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Old 04-29-2016, 02:53 PM
 
5,462 posts, read 3,017,805 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl View Post
I just got home from my latest trip to the store to return something.

It used to be that most of these trips were made because I bought the wrong item, or wrong size or something like that. These days it is almost exclusively because the thing I just bought didn't survive it's first use. IT'S JUNK.

More specifically - Chinese Junk.

When we first started selling out to the Chinese markets, I'd noted that more and more parts or devices I was purchasing were "disposable," that the quality of these items was at best suspect and that I would more than likely have to replace them after two or three years use, but I expected Chinese manufacturing to slowly and constantly improve - just as items from the Japanese market did. (Yes, I am old enough to remember when "Made in Japan" meant that the item is a cheaper alternative to the high quality American version of the same item.)

But the crap we are importing from China is NOT GETTING BETTER. In my experience, it is getting far worse. Instead of lasting a couple years, half of this junk does not survive it's first use.

I used to be happy to buy parts from the many auto parts stores. Or to have a local repair shop put in their own parts (they charge you less than the dealer, and the parts were not quite as good. Still you could get a few years use out of them.

Now, I feel that almost all car parts - especially those you get on EBay (or tools you get from Harbor Freight - what I returned today) are designed to be used to make the item work long enough to sell the car - after that it is the new owner's problem. These days, I have to ensure that a car mechanic will include the cost of labor along with the cost of the part in the warranty - otherwise, they will also buy the cheapest parts they can find for your repair. Parts from - you guessed it - China! Lord help you if you need a repair while far from home on the road.

Buy that $79 water pump from China, yea you might have saved $321 in dealer parts and another $200 labor, but you will pay twice for labor. Something that should have lasted 100K miles will have to be replaced again within a few months and that savings you thought you had has disappeared.

Electronics,
Auto Parts,
Home Appliances,
Unsafe Children's toys.
Even faulty drywall in your homes.

We are buying nothing buy junk from China, the US economy (the manufacturing segment) has been decimated, and the Chinese are getting richer while we are really getting very little for our money.

Who makes out in this deal (other than the Chinese?) The companies here that sell this junk. What percentage of the crap sold will most consumers just swallow and go get another? What percentage of consumers will just pay the extra cost of doing a repair twice or even three times and not ever blink? While I was in Harbor Freight a girl came in returning three heat guns. She said, they just buy stuff in their Window Tinting shop from HF just because it is convenient and they just wait and bring them back once a month or so.

As I said I have learned now NOT to buy any after-market car parts. Unfortunately, when it comes to electronics, appliance, tools, and other stuff, I no longer have much of a choice. Good luck trying finding anything that does not come from China any more.

Yes, I know this is mostly a rant... Knowing that most of the people I know don't care about this issue, I expect that this thread will not get much play, but if you are interested in contributing, if anyone here has any links to "Made in [Anyplace but China]" items for sale, I would like to propose that you list them here.

Thanks


Made In America...

The God of all things is made in America - MONEY..
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Old 04-29-2016, 02:54 PM
 
5,462 posts, read 3,017,805 times
Reputation: 3271
Quote:
Originally Posted by andywire View Post
You get what you pay for. The cheaper the item, the faster it breaks. Not always, but more often than not.
Is that why a Mercedes or Tesla breaks down more often than a Corolla or Accord?
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Old 04-29-2016, 03:27 PM
 
Location: Atlanta area
163 posts, read 137,469 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OrganicSmallHome View Post
Are you kidding? Clothing that falls apart after 10 washings?
I don't know how you're washing your clothes or where you're purchasing them, but I haven't had this experience.
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Old 04-29-2016, 03:43 PM
 
1,278 posts, read 1,242,718 times
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just saw this list of made in usa goods. they're mostly local/regional food brands, toiletries, beer, etc, like jerky, butter, ice cream, juice, butter, potpourri, baking soda, balm, etc etc.. "jim's local root beer brew", etc.. of course those things are american, we grow and make most of our foods. but what about consumer items, what about technology? manufacturing? gadgets? electronics?

if i want to buy a nice 70" OLED flat panel TV, i have no choice to buy from a brand that outsourced manufacturing to china. same for all my kitchen appliances. i can't think of one american company that makes ANY electronics, except maybe an amish hand carved clock radio.
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Old 04-29-2016, 04:02 PM
 
7,898 posts, read 7,088,773 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J.Thomas View Post
Agreed.

