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

[Alla Musica]

@nicebutdim Mate - have you ever come across Knightsbridge accessories please, and how do they fare? (I have a discontinued in-line dimmer from them, and just came to realize that they also made wall accessories)

 

[nicebutdim]

@nicebutdim Mate - have you ever come across Knightsbridge accessories please, and how do they fare? (I have a discontinued in-line dimmer from them, and just came to realize that they also made wall accessories)

It's not a brand I would ever have considered buying, but recently wired a house with decorative Knightsbridge accessories. I couldn't fault them and the grid range was a perfect match for other accessories, when needing intermediate switches on a couple of four gang plates. Terminals and terminal layout was no better ot worse than most other accessories.

Obviously I've no idea about long term use.

 

[Alla Musica]

It wasn't a loose wire, so either a dodgy contact or plaster dust had got in. I had a broken faceplate that had got dropped before installation and swapped out the switch insert and no problem since then.

There was one occasion when I was enjoying the possession of my newly purchased Click Mode wall switches - and water sprayed onto them by accident and I was in total panic.

Fortunately, thanks to the design, individual modules could be taken off the faceplate, and even the modules themselves could be easily taken apart and reassembled.

I dried the water out and put the switches back, and now all the 5 gangs are now in proper use.

Not sure if other series / brands could be taken apart this easily, but if your installation environment is subject to plaster dust or such, you might consider light switches that are convenient to take apart for inspection before reassembly.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Or conversely use accessories that are totally enclosed and will not let plaster dust past into the mechanism.

 

[Alla Musica]

What about Electrium (Crabtree, Marbo[ourn], Volex, and Wylex brands)? Wikipedia still shows one UK factory, whatever that means...

@Ric2013 Mate, with the absence of a prompt reply from Electrium, I would assume they're made in China, or elsewhere with cheaper labor cost, given their similar cost to Click Mode.

 

[Alla Musica]

I'm not a fan of the rockers on the Click stuff tbh - far too square edged. Makes it feel very 80s.

Sorry mate, I just realized you said "rockers" rather than "faceplate".

FWIW, I truly understand what you mean, and I felt the same while looking at online pictures. But imho, those rockers have a slightly curved surface which makes it more modern somehow...?

I have a few UK friends renting 1980s houses / apartments which had really old-looking switches whose rockers come with flat surfaces instead, such as --

But in short, I think you meant something like the above by saying "80s"?

Not sure if I'm correct, but please point out if I'm wrong...

Cheers!

 

[Simon47]

I actually prefer that "80s" square style over the curved designs like the "new" MK Logic+.
And on that, WTF did MK keep the same product codes for a completely different range. There was a time when I'd have scoured 2nd hand sites for the old Logic stuff, but if there is anything it's drowned out by a gazzillion hits on the new stuff.

 

[nicebutdim]

I actually prefer that "80s" square style over the curved designs like the "new" MK Logic+.
And on that, WTF did MK keep the same product codes for a completely different range. There was a time when I'd have scoured 2nd hand sites for the old Logic stuff, but if there is anything it's drowned out by a gazzillion hits on the new stuff.

Quite a bit of their old metalclad range makes its way onto ebay, but mostly from people who have a grossly overinflated sense of its value.

 

[Alla Musica]

I actually prefer that "80s" square style over the curved designs like the "new" MK Logic+.
And on that, WTF did MK keep the same product codes for a completely different range. There was a time when I'd have scoured 2nd hand sites for the old Logic stuff, but if there is anything it's drowned out by a gazzillion hits on the new stuff.

Aha, did you mean curved rockers or curved faceplates?

 

[nicebutdim]

Flat raised plate, with square corners and square switches.

First image I could find was an fcu, but you get the idea.

 

[Alla Musica]

Flat raised plate, with square corners and square switches.

I got your idea, and indeed I'm less interested in these appearances. My rented flat in the UK comes with the Schneider GET Exclusive range which has a similar look to your pic, which resonates badly with the wall when pressed.

