Ouch, China junk...

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Sooo, the cheap china tools strike again. While changing the springs and struts on my thunderbird today, the spring compression tool from a local auto parts store, snaps under full tension and whacks me in mouth from about 4 feet away. The spring was resting on the garage floor with no one next to it. My lower tooth went through my lower lip and boy did it bleed. Probably could have used 4 or 5 stitches. Wife looked a little green when she saw me. I've always been 'gun shy' of suspension spring work, this just reinforced my thought of buying american!

 

[Bobcatz]

Speaking of China junk my lazy-boy recliner less than 5 years old we had broken springs replaced 2 different times within the last 9 months!

I asked what happened with QUALITY? Springs coming from China now?

I am the only one who uses the chair!

 

[larry@stinescorner]

pu;;ing the tree with a chain last weekend,I borrowed a chain from the neighbor farmer,the chain was old and did not snap ,but it had a shiny new hook on it that snapped,found the half of the hook that went flying,it said HINA on it,I guess the C was on the other part of it,

 

[Stephen Newell]

The sad thing is, how are you not going to buy China junk?

 

[Anonymous-0]

We have no one to blame but ourselves for this problem. Everyone wants top pay for their labor and rock bottom price for the things they purchase. Hard to find the middle ground there.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Just before I retired a year and half ago I delivered 26 skids (26,000 lbs.)of bolts & nuts to a bolt factory. Three days latter I delivered another 5 skids (5,000 lbs.). The receiving clerk told me they scraped the first shipment and they were going to scrap what I just brought in. All 31,000 lbs. was defective and made in go old "CHINA".

 

[Chris(WA)]

What happened with quality? Too few people were willing to pay for it, that's what happened!!

 

[markiz41]

Amen. But the chinese cannot be the exception to this rule forever. What goes around, will come around.

 

[sotxbill]

yes,,, but how long.. I cant wait 60 years for it to happen.

 

[Mike M]

I had the exact same thing. Lazyboy boy springs are junk now as are the ones in our Broyhill couch !

 

[big fred]

Yeah, you'd have felt a lot better being whacked in the mouth when a made-in-USA tool broke...

 

[Anonymous-0]

They once said the same thing about the Japanese. I just hope enough of us have taught our youths how to work and work smart.

 

[greygoat]

It's not the Chinese, but rather the distributors
here that will accept a certain standard of
quality, and pass it on...and Americans will
"Bite" for the cheap stuff at Wallys, or China
Crapsman electric tools. We want quality, but
most don't want to pay for it, so they buy cheap,
complain when it breaks, then buy again!
I've seem better quality stuff from, China, India
eastern Europe, but price is not cheap.

 

[paul]

So, what tools does China use to build their factories and infrastructure?

I know, I know, they have different quality there too, and we inthe USA are willing to import the cheap stuff because it's cheap. We don't import the good stuff because it's not cheap.

But, always thougfht it was funny, to wonder if the folks in China use their own poor quality tools to build stuff.

--->Paul

 

[rustyfarmall]

(quoted from post at 10:20:59 10/12/11) So, what tools does China use to build their factories and infrastructure?

I know, I know, they have different quality there too, and we inthe USA are willing to import the cheap stuff because it's cheap. We don't import the good stuff because it's not cheap.

But, always thougfht it was funny, to wonder if the folks in China use their own poor quality tools to build stuff.

--->Paul

Most of the machinery used in the Chinese factories was exported from the U.S.

 

[Stan in Oly, WA]

What's your source on that startling piece of information? Sounds like something you might hear in the VFW hall at 12:30 on a Saturday night. From the same guy who insists that America still has the best educational system in the world.

Stan

 

[Ultradog MN]

And yet the guys here are so darned proud of the "bargain" $2.95 3/8" drive socket set they bought at Harbor Fright.

 

[big fred]

Stan, I actually wouldn't doubt Rusty's claim too much. I attended a seminar on supply chain management given by an industry respected expert. He related that the quality standards we use in the US have been used over there, but due to cultural differences, there are some concepts that don't translate directly. Because of this, and because their supply chain is very fluid, and lastly because their regulatory agencies are corrupt, they really don't have any quality standards at all. But I think we need to worry about them, because they're smart as a whip and able to respond to change very quickly, and as soon as they figure out their own quality standards, they're gonna eat us for lunch.

 

[millman52]

Since this Is a tractor forum I'll throw this in there. The ones of us left that are willing to repair, in my case a 1972 3500 Ford tractor. are a dieing breed. Untold #'s of Old USA Iron especially Ford is exported to China, Mexico, Russia etc. to be reconditioned & used while they sell us new imports they don't use themselves..

Just my 2 cents.

