ZRX61
Well-known member
I have a made in India carpenters square... that's real handy if you want to make an 87deg cut...
Show us your made in China tools.
- Thread starter German Satin
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Ton ton
Well-known member
Maybe you should start a made in India tool thread. LOL.
The Post you responding to made me
as well.auto makers world/wide have been “stealing”designs and technology - from each other, literally since day one.
back in the day US auto makers stole Japan’s automotive technology and they stole our style, until they started designing their own. Then we started stealing that from them.
ZRX61
Well-known member
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
I dumped my Indian-made squares for the same reason. Out of square by .008”-.020”. Pretty useless.
Toolmaker51
Well-known member
I don't like financing the chinese navy, spent 26 years in OURS keeping them at bay [lol, no pun intended]. Buying anything from those unpronounceable stores supporting site named for a river in South America, sends money into CCC coffers. Some of it comes back here, laundered into over priced real estate and strawman purchases of immense proportions.
I required a replacement trailer coupler; any found were same pattern and clearly marked 'Made In China', regardless the brand. Wound up with an un-mountable unit, holes would NOT align. Two stinking holes for 5/8" bolts, how hard can that be?
Very hard apparently, doubtful there was first article inspection or tested against a proper receiver, and certainly periodic checks non existent. Hence, warehouses are full of defective products that cannot (shouldn't, couldn't, will not) be repaired in cost effective manner, another fault predicted when debates for offshoring legislation began . Liability risks alone stymie that, another of the predictions.
Imagine that, industry experts testifying in Senate hearings, falling on ears deafened by lobbyists.
Enough soapbox, here is the evidence.
Yes, I reviewed the purchase on the muddy river site, adding that maybe the CEO's rocket is built with the same integrity.
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Ton ton
Well-known member
I like my Lumax grease gun, made in China. It doesn't leak grease out the bottom. It does need a new tip though.
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Here is some made in China tools. The hammers aren’t bad they are actually pretty well made. The knives are handy to have for 69 cents I cut open several boxes a day with them.
Ton ton
Well-known member
Nice hammers, Blake the car guy.
OP
German Satin
Well-known member
How can you make a square that's not dead on 90. Don't they use a jig???!!!!
OP
German Satin
Well-known member
Don't know about you but just knowing something is made in China is enough of a put off, however good it may be. It's a psychological thing. So much garbage is churned out by said country, you'd be forgiven for thinking everything they make is garbage, which we know is not the case. It is indeed a reputation China is stuck with.
Kinda like cars made in the UK?
tez929rr
Well-known member
Lots of you should be old enough to remember when made in Japan meant low quality junk. “Japanese transistor radio” was a running joke in the early 60’s. Then their cars started showing up in the 70’s and were better and better until made in Japan was a mark of quality. Early Hyundai’s sold in the US were awful but now the Korean automakers have a decent reputation. Why should China be any different? I’m not saying they are all the way there yet but a lot of the scoffing I hear about Chinese stuff is what I heard about early Japanese imported cars 50 years ago.
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
I don't know, but they were all out of square and by considerable amounts. TBH, everything I have ever owned tool-related that had India as COO has been poorly made and finished. It's one of the few COOs that I actively avoid at all costs.
Woody1320
Well-known member
I had that EXACT same set. My grandfather gave it to me when I was four or five. Wish I still had it (mainly for nostalgia). That was 30 years ago, now lol.
If you really want it, it's yours.
I've had this Harbor Freight 3/8" ratchet for about 5 years now and the thing keeps going. I've pulled several motors with it, multiple brake jobs, suspension overhauls, used it as a hammer, hit it with a hammer to break bolts loose and more and the thing won't die.
It's not best ratchet out there but it's got a nice amount of teeth to it and I don't feel guilty using it as a hammer.
It's not best ratchet out there but it's got a nice amount of teeth to it and I don't feel guilty using it as a hammer.
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Beijing Institute of Technology rivals MIT for the research they do. See things like the hypersonic missile and some of the incredible hacking and computer exploits they have accomplished for examples of what they are capable of. However there are a BILLION Chinese. They can’t all be educated in China or all be good for that matter. They go to every type of school imaginable in the US. My parents work at small liberal arts colleges and pre COVID had sizable Chinese student populations.
bsaint
Well-known member
Such an odd thread. I think it's like bait to bash the Chinese. The Chinese are humans like everyone else and are capable of making quality products. We have some injection mold dies made in China that have decades of use on them and still make accurate parts. I think most of the Chinese stuff sold on the Matco and Mac trucks as well as most of the automotive kits sold at HF rival those made in US factories.
