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Where To Get Sets and Parts For discussions about swapmeets, rallies, NVCF and BVWS, car boot sales, antique and charity shops, dealers, newspaper adverts, the local tip and just about any other source of equipment (other than eBay). |
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18th Sep 2021, 7:05 pm | #1 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
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Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
What do other members do for mains plugs? It seems to be getting more difficult to find half decent plugs, they all seem to be made from floppy plastic these days, or are unsafe Chinese junk. I’m sure Wilko used to have some cheap ones that were acceptable, but they didn’t have any today, so I got some from B&Q, the quality is dire, made from thin plastic, and the live and neutral pins on one plug have part missing moulded plastic sheaths, I’ll be returning them next weekend. I do save old plugs, as they seem better quality, but I’ve run out of spare ones!
So, does anyone know of a good source of new mains plugs? Regards Lloyd |
18th Sep 2021, 7:11 pm | #2 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
The best I can find are MK, made in Malaysia (they use 13A plugs too), the cost cutting has lead to the use of a zinc casting for the nuts (fine until you use gorilla force). I did need a plug somewhat pronto a while ago and the Toolstation https://www.toolstation.com/fused-3-pin-plug-top/p74540 job wasn't too bad at all, two screws holding the cover on to boot.
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18th Sep 2021, 7:15 pm | #3 |
Heptode
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, UK.
Posts: 704
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-elec/951...-20/dp/PL10202
These aren’t too badly made but in saying that I’m yet to try them with anything high load. At just under £1 each perfectly acceptable for radio/test equipment etc use. HTH Kev |
18th Sep 2021, 7:52 pm | #4 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
Cheers for the links! I might try the toolstation ones, they look much better than the garbage I got today! And to add insult to injury, they were £1.25 each too.. I'll have a look on Farnell too, you just reminded me I'm trying to make up an order of bits that goes over £40, so I get rid of the handling charge!
I had a quick glance around the workshop at plugs fitted to things already, noticed a plug that still has a price sticker on it of 69p, it must have come from one of the cheap shops where I used to live, it's a million miles better quality than the things I got today, similar shape, but made of proper hard thermoplastic. Regards, Lloyd |
18th Sep 2021, 8:18 pm | #5 |
Nonode
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Resolfen, Wales; and Bristol, England
Posts: 2,588
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
I’ve been using Duraplug unbreakable ones, they seem to be well made and I’ve used them on the household iron and a portable heater…..
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Richard Index: recursive loop: see recursive loop |
18th Sep 2021, 8:43 pm | #6 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 827
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
I'm impressed by the quality of finish of these, and the white version, at RS: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/mains...ockets/0854396.
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18th Sep 2021, 11:29 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,814
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
This seems to be a great incentive to scrub up and recycle as many older plugs as you can find The same thing applies to plastic washing line "pegs". The cheapest don't seem to be strong enough to even sustain being opened and closed without one side fracturing About a decade or so there was a lot of discussion re poor quality blank CD's and DVD's. Someone said that they had ruined a good product by manufacturing to the absolute minimum standard for profit but it would be self defeating in the end! Not a problem now of course. I suspect that the supply of blanks will come to an end soon but it won't be because there's a shortage of delivery drivers in the wonderful new, download endless box sets and get addicted, Universe!
Dave W Last edited by dave walsh; 18th Sep 2021 at 11:37 pm. |
19th Sep 2021, 8:19 am | #8 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 719
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
The cheap £1 plugs have a terrible build quality and all seem to use cross head screws made of soft metal that cheeses up the first time they are used. As always you get what you pay for; decent MK plugs from RS are around £7. Safer and will last longer.
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19th Sep 2021, 1:06 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,953
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
Last good ones I bought are branded Masterplug, from the local farmers suppliers.
These seem to put up with the typical daily bashing expected on the plugs on extension leads and vacuum cleaners.. You can have them in a choice of black white or a rather fetching brilliant orange!!!! |
19th Sep 2021, 1:31 pm | #10 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
Quote:
Not strictly allowed, but nobody seems to care, and surely re-use comes before recycling. |
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19th Sep 2021, 3:25 pm | #11 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,788
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
I always save good quality plugs when an item of equipment gets scrapped. I've got a box of the things in the cupboard under the stairs.
The more lightweight ones are OK for two core connections to things like table lamps and even old radios. You just need to make sure that the plastic body doesn't flex too much. The shrouded pins from rubbish plugs will often fit solid old plugs with unshrouded pins, though obviously care should be taken that everything is secure and safe. |
19th Sep 2021, 3:39 pm | #12 |
Pentode
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK.
Posts: 166
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
The cheap RS pro made in china ones dont seem too bad.
The brown ones look quite old school too. we buy them and they get quite hard use in an EMC lab and seem to hold up well. HOWEVER they are a bit more brittle than traditional bakelite ones, I have busted some dropping them onto Terazzo flooring. Car boot sale is the best bet, or local rubbish tip. |
19th Sep 2021, 7:31 pm | #13 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,263
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
RS do these hard bakelite ones albeit with the mk-style push-in cord grip.
But for normal usage I have the CPC black ones. https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/mains...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
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Kevin |
19th Sep 2021, 8:02 pm | #14 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
Those RS ones look like they'll do the job nicely! Black or white urea-formaldehyde, so no floppy plastic.
Cheers, Lloyd |
20th Sep 2021, 8:25 pm | #15 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Saffron Walden, Essex, UK.
Posts: 99
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
Hi,
Personally I don't tend to fit new plugs any more; I prefer the pre-made mains leads with a moulded-on plug from CPC for a couple of quid. The original mains lead almost always is beyond salvation. Failing that there is always the local tip as suggested by @nickthedentist. Ta, Mark
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Mark Edgeworth ____________________________________________ BVWS Member |
20th Sep 2021, 8:46 pm | #16 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,316
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
I use a rotary wire brush in a power tool to remove the tarnish from plug pins. It polishes them up nice and shiny.
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22nd Sep 2021, 9:23 am | #17 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,953
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Re: Decent mains plugs, do they exist?!
I will often replace older plugs and leads with moulded ones, I have loads of unused 'kettle leads' from my days in the IT industry when everything you bought came with a new lead.
Snip the connector off the end and you have a great pre terminated lead a couple of metres long. (I have some of these leads that are five metres, I use these wired to a 13amp free socket as cheap and cheerful extension leads) |