(Left to Right)
Mirtone 73204, Edwards 274-111, PFS MG1
All of these actually have their own quirks too.
1.) The Mirtone requires no tools/keys to reset. Just squeeze the sides, pull the faceplate off, push up the handle, and close.
2.) The Edwards should require a key, but the design is so awful that you can just slam it shut and it’ll be reset
3.) The PFS requires a break-rod to lock the station. Without one, the station cannot lock.
All very nice acquisitions as they’re quite rare!
73204: Really? Huh, odd design if you ask me (maybe even a design flaw given why most stations have key locks).
274-111: That’ll damage it though, right? (especially with the front being made out of plastic)
MG1: I’ve seen a few stations that were like that (real old ones though I think, before break-rods became an accessory instead of a necessity). Odd for a station so obviously based on the BG-8 (which needs no break-rod to be locked) if you ask me.
Other brands I’ve seen on the MG1 besides Professional Fire Systems are Fike & “Protex”, no idea who the original maker is though. It also comes in a dual-action version, the “M-P1TD”.
Let’s see: for BG-8-style manual pull stations there’s the BG-8 itself & its Notifier counterpart, the BNG-1(R) (don’t know why they didn’t just tack an “N” on at the beginning of the BG-8’s model number like they did with the BG-10 & BG-12, given “BNG-1” is the model number of the current BG-8’s predecessor), the original BNG-1(R), the Silent Knight SD500-PS(DA), the PFS/Protex/Fike MG1/M-P1TD, & the Tork Alert TA-270 (which is supposedly a rebranded BG-8/BNG-1R). Any that I’m missing?
I believe either El Chupacabra or EdwardsFan own the 73204 & 274-111 too (forget if theirs are bilingual or otherwise have any differences from yours though).
Yeah they’re all rare. I actually call this trio of pull stations the “What where you thinking” trio (and I guess the Ademco 529 fits as well, making it a quartet)
Why the stations are bad in my opinion:
1.) The Mirtone being all plastic, as well as the simple reset method (as well as it literally telling you how to do it after it’s pulled).
2.) The Edwards is just comically bad, and is actually entirely plastic. The 274-111 is actually a redesigned 274-101 (internally, externally they are identical). The -101 was recalled for the internal tabs breaking iirc. But it appears the -111 would have the same issues as well. Even if you try to reset it properly, it still feels like it’s going to break.
3.) Not as much of an issue, but the PFS requiring a break-rod is more of an annoyance. Plus there is the likelihood that a building wouldn’t keep spare rods, meaning they’d have a station that’s “permanently” activated until they get a spare rod (and it’s not like they can get any break-rod, as it actually uses a pretty thick break-rod)
4.) The Ademco using a shellac disc as a break-rod (or in this case, a break-disc) isn’t necessarily bad, but the fact that not having one prevents the station from being locked puts it in the same group as the PFS (albeit harder to get a replacement)
I feel that if the PFS and Ademco worked exactly like the BG-8, they actually would be really good (although the PFS would probably be more of a BG-8 rebrand at that point).
Very interesting pulls
Yeah they definitely aren’t the best manual stations ever made.
Yeah. Really though? Sheesh, sure sounds like a design flaw to me!
Wait really? (the 101 being recalled & replaced with the almost identical 111) Huh, alright. Sheesh…(the same flaw still being present despite said recall)
Yeah: back in the day stations needed break rods to keep themselves in the normal position, but nowdays it should be an option & not a requirement.
Yeah.
Nice finds! The 73204 and 274 are two of the most peculiar non-coded pull stations I know of. I’ve only seen these pull stations on about 4 occasions each in the last 18 years.
The 73204 features an incredibly interesting design—it operates unlike any other pull station I’ve seen, and I love its unique appearance. Instead of using a typical switch, it uses a sort of knife switch that’s integrated within the pull station; it’s quite different from the toggle switches and pushbuttons that are found in the average pull station.
I first saw 73201s (bilingual version of the 73204) at a camp I attended with my school in Grade 7. I recall staring at it while waiting in line at the cafeteria and being baffled as to how it reset, as I didn’t see any screws or slots for tools/keys. I even wondered whether it was possible to reset it by pushing up against the peg that breaks the glass rod. It was quite a surprise when I learned that the cover is removed by simply squeezing its sides!
I agree with your thoughts on the 274. I have two variants of these pull stations in my collection: one that’s just like yours, and one that’s a dual-action model with bilingual lettering. The concept seems sound—the patent suggests that the intention was to create a modular pull station that can easily be configured to accommodate different options—, but the execution doesn’t inspire much confidence. The symphony of squeaks and snaps these pull stations produce when being pulled or reset is unsettling. I’ve seen photos of 274s that are missing chunks of plastic from the sides (where the front cover latches onto the back plate); I avoid pulling/resetting the ones I own as I’m worried that I’ll encounter the same issue.
One of my 274s has never been installed, and the mechanism that locks the switch upon activation is still intact (requiring the key to reset). From what I can tell, there’s a tiny plastic tab inside the switch that gets released when the pull station is activated; the tab pops up, locking the switch in place, and inserting the reset key pushes down on the tab to release the switch, therefore allowing the cover to be pushed back up. These tabs appear to be incredibly flimsy as they almost always seem to be broken on 274s that have been in service.
While I haven’t heard of the recall you described, I am aware that these pull stations were recalled due to an issue with the switch.
