Made in China

[ScottA]

For the past couple of years we've been having a hard time with can openers. I've purchaced atleast a dozen of them during that time. I tried different brands bought the most expensive and the cheapest that wal-mart had. None worked right when new and all broke completely within a month or two. I was starting to think they had changed the cans in some way. I noticed most cans seem thinner than they used to be and thought that was it. By chance I borrowed an opener from my mother the other day and hers worked perfectly. I examined it closely...made in U.S.A. I dug out some of my old broken ones and all where made in China. So I went on a search and finaly found a made in U.S.A. opener at a small store. It woked perfectly. Problem solved!

The post about the empire state building remined me to pass this story along.

[bayview]

   Yes, Chinese quality. . .

   I purchased two framing hammers from Harbor Freight for about $5-6 each before building our garage.  I broke the "claw" end on both of them within a week pulling nails.

   I now have a Stanley FatMax with a rubber handle that has lasted over 5 years.   

[Bobmarlon]

Im from canada but I enjoyed your story!

[fishing_guy]

We've always had very good luck with "Swingaway" openers.  They last for decades, and the only reason for purchasing another is if you get an extra place like a cabin.

[glenn kangiser]

..but since all of our jobs have now been sent overseas, we can't afford anything better than Chinese tools.

[rick91351]

This is one area that I see that the environmental groups really fall down on their self made assignments.  Cheap products made in other countries or here for that matter that do not work.  They use up resources and cause us to spend money on sub quality products we are dependent on.  They range from pocket combs to garden tools, alternators to mother boards.  I was in Wal-mart the other day picked up a pocket comb because mine had gone missing.  By the end of the day it was a frame without any teeth.  It was not so much that the comb I purchased was junk I knew I could return it for another junk comb.  But what bothered me most it was they had consumed resources to manufacture junk.  It fills our land fills.  Wal-mart, the big box building stores, and furniture stores  don't give a rip.  They just look at it all as cash flow.  Sorter something lives the more the cash flows. 

 
rlr                         

[emcvay]

You get what you pay for, so don't buy junk.

I was taught at a young age that if you paid $5 for a hammer it would not last and you'd buy 5 and spend more in gas before the job was done -- whereas, if you just paid $25 and bought a good hammer you'd be done and save money in the long run.

[MountainDon]

Yes, Erik, it's not the country of origin so much as it is the quality that goes into the manufacturing process.

[ScottA]

You get what you pay for, so don't buy junk.

I agree but I had to go looking for a good one. It's not like they where side by side on the shelf to choose. Wal-mart does not sell any good can openers. They are all junk. I know because I bought them all. Btw the made in USA opener cost 4 times what it's made in china look alike cost.

[emcvay]

Oh I agree there!  I was looking for a non-stick frying pan for my wife becuase she had bought cheap ones and was tired of them warping...$180 later she got a life time guaranteed pan   Made in Germany.

A little more then the $20 you pay at Walmart but it will never warp!

[kyounge1956]

Oh I agree there!  I was looking for a non-stick frying pan for my wife becuase she had bought cheap ones and was tired of them warping...$180 later she got a life time guaranteed pan   Made in Germany.

A little more then the $20 you pay at Walmart but it will never warp!

Guaranteed to stay non-stick for a lifetime? I might be willing to pay big bucks for that, but probably not. I've about had it with so-called non-stick pans. I haven't had problems with them warping, but I've never had a non-stick pan that stayed non-stick for more than a few years, even though I followed instructions (no higher than medium heat etc), and they weren't Chinese pans, either.

Then you've a pan that stuff sticks to but you can't use a scouring pad to get it off again without further damaging the non-stick surface, and what good is that? I'm about to go back to good ol' Revere Ware. You can find it in any thrift store, give it a good scrubbing (sometimes it doesn't even need that) and it's as good as new. So what if something sticks to it? A couple of minutes with the steel wool and voila! it's good as new, again.

[ScottA]

I'm just glad we've moved away from cast iron pans. Those can be rellay dangerous if you say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

[OkieJohn2]

But Scott, there is still the rolling pin to worry about. 
Back to the original topic, I have worked at several restaurants who made the mistake of buying the cheaper, knock offs from China, instead of the name brand stuff, with bad results,  lots of parts breaking right away, poor performance,  "buy once, cry once" tells the whole story.

[MountainDon]

The world goes through this cheap and shoddy goods made in (Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Mexico, India....) on a revolving basis. Right now it's China's turn. I can't say China is any worse at producing shoddy goods. However, perhaps because of their volume of production it certainly seems they are the worst offenders to come along. Add to that the increased scrutiny of goods we may be catching more hazards than the system used to.

Japan, once looked down at as the producer of cheap crap, is the birthplace of the Lexus, a car that has won numerous quality awards over the years. China can do the same thing. And I'm certain that there still may be something crappy made in Japan. Similarly just because something is made in USA, that does not guarantee high quality.

[Pox Eclipse]

Remember when Pyrex meant durable glassware you could take straight from the freezer to the oven with out fear of shattering?  Not any more:

A long, long time ago in a country we all know and love was a company named Corning.  They made Pyrex dishes.  The material they used is called borosilicate glass.  This stuff is indestructible.

