Which receptacles to buy?

[notquitegto]

Sorry, if this is a novice question, but I wanted to ask from your experience what receptacles to get? I know I don't want the cheepy 99 cent jobs, but I don't know enough about them to necessary drop $6 a piece on them either.

Here's what I have going...

I have 3, 20a circuits, each boxed and wired for 5-6 receptacles each. I might quad box a couple of them.

So, what do you think?

Mike

 

[notquitegto]

Sorry, I should add, in your experience, am I better off going with an electrical supply company and buying a 20 pack or something??

 

[nate379]

$0.99 ones work just fine.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I'd look for what's called 'specification grade' receptacles.

 

[IDASHO]

I purchased a large wholesale pack (50) off of ebay during my garage build.

I got 50 20-A receps for less than $75 shipped.

 

[Gary S]

Around here you can buy the cheap receptacles for around 30 cents each. I've had these cheap ones under constant use in my garage for about 15 years with no failures yet. Eventually they will wear out from the plugging and unplugging, but when they do, I will just replace them. Even the high priced ones will wear out eventually.

 

[D KRAGER]

Just make sure to get the 20 amp ones. Usually the el-cheapo ones are 15amp.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Just make sure to get the 20 amp ones. Usually the el-cheapo ones are 15amp.

As far as I know all 15 amp receptacles are rated for 20 amp feedthrough, so unless you have some tool with a 120vac 20 amp plug on it there should be no need for 20 amp receptacles.

 

[sberry]

I have hundreds of the cheap ones in service, even use them on my benches where traffic is hi.

 

[LS1 WS6]

I just wired my shop with lots of cheap 15 amp outlets with 12 ga wire and 20 amp breakers, I used pig tails and did not feed through any of the outlets though. My brother is an electrician and he said this is all you need. Hope it helps. Oh ya, all the circuits start with the expensive GFCI outlets first.

 

[tdkkart]

I just bought a couple 10-packs of outlets, paid about $16 fore each pack at Menards. These were really nice quality outlets, with no stab connections on the back.

BTW, if your suppose to pigtail every outlet, why did these have 8 connections(plus grounds) on each one?? Even if you split the outlet into 2 circuits you still have 4 more places to put wires than is supposedly legal??

 

[sberry]

The better ones are back wired, you are right you dont have to pigtail and they are nice for crowed boxes.

 

[russlaferrera]

Home Depot sells a better grade. You can tell the difference in the price and they come in 10 packs. Electrical supply will have better grades also. Tell them what your needs are.

 

[mrb]

try the leviton BR15 (15a) and BR20 (20a) these are nice in that they are a commercial grade and constructed much better than the cheapies, but do not cost as much as the specification grade devices. They also have backwiring where you stick the wire in and the screw tightens a pressure plate against it.