Another Chinese tool rant :)

[BillK]

My Wife just got home from her weekly get together with her quilting group. Asked her how her day at work was..... she said it was fine except that one of the straps on her tote bag broke and she had to fix it using her little sewing kit she has at work. Her exact words were:

"The cheap Chinese needle actually broke in half !"

She said she has bent needles almost in half but never had one actually break in her entire life

So its not just us guys who hate the Chinese junk !

Thought you guys would get a kick out of that.

 

[B_Bimmer]

It's everywhere. I hate crappy junk, it costs me time and money. My latest non tool related cheap crappy qualm had to do with penciles for the kids. The pencil grinding has been cut in half now that I have gone to intentionally US made pencils. The best part is they aren't even that much more expensive.

 

[M_George]

Sure enough, follow this like written by a lady in England.

http://www.needlenthread.com/2012/05/the-broken-needle.html

 

[southalabama]

The Chinese can build anything quality but to undercut price they often sacrifice quality.

Their metals are prone to failure.

 

[toddoky]

Did she get them at HF with a 20% off coupon? Did they come with a free flashlight?

 

[Ozwelder]

What does one have to do to convince the brand owners that some of us are still willing to pay the premium for quality?
It does not matter what it is, I would still pay the extra to buy a product that is fit for purpose and lasts.
I avoid Chinese anything when ever possible.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

Did she get them at HF with a 20% off coupon? Did they come with a free flashlight?

Probably cAme free with the free flashlight


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Zeke]

It's a good thing for HF that you guys bring their name up several times a day. Can you think of any other brand discussed as often? They love it. If they didn't they would have been all over Ryan, the admin.

Oh, I know there's plenty of discussion about SO and CM, but I wonder if you actually ran a tally if HF wouldn't win. Publicity is publicity, good, bad or indifferent. So go ahead and promote HF who is doing what, nearly 3B in sales annually?

 

[James-W]

The Chinese can build anything quality but to undercut price they often sacrifice quality.

Their metals are prone to failure.

I agree, China can produce high quality products when they want to, but then the price would be higher and people wouldn't buy the products, they would but a "name brand" product instead.

 

[James-W]

What does one have to do to convince the brand owners that some of us are still willing to pay the premium for quality?
It does not matter what it is, I would still pay the extra to buy a product that is fit for purpose and lasts.
I avoid Chinese anything when ever possible.

I agree that SOME people are willing to pay a premium for quality merchandise. But the problem is, only a small percentage of people are willing to pay that premium. Then too, when it comes to tools, many people don't use their tools everyday. For example, I have tools I probably haven't used more than once or twice a year, some not even that often. Other tools I use all the time. For the tools I use all the time I want a high quality tool. For the tools I rarely use, quality isn't as important to me. Anyway, that's my thinking on the subject, be it right or wrong.

 

[vettex2]

I agree, China can produce high quality products when they want to, but then the price would be higher and people wouldn't buy the products, they would but a "name brand" product instead.

The buyer/distributer dictates the quality

 

[tvtaurus]

Props for having the kit on hand, ***** that the quality wasn't there. No surprise though.

 

[jrockford]

You get what you pay for.

 

[M-technik-3]

You get what you pay for.

Very true and some realize this, some are forced to shop at HF due to budgetary conditions others choose to because they are cheap.

I used to like Craftsman's professional line it was a great in between truck vs raised panel tool, but alas it too is gone. Sears sending there tool line to China has forced used tools to go up at local yard sales and flea markets.

Stanley has done the off shore thing so I can see that continuing.

 

[James-W]

The buyer/distributor dictates the quality

Exactly right, more so the buyer than anything else. Manufacturers make what consumers are willing to buy. What good does it do for a manufacturer to make a super high quality product if only a handful of people are going to buy it? Chinese manufacturers are capable of making quality products, but unless consumers are willing to pay much higher prices for the item it is a losing proposition for them.

 

[Tonellin]

knitting groups are still a thing?

 

[Buster21]

Should have bought Snap On !!!!!

 

[nh_yota]

You would think China could produce a decent needle considering they sew most of the clothes that are worn over here.

 

[manwithtools]

knitting groups are still a thing?

Quilting groups is what he mentioned I believe; they are alive and well. The quilting hobby has it's "tools" as well.

My wife has one of these and you don't want to know what they cost:

 

[bsg1]

knitting groups are still a thing?

my girlfriend got into knitting/quilting/crochet when she was undergoing treatment for cancer. her hair was gone and her energy level was a -10, yet she found this activity to help her cope with a very tough situation she found herself to be in. she liked crochet the most and has stayed with it for several years now. she doesn't belong to any formal groups for the activity, but many women do after entering the hobby because of various life circumstances and/or simple interest.