But like everything else, the Bottom Liners had a great idea: sell the technology to another company.  The Chinese discovered that using soda lime glass was almost as good as borosilicate glass and a lot cheaper. Today, Wal-Mart is the largest distributor of Pyrex products.  Corning not only sold the technology to a company called World Kitchen, they also sold the rights to the original Pyrex logo.  Seamless.  The consumer will never know.

Now it seems people are getting hurt using soda lime Pyrex.  We were lucky because the dish broke while the oven was closed and the damage was limited to the oven cavity.  Others have been less fortunate.  Some dishes explode when they are lifted from the heating rack in the oven with devastating results.

[emcvay]

Remember when Pyrex meant durable glassware you could take straight from the freezer to the oven with out fear of shattering?  Not any more:

A long, long time ago in a country we all know and love was a company named Corning.  They made Pyrex dishes.  The material they used is called borosilicate glass.  This stuff is indestructible.

But like everything else, the Bottom Liners had a great idea: sell the technology to another company.  The Chinese discovered that using soda lime glass was almost as good as borosilicate glass and a lot cheaper. Today, Wal-Mart is the largest distributor of Pyrex products.  Corning not only sold the technology to a company called World Kitchen, they also sold the rights to the original Pyrex logo.  Seamless.  The consumer will never know.

Now it seems people are getting hurt using soda lime Pyrex.  We were lucky because the dish broke while the oven was closed and the damage was limited to the oven cavity.  Others have been less fortunate.  Some dishes explode when they are lifted from the heating rack in the oven with devastating results.

Pretty sad, but it is the way of all things.

I remember reading an article a long time ago about a 1930's Chevy that ran well beyond 300,000 miles....I took a double take on that becuase today's care are lucky to make half that before being discarded.  BUt the problem isn't with Chevy, it's with us.

We buy cheap shit and so they make it and sell it.

If we were to stop buying cheap crap, they would stop making it -- that's a fact that most American's today don't like to hear, but it's truth.

In a true free market system the price of goods is what the market will bare.  And either the consumer buys the goods or they don't -- in our case we have a quazi free market system fraught with government subsidies, cheap labor out of country and greedy people unwilling to pay a little extra to get the good stuff.

But we make our choices and need to live with them.  And I'm not immune to the stupid bug either.  I spent about $1k buying the best damn suspension I could for my jeep (in a 3" lift) but then spent cheapo money on a serpentine belt which sucks...now I'll go buy a good one soon.  Why?  Becuase while I continue to preach the above statements, I'm not immune to 'cheap' and get sucked in from time to time.

Perhaps it's called:  budgeting or something -- I think it's more like impatience.  After all, if I would just wait a week longer for things I don't need today I could pay a weeks more for them.

Erik

[glenn kangiser]

I agree with you to a point, Erik.

The old cars were great in the early days of the American dream, but, as time moved on - the large auto producing corporations realized they were losing a lot of money by making too good a product.

I worked for Dodge as head mechanic in 1970.  The manager there said "There are two ways to buy a car.  All together or a piece at a time.  All together is cheapest."

Hence the continuing work on engineered failure as I call it.  Engineers are employed, not to make a car last forever but to make it last just beyond the warranty period in about 90 percent of the cases.

After warranty is up failure is fine.  That produces income for the auto dealer at the expense of the poor sap stupid enough to buy from them.  In most cases dealers can't be trusted.  The 350 Chevy transmission was produced because the 400 was near bulletproof.  That was not good.  Even the 350 could last if you replaced the plastic thrust washers installed by the factory with aftermarket brass ones.

This is an American industry wide problem.  The way to make a truck Diesel engine transmission (automatic) hold up is to replace the factory parts with aftermarket parts that are far superior.  Factory parts are designed to fail in a short amount of time - usually after warranty expires.

Foreign manufacturers took advantage of this fact by making a slightly superior product.  The people are not dummies and buy the better product.  It is no wonder we have to bail the American crap dealers out.  Besides - they do not employ Americans anyway.  Most of the components in "American" cars are made in foreign countries.

Toyota had a plant here and was actually more of an American car than most "American" cars.  GM's problems are closing one of the joint venture plants here in California as I understand it.  

Pretty bad when a foreign company can manufacture here at a profit but greedy "American" corporations can't.

Our elite and their greed have caused the downfall of America.

[emcvay]

Sorry my friend but you are mistaken.

The Government has seen to the downfall of this great nation.  The Greedy just are greedy and worked closely with them.

And who is the government?  You and I.  We failed ourselves.

In truth, the big American automakers were helped along the way via import taxes, restrictions and so much more -- the rest is all bullcrap.

Take the Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Seven for example.  Most of you will know these cars as the 'Mini Cooper' but it didn't start that way.  The Mini (as 'we' know it) was one of the most popular an innovative cars of all times.  It was regulated out of America in 1967/68.

Why is that?  Bumpers you say?  But to that I respond:  what bumpers does a motorcycle have?  Is the VW bug really safer?  Is the Smart Car of today any different?  None, No, and No.