Busted_Knuckles
Well-known member
Im anything but a tool snob, and I will go to great lengths and additional cost to avoid ANYTHING from China. The rest of Asia, Im mostly ok with,.. when its a practical choice of value, otherwise Im happy to go used to get quality & value. Im aware that MFGs can turn out decent stuff from China ( Ive seen it, I own some ) its just personal choice.
An old game Id play, source a tool at Hazard Fraught price point or less, but good used and made in the USA ( or some other first world quality country )
While there are tools and equipment in my shop that where made in China, it serves as a daily reminder why I need to spend more time shopping and less time hitting the easy button when going after new acquisitions.
Id be embarrased to show any of my China purchases, but too each their own.,..
An old game Id play, source a tool at Hazard Fraught price point or less, but good used and made in the USA ( or some other first world quality country )
While there are tools and equipment in my shop that where made in China, it serves as a daily reminder why I need to spend more time shopping and less time hitting the easy button when going after new acquisitions.
Id be embarrased to show any of my China purchases, but too each their own.,..
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
I'm happy to brandish my Autel scan tool, which has made me thousands upon thousands of dollars, made in china.
In my biz of auto repair, you'd go broke trying to buy first world everything. 50k doesn't begin to reflect my investment, and if every last socket was USA made and every last special tool, I'd have tens of thousands more invested. There's a lot of different budgets and needs. Somebody find me a replacement USA made version of my HF baby 8oz ball-pein hammer, I'd like to ditch the comfort grip and cost is not a factor. Only size/shape/length matter. I love that thing, would pay $100 for one to replace it if need be.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
I've always felt like the peen part needed cut off of those for more "swinging" space. The motion to use them seems more like a punch than the typical elbow/wrist whip motion.
So, I guess to test my theory (and if I come across the right hammer), I'm going to modify A 12 oz and make you a strange, but potentially useful 8 oz stubby.
I don't know of any right off-hand. You likely don't see them for sale, because it's so easy to remove/shorten/reinstall a wood handle or quickly cut a wood handle shorter with a saw and dress up the end. I've modified several hammers that way, and I've seen many others do the same. Most of mine started out as cheap garage sale purchases (often with damaged or cracked handles), but one could buy a brand new 8oz $13 Vaughan US made ball peen hammer and do the same mod.
Vaughan 8 oz. Ball-Peen Hammer with 11.75 in. Hardwood Handle TC308 - The Home Depot
Acquire the Vaughan 8 oz. Ball-Peen Hammer TC308, metal handle is made with American hickory and is compressionally wedged into the head for extra strength at The Home Depot
www.homedepot.com
20 or so less posts on GJ would free up the time needed for most people to make one if time is the issue. I'm not saying that to ridicule you 2ndGear, so please don't take it that way. It's a general statement. Simple tools are the easiest tools to replace with something DIY if necessary, so that's a great place to start for many who might be reading this thread. Everything helps when it comes to supporting your neighbors and trying to keep money from leaving the US or other peaceful countries. If buying from China is unavoidable because there are no other options, try to buy used if possible. At least that way your purchase helps support your local used market and the money you spend on the item helps support people living inside the US.
To me, it isn't just about China being a malicious country, it's also about not wanting to support any manufacturers that use slave labor or poor ecological practices to make their products. Every dollar prevented from traveling to China is one less dollar in the hands of a government who actively wants to witness our demise. If Taiwan ends up being controlled by China again, I will start trying my best to avoid Taiwan made products as well, even though they make good tools. You pay now or you pay later, that's the law of life. Everyone here should think a bit about what you are willing to accept and what your money is being used for when it leaves your hand. If more people did that, many problems we are all facing right now could be noticeably lessened.
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2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
I have that very hammer you linked, and have considered cutting it down more than once. My point was that depending on the variety and scope of tools one needs, USA or first world manufacturing for all of it is not economically feasible. I buy lots of first world, and prefer it. But a set of press adapters I use once a month I can buy for 1/10th the price imported. I cannot afford to take my 75K+ tooling and make it $150k+ out of principle - I simply do not make enough money to do so. That, and some tools aren't made in the first world which are comparable anyways.
Like that cam seal tool, that ain't USA made. But you can't really get anything comparable that's USA made anyways. Yeah, one off engine specific drivers for cam/crank seals you can get made here. Some guy is machining and powder coating them. But a general coverage kit can't be found. Now, despite US policy towards china, most here would put china/taiwan as two separate entities. And overall the latter makes higher quality products.
If north korea or iran made a top of the line scan tool which made others look like toys, I'd buy it happily. But my needs as someone who makes a living with my tools are different. We had a discussion at the shop about "that scan tool you plug in that tells you what's wrong" which the customers and some in the industry believe exists. What would that tool be worth? Like you plug it in, full system scan, and it tells you the wire to the rear oxygen sensor heater is broken at location X - truly magical level performance. 100k? Would you even care if it was forged in hell fires by the devil himself?
