Any recommendations for semi-decent switched 'trailing mains extension leads'?

[jkn]

Hi all as per the subject line really. I would like to get a few trailing mains extension leads, but with a few criteria:

- individually switched sockets

- all socket in line, not eg. in two rows so that wall warts foul each other

- number of ways ... anything from 4 to 8, probably

- 'reasonable' quality.

I'm not looking for Olson quality but I want something a bit better that 'shed average'. TLC do a 'premier' range from Brennenstuhl, but (a) they don't seem to have ones with individually switched sockets, and (b) the reviews on Amazon are pretty poor.

I am happy to buy the 'block' and fit some wire and a mains plig - in fact I'd probably prefer it. Any suggestions?

Thanks J^n

[Chris Green]

CPC have most shapes and sizes and their own brand Pro Elec seems to be reasonably OK in my experience. They also do 'add the wire yourself' ones.

[SH]

[The Natural Philosopher]

[Andy Burns]

Masterplug recently have seemed cheap/brittle plastic to me.

[Bob Eager]

I did have one batch of Pro-Elec ones that were fine - once I had actually tightened the terminals in the plugs (which were not moulded).

[jkn]

Thanks for the various suggestions guys:

- I hadn't realised that Pro-Elec were 'CPC's Brand', and had them down in my mind as being pound shop quality. They do indeed have quite a range. The 6-way switched ones might do it for me, thanks Chris

- That Amazon Invero links gets very poor reviews, but perhaps Invero themselves are OK, I will look further

- I agree with Andy that recent Masterplug blocks are not great.

Cheers, J^n

[PeterC]

There several poor reviews about easy failures on them.

[Chris Green]

I'm not absolutely sure that Pro-Elec is CPC's own brand, they do appear on eBay and from a few other suppliers as well but that may just be people buying and re-selling of course. It's a bit like the Diall brand that, presumably, the owners of both Screwfix and B&Q use so it appears on both. Of course CPC is part of Farnell so that spreads Pro-Elec a bit.

[RJH]

I'd rate Brennenstuhl and Powerfix above the generic and Masterplug leads - nicer feel and the ones I've got are still working well after a good few years. That said, I've a pound shop one in regular use and that seems fine. Failure mode for me seems to be when plugs become increasingly difficult to get in/out, or a brittle plastic housing cracks/shatters with clumsy use.

[Theo]

They're a Premier Farnell brand, which is Farnell, CPC and Newark, and possibly others now they've been absorbed into the Avnet empire.

There are people who have scraped the Farnell/etc catalogue and list it on ebay/amazon - they're likely just ordering and reselling. You can tell because they're more expensive than ordering from Farnell direct.

A rumour I heard is that their house brands like Multicomp aren't a brand, but a specification. They put out a spec for, say, connectors and they order batches from far east manufacturers who meet the tender. You wouldn't buy them if you need full traceability, but many people don't.

I'm not sure if that follows for Pro-Elec/Pro-Signal/etc where there are things like USB hubs the OEM has obviously done the design work for, rather than having a specification the hub should look like <this>.

Theo

[Davidm]

Some wall warts are wider than a normal 13a plug, and will cover (or even foul) the switch. I have a couple of 'shed' ones that do this.

[The Natural Philosopher]

+1 Wot e sed...

[Max Demian]

You don't say how long you want the mains lead to be.

I bought a couple of individually switched, 4-way, 2 metre ones from ASDA (Status brand) a few years ago and they haven't given any trouble. They are still available for £8 each.

[Scott]

Same owners: Kingfisher plc.

[Chris Green]

Yes, that's what I meant by "owners of both Screwfix and B&Q".