MK Logic Plus vs Hager Sollysta - which one should I choose?

[Alla Musica]

I'm not a fan of MK distribution, which are no longer MK/Honeywell products, but can't fault their standard accessories.

Ah, no wonder I don't see MK consumer units anywhere..

 

[nicebutdim]

Ah, no wonder I don't see MK consumer units anywhere..

There are plenty around and they're still made under license with MK name attached.

They have a few traits which make them less than popular with installers, but nothing that would affect function. At one time MK boards would have been quite popular, but many other brands are on offer that perhaps serve different target markets better. Some brands offer better quality, price or ease of installation, while a few brands manage to hit more than one of these objectives.

MK distribution has kept up to date with all technological advances, but competing brands would be more likely to appeal to installers.

 

[baldelectrician]

I used to use MK about 20 years ago but switched to Hager over 15 years ago

The quality is good, I also like that they now do dimmer frames that let you put other dimmer modules inside- that way you can have a Varilight or Bell dimmer inside with the Hager frame- nice touch.

I find the quality of the sockets particuarly good- the safety shutters require equal pressure on all 3 terminals to allow them to open, the neons on the DP switches are actually LED's and are also internally wired

The acessories have all the terminals facing up for ease of wiring, all in better design and higher quality.

 

[Alla Musica]

I used to use MK about 20 years ago but switched to Hager over 15 years ago

The quality is good, I also like that they now do dimmer frames that let you put other dimmer modules inside- that way you can have a Varilight or Bell dimmer inside with the Hager frame- nice touch.

View attachment 111063

I find the quality of the sockets particuarly good- the safety shutters require equal pressure on all 3 terminals to allow them to open, the neons on the DP switches are actually LED's and are also internally wired

The acessories have all the terminals facing up for ease of wiring, all in better design and higher quality.

Wow, thanks for sharing the DIY dimmer parts!

With regards to your switch to Hager - was it the Sollysta series that you switched to?
Before that, was it the Logic Plus that you used to have? (Sorry I'm simply curious, especially when these things date back to.)

 

[baldelectrician]

Wow, thanks for sharing the DIY dimmer parts!

With regards to your switch to Hager - was it the Sollysta series that you switched to?
Before that, was it the Logic Plus that you used to have? (Sorry I'm simply curious, especially when these things date back to.)

I used to use GET acessories, now defunct.
I kept away from MK as they were relying on their name.
I used MK consumer units for a couple of years and left them when they moved the manufacture from UK / Europe to the far east- went from NO faulty MCB's to 2 a month (less than 0.25% to 12.5%)

I use Sollysta acessories

 

[Alla Musica]

I used to use GET acessories, now defunct.
I kept away from MK as they were relying on their name.
I used MK consumer units for a couple of years and left them when they moved the manufacture from UK / Europe to the far east- went from NO faulty MCB's to 2 a month (less than 0.25% to 12.5%)

I use Sollysta acessories

Sorry for the late reply.

Do the terminal screws in the Sollysta series hold the wires tight? Unfortunately Amazon reviews keeps failing the MK Logic Plus series for their terminals...

 

[baldelectrician]

Sorry for the late reply.

Do the terminal screws in the Sollysta series hold the wires tight? Unfortunately Amazon reviews keeps failing the MK Logic Plus series for their terminals...

Yes, the terminal screws are also captive so they don't fall out

 

[pc1966]

Unfortunately Amazon reviews keeps failing the MK Logic Plus series for their terminals...

Recently some of the screws seem overly tight - maybe partly intentional so they don't shake loose during transport but they seem to have gone too far the other way. You need a properly sized screwdriver to avoid chewing any tight ones, ideally 4.5mm but 4mm blade is OK.

And yes, you should not need to have a perfect driver for a terminal!

 

[Risteard]

Both are of decent quality.

MK state that over 80% of the products they sell in the UK and Ireland are made in the UK.

I'm of the opinion that Sollysta is more aesthetically pleasing, but that's subjective opinion.

