chineese junk

have read a lot of comments on this forum over the years about chineese junk. what about the american junk? its not any better.wifes g.e.washer cratered 10 months past warranty,240+ dollars to repair.maytag dish washer 4 months past warranty.they want 270+ dollars to fix that pile of junk.(its going to the dump)hell. i would like to buy something that would last a few years. any body else tired of the crap that is sold?

Yes, I agree. Sad thing is that although these are American companys, their products are probably not make here. Don't know for sure.

I don't think that there is one company left that is 100% American made. Maytag & GE have a lot of parts made over seas.

Thanks to WM and the perpetual praise of WM by Paul Harvey, everybody buys on the "price" factor, when it used to be that everybody bought much more locally. People will drive across town to save a couple of bucks on auto parts. Everybody buys online when the local business who has been there for 40 years (and has struggled the past 10) can supply you the same thing. Just try to find an American-made compressor in your new fridge/freezer. You won"t.
Yea, I"m guilty of it too sometimes.

If appliances were all made here they would cost at least 3 times as much. Not many would be sold at those prices. The Chinese work for a pittance, no free insurance, no retirement programs, and no paid vacations or other benefits. They only get paid for the work they do. We Americans demand cradle to grave security with someone else paying the bill. I am afraid the sun is setting on these United States.
Joe

Isn't it amazing how for thousands of years the Chinese were the world leaders in science and technology. There's hardly a thing in the modern world that can't be traced back to Chinese origins.
Seems to me that the Chinese being synonomuos with cheap crap came about when American companies went over there for the sole purpose of taking advantage of inexpensive labor to make poorly designed American junk,that we started to make this association.

Just saying.

Let me tell you something about that. The worlds largest refrigerator factory used to be 10 miles from me. When that factory was running,it employed 2700 local people with union jobs,high pay and great benefits. When that factory closed,this community died,no pulse,it's dried up and blown away.
We bought a new refrigerator a year and a half ago. I don't think it was any cheaper than it would have been if it had been made right here. I never saw any big sales ads claiming refrigerators were cheaper after they left the country. Even if they were $200 more on average,no more often that a person has to buy one and given all the pockets that those 2700 union paychecks went through every Friday,we would ALL still be better off paying the extra $200.
The only thing that changed was Electrolux company profit,that's ALL.
You multiply what happened here by all the high paying jobs that have gone away for the same reason,then tell me you wonder why the US economy is in the toilet and not coming back.
Now tell me how much better off we all are because their STOCKHOLDERS made money.

(quoted from post at 17:57:52 07/31/12) Isn't it amazing how for thousands of years the Chinese were the world leaders in science and technology. There's hardly a thing in the modern world that can't be traced back to Chinese origins.
Seems to me that the Chinese being synonomuos with cheap crap came about when American companies went over there for the sole purpose of taking advantage of inexpensive labor to make poorly designed American junk,that we started to make this association.

Just saying.

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Tryin to move up here wif me in the popularity department huh?????

Like they said on Dragnet,just the facts.

As a retired locomotive mechanic.. I've seen,
many times, brand new General electric locomotives arrive from the factory, and the
dorm room size refrigerators, in the cabs, don't work! AND, brand new locomotives, on their first
trip from the factory..and the engine blows up..
and the next day, another one blows up..and my
non retired friends say that one day there were
7 new 2 million dollar each locomotives sitting
at Minneapolis with engones blown up. I wouldn't
buy an alarm clock from GE !

(quoted from post at 17:57:52 07/31/12) Isn't it amazing how for thousands of years the Chinese were the world leaders in science and technology. There's hardly a thing in the modern world that can't be traced back to Chinese origins.
Seems to me that the Chinese being synonomuos with cheap crap came about when American companies went over there for the sole purpose of taking advantage of inexpensive labor to make poorly designed American junk,that we started to make this association.

Just saying.

