MK essential range , anyone tried it ?

[Dustydazzler]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osbADF3sOHU


JW gives it the low down , anyone fitted any ? Looks a bit naff imo

 

[pc1966]

I like the Logic range, my first choice usually, but not seen the cheap one in the flesh (or plastic) yet.

Watching video now, the essentials range looks rubbish!
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Cheap FCU grip looks as if it holds the wires, not the outer sheath?

 

[pirate]

My pal bought two light switches, from the Essentials range, and I couldnt fit them because of exactly what JW showed...they stick out too much at the back. he liked the idea of the cover plate over the screws, but they're just flimsy stuff IMHO. Not worth trying to save a few pennies.

 

[pc1966]

JW promises a video trying to overload them and/or otherwise set them on fire, looking for ward to that

Also I had not realised that 13A sockets don't need to be DP switching, i just assumed they were all like the MK logic style. Assumption making an --- of me again!

 

[UNG]

Never used MK since the 80's from choice unless specced and won't be using it anytime soon

 

[pc1966]

Never used MK since the 80's from choice unless specced and won't be using it anytime soon

Out of interest, who do you use for general white accessories?

 

[UNG]

Out of interest, who do you use for general white accessories?

At the moment mainly Scolmore
Back in the mid 80's we moved over to using Crabtree as our biggest customer was a local health authority and when MK had that stupid twist shutter that allowed 2 pin plug to be used they were barred from use in the NHS by a HTM before that point it was a mix of MK and Crabtree mainly down to spec on the job

 

[Pennywise]

Looks like a bloody awful range, straight on the avoid list.

 

[telectrix]

My pal bought two light switches, from the Essentials range, and I couldnt fit them because of exactly what JW showed...they stick out too much at the back. he liked the idea of the cover plate over the screws, but they're just flimsy stuff IMHO. Not worth trying to save a few pennies.

but if there's a cover plate over the screws, how can you tell if the screw slots are aligned vertically?

 

[freddo]

The video explains the range well, saw a few samples. They look and feel like cheap tat, I've never liked accessories made of polycarbonate, too flexible and meltable. I hate that the MK Logic Plus euro frames are no longer made of the urea formaldehyde type stuff and are now made of soft ploycarbonate. The screwless frame looks really ugly as well, I've never understood screwless plate stuff, it almost always looks more conspicuous than standard plates with screws. I would certainly not recommend the essentials range, I don't know what the designers were thinking! The same goes for that terrible Crabtree Instinct range. We were sent some samples of that and decided we were not going to ever use that either.

I don't want to fit cheap garbage accessories, I want to fit well designed, robust and reliable ones. When will manufacturers understand this?

I remember when the Crabtree sockets and switch fuse connection units changed from good to the current design with small crap square terminals made of steel. An Electrium rep visited the local wholesalers and had to leave there early due to all the abuse he was getting from the local electricians. I miss the huge round brass Crabtree terminals, especially on the FCUs where the terminal layout was perfect for neatly dressing the wires and they would accept 2x 6.0mm conductors. Why do most manufacturers lay the terminals so the in and out terminals are all crossed over from one another? And why do they make the terminals square?

 

[pirate]

Tel, precisely! You can't...you can't tell if they are properly aligned horizontally either

 

[sparksfly]

I was given one at an Elex show but too embarrassed to use it....why oh why do they do this?....probably to shift many units = make more money, someone retires on a fat bonus...someone should have gone to specsavers !

 

[pc1966]

I hate that the MK Logic Plus euro frames are no longer made of the urea formaldehyde type stuff and are now made of soft ploycarbonate.

That is disappointing, as one thing I might need soon is some grid switches. Any suggestions of a decent choice?

 

[freddo]

The Grid stuff is still ok, just not the euro frames.

 

[telectrix]

That is disappointing, as one thing I might need soon is some grid switches. Any suggestions of a decent choice?

click are my choice unless job is tight moneywise, then it's BG,

 

[Pennywise]

I quite like the hager/Ashley range, their metal clad stuff is almost identical to the MK metal clad range.

 

[AJshep]

First time I've seen that range.
looks nasty!

 

[freddo]

I keep looking at these and wonder if they are an existing chinese product rebranded, but a quick search hasn't shown up anything. If it is an entirely new product it must have cost a fortune in tooling/moulds etc. That would be a waste of money! There don't seem to be many any positive comments about them on that YouTube video!

 

[Dustydazzler]

Could well be a cheap load of gear they picked up from somewhere that went out of business or perhaps brought out a foreign manufacture that was in trouble.
cant see why Mk have bothered with this tat thou , seems silly when you already have a white plastic on the market in logic plus