I have had problems with them as well. I just installed a GFCI, TR receptacle in a kitchen only to have the client complain about how difficult it was to plug in the toaster. He was elderly and I thought I would have better luck. I checked the receptacle and could not plug the toaster in without forcing it. I pushed harder than anybody should have to. I replaced it with a standard GFCI, collected payment and went on my way. I have that option because TR receptacles are not required in Indiana.

I just got all Tamper Resistant plugs. There is a trick - if I run into a plug where I was pushing really hard and it wasn't going in, then i would just stop what I was doing and change the angle slightly and boom - slides in easy, no effort at all.

Just take your time and change angle slightly and it should go in easy. If you are going in at wrong angle with one prong going in too much on one side it will be Locked.

I was frustrated too, but this really works.

Regarding where such receptacles are required, not every jurisdiction uses the same code. Some areas still use the 2008, or an earlier edition of the NEC. The State of NC generally adopts the newest NEC in April of the nominal year of that NEC.
Wait until you encounter Article 406.4(D)(4) (2011 NEC) in January 2014.
Codes particularly penalize poor people.

The three prong plug should be the easiest to insert because its flat prongs are less robust in size and have more flex.
There are two insertion methods that can be tried separately or combined but both rely on the same action in the following examples :
Place the ground prong and right prong in the outlet at the biggest (up-down or side to side) slant angle you can manage so that the CORNER of the right prong contacts the keeper opening slot area first. Press firmly but not excessively on that spot while either moving the plug to straighten it or move the plug to press the CORNER of the left prong against its keeper opening. Once this is accomplished, simple repetition will seat the plug.

Extraction? That is going to take a lot more action.

Bus is right. That's a particularly inane part of the code. AFCI receptacles are hideously expense and QUITE POINTLESS. If it was possible to just stick an AFCI breaker in on that branch circuit (i.e., it's not an MWBC or one that serves GFCI receptalces) that would be one thing, but to just stick a rather pointless $60 receptacle in is quite another.

If you go there, don't forget to get a TR AFCI (they aren't all

Well, I complained to the manufacturer about these outlets when I posted here and the Hubbell-Bryant rep came out to the house this morning, tried them out, and proclaimed them defective. (Hooray, it's not just me!) He's replacing 50 receptacles on his dime. Four stars for customer service, I hope the new batch works!

Looking at the list of people who wrote the updates for the various sections of the NEC, the GFCI, AFCI, and receptacle provisions included employees of SquareD, Pass and Seymour LeGrand and Leviton.
Create a market by mandating use of the products you make?

There is a trick for such TR socket if it is really tough to plug in, no matter how you wiggle the plug or change the angle.
What I did was, use a single flat screw driver to try one slot at a time. Due to poor quality, the mini shutter protecting the slot may not slide smoothly, so push the screw driver to force it to move. Do it many times to make it less sticky, and do the same for the other slot. Then try to push in the electric plug, you will find it much easier to get in as the shutters are smooth now.
Note that by design, the screw driver won't push all the way in as it will be blocked by the shutter controlled by the other slot. Still, for your safety, make sure not to touch the metal parts of the screw driver, and stand in a wood floor or plastic pad.

Maybe things have gotten better in the last 3 years, but my new build has all TR receptacles (non-Decora) and we have had no problem using them. I don't know if they were the cheap or expensive type.

Lol at the recommendation to stick a screwdriver in your live outlet. Still, for your safety, make sure not to touch the metal parts of the screw driver, and stand in a wood floor or plastic pad.

Or kill power to that circuit...?

Or kill power to that circuit...?

But then you have to walk ALL THE WAY down to the basement ... twice! Not worth it. :)

i found a very robust cube tap and found that if I lined it up with the prong holes and whacked it smartly with a deadblow hammer the problem was solved. No more little shutters. The first set we had was so bad the manufacturer paid to have them replaced. Unfortunately the replacements were only marginally better.

We had the same problem with that stupid TR receptacle that our electrician put in to accommodate our over the range microwave oven. We had no idea that three adults would not be able to insert a three-prong plug into a three-prong electrical outlet. My husband called our son and he gave us the perfect solution: a three-prong adapter (available and inexpensive at any Home Depot). We plugged the adapter into the TR receptacle (it went in so easily we're still scratching our heads) and plugged the microwave cord into the adapter. Just don't ever remove the adapter from the TR receptacle. Plug and unplug the cord from the adapter and you shouldn't have any more problems.

