MES products

[ians]

Time to use MES for hit and run projects only.

I am not a big fan of crabtree ... they like the antiques of the industry ... also with a bad track record of flashing out the switches ... I know they have addressed the issue with a shield inside the switch ... but it doesnt have a nice switch operation (feel) ... for industrial applications its fine.

Clipsal dont stock a full range anymore and with the S2000 is discontinued ... its just a matter of time of they will exit the market ... unless they relaunch the S2000 range again ... at a price to compete with junk like MES and lesco and the like.

CBI ... not a bad entry level switch ... with a decent clip action and not too difficult to operate like the clipsal copies ... because they dont supply wholesalers ... a budget switch bought at the most expensive outlet ... Builders ... takes it out of the contractors budget.

By the way ... talking about CBI and builders ... the ASC units are back in stock ... @ R400 ... was a good seller at a reasonable price R349.

How did this problem evolve ... the demand for cheap junk ... customers want cheap cheap ... its great for contractors ... @R650-R850 for a callout to replace a R15 single lever switch ... its momey for jam.

[ians]

I have a box full of switches ... I am in the commissioning stage of the project and at a point where I just cant do it anymore.

I thought it would be easy to move to another supplier ... trying to find a company which can supply the full range of a product seems a bigger challenge than getting MES to supply a switch that doesnt stick when you operate it.

By the way MES sent me a box of product which was checked in Cape Town and delivered to site ... they work ... however we had to change 3 switches to dimmer press modules ... imagine that the bell presses stick half way.

I was offered a bottle of whiskey ... I dont drink ... all I want is a product that works ... nothing more nothing less.

[ians]

Just when I thought it couldnt get any worse ... I am busy on site replacing the Syneji light switches which turned out to be a fail (they dont bring in 4x4 6 lever grid plates) the customer points out another issue with other MES ... once again I am paying for my bad selection of product

The shaver unit has exposed live parts ( looked at all the other brands ...non have shutters) ... but thats not the problem ... we have a bigger problem ... when you push a 2 pin plug top into the outlet ... because most plugs now have a plastic piece to protect children from from touching live components while inserting or removing the plug tops ... the appliance doesnt work if fully insert the plug top ... so you have to pull the socket half out for it to make contact ... what I did notice about the other brands ...the other brands have connectors which go to the back of the socket ... allowing the pin to make contact ... the mes unit only has contact close to the cover side of the socket.

Then the customer pointed out that the label on 20 amp double pole light isolator/switches has already rubbed off ... I dont think the reis a regulation that stats you have to have a label indicating the switch is a double pole isolator ? maybe MES just labelled it for reference while installing the module ?

I already have to replace one of the 2 way switches ... big deal the rep will deliver it to the property ...I still have to return to the site to replace the first of what I believe is going to be many replacement.

Here is the good news ... only 0.005 % of MES product are "reported" faulty ... I must have just ended up with the whole 0.005 % of the bad batch.

I must say I am impressed with the response from MES ... and their willingness to resolve the problems ... there might still be hope.

By the way I think I am going to patent my cover removing tool ... it pops of the covers with minimal effort ... even the other brands like synerji and CBI which is the 6 lever grid we have ended up with until we can resolve the MES issues ... kudos to CBI for coming to the rescue.

What is the challenge ... a 6 lever grid plate with 3 double pole isolator/switches and 3 dimmer press module ... but not dimmer or bell press ... its a pulse to active the timer modules ... how difficult could that be ?