Customer Reviews

Woods 13568 Indoor Wireless Remote Control Outlet, 3-Outlet

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

This isn't a reflection on Amazon, or Target where I purchased this product. I bought 2 sets at the end of 2008. Each package had a non-functioning receiver. I put the two defects in one package and returned it. The set I kept and used worked to specification until a few months ago. The transmitter 1 On button (most used button, for bedroom floor lamp) began to fail, requiring several presses to operate and today it quit working entirely. I'd already researched Woods Wire/Coleman Cable and realized I wasn't going to get far with any warranty request. I disassembled the remote and confirmed a bad switch with a multimeter. I opened the defective switch (destructive, no reassembling it) and observed some material transfer from the center contact to the switch 'dome' contact that may have been preventing current flow. I unsoldered the switch and replaced it with a switch from an answering machine keypad. It worked better than new because the replacement switch was better quality to start with. Two other switches on the remote were intermittently displaying a weak LED, they were failing also. I replaced all six switches and the remote works better than new, the crisp click of the replacement switches provides better tactile feedback and they work every time. I understand mass production and low cost products to meet competitive price points but it's unfortunate that the manufacturer didn't spend another 50 cents and assemble a reliable product that could last more than a year. Perhaps the newest units are 'upgraded' and my experience is not typical. From a use perspective, I love having a single remote on my nightstand to control 2 lamps and the rear surround wireless receiver for a Samsung theater without getting up. From a quality/durability perspective, you may want to look for competitive products.

Although I just opened the package and set up my system today - controlling three pieces of electronics gear - I thought I'd clarify at least one recommendation on the package that is repeated on the instructions inside.

The statement on the package says "To improve performance, it is recommended that remote outlets be positioned at least 8.5 feet apart." That was a surprise to read and would have been a deal breaker for me. Fortunately, in my experience, they work fine at closer distance. I have the three receivers all clustered together and there is no interference among them. Everything works fine. Perhaps that's why Amazon chose not to mention the recommendation on its web page.

Incidentally, the receivers/outlets are bigger than I expected. They measure 4 3/8 in.long x 2 1/2 in.wide x 2 in. deep.

Purchased this item and Woods 32555. Use it to control lights in the house plus garage and it has performed as advertised. Have not tested a max distance for control but as of now, I can turn on the bedroom lights at a distance of about 60 feet through no less than 5 walls and the garage from about 80 feet by line of sight. When first plugged in, the red ON light blinks and you will need to program the unit just by pressing the appropriate ON button 1, 2 or 3 depending on which unit you have plugged in (I marked each unit to correspond with the appropriate on and off buttons). If you remove it and move to a new location, this procedure needs to be repeated. Make sure the item you want to control does not exceed the voltage and wattage rating of the unit. This item is rated at 15 Amp max, 1875 resistive 5A, 625W Tungsten 3/4 HP. If you need a unit with higher capacity, take a look at the Woods 32555 however it is a single control unit only.

Don't have much time to do this review.....but the nitty-gritty is:

1) One of the 3 plug-in units was fine
2) Two of them were defective
3) Both defective units "rattled" when turned over, moved around in my hand
4) I had to see why.....the quality of the "insides" is just plain scary
5) I'm really not an "alarmist," but to be honest, for safety reasons, I would absolutely avoid this product.
6) One of the defective plug-ins had a "BLACK-wire" screw that fallen-out inside the casing.
7) The other one--both wire-holding-screws had fallen out (BUT THE CURRENT-CARRYING WIRES WERE STILL SURPRISINGLY TOUCHING THEIR RESPECTIVE PLATES).
8) I would consider these a dangerous "spark-->fire" hazard.....and I'm surprised (and glad) that no one has had a serious issue with these (at least so far).

I'm going to order another set of the "cheaper ones" also available on Amazon.

Sorry Woods....but, dang.....if you can't figure out a way to secure the electrical wires that will withstand "shipping"....you shouldn't be making these at all. And Woods, please feel free to call me if you'd like to speak to me in person about this...I give Amazon my permission to divulge my home number to you.