We won't have much of a high-tech industry in a decade except defense industry.

Though i wouldn't be surprised one day they decide to move our fighter jet production to China!!

Actually we are not far from that point already. I doubt we could build a jet fighter without Chinese made parts. For one thing they have a virtual monopoly on rare earth elements which are essential for a lot of high tech manufacturing.
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Old 04-29-2016, 07:05 PM
 
Location: Minneapolis
275 posts, read 330,807 times
Reputation: 406
Then why are you buying cheaper alternatives to "high quality American version of the same item"?
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Old 04-29-2016, 07:10 PM
 
7,343 posts, read 4,340,287 times
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op google chinese quality fade.
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Old 04-29-2016, 11:52 PM
 
9,891 posts, read 11,713,661 times
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Quote:
As I said I have learned now NOT to buy any after-market car parts.
How about the fact that the part says Ford or General Motors (the only 2 of the 13 auto manufacturers in the United States that are American owned), does not mean that part is made in the United States. The smaller the part, the more apt it is not American made.

Here is a good link, where you can check each model of American made vehicle to see how much of each of the different parts of that model of car are made in America. And remember the smaller the part the more apt it is made in another country.

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/MadeInAmeri...-made-13795239

There are poorly made and cheap things made in China just as there are cheap poorly made items made in the United States. Then there are very high quality made products made in China just as there are high quality items made in the USA. It just depends on how much you are willing to pay. Did you realize that the biggest fashion houses in the U.S.A., all have the clothes made in Bangladesh, which rates far below China on the world scale.

Remember trade is a two way street. Last July figures for exports to other countries from the United States was $188,500,000,000. A huge part of our economy is producing goods for us to ship overseas, involving millions of American jobs.

Quote:
China has the most sophisticated, high tech, automated and robotic factories in the world. They are capable of very high quality manufacturing. If Harbor Freight or Walmart or any other retailer buys the cheapest products to sell at cheap prices that reflects on the retailer, not the country of origin.
Remember, if you buy from Harbor Freight, you are buying cheap tools and the manufacturers simply cannot build the same product in the United States for that kind of price. Buy cheap, and expect to get cheap goods. Pay the price, and you can buy quality products no matter where it is made.

And Walmart is blamed for buying everything from China. Not True. And if you go to a quality department store, you will also see a lot of their items from clothing to Television is made in China or some developing country, just as it is at Walmart, Target, and Kmart. In fact it is often the same exact item at a much, much higher price.

Walmart and McDonald's keep being blasted on these threads for low pay. Remember retail business is not high pay for clerks, etc. Walmart and McDonald's fall into the top 10 best paying large retail chains. Look at how many big and high priced chains, do not even make the top 10 list.
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Old 04-30-2016, 01:08 AM
 
Location: Spain
12,722 posts, read 7,524,428 times
Reputation: 22633
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrkliny View Post
Actually we are not far from that point already. I doubt we could build a jet fighter without Chinese made parts. For one thing they have a virtual monopoly on rare earth elements which are essential for a lot of high tech manufacturing.
This is still pretty far from moving fighter jet production to China.
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Old 04-30-2016, 06:41 AM
 
Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
29,694 posts, read 24,763,642 times
Reputation: 28376
I just bought a made in America quick change tool post for my Made in China mini lathe. The tool is garbage. The material is quite soft and gummy for a metal. There are too many aluminum parts that should be made of something harder. The item performs poorly, and cutting tools can potentially become dislodged. It's an accident waiting to happen.

Unfortunately, I will have to return this item and make a tool post myself, using higher quality materials. After all is said and done, it will cost me about the same to make this, but it will be an exceptional item that will exceed in it's purpose.

When it comes to quality, sometimes you have to make it yourself. Too much stuff is made on the cheap these days. Americans should be investing more time and energy learning how to make things again, because many people still demand high quality stuff, and are willing to pay a fair price for quality.
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