A quality Chinese tool

[MarcSeattle]

I think most agree that manufacturers in China have made some really poor-quality tools. Certainly not everything is ****, though. What tools have you owned or used that were made in China and high quality?

I don't want to turn this into rant-fest. We all know about the tools that are chintzy, cheesy, made from recycled tin cans, and assembled by 8-yr olds.

I'm just curious. What is the good stuff?

I can't think of much, but I'm a weekend warrior and you guys are mostly pros. The Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches maybe?

 

[lipadj46]

Yes Gearwrench makes a decent wrench in china. For whatever reason I don't mind "made in Taiwan" tools if the price is right but in general chinese tools are bad. It is just a matter of time though before Chinese tools are up to par and the "cheap tools" are made in some other 3rd world country like india.

 

[Mickey O]

I can think of nothing, I heard they make a mean cup and saucer if you don't mind lead.

 

[mdoolittle]

The Chinese are very capable of producing quality products. The problem lies with the greedy companies telling the Chinese " build me lots of these for as cheap as you can, durability does not matter".

 

[ImportTuner]

GearWrenches appear to be quality items ..

 

[FNFS2000]

Capable, wonderful people, but they are used to supply the worlds stuffmarts with cheap ****. It will take a large market shift before anything "premium" comes from China. There are a few foreign owned and controlled manufacturers that use their children to produce quality merchandise at prices that can compete with Milwaukee and the like, but that backfired now after milwaukee went to china too.... Have not ever seen anything of a true chinese company to be any kind of quality. I think thats where a huge difference lies, there may be some companies like gearwrench I guess that has some mediocre stuff made there, but anything really based in China is all scrap metal right off the shelf.

 

[ImportTuner]

Capable, wonderful people, but they are used to supply the worlds stuffmarts with cheap ****. It will take a large market shift before anything "premium" comes from China. There are a few foreign owned and controlled manufacturers that use their children to produce quality merchandise at prices that can compete with Milwaukee and the like, but that backfired now after milwaukee went to china too.... Have not ever seen anything of a true chinese company to be any kind of quality. I think thats where a huge difference lies, there may be some companies like gearwrench I guess that has some mediocre stuff made there, but anything really based in China is all scrap metal right off the shelf.

So you're saying all the computers (Dell, HP, Acer, etc) are **** and all the LCD/Plasma TV's are **** ... hmmmmmmm

 

[Hiball]

Man.. I dont think i have enough popcorn to sit thru this thread too..

 

[MarcSeattle]

The Chinese are very capable of producing quality products. The problem lies with the greedy companies telling the Chinese " build me lots of these for as cheap as you can, durability does not matter".

We can all agree on that. There must be some exceptions out there.

 

[Mickey O]

So you're saying all the computers (Dell, HP, Acer, etc) are **** and all the LCD/Plasma TV's are **** ... hmmmmmmm

Not all are made in China, but get back to me in forty years and let me know if the Chinese versions are still working I know plenty of my 40 year old and older USA made electronics and appliances are still working. Plus if a Chinese TV fails it doesn't split open your knuckles, or worse.

 

[Mickey O]

We can all agree on that. There must be some exceptions out there.

No we can't but we don't have to, if we lived in Communist China we might have to but this is the good ole US of A where the best tools in the world are made, and they're quite affordable.

 

[arkangel06]

no such thing as a quality made chinese product.

 

[compman25]

Chop sticks

 

[Mickey O]

Chop sticks

They import those from the USA.

 

[Merkava_4]

"American made tools cost too much."

What did people do before World War II ? Nobody bought tools?

 

[Elroy]

I'm just curious. What is the good stuff?

Not tool related mind ya but Elroy purchases a lot of 304 Stainless Steel,150 pound threaded pipe fittings for his employer that are made for Merit Brass in China. They are very high quality, near flawless.

http://www.meritbrass.com/ProductInformation/StainlessSteelUses.html

In general terms the Chinese **** due to many reasons but in years to come as their economy and manufacturing base matures you'll see them as a major player. The US on the other hand has advanced beyond "smokestack" industries. Have no doubt about it, the United States actually leads the world in many of the higher tech fields.

