Murray load centers

[OccupantRJ]

My local Lowes has Murray load centers. Any comments good or bad on their quality? I think Siemens makes them, not sure. I know GE has copper bus, but I have several Bryant duplex breakers that won't fit the GE panel, far as I can tell. How about the Homeline panels, any comments? My local electrical supply carries GE also, right across the street from the factory.

RJ

 

[Norcal]

1st thing one needs to realize is, just because a breaker"fits" it does not mean you can use it, it has to be UL "classified" to be used in the panel if it is a competing make, & has to have paperwork stating it's allowed. GE panels are a different breed & their twin breakers only fit GE panels & they will not work in any other panel.

Murray*, Cutler-Hammer BR, GE & SQ D HOM line, loadcenters are the bottom of the line panels AKA cheap junk, but that leaves only Siemens (Former I-T-E line), Cutler - Hammer CH "classic" ,& SQ D QO loadcenters left.

*Murray was known as Crouse-Hinds for many years.

 

[sberry]

Are there any known issues with Homeline? I wopuld be tempted to use it if starting over due to its popularity and cost. I must have about 300 breakers installed.

 

[Aceman]

Pick something with copper buss. I've had 5 calls in the last 2 mos. dealing with bad breaker to buss connections in aluminum bussed panels. Two of those calls required the panels to be replaced.

I personally use Siemens.

 

[nehog]

I have a HL in my shop, and I'm happy with it (so far!)

 

[Charles (in GA)]

As far as I can tell, the Siemens and Murray panels are identical, as are the breakers.

While most full width 1" breakers will interchange (I realize it is dubious to do this) the two in one tandem breakers are nearly all of a proprietary design that will not interchange.

Charles

 

[Norcal]

As far as I can tell, the Siemens and Murray panels are identical, as are the breakers.

While most full width 1" breakers will interchange (I realize it is dubious to do this) the two in one tandem breakers are nearly all of a proprietary design that will not interchange.

Charles

It's sign of poor/hack work not to use the correct breakers & no SQ D breakers are UL classified to be used in other makes of panel, C-H BR is listed for some other makes. Siemens & Murray are not listed to interchange breakers. Paperwork,paperwork, paperwork......

 

[MrMark]

Murray are poor quality. I recently installed a Siemens (twin to Murray AFAIK) in my house and that did have the copper bussing at least. Very poor hardware, the screw heads even strip out (square drive) when properly torqued. The stabs are so cheap and flimsy you almost wonder if they are connected to anything. The door and hinges are also of poor design and quality.

The Square D is much better quality (I used one as a subpanel) and if I had to start over I would use only Square D and the QO breakers, not the HOM line.

Try to find a US made Square D.

All Murray and Siemens are made in Mexico.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

It's sign of poor/hack work not to use the correct breakers & no SQ D breakers are UL classified to be used in other makes of panel, C-H BR is listed for some other makes. Siemens & Murray are not listed to interchange breakers. Paperwork,paperwork, paperwork......

Largely because Square D residential breakers are 3/4" wide while virtually every other breaker in use is 1" wide, and the Square D connection to the buss bars is, as you know, extremely different in design, quite proprietary.

Siemens does make a classified breaker, called the QD that can be used in appropriate Square D panels.

Here is Siemens' White Paper on Classified Circuit Breakers

As I noted, interchanging of breakers is dubious (though I won't lie, I have one Bryant 30 amp double pole breaker in my Siemens panel)

Charles

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Try to find a US made Square D.

All Murray and Siemens are made in Mexico.

Unfortunately all the profits to both of these companies go overseas, as Siemens is German owned, and Square D is French owned.

Charles

 

[BioHazard]

Murray*, Cutler-Hammer BR, GE & SQ D HOM line, loadcenters are the bottom of the line panels AKA cheap junk

Just because they're cheap doesn't make them junk. If PROPERLY installed, any of those brands will serve your house well for the next 50 years. Now, if you're wiring an industrial building with 400A 3 phase coming in, that's different.

Personally I have a roughly 15 year old Siemens panel in my house and a CH BR panel about the same age in my shop. Never, ever, ever, EVER had the slightest issue with any panel board ever in my life. Doesn't mean it don't happen, but it isn't common.

Personally my favorite are the Sq D QO's, but really, that's based mainly on looks.

 

[Norcal]

Just because they're cheap doesn't make them junk. If PROPERLY installed, any of those brands will serve your house well for the next 50 years. Now, if you're wiring an industrial building with 400A 3 phase coming in, that's different.

Personally I have a roughly 15 year old Siemens panel in my house and a CH BR panel about the same age in my shop. Never, ever, ever, EVER had the slightest issue with any panel board ever in my life. Doesn't mean it don't happen, but it isn't common.

Personally my favorite are the Sq D QO's, but really, that's based mainly on looks.

C-H's adverts call the BR line "Engineered Value" if thats not another way to say cheap, then dunno what is... All the loadcenter lines have been in a race to the bottom in how cheap they can build them.

My comments were made towards HOM frame breakers being used in other makes of panel, Siemens & Eaton/ C-H both manufacture a UL classified replacement for SQ D 1 & 2 pole QO breakers.

 

[BioHazard]

Didn't say they weren't cheap, just said that doesn't make them ****. It don't cost a lot of money to stamp one of these things out down in Mexico, therefore, they don't have to charge as much as they used to.

 

[BioHazard]

I will say this - I sell a ton of circuit breakers on ebay. The market sets the price. Siemens breakers almost always sell faster, and for more money than anything else. Next most popular is Homeline - it's not uncommon for me to sell a 100A or 125A HOM breaker for MORE than a QO!