==Masterplug 24 Hour Mechanical Timer==

With these dark nights seemingly getting darker and earlier, there is one thing that I really don't like happening and that is coming home to a dark and empty house. Of course it being in the dark means that no one is home and everybody knows it, which is another thing I really don't like.

So with this in mind I knew that I needed one of these timers for my plug which would come on around the time that the darkness started drawing in and the time that I would usually put the lights on when I am home. The Masterplug Mechanical Timer jumped out at me on the shelves as not only was it far cheaper than the more modern, and probably more accurate, digital plugs but it was also a name that I recognised and felt it was worth paying the £3 price tag that Tesco had on it at the time of purchasing. Yes, a few more pounds would have got me a basic digital one but I didn't want to pay any more than I needed and if this did the job then that was all I wanted.

The plug itself is very basic and easy to use and even though I had seen these before I hadn't used one but after reading the brief instructions on the backing of the cardboard covering it was easy to understand and I had no trouble at al in setting the hours when I would want the lamp to come on.

The unit itself is basically like a large plug with the three metal pins at the back and a clock type dial on the front. There are little black plastic pegs in a round clock type area on the front of the plug and these can be moved up or down. One black peg on the clock represents 15 minutes so there are a fair few to change when setting times.

When deciding what time I wanted the lamps to come on I chose 3.30 till 11.45 and therefore I needed to push down all the black pegs that run through from 3.30 till 11.45 and this would ensure that the lamp (as long as it was switched on by the bulb) would come on and go off at the right time.

There is still the option to override the Masterplug by just using the on and off switch on the light/lamp that you have plugged into it but you must always make sure that you have turned it back on again in order for the plug to work at the right time.

The plug is a really great little item and I have never had any trouble with using the timer or it not coming on. My mum has a digital one and she is always having trouble with it which makes me think I did the right thing by choosing the older style mechanical one rather than a digital one.

All in all I can't find anything negative to say about this product. It was a relatively cheap and affordable product which works really well and is perfect for this time of the year. I think nothing but a top score of 5 out of 5 stars and a high recommendation is deserved.

I do hope that this has been of some help/interest to you


Many thanks for taking the time to read.