 PM
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 764
K
KJay Offline OP
Member
Anyone used these Cooper Rapid Rings before?
With the pre-installed plug tail device and plate shown in the link, it kind of looks like they could be a metal version of the Leviton Cheetah stuff.
Rapid Ring

KJay #203756 10/22/11 05:38 PM
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 764
K
KJay Offline OP
Member
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.

KJay #211427 10/11/13 11:59 AM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1
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Ben Offline
New Member
We have used rapid rings on several jobs. They are quick when installing and a prefab process can prepare the device in the ring beforehand so that the field can simply pop the tab and insert the ring. Saves on labor!

BUT... Wall thickness is an issue, sheetrockers (always an issue) and box flex an issue. The trim has to be just right when the sheetrockers install around the pull-tab cover or it will not come out as it should. If it doesn't come out easy, the rapid ring doesn't install easy either. Thicker walls present a larger problem as mud and tile may overshoot the opening for the rapid ring.

Mounting to metal studs, the box can flex too much making the rapid ring problematic, but not so much on wood studs since they don't tend to twist as much when pushing the rapid ring into the box. Cooper video shows rapid ring used with a box expansion bar. This kept it from twisting on the video.

We are going to try to put a 1G metal box over the metal pull tab next time around (we're installing over 5,500 box in the next project). This will provide a thicker mud ring and will protrude out from the wall further. We're also going to have our guys make a quick pass through and rotozip each box while others come in behind them to pull the tabs and install the rapid rings.

Also, we have found that using Wagos speeds the process along and is much cheaper than buying devices that come with a plastic snap-in type plug. Just annFYI

If you can overcome these issues, the rapid rings are a fast install and money saver.

Last edited by Ben; 10/11/13 12:00 PM.

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