I went into the receptacle (4 screws on the back), popped off the front and removed the shutters. Much easier now.

FWIW, the Leviton "pro" grade TR receptacles work just fine, no issues.

Re: Leviton TR receptacles will not allow plugs to insert.

I found that plugs that are crimped about an eighth of inch on the end of the prongs work without an issue. However, prongs that are round on the end with a slight bevel will not insert in three of four receptacles.

Leviton and other name brands are better, but that only means that its possible to plug something in, not that someone elderly or with any type of joint pain will be able to use them. I bought a couple of cheaper outlets and returned them and then bought a brand name outlet (at double the cost). I have intermittent joint pain and tried to use one in a slightly awkward spot. I tried to plug a grounded plug in and after 5 minutes gave up. I them tried a two prong plug and was eventually able to do so, but almost 3 minutes to plug a cord into a outlet???? They do get easier with time, but that is not saying much. I found that it was possible to remove the tamper resistant device and am using them that way. I know this was done for safety, but were they ever tested with anyone with dexterity issues?

I installed my first TR recepts about 3 years ago. I think they were Leviton. Definitely mid grade, not commercial, not the cheapies. Haven't had any problems so far. Maybe they've improved over the years.

PS - reading this thread and thinking about what TR receptacles are supposed to prevent jogged loose an ancient memory of a short story (sorry) that I read when I was a teenager, intrigued by electricity and electronics. You might enjoy it. It really is short, a quick read, just a few pages: Poppa Needs Shorts.

Realize that this thread has been going on for five years. With more and more jurisdictions now on versions of the code requiring TR receptacles, we've seen a great improvement in the quality of these things now that they've gone from a "specialty" item to a commodity.

I would have to disagree - they have not gotten better at all. That makes no sense anyway - manufacturers are constantly trying to make things cheaper and suckier. We have all these new receptacles in my house and I FLIPPING HATE THEM. It make vacuuming the worst chore. I have shoulder, elbow and hand issues. I'm plenty strong, but my joints are inflamed and irritated so dealing with these outlets sucks. You're already bending over to the floor to unplug and then replug, so when you can't get it in it is VERY FRUSTRATING!!! I cannot imagine being an elderly person trying to use them! I want to kill the person who invented these stupid things.

I know that you probably just came here to rant :) ... but I may have a work around for you if you're interested.

I recently saw this product that is a magnetic break away plug. You could buy a few and plug the adapters into the receptacles where you regularly use the vacuum. They stick out a bit, so it might not be ideal depending on your situation. Then the other end of the adapter is on your vacuum and you can easily snap it into and out off the regularly-used receptacles.

They're 20 bucks each, so it ain't cheap. But in some situations they may be a big help.

I've never actually tried this product, so I can't comment on the quality or how well it actually works. Or even how safe it is since those prongs are so tiny that the contact area for it must be really close to the surface of the 'holes'. Maybe the magnet pulls the connections closer to the surface, and when there's no magnet they recede back out of the way. I dunno.

The idea was just intriguing to me.

Break away plug

Only partly joking: once you have the required complement of tamper resistant receptacles, you could install a few non-TR receptacles at approximately head height or higher. When last I checked, receptacles more than 5.5 feet above floor level weren't required to be tamper resistant.

And now that I think about it, having a vacuum cleaner power cable dip down from head height isn't such a bad idea.

Just finished building a house, and those outlets are STILL impossible to use (and I am strong and do not have joint issues) Some are okay, but the ones with USB ports in the middle are absolutely friggin' impossible to put a plug into. We used legrand's Radiant series, so a step up from the cheap stuff in terms of price point, but absolute crap in terms of quality. Had the same problem with breakers...had to replace about 10 percent of them. Only house I've done where I added a smoke detector outside the electric room, because that is the place I think we are most likely to have a fire.

FYI Legrand Radiant is total CRAP! I just installed two USB outlets and found that getting anything plugged in is a nightmare. I see someone mentioned HUBBEL. I will give them a shot next time. I WAS able to finally get the Coffee maker plugged back in but what I had to do is bend the prongs toward the middle, then it would FINALLY seat after a little more wiggling it around. What a piece of crap! Made in CHINA, What a surprise!

It is still the same problem even after months. i dont want know how to wrigle around problem or plug in adaptors to make the TR outlet unsafe but who designed and accepted it as code practice. They did not think twice these TR oulets would make life difficult for millions. Which US authority mide it a law ? Can anybody name the rule maker so I can give them some free advice.