O/T Talk about American made !!

Old Roy · Aug 3, 2010

Found an a garden tractor forum ...........

parts really can go from one end of the scale to the other as I'm sure your well aware.
When it came time to replace the right side manifold on my Son's truck after 215k miles, he went to Napa and they had one that was right in stock.
I was stunned to see that it was made in Vietnam, a smallblock Chevy manifold from Vietnam.
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patsublett · Aug 3, 2010

If we have high unemployment and we have to allow illegals in to do our work, that we don't want to do, and if everything we buy is foreign made, maybe we should all put our heads together and find out what the real problem is.

BCnT · Aug 3, 2010

on the other side of the coin i went to local farm supply last week to get 7/8 threaded gate hinges for front entrance...all the made in USA stickers n all along with a $44.00 bill for 4.
finally hung one gate this evening and had to heat nuts to get em all the way up to back of hinge pin...lazy bastages dont thread anything worth a damm anymore...no wonder china taking all our jobs if this is what American quality has become.

Ron Anderson · Aug 3, 2010

Some people have become professional unemployed and like it. They have found it is easier to sit mooching rather then earning a honest living. As long as free money is available no use looking for work. When the welfare money dries up after elections are over people will find jobs maybe not what they had but life is changing.

BobH in NH · Aug 4, 2010

This is a sore subject for me!!

I have been in the automotive, electronics, and automation/motion control distribution industries (in that order) for the past 30 years. Unfortunately I have observed a large portion of our core manufacturing outsourced overseas for the sole purpose of increasing corporate profits and reducing costs to compete with foreign made products which are flooding our shores. Many of us are now out of work due to this outsourcing.

Often these foreign made products are of inferior quality to start with, but soon start to catch up to the US made ones, at least in appearance. Their prices are normally artificially low due to government subsidies and extremely low worker compensation making it impossible for US companies to compete.

BUT, I have been burned too many times by foreign made after market parts: A manifold for my 8N made in China which had to be remachined to fit properly; a bearing for a haybine which the dealer sourced from an after market supplier (he charged me the full OEM price) which failed after 2 acres of cutting (made in China); after market rock guards and knive sections which shattered for no apparent reason (made in India); bolts and nuts from a national home improvement store (both regular anodized and galvanized) which require rethreading with tap and die (made in China).

I could go on!!!!

But things are changing. Many manufacturers are moving production back to the US to improve quality. Workers in foreign countries are rebelling at the low wages and demanding more, often close to US wages. In some cases US workers are accepting lower wages to get jobs.

I know it is a cliche', but "You can't have your cake and eat it too"!!!!

Sorry for the Soap Box!!!

Traditional Farmer · Aug 4, 2010

Did your son ask the parts guy if they had a US made MORE EXPENSIVE one for sale?Probably not and thats why you got the one you did everyone looks for cheap these days

bobia7 · Aug 4, 2010

walk in their shoes once. A lot have spent a lot of time and money trying to get a job to support their family. average time to get replacement job is 1 1/2 to 2 years that will supporrt your family

Herbert Johnson · Aug 4, 2010

Think about this: 50 years ago GM was the largest/wealthiest co. in the world and they made cars, trucks, buses and appliances. And dozens of other US cos. supplied everything a family needed including clothes and shoes. Fast forward to 2010 and Walmart is the largest co. in the world and almost everything they sell is imported. Until we start manufacturing our own stuff again it will not get any better.

IndianaRed · Aug 4, 2010

And we can't begin to manufacture again until our buinesses don't have so much regulation and litigation problems. That's what makes our products more expensive. That, and union labor.

Red1 · Aug 4, 2010

(quoted from post at 05:26:34 08/04/10) And we can't begin to manufacture again until our buinesses don't have so much regulation and litigation problems. That's what makes our products more expensive. That, and union labor.

No, we can start manufacturing again when the credit situation clears up...regulation, which sometimes leads to litigation, is what was missing from BPs' drilling process. Regulation is what was missing from mortgage companys and the whole banking/insurance industrys...thanks to george bush and all the nnalert that put idiots like him in office.

The unions? Cause of costs? Costs above and beyond the consumer can absorb...so overseas ya go? No, companys bottom line didn't match revenues..The bottom line? A certan % necessary to maintain the shareholders interest...

Companys make tons of $$$ profit in this usofa but the investors want more. Witness HBC in Wichita..owned by onyx and goldmen sucks. These corps are currently trying to scare wichita enough to give them more tax breaks and union wage reductions. They wanna move the company down south. Probably figure to pickup some out of work fishermen to build their skykings and hawkers...that company is a real piece of work.

But I've worked there and can say in all honesty the company execs are so screwed up, they are running it into the ground. NOT the IAM (International Assoc. of Mechanics.) Those guys are good and worth every cent their paid.

Jack-Iowa · Aug 4, 2010

you really believe that?
we give corporations so much welfare it is not even funny.then add in the tax incentives and write offs that tell you the truth I am tired of paying for their cost of business.

davemk · Aug 4, 2010

(quoted from post at 05:26:34 08/04/10) And we can't begin to manufacture again until our buinesses don't have so much regulation and litigation problems. That's what makes our products more expensive. That, and union labor.