Amazon...you might be wise to have someone take a direct look at this product...to make sure you're comfortable selling it.

IF SOMEONE PURCHASES THIS....UPON ARRIVAL....JUST GENTLY SHAKE OR "ROCK" THE PACKAGE BACK-AND-FORTH....IF YOU HEAR ANY RATTLING.....SEND IT BACK!!!
JUST BE CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE.

These outlets worked OK for about 4 months. Now they will not turn the radio or lamps on but they will turn them off so they are useless.Putting in a new battery did not help and you won't get any help from Woods.

These handy little plugs are fantastic! I've been able to use them indoor/outdoor and the remotes work great through floor and both interior and exterior walls. I'm not sure if there were ever instructions; if there were, I must have thrown them away. I say this because I was confused as to which remote buttons corresponded to which outlet. There are (3) on/off buttons & (3) receptacles... so I assumed that each of the receptacles was on a slightly different frequency and were pre-programmed to work with one of the buttons... NOT SO! It is actually kind of cool how flexable they are. When you plug one of the receptacles in, the red light on it will blink until you press one of the (3) "ON" buttons. Once the receptacle recieves a signal from one of the "ON" buttons, it programs to that specific number. So you can have one on each of the buttons, or if you'd like, you could have 2 on 1 and just leave one of them open. I'm guessing you could get multiple packs of these and string 5-10+ outlets and just need one remote if you program them as such...pretty cool!

I used these for xmas this year to control the lights outside and i'm using them for baby monitor equipment now...I can't tell you how handy it is to have these around! One of my best purchases of the year!

I made the mistake of using four of these sets to remote most of my lamps in my house. Unfortunately they lose their memory when the power goes out during a storm, so I get to go around & reprogram all 12 of them one at a time many, many times.

Totally flawed design, I can't believe they missed this problem! The receivers obviously need to be redesigned with a 25 cent non-volatile memory.

Super disappointing!

The internal support for the prongs is totally inadequate. When the unit is pushed into a wall socket, the prongs' support typically collapses and so the prongs partly disappear into the body of the unit. This makes it non-functional and potentially dangerous. Do not waste your money.

Pros
Kit was delivered quickly. Easy to install. Works well around my 15' x 25' living room with furniture in the way. Makes turning on and off lamps and Xmas lights very quick and convenient.
Cons
Plugs receivers could be smaller. Remote has separate buttons for on and off which makes it more difficult to use the remote by feel. If the remote had a single button for on/off for each plug receiver it would simplify the design.

If I could, I would give this product 4.5 stars, as it met all my expectations but could be improved a bit. I went with 5 stars to help guide people considering this product vs. other, similar products on Amazon that might not be as good.

Negatives first: the units are a little bulky, and can cover multiple outlets. The process of pairing the receivers to the remote can be a little wonky, and you may have to plug and unplug them a couple times before the remote recognizes the plugs and assigns them buttons. (Especially if you care which receivers are paired with which buttons.) Once they're paired, however, they're solid (until you unplug the receivers; then you may need to re-pair).

At first I thought it was a negative to have separate on and off buttons for each receiver - a single on/off toggle would look more elegant and reduce remote clutter. But I find that in situations where I can't directly see the thing I'm controlling, having a dedicated button for each is very nice. It lets me be sure I'm not toggling something on when I think it's being turned off. (Example: I have a power-eating laser printer in the next room; I use this remote to shut off the power to it whenever I'm not using it. When I switch on or off the power from my room, I can hear a the receiver's on/off switch go "tick" -- but if there were not dedicated on/off buttons, I could never be sure whether the tick meant the printer was powering on or off.)

Good button feel. Seems to have pretty good range. Can shoot through at least a layer or two of drywall.

For the price, very good. I suspect going cheaper than this would result in a frustrating, poorly-made product. I'd get this one.