"US" Firestones?

Hi, well I got my "made in Turkey" rims for my Ford 5000. They are the same weight as the originals, but the centers are welded, not riveted. I think they are ok. Probably not as good of steel, but I still have the old rims just in case. In the condition the old ones were in, these new ones are probably just as good.

I bought Firestone 3-rib 7.50x16 tires for it, and paid $40 more per tire than the other (cheaper) tires, which were made in China. They told me these Firestones were made in the US, so I was willing to pay the extra 29% premium for the quality I was expecting... you see this coming, don't you.

The Firestones arrived and when I was looking for the max pressure, what do I see on the tires? Made in Costa Rica...

Is nothing made in North America anymore?

I'm a strong supporter of North American made. But I think we have priced ourselves out of the market. It's sad that we can ship things from around the World, and pay significantly less for them than domestic goods. I like North American made things, like all of my tools (mostly all antiques now). I like the quality, and the fact that we took pride in workmanship, and used good materials, and we used to take pride in producing good products at reasonable prices.

The "US" tires were 29% more than off-shore tires. And US made rims were 657% more than off-shore. And they are not worth nearly 7 times as much... The difference in raw material cost is probably a buck a rim.

I would like to see us making better products than the rest of the World, using all our advanced technology, and providing those products at competitive prices, so that the rest of the World buys our products (not the other way around), knowing that they are better made, better quality, and only slightly more expensive. There has got to be a profit margin in volume...

Ok, I'm done. Get me down off this soap box.

Bye for now,

Troy





They were the same dimensions, that's just the odd angle.

I know absolutely nothing about 'eaton' and their compressors but I would bet they are trying to pull the scam where there is a difference between "made in USA" and "assembled in USA".

I bet the compressor castings (and maybe the whole compressor pump) were made in china since as you said it says so right on them. Then they were shipped to eaton in the USA and assembled as a complete ready to sell unit here with tank and switch etc....

They are telling you that it is made in USA but the main manufacturing is being done in China, I think walmart perfected this with their labeling.

We seen some MADE IN USA stickers on products with OLD GLORY waving herself. Then we read the small print with six other countries names on the sticker.

You mean like the fertilizer opener disks I bought for my JD 7000 (at the JD dealer)? Little 'Made in USA' sticker on it... 'Made in Spain stamped on the disk, and 'Made in China' stamped on the bearing. (the last two I got DID have 'Made in USA' stamped on the disk, but still China bearings... probably why I've been replacing so many...)

Manufacturing has been "hollowed" out. Machining and foudry work is capital intensive and labor intensive. Assembly is cheaper on both counts. It's easier and cheaper to outsource all the components, assemble the widget, and put a Made in USA sticker on it.

Hate to say it but our factory in MI which manufacturs from scratch whole tree grinders/chippers. The electric ones have two 400 hp motors running the hammer mill/chipper disc whichever pertains. You guessed it....made in CHINA!!! With a sticker on front that says "Proudly Made in America" . Could we compete on price by using American made motors?? Only if our competitors did the same. Why does Komatsu out sell Cat?? Same with Hitachi. When lowskilled/educated factory workers here at home have to make $60,000-75,000 a year or nothing , it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Just how over-paid do you think the white collars are??

Maniac, Ever come across CBI chippers or grinders? A friend makes them. He goes all over the world selling them. Another friend is giving up his excavation business to go to Liberia (of all places) to oversee an operation of whole chipping overgrown rubber trees that are going to be shipped to Sweeden for Bio Fuel.

Those rims look pretty good, Troy.
About all wheels I see anymore are welded. And from what I can see of those welds, they look good.

I think you got a good buy.