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That's the thing of it.....it's not really poorly designed. It's the fact that the bean counters don't want your washer to last 10 years. So they take good designs and use substandrd parts to build it. Our top of the line washer and dryer is 5 years old, had one $20 switch go out. Fridigaire. I learned a long time ago that when buying appliances you really do get what you pay for.

As far as sending stuff overseas to be built......look up the Boxer rebellion. Some politicians/news media would have you beleave that out sourcing is kinda new. When the Boxer rebellion took place we sent in troops to China to protect "American business interest" and put down the rebels. That was in 1900.

Now go look up American made goods. It's Amazing after reading the news at jusy how much stuff is made in America.

Rick

the problem is , that the us no longer sets the quality standards. when the us did even the chinese made quality,and they still can.the problem is now the US has lost the lead in the manufacturing race.Even US manufacturing simply follows the standards set by chinese.if they didnt they cant stay in buisness.the chinese have been exporting goods for centuries ,to places all over the world.they are the past masters of international trade.four of the fastest and largest container ships in the world belong to walmart.four days one way accross the ocean with a 11 hour turnaround.they come from the far east fully loaded,make the return trip empty. that should tell you a little of the problem.why should the japanese and chinese buy our stuff? its no better and often worse than what they can buy on any corner at home.the number one export is not goods its technology and has been for several years now. by the way,look at the companies and brand names owned by whirlpool corp. youll find very few of the old name brands are not under whirlpool ownership. then take a look at who is the primary owners of whirlpool.maytag for instance made arguably the best appliances in the world a few years back,whirlpool fired every person in the maytag company when they took over.if your going to buy us made appliances,simply shop around for the cheapest price.the appliances are identical.

Just replaced the tub assembly of a Maytag high efficiency washer for $260 plus my 3.5 hours of labor. Could have bought a new machine, but would be the same quality. Tried to find a bearing assembly for the machine, but all parts houses showed not available for Maytag. Found today on the internet that Whirlpool has a shaft assembly and ordered for $56 delivered for a spare when it goes out in another 2 years. Whirlpool, Kennmore, Maytag and several other washers are "made" here in MS in the same plant. All parts will interchange in similar models. Bearings (and shaft assemblies ?)are made in Korea.

It's way simpler than all that.

The American consumer will shop price over quality.

Not the Chinese, not the big evil corporations, not wall street, it's the guy walking into the store and picking out the cheapest price.

It's created a race to the bottom of quality with the winner bragging about the what a deal he got then complaining about what a piece of junk it is.

I wish you could get your hands on the editorial in the last Michigan Farmer. The editor tells a long story in detail about how her poorly DESIGNED front load washing machine kept breaking and how near imposible it was to get the part to even fix it herself. It was designed to fail and everybody she talked to for help was seemingly trained to be a salesperson instead of trying to get her the part she needed and wanted.
You've known me on here long enough to know I'm no lefty,but I know when to call a spade a spade too.
It's cheap,poorly designed American products that have destroyed the reputation of Chinese products,plain and simple.
After 1000s of years of being leaders in science and inovation,the Chinese didn't all of a sudden have an epidemic of major head trauma and become stupid. Their reputation was dragged down to third world status by us.

That's the one I'm talking about in the post below. The one that the editor of Michigan Farmer had so much trouble with! Designed to fail and near impossible to get!

My parents worked at Electrolux in Greenville. So did my sister.
Uncles and Grandparents all retired from the auto industry.
Can't find one of those cushy retirement plans like GM used to have now days.
Maybe because anyone in the union had to get paid $27/hour whether they built engines or put on hubcaps?
I've heard the argument that if we didn't make the money, we couldn't afford our own products. Pretty sad.
Bad part is, manufacturing moved over seas and prices didn't come down.
Did profits go up?
I don't know, seems like we the tax payers just bought GM for money that will never be returned to us.