Are you serious? I think you are just trying to pull our chain. I guess you believe in "free trade". Please do not take this the wrong way, but you apparently have no clue what it was like to live in this country prior to regulation and unions.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 4, 2010

(quoted from post at 21:03:16 08/03/10) Some people have become professional unemployed and like it. .

How insensitive of you .................
The carreer unemployed and the professionally disabled have feelings just like the rest of us :roll:
It's hard tzo put all in the same basket, but the flakes make the ones that really need it look just as guilty-
At least our country still takes care of them and they have some quality of life.

Dave

Chester5731 · Aug 4, 2010

red1 can we say union nnalert!

tlak · Aug 4, 2010

You're giving these companies the benefit of doubt that they went overseas because they were over burdened with these costs instead of just cutting costs to make their bottom line look better.

paul · Aug 4, 2010

A free stimulous package is easier tho.

--->Paul

Ron in NS · Aug 4, 2010

Absolutely right.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 4, 2010

I thought the IAM was the "International Assoc. of Machinists" I guess I haven't kept up with the unions........

Red1 · Aug 4, 2010

(quoted from post at 08:42:49 08/04/10) I thought the IAM was the "International Assoc. of Machinists" I guess I haven't kept up with the unions........

I believe that is right...my bad...

LAA · Aug 4, 2010

The USA could easily be the manufacturing powerhouse it once was, all we have to do is develop the vast reserves of natural gas that lie under almost every state in the union and use that source of clean, cheap energy to drive our economy and nullify cheap labor. The same thing that drove our economy in the 50's and 60's. We also have the largest proven reserves of oil in the world. One example, Steel making -- the amount of heat producing energy required to make a 4x8 sheet of steel along with the energy required to mine and haul the ore and deliver the finished product is far and away the majority of the cost of that product -- you can't make steel with a windmill or a solar panel.

NEBeef · Aug 4, 2010

There's a lot of factors to moving manufacturing overseas, many listed here - but don't forget a big one - consumers that don't care about anything other than price.

People don't shop at WalMart because of the good looking greeters. WalMart will "rollback " a price from $8.99 to $8.90 because they know some cheap airhead will drive ten miles to save $.09...

Old Roy · Aug 4, 2010

That wasn't my Son that I found 0on another forums blog .

If it were I'd have made him take it back I left nam and all bad memories there when I left

tlak · Aug 4, 2010

So you think there are so many people that don't do the math that they actually drive the market? I don't think so.
In this hard economic time I would think most people would shop for the best value.
For consumers to change something it takes too long, our Government or businesses have to be pro-American, i don't think there's too many of those left.

Richard from SE AZ · Aug 4, 2010

An article in the Tuscon paper explains very clearly why companies go overseas. Textile workers in Bangladesh got a substantial raise because they couldn't live on what they were getting paid. They went from $25.00 a month to $45.00 a month. Think about that the next time you bay a "T" shirt at Walmart made in Bangladesh.

Mike M · Aug 4, 2010

I have orders for parts at work and the people are willing to pay for them , but we just can't get enough fast enough ! Alot of stuff comes from Italy. I guess some ports in Canada are closed due to a strike ? Can't get the ships unloaded ! Then the factories over there are shutting down the whole month of August. Plus they shut down around Christmas for a month too.
The whole DANG world is all screwed up !

Lets quite blaming George Bush. Forget about him it's old history ! Sure he screwed up some things,but we have to put that behind us and move forward. He had plenty of help from Congress !!! And don't forget the nnalert took over in 2006. All the bums in the government NEED throwed out so we can start over again at our roots and follow the consitution as written.

NEBeef · Aug 4, 2010

cheapest price isn't always the best value, short term or long term. Consumers are one force that drives the markets yes - a large force.

Ryan - WI · Aug 4, 2010

This won't be a popular comment. One of the things people fail to realize is that the lower wages given to foreign workers in other coutries are living wages for those economies. In other words the workers are fine with it. They are not being abused by the corporation.

Also keep in mind that the company is producing product there because it is cheaper. That allows them to sell it cheaper. They may or may not make any more profit. They may simply stay in business. If you are the highest priced manufacturer of an item without a dramatic quality difference people will not buy your product.

Are there shipping costs and import taxes etc to pay when making things in a foreign market? Absolutely. But just because there are more bills to pay when making a product internationally doesn't mean it is more expensive. Take the following math problems. 5+6+7=18, 6+3+2+3=14. Just because there are more numbers to add in the second doesn't mean that it equals more than the first.

Bottomline: Making the same product for more than your competition is a great way to go out of business. About the only way to make a product cheaper (until people started going hungry) was to move production oversees. CEO's that do it aren't being cold heartless bastards that wish ill on their American employees they are simply doing whatever they can to make sure their company doesn't fold. Their super high salaries and bonuses are another story, but keep in mind that they are being rewarded for the company still being in business (and usually turning a profit). It isn't as easy to run a mega corporation as some people would like to believe.

Geo-TH,In · Aug 4, 2010

Went to Sears to buy a bench top belt sander...didn't buy it because it was made in China or were their drill presses.

O/T Talk about American made !!

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