 

[Zeke]

knitting groups are still a thing?

That's what this thread is.

 

[LarryFahn]

It's a good thing for HF that you guys bring their name up several times a day. Can you think of any other brand discussed as often? They love it. If they didn't they would have been all over Ryan, the admin

On here people talk about craftsman, how'd that work out for them?

Trumps twitter about Boeing?

The hf attitude on here is more of the "Fool me once. Fool me twice?" thing where guys with $10k+ of Strap-on, Mac, Matco, etc... bought something from hf and is now more-the-wiser.

 

[neophyte]

My Wife just got home from her weekly get together with her quilting group. Asked her how her day at work was..... she said it was fine except that one of the straps on her tote bag broke and she had to fix it using her little sewing kit she has at work. Her exact words were:

"The cheap Chinese needle actually broke in half !"

She said she has bent needles almost in half but never had one actually break in her entire life

So its not just us guys who hate the Chinese junk !

Thought you guys would get a kick out of that.

An Austrian woman named Thérèse de Dillmont wrote an Encyclopedia of Needlework back in 1886, when hand needlework was much more common than it is today. One of the things she mentions towards the beginning of the book, is the best way to test the quality of a needle, is to try bending the needle between two fingers. If the needle cleanly snaps in two, the needle is a properly hardened needle, if the needle bends it is poor quality.

Dillmont ran a number of embroidery schools in Europe when she was alive, her book has been translated into more than a dozen languages, and the book is still in print, so it's likely she knew what she was talking about. It's likely your wife was likely using too small, or the wrong type of needle for the job. Needles probably come in as many variations in size and type as sockets do. Also, if you've ever priced high end thread, the items in an average sewing kit are likely lower wuality just based on price.

If you want high quality needles, figure out the size needed and check ebay. Tjere are likely huge numbers of old needle packs still kicking around.

 

[zendriver]

My Wife just got home from her weekly get together with her quilting group. Asked her how her day at work was..... she said it was fine except that one of the straps on her tote bag broke and she had to fix it using her little sewing kit she has at work. Her exact words were:

"The cheap Chinese needle actually broke in half !"

She said she has bent needles almost in half but never had one actually break in her entire life

So its not just us guys who hate the Chinese junk !

Thought you guys would get a kick out of that.

I know how to sew with a needle and thread. How hard was the material, that a needle broke pushing though it?

Was using a needle "from a little sewing kit" the equivalent of using a cheater pipe on an HF box end wrench?

 

[jrockford]

Very true and some realize this, some are forced to shop at HF due to budgetary conditions

I agree wholeheartedly.

Some people don't realize the reason others buy tools at Harbor Freight is so they can afford to do the necessary DIY repairs themselves and not hire it done. I am just happy they are attempting to help and better themselves. To Hell with whoever doesn't respect this from someone.

Then yes we have the cheap ones here too who know they are buying junk and then rant about it online...

 

[zendriver]

Sure enough, follow this like written by a lady in England.

http://www.needlenthread.com/2012/05/the-broken-needle.html

I'm not an engineer, but it would seem that making a "high quality" sewing needle, would cost about the same as making a "cheap" one.

Maybe this just another example of blaming the messenger, because we don't like the message.

Did that "quality English needle maker", have a set of standards for the outsourced Chinese manufacturer and ensured those standards were met, or did they simply say "send us some sewing needles!"

German company Condor, outsources some of their pressure switches, to China, but they make sure their quality standards are met, something any company that outsources can do - if they want to.

 

[dogdog]

My Wife just got home from her weekly get together with her quilting group. Asked her how her day at work was..... she said it was fine except that one of the straps on her tote bag broke and she had to fix it using her little sewing kit she has at work. Her exact words were:

"The cheap Chinese needle actually broke in half !"

She said she has bent needles almost in half but never had one actually break in her entire life

So its not just us guys who hate the Chinese junk !

Thought you guys would get a kick out of that.

LOL.....

these are the possibilities.

1) the needles are cheap quality for a cheap priced market, free or dirt cheap items.... such as market for emergency kits that people don't care much about except in an emergency fixes. and you mention your wife is in a quilting club, did she still earn that membership? It's like a professional mechanic uses cheap mechanics set to fix your car and charge you a premium.

2) your wife have super strong fingers.

 

[guy48065]

My wife's sewing machine costs more than my Unisaw.

 

[Roberts210]

We can only hope the same factories that are putting out all the Chinee **** needles, wrenches, wheel cylinders, etc. are also the ones that are building their aircraft carriers and tanks.

 

[Toothaker]

That's what this thread is.

Excellent!

