cutler hammer, square d, or murray?

[cowboyjwc]

I've always liked Murray.

As an inspector I don't really care what's installed, but there is one brand out there and I want to say that it's CH, but I may be wrong, that if it's not installed just right it will pinch the dead front cover and they are a real pain to get off and on.

 

[John120/240]

SQ D QO or CH classic either one, I despise the skinny GE breakers.

 

[c2500]

I personally use CH when price is not an issue. My cost for CH SP breakers pushes the high $5's. I like the BR panels for economy based jobs. (I have used several lately) Sadly, The best deal is at big blue with the value packs on BR panels as they dropped the CH's. The supply house can't touch the pricing. No opinion on Square D as I have rarely dealt with them, and never had a Murray before.

c2500

 

[charlietuna]

It's all good to me ---if it's installed properly ! I want the one that my best supply house backs properly.

 

[Chamuit]

What ever the job will support.

Zinsco and FPE are my favorites.

Seriously, QOB, QO, then any of the Homeline, GE, Siemens, CH panels that are readily available.

 

[K8MHZ]

I sense a dislike for the product.

You will sense more, here.

I just had an HO bring back a GE panel yesterday.

I also don't like CH. My experience has been that they are arc welders. I know an inspector that had a half inch of a pocket knife melt off and not trip a CH breaker 15 feet away. (He was an EC at the time). I have seen 15 amp CH breakers carry 115.7 amps and not trip. The load was enough to dim all the lights in the house down. I mean real down. Voltage dropped to around 40 volts. There was a dead short in the circuit, L-N, in a light.

SQ-D all the way for me.

I saw an apprentice slip a 20 AWG ground wire to a buss in a 200 amp SQ-D panel and the 200 amp main snapped instantly, causing a mere blemish at the point of contact.

Skeert the hail out of the carpenters, though! It was still a pretty good show.

 

[RichB]

Sq d for resi C-H for commercial

100 or so years ago GE said"let's build a good light bulb, and screw up everything else" They did and they have!

 

[rbwsparky]

Murray panels have the most well designed panels with multiple sizes for larger neutral and ground wires with more than enough spaces. The covers are well designed with tabs at the top holes to keep the panel cover in place will being screwed down. CH panels are at the bottom of my list, along with GE. They make you double up neutrals and grounds, or add more bars

 

[hillbilly1]

You will sense more, here.

I just had an HO bring back a GE panel yesterday.

I also don't like CH. My experience has been that they are arc welders

Are you sure it was CH? Not BR? (Westinghouse) I have always found the CH breakers trip like the Square D's, very fast with little arc. The BR's on the other hand, because of their Westinghouse heritage are not so quick. The CH have a tan handle, where the BR's have a black handle.

 

[Article 90.1]

Anyone know why the main lugs and main breaker lugs in CH & CH-BR panels are loose? Take a look at the next one you install new, I have a hard time with their design, the bolt screws through the back of the lug and holds it loosely thus relying on the conductor to act as a washer that fills in the space. I guess it is kind of like a pressure plate in a receptacle, but I would prefer they ran the bolt through the lug and firmly seated it on the bus?

I"m sure there is a design reason for this, but it just doesn't feel right. The first time I noticed this I nearly returned the panel thinking that some DIY'er had messed it up and returned it to Blue. PS I'm not a fan of buying ANYTHING at Blue, either!

 

[neutral]

What is it that people love about QO? As far as I can tell they are over-priced have less room in the panel and that neutral bar design is horrible.

It's this impression of quality that is not backed up with any facts.

I use ITE, but really don't care. I guess my favorite brand is the one that makes me the most money.

I think most contractors are in the business for the bottom line not the quality of the products used. People get what they pay for, pay me now or pay me later.

 

[Mike Lang]

I like cuttler CH panels, I hide the neutrals and grounds behind the neutral and ground bars. I think it looks neater when it's all done. If you look at the panel straight on you can hardly see the neutral and grounds. Other than that I like SQ D QO and homeline also.

 

[electricmanscott]

I like cuttler CH panels, I hide the neutrals and grounds behind the neutral and ground bars. I think it looks neater when it's all done. If you look at the panel straight on you can hardly see the neutral and grounds. Other than that I like SQ D QO and homeline also.

That would be awesome if anybody cared. They don't. And we used clear covers. We don't.

 

[readydave8]

That would be awesome if anybody cared. They don't. And we used clear covers. We don't.

They may not care now but someday another electrician may take off the cover with the GC or HO nearby. I would rather him say "neat job, anyway" than "who wired this rats nest?"

 

[jmellc]

I guess GE is out of the question.

GE is mostly junk. I have it in my house and will replace it when I have the time and $ to do so. GE makes OK appliances but lousy electrical equipment. Good thing about GE? Slightly better than Zinnsco or Federal Pacific. I avoid GE as much as possible.

 

[jmellc]

QO is my favorite, Cutler Hammer CH is a close second. I like Homeline too, price is better and quality seems pretty good. Breakers are not offered in as many odd sizes, sometimes a problem. Over the long haul, QO and CHch last much longer than others and trip more reliably. I've done lots of service work where QO breakers are working fine that were installed in the 1960's. I've put in new GE's that were weak out of the box. The hardware is better and sturdier. I haven't used as much Murray, have used their disconnects more than their breakers. That's one breaker brand I don't see as much of around here. That said, I'll probably see them every day from now on.

 

[jmellc]

Do this test. Hook up a small subpanel with a GE or CHBR breaker. Terminate a short whip to it and short the wires. Do same with a QO. The GE or BR will probably trip but will make a big arc flash, may not trip 1st time. QO will trip much faster and make a smaller flash, sometimes almost none.

Snap a QO into a panel with no adjoining breakers and leave the dead front off. The breaker will stay secure, hardly any wobble at all. Others may or may not do that. CHCH is also good for that.

I've done a lot of service work in resi and commercial. QO's have held up longer than the others hands down. CHCH is not far behind. I've seen GE and BR types bad out of the box. I've broken GE neutral bars trying to shape a #2 wire to the bar.

 

[jmellc]

What is it that people love about QO? As far as I can tell they are over-priced have less room in the panel and that neutral bar design is horrible.

It's this impression of quality that is not backed up with any facts.

I use ITE, but really don't care. I guess my favorite brand is the one that makes me the most money.

You obviously have not used QO much or done extensive service work. You would easily see how a QO produced on a Monday morning hangover beats any GE or BR type produced on their best day.

 

[ccrtech]

QO definitely- get on a plan with the rep, and you should pay $3 or less for the breakers. We actually pay less for QO than homeline now. Plus it is an up sell to customers, how many times have you been called out because some one didn't notice that the breaker was actually tripped. CH is good too, but the BR stuff is horrible.

 

[neutral]

QO definitely- get on a plan with the rep, and you should pay $3 or less for the breakers. We actually pay less for QO than homeline now. Plus it is an up sell to customers, how many times have you been called out because some one didn't notice that the breaker was actually tripped. CH is good too, but the BR stuff is horrible.

well, If a home owner can't tell when a breaker is tripped, then they are too dumb to own a house and should be living in a Condo. If an Electrician can't tell when the BR stuff breaker is tripped then they need to find another line of work. They're good and bad points in all MFG's. panels, just depends on which point floats your boat. I have yet to see the perfect panel.

Charlie