 

[cronic]

no such thing as a quality made chinese product.

Completely false, I have met with and known numerous contacts that have products manufactured there. They are more than capable of producing any level of quality part you desire. However, the whole idea of having products produced there is to have them produced cheaply. The reason we only see cheap products from china here is because that is what the company who outsourced their product to be manufactured there specified, not because they are only capable of producing cheap stuff. Don't get me wrong, I buy American first, but I am not so naive to think that only America is capable of producing anything of quality.

 

[Merkava_4]

When did the first Chinese/Taiwanese made tools start hitting our shores? You guys have any idea?

 

[arkangel06]

When did the first Chinese/Taiwanese made tools start hitting our shores? You guys have any idea?

I think pre WW2

 

[porphyre]

****, Mickey, you are one close minded dude.

To address FNFS2000's comment, I don't think any tools that come out of China are "premium" - but MarcSeattle was asking about quality. Craftsman is quality, Snap-On is "premium".

I've had pretty good luck with "dumb steel things". Anything that's simple with no moving parts - things that just require a little precision tooling. Punches, chisels, feelers, hammers. While they are somewhat hit and miss across the manufacturers, I've got some punches and feelers that spec out very very closely to the stated sizes.

 

[Merkava_4]

I think pre WW2

We actually had a trade embargo against China at one time, but I can't find any information about it on the web.

 

[momswgn]

http://www.dictatorofthemonth.com/Mao/mao_main.jpg

 

[arkangel06]

Pleae everyone buy more Chinese products to this can continue

http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/

 

[premierplayer]

how about tool box's
they are making some pretty solid stuff

 

[Merkava_4]

I'm serious guys ... if enough people stop buying tools made in China/Taiwan, the manufacturers WILL stop having them made there.

 

[hammergodthor]

Anybody bought any air tools recently? Many air tools are made in China/Taiwan, and most of the name brand ones aren't that bad. AirCat anyone? Blue Point?

A friend at work had a Harbor Freight breaker bar, 1/2" dr. 25" model and we had 2 big guys and a 4 foot pipe on it, no problems, except for the Craftsman socket and the Cornwell socket that couldn't handle the pressure. Cornwell socket (older one) split in half.

 

[arkangel06]

Anybody bought any air tools recently? Many air tools are made in China/Taiwan, and most of the name brand ones aren't that bad. AirCat anyone? Blue Point?

A friend at work had a Harbor Freight breaker bar, 1/2" dr. 25" model and we had 2 big guys and a 4 foot pipe on it, no problems, except for the Craftsman socket and the Cornwell socket that couldn't handle the pressure. Cornwell socket (older one) split in half.

Put a china socket on it and see how long it lasts.....

The sockets weaker then the breaker bar of cource it will break first no matter the make...

 

[lipadj46]

I'm serious guys ... if enough people stop buying tools made in China/Taiwan, the manufacturers WILL stop having them made there.

Unfortunately that will never happen. Pure Democracy puts the bottom line above all else. Also we have lost most of our manufacturing knowledge and capability. Also being a high school teacher I don't see kids these days willing or capable of working on an assembly line.

 

[walrus]

I'm serious guys ... if enough people stop buying tools made in China/Taiwan, the manufacturers WILL stop having them made there.

Not going to happen, take note of what people buy. They love ****

 

[Jettback50]

My buddy and I were just talking about this. What are the chinese really known for? It must be something.

Example;
Swiss make a great time piece, If you want the best knives - Germany...

What is the quality flagship of China?

 

[hammergodthor]

My buddy and I were just talking about this. What are the chinese really known for? It must be something.

Example;
Swiss make a great time piece, If you want the best knives - Germany...

What is the quality flagship of China?