 

[GeneMO]

I know you can't just go down to the flea market and get what you want when you want it. But I frequent junk stores, flea markets and antique stores. The junkier the better. I pick up a lot of good quality, old American made tools.

Gene

 

[Inno]

Yup, that's what I have started doing, looking for old made in the USA or Canada tools everywhere I can. Trouble is nowadays there is a lot of the cheapie tools showing up at pawn shops, garage sales and auctions.

 

[ShadetreeRet]

Read the other day that a lot of Chinese workers are wanting more pay for less work. That's what happens when the majority of your work force hits their teen-age years.

 

[Stan in Oly, WA]

A lot of people have a mental image of China as a country where shoddy goods are produced in dirt floored factories by people squatting in the dirt as they shape low grade metal with hand files. But that's not China---that's the tribal areas of Pakistan along the Afghan border, it it's anything.

China produces huge quantities of cheap, useless crap because America has demonstrated a virtually unlimited appetite for it. They don't have to hate us to do that, it's just good business sense.

China has a space program. They're the only other country besides the USA and the former USSR to independantly launch humans into space (they bring them back, too.) They're just a few years from having their own space station. They expect to put people on the moon in less than fifteen years. There's a good chance that the first people from this planet to get to Mars won't be Americans.

In 2009, the Chinese were putting new coal fired power plants into operation at the rate of about one every two weeks. That isn't high tech, but that's a lot of industry. I think we should stop thinking that China couldn't do it without using our equipment or stealing our technology. They're doing it.

Stan

 

[tlak]

I guess they're teenagers now instead of 6-7 year olds.

 

[oliver power]

I personally know of a factory which sent tractor trailer load, after tractor trailer load of thier old machinery to china. This went on for years, About 15 years. When the plant was about empty, they closed the doors.

 

[rustyfarmall]

(quoted from post at 11:45:10 10/12/11) What's your source on that startling piece of information? Sounds like something you might hear in the VFW hall at 12:30 on a Saturday night. From the same guy who insists that America still has the best educational system in the world.

Stan

I used to work in a ball bearing factory. I say USED to. I got "downsized" when some of our production, along with the machinery, got sent to China.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Stan and rustyfarmall are both correct. China is a sophisticated and technologically advanced nation, but at the same time, they have built much based on what they learned in the past from US and other countries.

McDonnell Douglas (remember them?) before they were bought up and closed down by Boeing, had a joint venture with A Chinese aerospace manufacturer. Components of the MD90 (the longest and largest of the famous DC9 series aircraft) were manufactured in China and shipped to Long Beach for assembly. In return, components were shipped from Long Beach and assembled along with Chinese made parts into whole aircraft in China. This is how they acquired a start in things such as this, joint ventures involving technology exchanges. This same company now manufactures a regional jet that looks just like a DC 9 and is the same size and shape, with modern motors and a number of other improvements.

As far as shipping whole manufacturing plants over there, indeed, greedy US companies have done so on many occasions. About five years ago, I bid on and won a 25 ton Dake hydraulic H frame press on Ebay. I no one else bid, save for a last second snipe bid that just drove my bid up some. The press was in the plant maintenance shop of a Cytec chemical plant (formerly American Cyamide Chemical Co) in Woodbridge, NJ. Cytec is a huge company, and they had decided to move this entire plant to China. All the production equipment was gone, on its way to China, and the remaining odd stuff had been bought by equipment vultures. For some reason they did not want the hydraulic press, the drill press and a few other pieces. I guess they were overstocked from buying up other facilities already. The plant maintenance manager bought them himself and had a friend list them on Ebay. The maintenance manager was a real nice guy and after loading the press (I drove all the way from Atlanta to pick it up, but I got it for under $200 so it was worth it), anyhow the manager and I talked for a hour or so about the plant being moved (he had to leave soon for China to help set it back up) and American labor and how they had priced themselves out of a job, young people who would not work in blue collar jobs nowdays, etc. Finally left and drove straight thru going home.

If you are wondering how I got the press so cheap, the "friend" made major mistakes listing it, calling it a 10 ton rather than 25 ton, and misspelling the name as Drake rather than Dake. I knew what it was, we had one just like it at work. Unbolted the horizontal angle iron legs off of it and it lay on 4x4's flat in the bed of my Ranger with the tailgate closed.

Charles

 

[HenryO]

After reading this whole thread I remembered a place called STLLMADEINUSA.COM Can find almost anything you want if you are willing to pay the prices.

 

[trucker 40]

Dont worry about the USA.We are about finished with the morons running the government now.Before long there will be a new bunch running things and get us back to the top where we should be now.Id say we have a better chance of getting to Mars than China does.

 

[504]

I you had a loaner tool for spring work you had the wrong tool. A good strut tool will cost around $300.00 and bolts to a wall or bench. I have had more than one get away from me but with a good strut tool the spring just falls to the floor.

