ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Devices, Which Ones are the Best??

The customer gets what they pay for. If they accept my bid I will use spec grade or better devices every time. But if the GC/ owner want to beat me up on price they get the cheapest UL listed devices I can find.
As Hotline said you get what you pay for.

really??

anything with a NRTL sticker should be just as good, ergo safe as the next right?

are u insinuating we can buy safety here?

interesting....

I would say as safe as the next, it is durabilty that should change.

But if it breaks then it could leave live stuff exposed like this.
https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000213.html

So is it as safe?

As sparky said, interesting.

I use the P & S devices, except for the GFI outlets. The P&S GFI's get dirty too easy if your hands aren't clean. I use eagle GFI outlets. The leviton devices seem to crack and break because of its rear outside shell.

Sparky, you may have confused "safety" with "quality." Just as a Mercedes has to pass the same DOT standards as a Yugo, no one ever considered them to be of similar quality!
UL, CSA, etc. tests are done under lab conditions with new products; there is little attempt to simulate actual wear & tear, abuse, or the enormous range of conditions. Some subjects aren't even discussed, nor are there industry standards.
(For example, there is a specialised market for "high-abuse" or "vandal-resistant" fixtures, but there are neither tests nor standards).
Personally, I find the $10 "spec" grade devices to be more than is necessary; there is usually a remodel long before the device tires. At the other extreme, the $1 POS units often break during installation! So, for me, the choice is usually a "commercial" grade with screw-clamp back wiring.

I've never been a big stickler on brand names when it comes to devices. I do insist on spec, or commercial grade plugs and switches. P&S, Leviton, and Hubble all make good devices, and I wouldn't object to using any of them on any of my projects.

Unplugged,
Doc

Ironically, I'm a stickler on a lot of things... but bid jobs get res grade Leviton (unless otherwise noted beforehand) and T&M jobs (residential) have to specify if they want spec.

Commercial always gets spec.

Never had a call-back on a Leviton either (The GFCI that went bad was an Eagle)... but I've only been in business three+ years.

I always replace recepts used heavily during construction with brand new ones, even the GFCIs and not just the "downstream" duplexes.

It's hard enough to compete without spending three to five times what the competition is on materials.

BTW, Leviton recommends 12 in lbs on any screw terminal not otherwise marked on their devices. That is not very much torque at all. Devices will tend to weaken and break when over-torqued.

[This message has been edited by sparky66wv (edited 02-06-2003).]

Joe:
Responding to your post above regarding any device problems:
Leviton "Resi" grade receptacles, had about 30 pcs delivered to an office renovation job in error. One aprentice installed a few before the foreman caught it, and he also "broke" 3 in the process. Seems like the front face separates from the body very easily, and cracks at the side screw terminals. They were all returned to supplier.

Since we use "spec/comm" (the good stuff) we don't have any horror stories.

From all the posts in this thread, it appears that the majority of us "sparkies" like "good" stuff! (Spec/Comm grade etc)

John