So what do people in china use for tools?

[arrowhead]

So what do they use for tools? Do they have a "Snap On" level of tools they use? Do they have outlet stores that sell imported tools from the US? Do they have higher quality tools they manufacture for themselves?

I don't fault the Chinese manufacturer's for the quality of the tools that get sent over here, they are making a product according to the importers specifications and price requirements. I'm just curious if they actually use those tools or send us the junk and keep the good stuff for themselves (although it seems the quality level has been rising some).

 

[jallyn]

The culture in Chinese business is to always say yes to the customer even if they do not understand what they are agreeing to. In recent years a group of world-class foundry-men toured a few Chinese facilities. Most foundries do not even have a spectrometer. Those foundries that did have spectrometers did not appear to be using them. How can you meet metal spec's if you don't even know what you are making?

Sadly, like safety, the Chinese have no regard for quality.

 

[kythri]

Y'know, there is a search function that will bring up about a thousand posts with virtually the same subject.

 

[panknuckshovel]

Y'know, there is a search function that will bring up about a thousand posts with virtually the same subject.

Can I use that search function thingama gizmo to find out if anyone else thinks Craftsman has gone downhill?

 

[fatfillup]

Y'know, there is a search function that will bring up about a thousand posts with virtually the same subject.

I am always amused about people who preach the search function. Is there really something wrong with starting a new thread?

Also, I typed in What tools do people use in China and got nowhere fast.

How would you search it and be successful. Step by step please.

 

[toolman9w]

The search function leaves alot to be desired. Or I aint mart enuff to use it.

 

[chruler]

I'm sure the Chinese do use most of the **** they ship over here.

I can see it now. A bunch of guys making tools in a plant somewhere with tall boxes of American made tools to keep it running.

Granted, the import stuff has come a long way in recent years but some of it is still pure ****.

 

[FigureItOut]

Is anyone aware of a Chinese GJ member? It'd be interesting to hear the take on these subjects from a native Chinese person who is at least somewhat like-minded with us.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

 

[Jason280]

I am always amused about people who preach the search function. Is there really something wrong with starting a new thread?

Its a pet peeve of mine as well. If you don't want to answer, just ignore the thread...

I do find it ironic that kythri is preaching about using the search function, yet doesn't have a problem posting threads on subjects that have been discussed quite a bit before..

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=257171

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7116

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=287280

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186319

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=222926

Just to be curious, but how much information do you think you would have gotten if the members had shared your attitude??

 

[Journaler]

...
Sadly, like safety, the Chinese have no regard for quality.

I don't have any first-hand, or even tenth-hand experience with Chinese manufacturing (other than what I buy), but I think the quote above is over simplifying things a bit.

My uninformed opinion is that the Chinese will gladly build whatever we want them to, within whatever specs we give them. We just have to pay for it, and judging by the success that Walmart has experienced over the years, 90% of Americans will gladly eat up the low quality **** that China sends over.

So from a Chinese POV, why should they build world-class quality products when they're making money, hand over fist, with their disposable tools?


To answer the OP: In another similar thread to yours, someone in that thread said something like this...

"
When I asked him (Chinese worker) why he uses insert-quality-tool-here instead of the cheaper, Chinese tools, he answered, "Because we can't afford for our tools to break. When an American breaks his $5 wrench, he goes and buys another $5 wrench. Ours has to last a long time."
"

 

[pepgj]

My uninformed opinion is that the Chinese will gladly build whatever we want them to, within whatever specs we give them.

My understanding is that providing specs isn't enough. You need onsite QA or a really strong ability to reject shipments. The constant tendency is to cheapen the product.

 

[Journaler]

My understanding is that providing specs isn't enough. You need onsite QA or a really strong ability to reject shipments. The constant tendency is to cheapen the product.

I've heard of similar things from there. Even companies that command as much attention as Apple need to micromanage the plant to maintain quality.

So maybe "gladly build" should be "capably build".

 

[fsdogwood]

I saw Snap-on, Bosch, signs on the street.
Gear wrench, too. -- and it's price, after conversion, is comparable to what we pay here in the US.

As a resident, one doesn't seem to have the need for Snapon, Bosch; rather, people
would buy $.25 a screwdriver from the local farmers market, and it could be as soft as
noodle.

