Since when is the Skil HD77 wormdrive made in China? I picked up a Mag 77 and was horrified to see that on the label it said made in China. What the hell? I took it back to the store, the big orange one, and got a refund. Then I went to my local hardware store and got one. This time on the box it said made in USA. Took it out of the box when I got home, it says assembled in USA on the label. What are they doing? I don’t have anything against the Chinese, but I can’t stand to see things (especially an icon like the skilsaw) that were once made by American hands and are now made overseas so the company can make a few more bucks. By the way the saw was the same price it always had been.
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Hear me out.
They annouced the other day that G.E. is closing part of our local plant, and moving it to Brazil. 700 people are going to be laid off! We all need to be aware of everything we purchase. Avoid Wall-mart, and use the mom and pop places. It is of a scale where everything matters. Even the small stuff.
(if you can! My family car is a Subaru. Practice what you preach,, when convienient I suppose!)
d
My truck is a Ford, made in Canada. My wife's is a Toyota, made in Kentucky (?). There are parts from all over the world in both. Maybe I should make my own.
But overall I agree with you.
I feel the pain.
With the precipitous drop in the American $ against the Canadian $ and the Euro, the Canadian $ hit $1.003 today. That means that since every cent rise in the Canadian dollar against the American, $65,000.00 is lost to each Canadian lumber producer. We have people who have gone on strike in July who will not get back to work until there is a reversal.
We have lost 250,000+ jobs in the manufacturing sector back east.
Our manufacturers have had to lay out millions to try and upgrade the technology to remain competitive.
The fallout from your subprime mortgage problems care having an effect on our financial markets, since some of our financial institutions are holding billions through their American subsidiaries, and with the downturn in your consumer confidence level, there is a direct effect on our ability to export, which directly hurts our economy, too.
Since our dollar has become so "expensive", I have a real fear both our tourist traffic and our Hollywood North status will be hurt severely. Perhaps the last 34 movie professionals in Mexico will not need to be smuggled across the border.
I also see imports from China, and I am concerned, here.
The only thing is, that you need China, since they hold so much of your national debt.The manufacturers' prices would be 4 times higher than they are now with local production. You might pay for that, but would you like to for EVERYTHING?
Better learn to suck it up, guys.
If you want better quality from Chinese produced goods, demand it from the local owners and importers of the goods. The world is too small to be America-firsters. You are part of a global marketplace and it cuts both ways.
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
I got some Ryobi cordless tools for my birthday a couple of years ago. Not my first brand choice, but for what they are they're pretty good and the price of batteries for them is hard to beat. However, when I go to throw down a few hundred dollars for a premium brand like say Makita, I'm expecting to see "Made in USA".
Also, I realize that some of the quality name brands are starting to come from Asia but, to me, the HD77 Skilsaw is an American icon. It's what you see on all the jobs. it's quite a letdown to see "made in China" on it.
You're right. The trouble is, it doesn't work like that.
I might expect to see "Made in Japan" on a Makita, but all my Makitas are made in USA or China. They still work well, though.
The Skill 77 may have been an American icon, but the rest of the company went down, and I should have expected to see "!Achtung! Made by quality builders in Germany!", but nope, even my 12" chopper has parts from China and Mexico, Malaysia etc.
Everything is being get outsourced and subcontracted. American icons like Apple Pie come from China with hepatitis warnings and Chevrolet may soon not exist.
Look to the companies with on-site quality controls (like Mattel? LOL!)Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
You are still fine. Depending on your model, lots of Subarus are made in Indiana.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_OutbackWith the amount of outsourcing US car makers do, and the amount of final production the "foreign" makers do in the US, I bet it is pretty much a wash as to total employment hours in the US and out.
I look in pawn shops and garage sales for old ones i like them better The all metal ones and better gears
My next wife will be made in China. I heard they are cheaper and easier to operate. Also, the quality control problems have been taken care of.
Yeah, but the mother-in-law accessory is full of lead. <G>
the Chinese will make anything as good as you tell them to make it... oh and you need to spec EVERYTHING, and check EVERYTHING. Sounds funny but that is why I prefer to buy things made in the EU or USA because generally things made in these places can be assumed to be of quality.... with China you are buying more by brand and hoping that the QC is in place, and they are making the assumption that with a vague set of QC docs everything will bo OK...
james