General Tsao's chicken!

 

[Art From De Leon]

Anybody bought any air tools recently? Many air tools are made in China/Taiwan, and most of the name brand ones aren't that bad. AirCat anyone? Blue Point?

A friend at work had a Harbor Freight breaker bar, 1/2" dr. 25" model and we had 2 big guys and a 4 foot pipe on it, no problems, except for the Craftsman socket and the Cornwell socket that couldn't handle the pressure. Cornwell socket (older one) split in half.

And the next one off the rack might have broke if you put had a 3 year old stand on it.

 

[caper]

The sockets weaker then the breaker bar of cource it will break first no matter the make...

So why do we see so many broken breaker bars?

 

[FNFS2000]

So you're saying all the computers (Dell, HP, Acer, etc) are **** and all the LCD/Plasma TV's are **** ... hmmmmmmm

yeah, I am, but these also fall under the category of foreign companies using their cheap labor to build products to their spec, not all chinese ownership, design, and production. Good stuff costs more, and none of it lasts like it used to, there is profit in continual replacement of junk electronics, you can't fix them for as cheap as they can make them anymore, happy earthday, dumps full of chinese junk

 

[arkangel06]

So why do we see so many broken breaker bars?

Because the people using them are smooking crack.


But really Im guessing they were using impact sockets on them not chrome sockets or real real high quality chrome sockets...

 

[MarcSeattle]

This sure turned ugly fast. I didn't mean to throw a hand grenade in the room. I think several points have been made and there is no use for everyone to make them again. Let me summarize so we can be done with those points and move on to others. First, I will wager that everyone here agrees the Chinese made tools that are coming to America are not equal to the best American made tools. That may be because the Chinese manufacturers are incapable of making better tools, or perhaps the Chinese manufacturers are doing exactly what they been asked to do. I didn't start this discussion to figure that out. Second, much of what comes here is junk (HF) but others are pretty good quality (Craftsman Pro wrenches).

Okay, we got that over with. My question is focused on whether there are tools that are of superior quality. I'm not saying equal to or exceeding the best America has to offer. Are there quality Chinese-made tools that are dimensionally accurate, strong, durable, well-balanced, etc.?

 

[Merkava_4]

Not going to happen, take note of what people buy. They love ****

It's worked in the food industry ... supermarkets have been stocking certified organic foods because of consumer demand; and they're just now starting to make cereals without fructose because there's been some bad press about fructose.

 

[lipadj46]

Here is a torque wrench I bought lately. Made in the USA for the chinese market. I know the chinese make boat loads of torque wrenches but still there is a market (it appears) for USA made tools in china.

 

[jcfields]

Second, much of what comes here is junk (HF) but others are pretty good quality (Craftsman Pro wrenches).

Craftsman Professional wrenches are made in the USA (the long-pattern combos and the stubbies by Danaher and the line wrenches by S-K). They're great quality and dirt cheap.

I don't see the point of buying Chinese tools, quality or not, when there's such a wealth of high quality American-made tools around. It's an embarrassment of riches. You have a big ladder from Craftsman all the way up to Snap-on with a whole lot of stuff in between. It's a good feeling to get a job done with a tool you can be proud to own. Get 'em while you can. Pass them on to your children. You'll have plenty of time to buy Chinese tools later.

 

[FNFS2000]

Okay, we got that over with. My question is focused on whether there are tools that are of superior quality. I'm not saying equal to or exceeding the best America has to offer. Are there quality Chinese-made tools that are dimensionally accurate, strong, durable, well-balanced, etc.?

A premium Chinese tool? I'm guessing we're gonna hear a resounding negative... I've never seen one. I believe they are capable(and this scares me) There is just not a market for it yet, because if there was something premium coming from there, nobody would want it until the whole perception changes and I think thats a real long term possibility.

Anyone here have any of that caustic poisonous chinese drywall that is corroding copper wire, plumbing, and air conditioner coils?