Where from?

[Greg Reimer 7376]

I've been redoing an enclosed car trailer for the last six months or so, and one of the things I have insisted on for myself is to use the best stuff available. Too many off shore producers and importers of mostly cheap,inferior shoddy goods-you all know what I mean. I wanted an electric tongue jack,all anybody had was made elsewhere. While at Winternationals, I noticed a rig with a real nice one made in the USA, so I wrote down the manufacturer(Barker, Battle Creek, Minn.) and the part number on the label and bought one. Neat little jack, so far,very good,so I thought about a winch. If you ever break cars,a winch makes good sense. Same story- cheap appearing imported crap on the shelves at the trailer parts stores. I found an ad for Warn, from Clackamas,Oregon,so I found a Model 3700 for sale at Summit, so I bought it and it came yesterday-very fast, as Summit and Jeg's customer service almost always is. I opened it, looks like a nice unit,and while looking at the instruction manual, the phrase Made in China appeared on the book. Nuts, I thought, so I went out and closely examined the winch, did not see a label,stamping,or engraving to that effect on the winch, but the box had it in very small print. That bothered me, the winch looks too good to be something made someplace else, and this packaging seemed to minimize that fact. It bothered me that a known reputable brand name was repackaging foreign products and selling them under that name. I'll install it and use it and see how it lasts, but I like buying things I know to be made here. After all, the vile stench of bad goods vastly outweighs the sweet aroma of a good deal. I'll go for quality every time. I like only doing it once.Any thoughts on this?

[Jim Wahl]

Originally Posted by Greg Reimer 7376

I've been redoing an enclosed car trailer for the last six months or so, and one of the things I have insisted on for myself is to use the best stuff available. Too many off shore producers and importers of mostly cheap,inferior shoddy goods-you all know what I mean. I wanted an electric tongue jack,all anybody had was made elsewhere. While at Winternationals, I noticed a rig with a real nice one made in the USA, so I wrote down the manufacturer(Barker, Battle Creek, Minn.) and the part number on the label and bought one. Neat little jack, so far,very good,so I thought about a winch. If you ever break cars,a winch makes good sense. Same story- cheap appearing imported crap on the shelves at the trailer parts stores. I found an ad for Warn, from Clackamas,Oregon,so I found a Model 3700 for sale at Summit, so I bought it and it came yesterday-very fast, as Summit and Jeg's customer service almost always is. I opened it, looks like a nice unit,and while looking at the instruction manual, the phrase Made in China appeared on the book. Nuts, I thought, so I went out and closely examined the winch, did not see a label,stamping,or engraving to that effect on the winch, but the box had it in very small print. That bothered me, the winch looks too good to be something made someplace else, and this packaging seemed to minimize that fact. It bothered me that a known reputable brand name was repackaging foreign products and selling them under that name. I'll install it and use it and see how it lasts, but I like buying things I know to be made here. After all, the vile stench of bad goods vastly outweighs the sweet aroma of a good deal. I'll go for quality every time. I like only doing it once.Any thoughts on this?

You mentioned the "vile stench of bad goods". Have you ever noticed the smell of the stuff you get that has been made in China? As soon as you open the box it hits you! I call it the Chinese industrial smell. Jim

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[MAURICE BLENDHEIM]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

You mentioned the "vile stench of bad goods". Have you ever noticed the smell of the stuff you get that has been made in China? As soon as you open the box it hits you! I call it the Chinese industrial smell. Jim

.

Jim… Yes, it's distinct aroma is very similar to the fragrance of "The Loss of North American Jobs" and more commonly known as "Corporate Capitalization". MB.

[Greg Reimer 7376]

That's the clinton most favored nation trade status stench. Wait until this current administration opens up trade with the middle east. That's what stench is all about. Paying them to bomb us.

[Tony Janes]

Political views are for the lounge!

[Jim Wahl]

Originally Posted by Tony Janes

Political views are for the lounge!

Actually it's called the "Member's Only Lounge" and that's what it's there for! Politics etc. If you want to post or even view what's going on there just message Yo Ken and he will make you a member. You will be glad you did! Thanks guys, Jim

http://classracer.com/classforum/forumdisplay.php?f=21


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[J&P]

Greg,

It's not that they are re-packaging China's crap, It's that they have decided to have their own manufacturing done over in China....
Their getting their winches made for peanuts, but the pricing hasn't gone down, just the quality.
BTW Superwinch is guilty of the same
Pete

[CMcAllister]

I am often in the same predicament when sourcing tools, parts, raw materials or anything else for that matter. Sometimes there are no other options. American companies that once made stuff have closed plants, sent jobs out of the country and become nothing more than a marketing company. Reverse engineering and counterfeiting is another subject altogether.

I repair my US made electric tools and equipment rather than replace. I also look for new/old or mint used stuff on ebay when in need of something that's not made here anymore. Parts are always US made with few exceptions, never Chicom. Domestic stuff can usually be found, but It's not always easy and getting harder. I'm old enough that it still matters to me. Sadly, most people can't tell the difference or care anymore.

[Alex Denysenko]

Originally Posted by J&P

Greg,

It's not that they are re-packaging China's crap, It's that they have decided to have their own manufacturing done over in China....
Their getting their winches made for peanuts, but the pricing hasn't gone down, just the quality.
BTW Superwinch is guilty of the same
Pete

100% correct so is Holley and most of their divisions , (hooker and flowtech are made in Mexico) actually worse than china as far as I'm concerned), do you know how embarrasing it is to sell a new Weiand high rise intake and right on the box it says "proudly machined in bolingbrook KY from a casting produced in PRC ie; peoples republic of china. we had and older guy customer buying it and he just happened to be a Korean war vet he refused to buy it he bought a edelbrock victor jr instead against my advice even though it wasn't really suited to his needs a 75 year old man of pricipal that wasn't leaving without a aluminum intake and 4 barrel carb for his SBF.
or those grossly over priced Hooker super comp street headers that say HECHO en mexico on the box

[Greg Reimer 7376]

I can think of one exception. Our local machinist had a racer bring him a 350 block. It had HECHO EN MEXICO cast into it, but it sonic tested out to be very thick. It turned out to be one of the fastest Super Stock motors he had ever done. Apparently the foundry down there doesn't employ the latest thin wall casting proceedures they did here.