Being one of those radical right wing evil capitalist pigs I have to look to "the market" for an answer. Appliances aren't as good as they used to be I don't think it's a factor of the cheap oversees parts I think the MBA types figured out if a washing machine only lasts half as long as they did they get to sell twice as many. What should happen is some company will figure out if they make clothes washers that last longer they may be able to increase their market share or sell more washers and keep the same or better profit margins. Eventually people will shift their purchases to the better machines if in the long run they feel they are better off with a longer lasting washing machines. This should force the other manufacturers to improve longevity, cut their prices (and profits) to "buy" market share, sell fewer machines or maybe even go broke. Sound far fetched? seems the Japanese automakers pulled a similar stunt on our domestic automakers leaving two of them to go through bankruptcy and the third to make some dramatic changes.

Well, I have a neighbor that used to have a TO-35, but the last week or so, I've seen a smaller Mihinda, Mahindra, or whatever it is, setting out in one of their pastures where they turn out the horses, and it has a bale spear on the bucket, but I haven't seen a round bail out there with the horses. Truth be told, I don't think that things as big as a round bale, and it sure is smaller than their old Massey. But, it aint my money, its theirs to do what they want with it, and its been settin in the pasture, not moved for a good week. Come to think of it, I passed one of those Mahin... dealers a few times, and they had a N/F Ford 4000 settin out on the lot and I was tempted to stop and shake them up by givin it a good look see and askin how much, but I just don't need a N/F Ford 4000 for anything. Nice tractors, so don't get me wrong, I aint slighten them, just don't need one anymore than the Farmall H or Deere B some fella wanted to sell me. Sweet deal on a couple of nice parade irons they were, if I had use for them, but space in the barns have purpose and is accounted for. Anyway, that old NF Ford 4000 sat there a month or two, and its gone, so I guess that someone got themselves a good tractor. God bless them, I hope they use it in good, safe health.

To each, his or her own I spose.

Mark

I have a PAC from Sears got it twenty yeArs ago haven't spent a dime on fixing my appliances except for the $700 annual dues. Fix my 40 year old dryer this week broken belt. Cost me had watch the guy.
I have a frige out in the barn bought new in 1949 still going strong.
They spent over $3000 fixing my $1200 mower over the last ten years.
Walt

Back in 88 or 89 I was taking engineering classes in college. The "teacher" tried to drive into us that the designs are designed to fail as soon after the warrenty expired as they could get. Something just didn't feel right to me about that. Now it all is coming to be true.

When we turn off our damned televisions and put away the blasted sports and Bachelor shows and and singing shows and tacky history shows all the silly crap on that dumbest of all boxes.
When we get back to taking an interest in things and SHOW UP at school board meetings, and Union meetings and Tea Party meetings and re-elect external_link meetings and stock holder meetings. When we get engaged as a people like the Graingers were and insist that our corporations and governments and towns and townships and churches are accountable to US. When WE the people show the leadership and do the hard work of teaching ourselves and educating our neighbors and politicians and bankers and friends THEN things will change.
Do I think you addicts can turn off your blasted TVs?
Not really.
Back to your regularly scheduled programming now.
So sorry I interfered with your viewing of the Olympic underwater basket weaving.
So sorry indeed...

Dosent matter were it's made. It's a throw away society, everything is junk, from cars to dishwashers , to gas grills, to tvs, ect the list can go on and on, and on.

to reverse the junk trend first would have to have the consumer figure out that they cant get nothing for nothing, good stuff cost money, they would have to be willing to pay more to get more, for instance 2 tractors here on the place are over 50 years old, one over 60 years both still work just fine occasionally they require servicing, which is simple and straight forward most of the time, designed by skilled designers who not long before had just finished designing the equipment that won wwll , they knew their business, along came the "new way" send the manufacturing to overseas places which had cheap labor, it worked for awhile until it came time to go high tech, got to remember, in some of these places, "going high tech" meant something involving a water buffalo,as opposed to a pointed stick, now these folks were asked to design machine parts and work with computers, as long as making something involved assembling the pieces it worked, in designing the parts, they were missing about 100 years of learning, trial and error and training, they can make the part, but it lacks quality, and durability, the consumer demands cheap prices, so the system wont change especially with the US owing so much to certain countries now , it will take paying that bill, plus returning the manufacturing back to the domestic, but now even that wont work because we have raised 3 generations of youngsters who think this mess in normal, they know how to turn on a computer, play computer games and thats about all there up for, no real usable skills, they have been trained to trust the government to take care of them , guess you will have to figure it out i was raised in the generation when it was required that young people learned a trade and did what they had to to raise their family