So why did this happen?  Becuase a good product wasn't good for the America Unions or the car manufaturers who greased the palms of greedy politicians.  In the end, if we are going to call on greed as the downfall of America then lets get it right shall we?

1.  Greedy Politicians -- top of the list
2.  Greedy Auto Workers Unions -- near the top
3.  Greedy car companies -- also near the top
4.  Greedy American's -- near the last two.  Why?  Becuase you didn't want those foreign cars bad enough and insisted that a broom technician made $19 an hour.

The answer is not to condemn the very thing that made this country great and our world many time better:  Capitalism -- but rather to condemn ourselves, our government and our businesses ALL to falling pray to greed and government control.

Once done, we must take back the country, set aside our greed and make it right -- and making it MORE regulated, more socialized etc IS NOT the answer.  Name me ONE, just ONE socialist nation that has done more for man kind and I will call you a liar.

We can fix this folks, but it starts by stopping this nonsense where we run around and demand DC fixes everything and saves us all.

I encourage all of you to go buy this book -- it will open your eyes trust me:  Arguing with Idiots by Glenn Beck.

And don't worry, it isn't what you think. http://www.amazon.com/Arguing-Idiots-Small-Minds-Government/dp/1416595015

Seriously, you have to stop blaming big bad business and start blaming yourself.

How many of you have voted for a corrupt politician?  How many didn't vote?

Don't get me wrong, the last two choices for the top job were both corrupt, so that makes it tough, but it's time to look forward and we can start by throwing THEM ALL out.  If you see an I after a name (Incumbent) vote AGAINST them no matter what party they are.

If we actually did this you'd see the problems we face diminish rapidly -- why?  They'd get the hell out of our way.

[emcvay]

There have been over 51,000 new regulations put on the books since 1995.

Page 17 of GB's book.

Think about this please.  51,000 -- Fifty One THOUSAND NEW Regulations....in 14 years.

You don't really want more do you?

[glenn kangiser]

I think you have quite a few good points there but, the corruption of the system here has progressed beyond it being able to be fixed. 

The vote is fixed though. 

How is it that we are only offered two worthless choices from a country where it has been said anyone could grow up to be president?  That is because we are only allowed choices that are approved from the real powers that control the figureheads of our government.

Why is it that our Supreme court will not hear the questions of eligibility presented by the citizens and lawyers of the US?  It is because someone above government wants their man to be president in my opinion.

More regulations - no - not me. 

Lets just get back to the real Constitution instead of creating so many loopholes around it and trying to progressively destroy more of it with each new administration.  Presidential signing orders?  Not even legal.  Undeclared war -the same.

[emcvay]

Good hear that you're not advocating for more!

As for SCOTUS, it isn't as it seems I think.  They did hear Heller and will here another similar case -- it's a case of picking the right case.  The Presidential BC case just isn't worth it.

As for the corruption, I'm hopeful we can stop it, but it will take a lot more then the nearly 2 million people that marched on DC -- like about 20 million (becuase that would more then tip the scales).

We need term limits, to vote out incumbents and to demand of the new folks that they deregulate.

[glenn kangiser]

No more - not me. 

I'm with the anti-authoritarian party. 

[glenn kangiser]

The Presidential BC case just isn't worth it.

To me it is.

That is simply saying that we are OK with throwing the Constitution out and allowing anyone of any nationality - even the enemy if there is a real one- to lead our nation.

[emcvay]

The Presidential BC case just isn't worth it.

To me it is.

That is simply saying that we are OK with throwing the Constitution out and allowing anyone of any nationality - even the enemy if there is a real one- to lead our nation.

I don't disagree but I've learned that SCOTUS chooses cases carefully and for specific reasons.

My guess is that they've decided that the crowd that believes Obama was born outside the US of non-American parents would continue to beleive this even if they proved otherwise.  I suspect they are right too -- like at the 911 Truth crowd, they don't beleive in evidence presented to them.

There is logic and reason, and there is lack of both.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like the Birth Cert issue resolved too but I also don't think it would make a difference.

As for his nationality, it is a fact that a child born 'abroad' can indeed be granted citizenship provided one parent was a US Citizen and earn transferability.  I should know   My son was born in Canada and carries a US passport which clearly states he is a US Citizen.

it's less of an issue then you think -- there are far bigger fish to fry my friend and the problem today is that we get wrapped around the axle worrying about certain issues while thousands of more regulations are enacted and more liberties are taken away.

[glenn kangiser]

In actuality, corruption in the SCOTUS rivals that of corruption in the other branches of high government, so paying off or threatening the proper people (if you have the proper power behind you) in one way or another assures the desired results.

Look at the imminent domain fiasco.  Obviously a plan to benefit big business at the expense of the poor insignificant slobs who have worked their lives away to have their own property.

Sherman Skolnick spent a lot of his life successfully fighting corruption in the court system (Even to the point of having a TV show about it) and was in fact once thrown out of the court - wheelchair and all for his persistence.

Likely they are not all totally corrupt but there is plenty of room there for the elite to get what they want.