Even the craftsmen uses I don't know where they got ancient table saw, electrical drill.
...
That was several years ago

 

[Brownsfan]

My understanding is that providing specs isn't enough. You need onsite QA or a really strong ability to reject shipments. The constant tendency is to cheapen the product.

It's called quality fade. Over time they will cheap out on materials to increase profits. At first it will be fine then they will gradually mix in the cheaper material stuff.

 

[dogdog]

Is anyone aware of a Chinese GJ member? It'd be interesting to hear the take on these subjects from a native Chinese person who is at least somewhat like-minded with us.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

LoL didn't you guys welcome them away every time one showed up?

 

[Journaler]

LoL didn't you guys welcome them away every time one showed up?

I was thinking the same thing. If I signed up to a mountain climbing forum, and there was a big, "Americans and their pathetic excuse for a mountain range" attitude, I wouldn't stick around long either.

 

[dogdog]

The culture in Chinese business is to always say yes to the customer even if they do not understand what they are agreeing to.....
......


.....Sadly, like safety, the Chinese have no regard for quality.

You sure you didn't mistaken some other Chinese look alike ? too many Samurai movies?

Again...... they make great Stuffs and Piece of Stuffs, dependents what Walmart pays.

 

[honcho]

I was on a short trip to Hong Kong and Beijing in October. Didn't tour factories but did try to be on the lookout for tradesman working (and there is lots of construction type activity in both cities) and, for the most part, saw the Chinese workers using what appeared to be Chinese tools. Saw lots of Japanese and Korean heavy equipment, along with some American and European names that I recognized One thing that caught my eye was the Ford SuperDuty police vehicle in Beijing. Another item was toy tools in a vending machine. Lots of Mercedes, Porsches, Audis, etc... I'll bet the dealer workshops are outfitted with decent tools but the few hand tools I saw in use could have come from the Beijing Harbor Freight location.

 

[FigureItOut]

LoL didn't you guys welcome them away every time one showed up?

Certainly not me. That'd be a shame if that did happen. I'd like to think the membership here would welcome anyone who didn't cause problems.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

 

[anndel]

They use American made tools like Snap On, Armstrong, SK, etc.

 

[pcmeiners]

Sad part of Chinese manufacturing is they could produce high quality exports as good or better then the USA, and still at a fraction of our costs. Corruption is an ingrained way of life on the mainland, probably a big factor in their attitudes.
As far as US manufacturers opening plants over there, or sub contracting parts, it is greed and laziness on their parts not checking parts are manufactured to spec. Atop that the manufacturers over here take the American consumer for fools and wonder why top brands become marginal brands very quickly; you sell Chinese junk for a couple of years, then no one want the complete line which took 30 years to build a rep for.

 

[creativecars]

A good friend of mine worked in the plywood/paper industry for years and spent 15 years traveling and working in these plants all over the world. (You don't create major manufacturing plants with junk tools) When this discussion came up he was a firm believer that the countries that are known in the U.S. for poor quality tools, do not use the those tools that are shipped over here. They do have high quality tools available and many of them are produced right next door to the junk tools.

BUT and it is a big but.

The guy that is making the money chose to import that quality of tool to the US. It is not that all the tools made there are junk, but the ones someone chose to import. This started in the 50's and 60's and the guys pulling the strings were American business men, because at that time China had very little influence on what was imported here. You can thank some of our 'business men' for opening that door.

 

[Exceller8]

I would say that they use the tools that they produce. Cheap enough to replace as needed and will mostly get the job done. I would guess there are some pros who use high end tools.

 

[dclassical]

I would imagine that their space program uses quality tools.

 

[Peter Mc Mahon]

I'm sure the Chinese do use most of the **** they ship over here.

They don't ship **** over here. We import it. Big difference.

 

[ibedayank]

I am sure thet every poor Chinaman farmer that lives in a grass hut has a big Snap-on cabinet for his tools made from wood and rope to farm with...

 

[warmpancakes]

china was a huge fan of american goods, they Love any and all things american Heck the Number one car there is Buick

 

[mkm193]

SATA tools are the most common good quality sets readily available in the markets and are actually half decent. Most people didn't know what a very high quality tool looks like because they never saw them.