You said the world"s largest refrigerator factory was 10 miles from you. Around here, for years, we heard that Franklin Mfg. in St. Cloud, built most of the refrigerators in this country- no matter the brand....just re-badged. Franklin plant is still operating, with fewer workers..........and the company name is.....Electrolux! BTW- Maytag always had a rep for top quality washers/dryers. We bought a new one about "73, ran it 22 years, had the local lonesome guy rebuild it for about $200, he said it should be good for another 20 years. (RIP- I went to his wake last week- WWII pilot with 8th grade education!). DIL family bought new front load, and in less than 2 years needed $900 repair!

(quoted from post at 20:02:09 07/31/12) When we turn off our damned televisions and put away the blasted sports and Bachelor shows and and singing shows and tacky history shows all the silly crap on that dumbest of all boxes.
When we get back to taking an interest in things and SHOW UP at school board meetings, and Union meetings and Tea Party meetings and re-elect external_link meetings and stock holder meetings. When we get engaged as a people like the Graingers were and insist that our corporations and governments and towns and townships and churches are accountable to US. When WE the people show the leadership and do the hard work of teaching ourselves and educating our neighbors and politicians and bankers and friends THEN things will change.
Do I think you addicts can turn off your blasted TVs?
Not really.
Back to your regularly scheduled programming now.
So sorry I interfered with your viewing of the Olympic underwater basket weaving.
So sorry indeed...

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I know you hate TV's. I don't think thats the problem. The problem started when our schools started teaching young kids that they deserve everything. They don't teach them you have to work for things or that there are some things you can do without. So now we have a large block of the buyer in the US that want everything and want it right now. Nice home, 2 new cars, big TV with a fancy surround sound system, 2 jet skis, couple of 4 wheelers and lets not forget that ever important vacation. My wife's sister and her hubby took a 2nd mortgage on their house last year so they could fly to Vegas for 2 weeks. And they ain't kids, they are in that 50's age group. Worst part is I know they were raised better than that. Yes they are part of that gotta have it now crowd. Friend has been buying irrigaters. His SIL who is from a farming family was giving him crap about it yet the kid, his dad and his uncle all bought new F350 diesel 4X4s this year. Gary told the kid "you are driving your irrigater"!

As far as the gotta have it now people, if they can't afford a good one they are going to buy a cheap one......oh wait if it's cheap enough you can buy 2! And put it on the credit card!


You are right we need to get off our a$$e$ and go to that school board, city/township or what ever meeting.

Rick

We bought a front load washer to replace a 20 yr old machine that still worked, but was showing it's age. The salesman went on and on about how long the front load should last...less moving parts, no transmission, etc. What he said makde perfect sense at the time. Within four years though, I had spent almost two thirds the original price of the washer on parts and repairs. At six years we were looking at a repair that would have cost as much as a new unit. I raised a ruckus with Frigidaire and they offered us $400 towards a new washer. Sounded good until we realized the styling had changed and we would be buying a new dryer too (units sat in a very visible location). The same salesman now told us how lucky our front loader made it 6 years (most didn't last 4 yrs).

Enough was enough....we now have a 25 yr old set I got off Craigslist. They're a little noisy, but have run trouble free for five years we have had them.

I think that most appliances, Fridge, washer/dryer, water heater will last 10 years. And that is minimum. My mother has a dishwasher that lasted 35 years, an old Kitchen aid from the 70s. The small BS appliances like a toaster oven or a vacuum cleaner are less than 5 years.

We remodeled our kitchen a few years back and bought all new appliances, all different brands. Every single unit had some problem either during warranty or just out of warranty. Now the interesting thing is that since being repaired, every appliance has been trouble-free for over four years.

