I've been using the $6.95 AD 22mm "metal" pushbuttons for eight years now. I generally use them for light duty, like a machine start/stop or reset. If I have a PB that will be punched 100 times a day, I still use a $60 AB. The AD LED indicators are the only thing I use for indicator lamps and they have never failed or been a problem. I recently used an interior light that AD sells for lighting up inside enclosures - because it was the only one I could find that ran at 220VAC. It worked very well, too.
For what I use them for, the AD have been excellent. The contact blocks are ugly, but they have never failed. In fact, I used some AD EStops last year when I needed two NO and 1 NC on the EStop (on each side, that is... total of 4NO and 1NC run by the one operator). You can stack up contact blocks and it worked as advertised. Again, not attractive but no problems either.
As a guy who works for an end user (manufacuturing company), AD is a godsend because I don't build enough in a year to get any kind of discount from distributors. I have used and I do like Idec and AB, Phoenix, Weidmuller, etc. I just can't justify it for most of my builds any more. Most of the AD stuff works exactly as advertised, and if you're in an environment that will tolerate their cheaper, lighter construction it is hard to go wrong with their products.
