Quality of Square D qo

Has the quality of the QO line gone down. A lot of people recommended them in posts.

I got one of the 6 breaker subpanel and went to install it tonight and found it cheap feeling.. Along with the flimsy little bolt on ground bar.

The final straw for me was the knockouts werent properly done, and I cant get the conduit in without filing the hell out of it.

Granted I dont know much about them, but has the quality of Square D gone down.. Would anyone else recommend a subpanel.
Thanks,
Tim

 

I use their products daily with no problems. Are you aware that you have to break out the nock outs one size at a time to get a clean opening?
--
Tom

 

yup did that.. but there is still about a 3 cm chunk that didnt get weakened out properly. I dunno, just didnt seem as high quality as I would have thought.. Will probably still use it to avoid a trip to home depot...

 

Based on my experience with a QO 70's era service panel and a new 8-space QO sub panel, I feel that the quality might have gone down some in certain aspects. For example, the mounting rails in the old panel are made of metal, the new ones plastic. Does that make a big impact on the overall quality of the unit? No, not IMO anyway, but it does seem like they could have used sturdier plastics.

As far as the KO's, those were fine on the new sub panel.

Any manufacturer will have issues now and then, but I still think the QO line is the best. Definitely their breakers anyway.

The trip indicators and Qwik-Opening capability sets these units apart from the competition.

 

guess I am comparing it to my old qo panel.. No worries.. I will get it working..

 

The little nubs that you are referring to are not just a problem with Square D, they are common to any panel that has eccentric knockouts. You have to remove those knockouts very carefully to make sure that you get all of the knockout, if you don't get it the first time you have to use your pliers and rock that little nub back and forth until it finally breaks loose.

Square D is top of the line equipment! I have never had any callbacks in the ten years that I have been in business for a problem with a piece of Square D equipment.

While it's true that they have changed their methods of production to keep pace with an ever tightening economy, they still maintain their "electrical quality."

Try this: When removing a knockout, punch it through first to get an opening to put your pliers into. Then place the head of your pliers over the part where that nub forms and rock your pliers in the same direction as the ring of the knockout. I have found that this helps to eliminate being stuck with that little nub to remove later.

Good Luck!!!