Like that cam seal tool, that ain't USA made. But you can't really get anything comparable that's USA made anyways. Yeah, one off engine specific drivers for cam/crank seals you can get made here. Some guy is machining and powder coating them. But a general coverage kit can't be found. Now, despite US policy towards china, most here would put china/taiwan as two separate entities. And overall the latter makes higher quality products.
If north korea or iran made a top of the line scan tool which made others look like toys, I'd buy it happily. But my needs as someone who makes a living with my tools are different. We had a discussion at the shop about "that scan tool you plug in that tells you what's wrong" which the customers and some in the industry believe exists. What would that tool be worth? Like you plug it in, full system scan, and it tells you the wire to the rear oxygen sensor heater is broken at location X - truly magical level performance. 100k? Would you even care if it was forged in hell fires by the devil himself?
visionguru
Well-known member
If we replace everything Made in China with (for example) Made in Africa, what exactly the problems could be "noticeable" lessened?
Like others have said, thru the mid 70s, "made in Japan" was a joke; it meant ****. And then on their second or third generation of imported cars and tools/products, by the late 70s early 80s, they were no longer a joke. Suddenly it was American cars that were ****. Who did the Japanese learn QC from? An American Industrial Engineer named Deming that the American's wouldn't listen to. Why would they listen? They owned the market and were ignorant. Well, who got the last laugh? Toyota; they listened to Deming when GM, etc, wouldn't.
In the 80s, made in Taiwan was a joke; it replaced Japan as **** in American opinion; regardless of if it was earned. Now people here fawn over Taiwan tools like it was made in Germany or the US. And I admit, it's as good in most cases; but 40 yrs ago it was regarded as ****. Now it's gold.
Now it's China's time to be disparaged as junk. And China can make anything as good as anyone else if the purchaser is willing to pay and enforce QC. AFAIK, Volvo manufacturers cars in China as do Ford and many others to be exported worldwide.
It's like how people thought you couldn't make a quality vehicle in Mexico 20 years ago. Well, they can. As can China, Thailand, Taiwan....
The bottom line is people in other poor countries are willing to work for 5-20% of what they are for in the US. And they can install bolts on a car just as good as an American can. Or assemble a ratchet.
Compare the quality of a Yost Chinese ADI vise to any USA vise for fit and finish. The Yost is equal or better. And the material is 5X+ better in strength. But people still here insist on the superiority of vintage 10KSI US cast iron vises.
In the 80s, made in Taiwan was a joke; it replaced Japan as **** in American opinion; regardless of if it was earned. Now people here fawn over Taiwan tools like it was made in Germany or the US. And I admit, it's as good in most cases; but 40 yrs ago it was regarded as ****. Now it's gold.
Now it's China's time to be disparaged as junk. And China can make anything as good as anyone else if the purchaser is willing to pay and enforce QC. AFAIK, Volvo manufacturers cars in China as do Ford and many others to be exported worldwide.
It's like how people thought you couldn't make a quality vehicle in Mexico 20 years ago. Well, they can. As can China, Thailand, Taiwan....
The bottom line is people in other poor countries are willing to work for 5-20% of what they are for in the US. And they can install bolts on a car just as good as an American can. Or assemble a ratchet.
Compare the quality of a Yost Chinese ADI vise to any USA vise for fit and finish. The Yost is equal or better. And the material is 5X+ better in strength. But people still here insist on the superiority of vintage 10KSI US cast iron vises.
Chinese people buy a lot of American airplanes, IPhone, soybean and beef etc and support a lot of American families. The stuff Americans buy from China won't be produced in USA anyways. Don't be so narrow minded. I have a lot of China made tools and they work just fine. It is designed by US companies just made in China. Nobody forces US companies to make tools in China. It is just market economy.
oldtractors
Well-known member
I have a 12x36 lathe made in China. Harbor Freight even. It is 100x better than the Atlas lathe it replaced. I think I paid $2500 or so for it 15 years ago. The same thing sold by Grizzly now is $4500.
I will answer your question as if it was a serious one, even though it seems like you chose to interpret and respond to my last post in a way that completely (and likely purposefully) missed the point. It's not surprising, people do that sort of thing all the time. Usually it's done when a belief structure that creates harm for others provides personal gain for the holder of the belief, so the person doesn't want to let it go. That being said, this response is mainly for others who might be reading this thread and also thinking about the things I think about. Also, if you're reading this on a smart phone and finding yourself angered by the length of this post, just skip over it, because it wasn't written for you.