 

[DaveIRL]

not all chinese stuff if the same i mean if they were able to build a massive empire with the terracotta army and make valuable ming dynasty vases that go for tens of millions they had to have done something right,. https://www.google.ie/url?sa=i&rct=...22q3BFE7n6qLA4wZMi8BY-Iw&ust=1484334266748987


now i know they cant make simple pens as they dont have highly precise instruments machinery if they were really interested in making high quality tools, or stuff they probably could but only if they invested in infrastructure and tooling, and bring in american or european quality inspectors and people were prepared to pend a bit more than China could be one of the top precision places

 

[guy48065]

not all chinese stuff if the same i mean if they were able to build a massive empire with the terracotta army and make valuable ming dynasty vases that go for tens of millions they had to have done something right,. https://www.google.ie/url?sa=i&rct=...22q3BFE7n6qLA4wZMi8BY-Iw&ust=1484334266748987


now i know they cant make simple pens as they dont have highly precise instruments machinery if they were really interested in making high quality tools, or stuff they probably could but only if they invested in infrastructure and tooling, and bring in american or european quality inspectors and people were prepared to pend a bit more than China could be one of the top precision places

OTOH their English is as clear as yours.

 

[byoungblood]

What does one have to do to convince the brand owners that some of us are still willing to pay the premium for quality?
It does not matter what it is, I would still pay the extra to buy a product that is fit for purpose and lasts.
I avoid Chinese anything when ever possible.

Most modern businesses want a repeat sale. If they sell you something that lasts, then you only buy from them once. They build to a quality level that is just good enough to keep you coming back, and no more.

But I too wish there was something inbetween the junk and pro/industrial grade goods. Even if it is something that is used frequently, it is hard to justify dropping money on professional grade tools if you're not making a living from them.

 

[reader2580]

Most modern businesses want a repeat sale. If they sell you something that lasts, then you only buy from them once. They build to a quality level that is just good enough to keep you coming back, and no more.

How long have Wright and Snap-On been able to stay in business with tools that don't break?

 

[2oolhound]

She said she has bent needles almost in half but never had one actually break in her entire life

So its not just us guys who hate the Chinese junk !

Thought you guys would get a kick out of that.

I used to stitch my short haired hound dog up when his hide got ripped open in a fight or hunting trip. I had to use pliers to push the needle through his hide. Even doing that I never broke a needle. I just used needles bought at the drug store.

Because of my limited experience I totally accept the op's wife's opinion on this. The fact she says she's never broken one in her life tells me she has experience and the needle in question was not up to standards.

That said the chinese have launched rockets into space. They are as qualified and intelligent as any other people on the planet. It's just the money hungry entrepreneurs entering the market place in a frenzy that cause the problems. They have as much honour as a seagull (if you've ever watched them fight over a scrap) and will do anything for a buck. They've learned to cheat their way through life.

 

[visionguru]

....They have as much honour as a seagull (if you've ever watched them fight over a scrap) and will do anything for a buck. They've learned to cheat their way through life.

Have you realized that you are generalizing 1/4 of world's population, who has been the most advanced civilization for most part of human history?

I have a friend (from China) who has been a big supplier of Christmas decoration items for one of the national home improvement stores for the last 11 years. He told me that year after year, the chain gives him less and less money, but asking for more quantity. He had to use the cheapest materials and hire cheapest workers for the business to survive. If he loses the contract, there are plenty of others to fill in.

What is the problem here? It's not Made in China. It's the corporate greed and the prices paid. Modern day China has similar equipments and ample access to materials from all over the world, like steels from Germany and Japan. These tools are not exactly hard to make. Quality comes with a price, it has little to do with where things are made.

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

If she would have bought quality American this **** would no happen.. But then these days almost everything we buy is cheap Chinese ****.. We Americans buy cheap not quality.. period.....

 

[reader2580]

I have no doubt that the Chinese could produce Snap-On quality tools. The problem is by the time they are shipped to the USA the price would probably be 75% of what Snap-On charges.

A lot of tool users who are willing to pay $75 for a ratchet would probably be willing to pay $25 more for a Snap-On instead.

I'm often willing to pay more for American goods, but there are some items that I would have to buy online to get Made in USA if even available at all.

 

[zendriver]

How long have Wright and Snap-On been able to stay in business with tools that don't break?

Offering a lifetime warranty, behooves a company to build products that last.

Probably not he case, with 99 cent sewing needles.

 

[zendriver]

If she would have bought quality American this **** would no happen.. But then these days almost everything we buy is cheap Chinese ****.. We Americans buy cheap not quality.. period.....

Lol, so this is our fault?

News flash.

People buy a $75 imported floor jack, because they cannot afford a $350 USA model.