 

[stihlntime]

After having traveled to China multiple times to source product for two very different companies over the span of my career I can tell you that you source and buy product that meets 90% of the customer base for that particular product. You don't care about meeting the nerds of the .05 percent of the market made up of tool enthusiast on GGO.Since there is not a huge amount of hand labor in tool mfg the savings on high end tools would not be as much as one thinks......unless the communist govt needs to subsidies a particular industry. An example I like to use is when a supplier came to me and said state your price you want to pay on 310 lbs Olympic weight sets,he stated the govt needed to subsidize the foundry industry and we could get 60% lower cost than the previous year by buying deep and lowering the retail substantially. The Chinese can mfg most things as good as anything found in the west,that is why Cummins,Mercedes and others have product mfg in China. Most Chinese cannot afford high end tools,the people are very creative and industries in rural areas using tools passed down. They do love American products, in most factories you'll see tools mfg in govt tool facilities.You will also see American and European tools depending on what the factory is mfg and who its made for. The key to high quality mfg is having your own mngt in the factory and either American or European quality auditors rotating them frequently to keep the graft to a minimum.

 

[falcon88]

I can tell you the answer ,

In China ,90% of mechanic do not have own tools.they use tools from the place they are working.

so those place will make some contract with tools company ,order some good quality tools for working or even use normal tools but they will supply a lot of them.

so ,the mechanics doesn't need to worry about the quality of tools.

however ,because of this ,is one of reasons for those mechanic can not make a lot of money.

 

[dlcwent]

The search function leaves alot to be desired. Or I aint mart enuff to use it.

That might be the understatement of the year.

 

[Kenskip1]

Could there be a Harbor Freight store in China?. Personally I have had good luck with them. I used my 4k generator yesterday and worked great.Ken

 

[dogdog]

Could there be a Harbor Freight store in China?. Personally I have had good luck with them. I used my 4k generator yesterday and worked great.Ken

Harbor Freight last time checked was not a Chinese company with the name Eric Smidt as Founder/President/CEO. I would be very surprised if there is a Harbor Freight there, but then again I never traveled there.

 

[PFSard]

Okay. So I really don't need to know the answer to this question. But it would be interesting to see a summary of any rigorous studies that explore this avenue. I would be surprised if the Chinese use of tools was homogeneous. Or any other product categories for that matter. 1.35 billion people with wide income distribution. And I wonder what the current state of quality is for tools imported into this country from China now compared to 5-10 years ago.

For the record, the vast majority of my tool arsenal has been purchased at yard sales, estate sales, etc. Therefore, not Chinese.

 

[geologist]

Y'know, there is a search function that will bring up about a thousand posts with virtually the same subject.

"Back in 1872, there was a thread about the Chinamen using chop sticks for adjustable wrenches. If you use the search function, select the "rice paper, papyrus, scrolls, and clay tablets" feature to include it in the results."

 

[Maexle]

I can tell you the answer ,

In China ,90% of mechanic do not have own tools.they use tools from the place they are working.

so those place will make some contract with tools company ,order some good quality tools for working or even use normal tools but they will supply a lot of them.

so ,the mechanics doesn't need to worry about the quality of tools.

however ,because of this ,is one of reasons for those mechanic can not make a lot of money.

In Germany car mechanics / technicians won't have to provide their own tools either. All the tools are company owned as well.

 

[falcon88]

In Germany car mechanics / technicians won't have to provide their own tools either. All the tools are company owned as well.

so ,same idea,they don't need to worry about quality of tools.

 

[toolman9w]

That might be the understatement of the year.

Both sentences.

 

[PugetDude]

Having been to China many times, I can say that many of you on the GJ would be amazed at what Chinese craftsmen can accomplish with **** tools.
Like the finish carpenters doing a retail build-out with a skilsaw bolted to a scrap of concrete-covered form plywood for a table saw with a pallet scrap for a fence. Angles were cut free-hand; not a nailgun or compressor on site ... the rest of their tools were the usual assortment of Chinese hand tools and portable power tools, all stored in drywall buckets or wheelbarrows.
Most mechanics shops had a good assortment of hand tools, everyone worked out of the same box.

Extension cords cobbled together out of scrap wire, gauge and length didn't matter. No need for wire nuts, just twist and tape. Safety gear was non existent. Sawdust in your eyes? You're not squinting hard enough.

Bamboo scaffolding, tied with raffia twine was good up to 50 stories.

Saw a lot of Makita, B&D and Bosch power tools advertised in hardware stores, but rarely ever saw anyone using them.

 

[upgrading]

One thing that caught my eye was the Ford SuperDuty police vehicle in Beijing.

Cool.