There is a difference between "buy American no matter what" and "support countries that treat their people and the environment well and aren't actively wishing you harm". I fall into the latter group. There are junk tools made in the US just like there are junk tools made elsewhere, and there is nothing wrong with the international trade of goods. My hand and power tools are about 55-60% US made, but most the vehicles in my family are Japanese. I usually buy American if they make the best quality tool in some area and the cost is worth the use I will get out of it. I also own lots of tools from Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Spain, etc. I even have a few tools made in China, I listed them earlier in this thread. Those were mostly purchased used, but a couple were purchased new because it's almost impossible to live an absolute life these days. All any of us can do is our best. I prefer to purchase goods from countries and companies that treat their citizens well for the most part, care about the environment for the most part, and have manufacturing practices that are more sustainable. I also try to avoid coutries that are currently diplomatic or ideological enemies with the US, because I happen to like it here. I have been to lots of other countries, and most people in the US have no idea how good we have it.
If I can avoid it, I don't want my money going to countries or companies that have factories full of child workers, slave labor, or factories that have anti-suicide nets installed around the building because so many workers were jumping to their deaths. It doesn't matter how cheap the tool is or how good the quality is for the price. I agree with one of the other posters, US run factories in China are often somewhat better, but some money is still going to a government that hates us in the process, or to a US based company that will often put money before US ideals even within the US. I'm also not interested in supporting governments that regularly make citizens they don't like disappear, have black market prisoner organ harvesting programs, millions of people in active concentration camps, huge hacking and data theft operations used to steal intellectual property or resources from other countries, etc.
The people of China are mostly good people. I know quite a few, and several puposefully moved here to escape the oppressive Chinese government. Even if you are someone that doesn't care much about others, the Chinese government itself represents pretty much the opposite of the values the US was built on, so if you care at all about your current freedoms, intellectual property rights, etc. some of you might want to re-think your care-free attitude before it's too late. It's up to you, but small decisions do add up and they do cause future consequences. For instance, all it would take for the world to slowly move away from slave labor and human explotation, is for a large number of individual customers to care more about avoiding products made in that manner.
It all comes down to who you care about. If you only really care about yourself, you likely to have a "every man for himself" or a "survuval of the fittest" mentality. If you can get something cheap at the expense of others, you will because you can, and often it won't even bother you to do so because you consider other people's problems to be either their own or their own fault. If you care at all for others or for the general average well-being of everyone on planet earth, you likely care more about where your tools come from and who benefits from your money any time it leaves your hands. Everybody is interconnected and all decisions have consequences, no matter how much a person wants to think or pretend otherwise.
four.cycle
Well-known member
well said, sir. 
Firebrick43
Well-known member
Well, as far as the hypersonic missiles, yea we sort of did help. Purdue university built a hypersonic wind tunnel. After it was built one the Chinese grad students working on the project left and never came back to finish his degree. 6 months later China had a hypersonic wind tunnel.
May 11th 1999 New York times ran a story about President Clinton transferring rocket technology to China.
senlow
Well-known member
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Greetings All: Just a few PRC made items I recently acquired. On top of an orange Harbor Freight end cab drawer unit, sits a pair of Crescent Z2 diagonal cutters, a pair of Crescent Z2 long nose pliers. An Olight swivel light, an orange handled Olight knife, and a small rechargeable flashlight. At the top is a SATA indexable extendable pry bar. Extends from 29.5 to like 35.5. Pretty beefy.
Below those items is a SATA 6-22 mm deep offset combination wrench set. Think fully polished combination wrench with the box end having an offset of like 30 degrees.
Below those items is a SATA 6-22 mm deep offset combination wrench set. Think fully polished combination wrench with the box end having an offset of like 30 degrees.
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Finance Guy
Well-known member
I would be curious: 1) why you selected these over Channellock or Knipex or NWS; and 2) what's your initial assessment?
I try not to negatively judge others for what countries they buy their consumer products from. Life is just to short for being bothered by such imo. Btw, I'm longtime fan of Plumb and Proto USA tools going back the the early '70s. I'd like to think that people in countries other than the US would not pass negative judgement on me for such. But if some do, then so be it.
visionguru
Well-known member
6 months is probably only enough to build a garage, not a sophisticated equipment that requires careful design and engineering.
China is actually way ahead:
A New Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Will Put China '20 to 30 Years Ahead' of the West
The JF-22 wind tunnel in Beijing will reach speeds of up to Mach 30, according to claims by a Chinese physicist. But is it really possible?
interestingengineering.com
Firebrick43
Well-known member
We did the design and engineering for them, probably he was passing info during the whole development.6 months is probably only enough to build a garage, not a sophisticated equipment that requires careful design and engineering.
China is actually way ahead:
A New Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Will Put China '20 to 30 Years Ahead' of the West
The JF-22 wind tunnel in Beijing will reach speeds of up to Mach 30, according to claims by a Chinese physicist. But is it really possible?
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