Living alone has been tedious; I can't fault these switches in any way, but to me, living with these switches simply makes my life alone more than a tedious wait... (Crabtree or Click might be better for me, but this is a rented apartment after all!)

 

[MJPD29]

@Ric2013 Mate, with the absence of a prompt reply from Electrium, I would assume they're made in China, or elsewhere with cheaper labor cost, given their similar cost to Click Mode.

Your profile says you are from China, are you looking for info about other brands as you work for one or a company creating a similar product? Most will do the job just fine for you.

 

[Alla Musica]

Your profile says you are from China, are you looking for info about other brands as you work for one or a company creating a similar product? Most will do the job just fine for you.

Hi there - I apologize if this causes any confusions. I'm not working in the industry but just a music student. I'm indeed from China and I'm attending a UK institution. I was just finding UK switches interesting to me, and looking to bring some most worthy ones back for installation. I enjoy them - but as they're not available in China and given my limited travel opportunities, I need to make sure that they last.

I do appreciate that you said most would work fine for me. However, speaking of MK, such a reputable brand - if I weren't on the forum, I certainly wouldn't have expected their poor quality and would have ordered way more than I did, only to be disappointed by quality upon returning to China. For the same reason I might have over-worried about warranty or something.

Please pardon my OCD - I apologize if I appear very picky and hence wordy here! I really appreciate all your responses that have actually been very informative to me already, and now my preference has now almost settled...

 

[Simon47]

I got your idea, and indeed I'm less interested in these appearances. My rented flat in the UK comes with the Schneider GET Exclusive range which has a similar look to your pic, which resonates badly with the wall when pressed.

These things are always going to be a matter or preference.
And of course, there will always be differences in implementation. There are manufacturers who make stuff that looks identical to the old MK Logic - but the ones I've tried tend to have very "hard" switch actions, even verging on the "nearly impossible to operate" in some cases.
And then there's differences in buildings. The same switch will work and sound very differently when installed on (say) a lightweight partition wall vs a solid brick wall.

 

[Alla Musica]

There are manufacturers who make stuff that looks identical to the old MK Logic

Really interesting information! No wonder earlier I saw Click Mode and Crabtree Instinct having striking resemblance to the latest MK Logic+ as well...

 

[Alla Musica]

... the ones I've tried tend to have very "hard" switch actions, even verging on the "nearly impossible to operate" in some cases.

Could you name a few that you find "hard"? Just curious to know, since I don't think I have any so far...

 

[Mike Johnson]

As far as noise goes, try the French lighting momentary switch with a mechanical latching relay in the consumer unit, it's nothing short of a loud bang in the CU, usually located in the living room or kitchen, electronic latching relay's are available now, but only in the last ten years or so, in most properties these have not be changed, UK people holidaying in France must have noticed.

 

[Alla Musica]

As far as noise goes, try the French lighting momentary switch with a mechanical latching relay in the consumer unit, it's nothing short of a loud bang in the CU, usually located in the living room or kitchen, electronic latching relay's are available now, but only in the last ten years or so, in most properties these have not be changed, UK people holidaying in France must have noticed.

I enjoy the noise you're talking about though. Not only in France - in China many luxury hotels have adopted a key-fob-operated master switch that goes to the electromagnetic relay in the circuit breaker, which subsequently controls the lights and outlets (except UPS), and sometimes also the A/C, in the guest room. It's quite amusing to hear the noise when the master power supply turns on/off. These are more common where the room lighting is governed by a relay box controlled by low-voltage retractive switches.

(Sorry, please correct me if I'm not using the correct terminology)

 

[Simon47]

And of course, if the relays are AC, they hum when engaged.
At a previous employer we were in a shared office building with all electric heating (storage heaters). The meters were elsewhere in the building, so each unit had a contactor controlled by the switch in the meter. A significant bang when they pulled in, and a hum while they were in - we knew when we'd got off-peak power during the day (it did happen from time to time).

 

[Mike Johnson]

In a domestic situation it has to be the most annoying noise you can hear half way through the night when getting up to relieve yourself or worse someone else doing the same.