 

[S.Crum]

I'm pretty happy that my tool buying days are pretty much finished. The majority of what I have is older American, German and Canadian made. Since Irwin Rubberduck moved vise-grip production to China, I've bought and still do buy American made vise-grips when I find them used but won't touch new ones. Same goes for Lenox cutting blades. When I call to order cutting supplies I ask for American made (not just assemled in USA blades, holesaws etc. I tell them if they ship Chinese stuff it will be returned at their expense. I've mothballed my stainless shop because I cannot compete with Chinese prices that most folks demand. The few that demand the quality and are willing to pay a fair price are pretty much out of luck. There's no way I can compete against a chinese guy that makes less a year than I pay in taxes. American goverment is very hostile toward small business these days.

 

[ohio]

Would you sit on top of 2 million pounds of chinese roman candle propellant while chen lit the fuze?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Sometimes bad luck is not so bad, just thank God that you weren't killed. I never did trust those spring compressors. I always just use the weight of the car to compress the springs and stand back out of the way if it should get loose. I don't know if you can do that on struts though.
A couple of things not to buy from harbor freight are electrical tape and the ten packs of angle grinder disks.

 

[Stan in Oly, WA]

I'd say we have a better chance of getting to Mars in a rowboat than that anybody currently in politics is going to turn this situation around. It was the previous bunch or morons who got us into this mess---two pointless wars and a financial meltdown (aka transfer of enormous amounts of public funds to the already obscenely wealthy). The current morons are simply unable to figure out any useful thing to do about it (except to transfer even more tax money to THEIR obscenely wealthy cronies).

Stan

 

[trucker 40]

If you notice there are occupy American protests at 2200 American cities right now.Nobody is falling for the moron crap.This will escalate until the morons are thrown out hopefully.If not then you are right.However everybody has a gun in this country.Id say before its over the people will win,and we will get back on top again.Just that I hate to see it take 30 years like it did to get where we are now,to get out of the mess.The Wall street crowd will have to be taken down a ways,and that will be the start of it.
Already the cops,and the moron politicians look bad every time they get in front of a camera.This all causes more people to get mad and get into it.Before its over most people will probably join in on this and the moron politicians will have to go.I sure hope thats what happens anyway.

 

[RN]

Some Chinese quality control for some products and the "good" factories make some stuff for US. Problem for consumers is US law says can"t buy from that factory because of labor disputes about "prison" labor and the other products are military equipment. Norinco trading compnay has some plants making machine guns and other making camping stoves sold in Canada and Mexico but not allowed in US as the same stove is used by military- and sometimes sold to "terrorists". So the cheaper disposable model gets sent to Wallmart- it"s made by different outfit that has a link to older Hong Kong trader. A MiG15B version is Chinese F3 or 4(?) and is a well made utility trainer and light fighter 1/2 the price of a basic American F5- the factory inspectors make sure plane and spares meet high standards--the main customer has machine guns to use during complaints-- and quality control attitude applies to other products like diesel generators. This industrial standard attitude for all products made is similar to some of the Indian companies- Mahindra for example makes IHC clone tractors that have a decent rep and spare parts sold here through IHC/Case/NH/whatever they are now- that started main production of military equipment. Despite corruption in Indian government, the Army inspectors that learned from British and have had couple armed disputes with Pakistan -and China- will not let poor quality "durable" equipment be purchased, that gets scrapped and/or rebuilt to standard or sold civilian market. "Expendable" material (mines, artillery shells,labor uniforms,etc) is made cheap but reliable for it"s intended use to standards and is inspected during manufacture- it works often enough to keep Pakistan out of Kashmir- and some other stuff like kitchen knives and dishs that are expected to be used up are made cheap but heavy enough not to break first time thrown in food fight between Hindus and Sihks. Current Indian consumer products sold in Europe and old Commonwealth are considered mid to low upper level and price is very competitive- makers often have military inspectors as plant managers. Korean manufacturers -many again have military supplier backgrounds and a partnership some time with a Japanese or American company- are now among upper end consumer products makers, check your electronics maker. China is now on the "sell the rejects to dumb Americans cheap" while upgrading selected products line level with some restricted products quality control gradually or sometimes faster working its way into rest of products. Anybody have a Chinese Type56 copy of SKS45 and compare it to Russian , East German and Yugoslav made versions? Compare it to Egyptian Hakim? The Chinese models function very well, not noted for the weak occasional springs of the Egyptian copy, might not have finish of East German model but don"t have the chrome lacking in barrels of the Serbian/Yugoslavs that requires more cleaning. RN.

 

[scotc]

Only if you consider that in 20 years we will be part of China at the current rate.