Religion starts a lot of wars, it was one of the elements in the Boxer rebellion.

GM has learned that the government (taxpayer) will pay for their future so they are now leaders in giving out sub-prime loans.

I do pretty good with appliances. When they get to be 5 years old I watch for them to be on sale, buy new and sell the old ones. usually the best sales are in the spring. Been doing this for about 12 years now. So far anything that breaks has done it under warranty.

The Electrolux plant in Greenville was the largest compressor plant in the world. It went to Mexico, even after the state offered to build them a new plant, for free. The Greenville folks made maybe $15 per hour. The labor in Mexico was so cheap, they could pay for a new plant in one year. The lure of easy money has a very strong appeal...

We are entrenched in a global economy now so it really doesn't matter where something is made. Chances are products assembled in the United States are made with foreign parts. Until enough people get sick of the junk and demand quality, all of us are going to have to put up with defective merchandise. I'm as guilty as anyone for shopping for merchandise by price. What I hate is when I go looking for quality and willing to pay more for it, end up coming home with junk.

The problem began when manufacturers started making a share price instead of a product.

I get people every week. Asking me which generator is the best. So I give them a list of the best quality machines. So some show up later at my shop. With cheap Chinese clones. Wanting me to repair them.

I tell them I gave you a list of what to buy. Yes well those cost to much and I got this one at a bargain. Well yes they do cost money. But they also last more than five hours.

People don't want quailty stuff anymore.

(quoted from post at 17:57:52 07/31/12) Isn't it amazing how for thousands of years the Chinese were the world leaders in science and technology. There's hardly a thing in the modern world that can't be traced back to Chinese origins.

[b:67899f2ece]Seems to me that the Chinese being synonomuos with cheap crap came about when American companies went over there for the sole purpose of taking advantage of inexpensive labor to make poorly designed American junk,that we started to make this association.[/b:67899f2ece]Just saying.

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ou're prob closer to the truth than you think.
:wink:

Trust me when I say chinese manufacturers are JUST as concerned with profit as big bad evil american manufacturers.

My brother and I are in business together, he lives in china doing quality control consulting with manufacturing businesses who make parts for american companies.

The reason we have so much work there is because those chinese manufactures will do anything they can think of to make the products cheaper to maximize profits.

They'll win a job, agree to the specs, and slowly over time start substituting materials and loosening up on quality.

They don't care. For every job they have, there are ten more waiting for them.

They take advantage of the cultural/language divide between our countries - and the fact that our nation has gotten iteself stuck between a rock and a hard place

The cold hard fact is that we're a rich nation that is becoming a poor nation.

We have millions of consumers who want everything - but we're getting poorer and can't afford it all.

The chinese are more than happy to supply us with )#(*$# that LOOKS like the products we want, for half the cost.

By the time we figout out it's )#($*# they're onto the next run of some other )(#*$ product knockoff.

The american companies selling it end up taking any hit by upset consumers. They hire my brother to go straigthen the manufacturers out - that works for half a year - and the cycle repeats itself.

We're our own worst enemies.

What are we going to do about it? Try to make stuff HERE? where you have to pay 30 bucks an hour for simple labor, pay a fortune for energy, can't fire bad workers, get fined out the )*(#$ to get rid of your dirty waste???

All to make a product that'll be competing with products that look identical and are priced so cheaply that consumers figure "if it breaks, it's cheap enough to just buy another one".

Like it or not - that's what we're up against.

China will devour us. The chinese workers are coming off the hard life of poverty level farming. They make a little money, sock it away and they're happy for the opportunity.

Just like workers in this country used to do.

The american consumer lives (comparatively) a lavish lifestyle. The poorest of the poor have a nice apartment with a tv and an xbox - and an insatiable desire for more more more - need the fancy shoes, need the car, need the toys etc etc.


Boy - I'm going way off topic today.

Just in a ranting mood - I better go find a non-tractor place to rant.