China Made Parts

[slonomo]

I've been wanting to do a thread for a while about China made parts that we have used that were junk. Maybe we can compile a "good list" and a "bad list"?

Chinese manufacturing is hit or miss. It really depends on who is ordering the parts, what they pay, and who is making the parts.

If we knew how many manufacturing factories there are in China our heads would explode. They are experts and making inexpensive parts and products. The are also not regulated like we are in the USA with EPA and health department and labor laws etc. They have rules/regulations, but they are very lax.

Also, when you buy from a China factory, you assume a 20% defect rate, which is outrageous! So 20% of the product that gets shipped over on a boat in a huge container.....is defective and unusable. Who's to stop them from making it 30%? No one. Once you get it, you either sign for the shipment or you don't. If you sign for it, it's yours. No warranty etc.

Now that's not good business practice right? Right. But they don't care if they are dealing with a company that only buys 2-3 containers a year. They could care less whether you come back to them and do more business, they have 100 other's waiting in line.

If you are a large company, and you buy 100's of containers of parts, you might even get a dedicated factory line to make your products. That means, the same tooling, the same people, much more consistency, and they value your business because that's their bread and butter. They will work harder to make sure the products are high quality.

And to think.....there are 1000's of these factories over there. That's why there is so much inconsistency with China parts.

Another thing they do is this.....in order to get a China factory to make your parts, you have to submit your designs/blueprints etc to them. What's stopping them from stealing those plans and making those parts for someone else? Nothing. Our patent laws are only good in the US. There are governing bodies in China that deal with that, but the Chinese government doesn't enforce those laws etc. So they are profiting off stealing other countries product designs and flooding the market with cheap alternatives. That's why you see so many things with different brand names.....THAT ARE 100% IDENTICAL!!!

This is why Trump hit China hard with tariffs etc. We are getting screwed because the Chinese government doesn't give a whoop de do about anyone pulling their manufacturing out of their country. This attitude causes poor quality goods.

So the next time you think you are saving $100 by buying a cheap auction site secondary clutch......think again...... Not only are you buying crap that is made very poorly, but you are supporting the crookedness of the China scam!

Anytime I can.....I buy "NON CHINA" products. "MADE IN USA" is best for me, but almost unheard of. "JAPAN" is usually top quality. A host of other countries take manufacturing seriously too and the US has a good stronghold in those places: MEXICO, CANADA, SINGAPORE, VIETNAM, BANGLADESH, are some good examples. Do they have crap products too? Of course. But not like China!

BEWARE OF BUYING CHINA MADE COPY PRODUCTS

[slonomo]

I'll offer the first "bad" list

1. Golf cart light kits
*I've had 3, two were awful, one was usable and decent

2. Clutches
*I've never used one, never will, not worth the savings

3. Engines
*I've used two, one was bad, one was good. I might try a predator 670 soon.

4. Tools
* Especially electronic tools - no bueno! Some stuff is ok. China is notorious for copying designs of tools and making them out of cheap metal. That $10 breaker bar you bought at "China Freight".....it'll snap as soon as you get a doozie of a stuck bolt. That $70 hydraulic jack? Won't last a year of regular use before it leaks and won't pump.

[Dave in VA]

My Vanguard was made in Japan.

BIC lighters are made in the USA. Probably the only one...

[raydhd]

I still have my $50 HF floor jack from the early 90's and still works fine. Much of the items they sell are great. I have a stick welder, a flux welder, a MIG welder , several auto darkening welding helmets and a plasma cutter all that serve me well. I could not afforded domestic sourced units.The angle grinders take incredible abuse that my much more expensive Makita overheats on. Same again on my miter saws. My expensive Makita overheats or stall where my cheap asian Delta cuts away. Certainly some items are junk BUT some things work very well for a fraction of the price. P.S You might want to look around your house where all your high tech electronics are made ?

[scottyb]

I have 20 yr old HF tools that have stood the test of time and my abuse. I have a stable full of Ryobi 18v tools that rarely if ever fail and they were used commercially. Not everything made in China is junk. And not everything made in the USA is good. I had a bunch of American made tires shred.
Fact is there are good quality and cheap imitations coming out of China and you need to know the difference if you are to going to do business there. GL

[CartsRFun]

Slonomo

Great thread..thanks

[slonomo]

On my "good list":

1. Dewalt cordless tools 20v Max
*fantastic durability
*batteries work when frozen (Ryobi doesn't)
*batteries charge fast, last for days of everyday use
*made in US, China, Germany, and other places

2. Harbor Freight air compressor
*upright style, 120v
*beats my Craftsman hands down
*China made

3. Harbor Freight Daytona long reach high lift jack
*best jack I've ever owned
*better than my old SnapOn and cost 50% less
*made in China

4. Raptor style grille for my f150
*made by who knows in China
*fantastic quality, bolted right up
*very inexpensive

5. Husky hand tools
*way cheaper than Craftsman
*better quality than Kobalt
*haven't broken a ratchet yet
*best hand tools for the money
*pretty sure they're made in China

6. Egg cooker - hard boiled eggs
*best invention ever!!!
*cheap $11 from China, many brand names
*makes the best easy to peel hard boiled eggs ever!!!!

7. Golf cart brake shoes
*bought several for cheap on ebay
*fit perfectly, last long
*Made in China, unbranded

8. Runva winch
*China made, ordered from ebay
*Works fantastic, built well and heavy duty
*Got 2500lb for the price of 1500lb of most
*Currently mounted to my G1 Beast

9. Briggs Vanguard
*made in Japan
*very good quality

As I said, not all China products are bad....but there is just more junk coming out of China than any other country. The fact that you have to "be carefull" is BS to me. I stay with big box store brands because of warranties and ease of exchange should I have a problem. If I pay a really low price for something.....I expect it not to perform well or last long, it's just a shame it has to be that way.

[raydhd]

I gather pretty bad reports of the chinese produced S/G's though I have no personal experience with these. I was able to refurbish Hitachi with an E bay brush and brush plate set.

[slonomo]

Originally Posted by raydhd

I gather pretty bad reports of the chinese produced S/G's though I have no personal experience with these. I was able to refurbish Hitachi with an E bay brush and brush plate set.

I have also heard that. The Hitachi is a nice unit.

[Wakko47]

I also prefer American products, and importantly, American FOOD. A huge portion of our apple based products come from China...undercutting US farmers with unknown product.

Yes, I have some HF tools that have held up well, and I've had some that turned to trash right away. When HF had their recall on the jack stands, I ponied up and bought the ONLY US made jack stands available: US Jacks. Cost me $150 versus $50, but I had a Cadillac fall on me once...ain't gonna risk it again to save a C note.