Problems with MK light switch quality

[Strima]

I had to take a hammer to an old MK socket a few years ago as the tiler had tiled it in, that took a fair few whacks to get it to even split.

 

[westward10]

Charles Arnold must be turning in his grave.

 

[westward10]

The old sockets from the 70s and before were made from ivory Bakelite and were as tough as nails, the moulded plastic used now and not just by MK has no strength.

 

[JOURNEYMAN]

Yes, Mk accessories definitely not the quality that they used to be. I found the terminal screws break or stick and try and avoid the MK products as much as possible. Shame as they used to be ok.

 

[UNG]

MK stuff has been going downhill for many years never really used their accessories since they produced the sockets with the twist shutter. I'm sure in the late 80's there was an NHS HTM issued on them stopping there use on health premises.
In the 1960's some of their output was assembled by home workers one of my relatives lived near the factory in Edmonton and when visiting them we quite often went to the factory to collect a box of plug top parts for assembly at home, I vaguely remember they paid 2d or 3d per plug top assembled and each box had parts for 1000 plug tops

 

[freddo]

This topic was recently being discussed at the local wholesalers, the main question was how long before MKs drop in quality causes them to go bust. They have certainly lost out on thousands of pounds per year from us in the past 5-6 years.

 

[westward10]

We only ever use it to match any existing for aesthetics and their CUs we do not touch.

 

[UNG]

This topic was recently being discussed at the local wholesalers, the main question was how long before MKs drop in quality causes them to go bust. They have certainly lost out on thousands of pounds per year from us in the past 5-6 years.

The problem MK has is that it was always seen as a premium product and while it's current pricing level gives the impression it still is a premium product unfortunately the product quality doesn't always reflect this. I doubt MK will go bust as long as people still believe it is a quality product which may only be because of it's price

25 - 30 years ago the big players in the accessories market were MK and Crabtree and most wholesalers stocked at least one brand both were regularly specified by architects
Now how many wholesalers have either brand on the shelf, architects and consultants who specify MK tend to be the close to / semi retired types whose practices have just carried through their old traits of MK is best and have never looked at the current products

When you look at price when I first started in the industry a double socket and a back box cost around £4.50 ok there is a lot more automated production now but the same can be had for as little as £2 now, MK and Crabtree are priced to be a more premium product but chances are they are coming down the same production lines as the cheaper alternatives

 

[Bobster]

I got an mk light switch the other day as a replacement for a friend. (He'd broken an existing one)

Turned up at his, got it out of the packet and one of the terminal screws was already chewed up right out of the packet.

 

[Scott 137]

When I started my apprenticeship in 2000, we fitted at a lot of MK logic accessories and it stated "made in uk" now it states "made in Malaysia"!

I believe the vast majority are made in the UK with some specifics made in Malaysia.