Logic Plus can be purchased pretty much anywhere, wheras Sollysta isn't so widely stocked or used and for that reason it's more difficult to comment on its long term reliability.

Definitely a vote for Hager Sollysta for me. Use lots of it. Don't rate MK at all.

 

[loz2754]

Sorry for the late reply.

Do the terminal screws in the Sollysta series hold the wires tight? Unfortunately Amazon reviews keeps failing the MK Logic Plus series for their terminals...

The terminal screws in MK Logic Plus have always been hard to turn in my experience.
Scolmore Click accessories hold the wires very well with minimal tightening of the screws.

 

[nicebutdim]

Definitely a vote for Hager Sollysta for me. Use lots of it. Don't rate MK at all.

Are you buying it locally?

 

[lozarus]

For what its worth (probably not a lot) it's Hager for me. I dont rate their boards but do rate their accessories.

MK is still a staple in schools and hospitals - so seeing them in a house just makes me think of that

MK seem to use excessively rebated terminal screws of 4mm and a bit - its always a pig to get my screwdriver in i find . I also feel the terminal screws are a tad soft. Also some MK accessories only seem to feature one CPC. They also charge a premium for a non premium product.

Hager dont recess the terminals so far and the terminal scrws are a good healthy 5mm or so with good torque resisting abilities. They also seem aesthetically nicer (bear in min MK Logic+ hasnt changed since 1997 so its looking a bit dated) and they dont quite charge the MK premium and always provide 2 CPC terminals on a double socket as standard.

 

[Risteard]

Are you buying it locally?

This is where it gets strange. For work in the north CEF in Derry stock Click Mode and predominantly that's what I use. But for work in the south CEF in Letterkenny stock Hager Sollysta so I use it there, which would be the predominant part of my work.

Hager Sollysta's really nice to use, but oddly doesn't seem to be popular/stocked in the north.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Shouldn't all the terminal screws be tightened to the correct torque in accordance with the manufacturers instructions using the correct bladed terminal screwdriver?

 

[nicebutdim]

This is where it gets strange. For work in the north CEF in Derry stock Click Mode and predominantly that's what I use. But for work in the south CEF in Letterkenny stock Hager Sollysta so I use it there, which would be the predominant part of my work.

Hager Sollysta's really nice to use, but oddly doesn't seem to be popular/stocked in the north.

I've struggled to find anyone who stocks ilocally.

A local cef rep stopped me the other day and we had a frank chat about pricing. Might be worth submitting a list for quotation...

 

[pc1966]

MK is still a staple in schools and hospitals - so seeing them in a house just makes me think of that

There is a good reason for that:

"Logic Plus and MK Base are manufactured from urea formaldehyde which has inherent antibacterial and antiviral properties within the compound. Thanks to high quality mould tools the products are also scratch-free, minimising surfaces for pathogens to hide, providing another way to help stop the spread of infections. Both ranges have been tested by an independently accredited laboratory to the latest standard ISO 22196:2011."

Aesthetics are very much down to the person living with it, I find the Logic Plus is innocuous and generally pleasant to use, so few folks complain (also it is usually for free with family & friends so they better not!).

 

[Alla Musica]

Recently some of the screws seem overly tight

Agreed. I ended up buying quite a few MK Logic Plus - and the same problem occurs to my switches.

Not really too much of a problem in practice I'd guess - as long as they hold the wires tight. Better safe than sorry!

 

[Alla Musica]

Definitely a vote for Hager Sollysta for me. Use lots of it. Don't rate MK at all.

Indeed, Hager Sollysta comes with rockers that fit better onto our fingers than MK Logic Plus.

Also, while Logic Plus is known to be promising quality-wise, I can't fault Sollysta in any way.

 

[Alla Musica]

The terminal screws in MK Logic Plus have always been hard to turn in my experience.
Scolmore Click accessories hold the wires very well with minimal tightening of the screws.

I'm still waiting for my Click Mode 2 Gang to arrive. Can't wait to see what it's like!

 

[ipf]

I used to use a lot of GET/ Schneider Ultimate Screwless. A bit pricey but class stuff.