Power tools question

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bkludecke

Senior Member
Location
Big Bear Lake, CA
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
My daughter was concieved in America and born in Portugal. She is a naturalized US citizen but she works for Home Depot.

My son was concieved and born in America but got married in Germany and now lives in the US.

Just wondering why all the consternation about what is made where? I buy the products that serve me best and price sometimes plays into my decision. I really don't care who made it or where.

It seems that we Americans want top wages for our work but won't step up to pay the price for US made products; so the manufacturers get things done in markets paying very low wages and we buy the stuff and bitch about where it's made.:-?
 
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danickstr

Senior Member
i understand your point. I am usually looking to do what I can to support our economy when I can since we have such a trade deficit, which ends up costing us money. Also, i try to go with other countries than china since they have such lax labor fairness and environmental policies.

but i am not trying to support nationalism as a means of exclusivity.
 
weressl

weressl

Esteemed Member
Location
Texas by the Gulf, geat crab, great shrimp
danickstr said:
If I want to support a US company with a power tool purchase, which one would I use? I need a new cordless drill, for example.
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As somebody who was not born in this Counrty, I feel very strongly in favor of this.

Two things that comes to mind that I am grappling with and could not make up my mind how it should influence my decisions.

Does the US Company manufacturers in the US, solely and uses US made parts in his production?

Does the US Manufactured item has the same features, longevity and quality than the competitive product? Or am I supporting a Corporation whose management is incompetent to produce a Worldclass product? Not the workers, mind you, who are capable of producing superior products WHEN the tooling and design is provided. But if I buy the product, I am supporting not only the US worker, but supporting incompetent management who deserve to "go under".
 
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jim dungar

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
PE (Retired) - Power Systems
danickstr said:
If I want to support a US company with a power tool purchase, which one would I use? I need a new cordless drill, for example.
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Do you mean support US workers or US investors?
 
tallguy

tallguy

Senior Member
weressl said:
Why would the two be exclusive of each other?
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Clearly, the OP needs to bring an economist along to the store... (not saying that as a slam, but it really is that complicated)
 
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jim dungar

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
PE (Retired) - Power Systems
weressl said:
Why would the two be exclusive of each other?
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The point is they could be, so which is more important?

Subaru is a Japanese company but its cars are assembled in the US.
Oshkosh B'Gosh is a US company but its clothes are made overseas.
Schneider Electric is a French company with a US manufacturing division that has identical products made worldwide.
 
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HotWire367

Member
Location
Eastern PA
My curiousity got the best of me so I did a quick check on some of my tools.

Milwaukee 2.4 V cordless screwdriver, made in Japan
Milwaukee 18V hammerdrill/driver, made in China
Makita 14.4 V drill, MAkita tools, Georgia
Dewalt 18V hammerdrill/driver, made in Mexico
Ramset fastening tool, the tool, nails, and shots, all made in USA

Dave
 
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LawnGuyLandSparky

Senior Member
bkludecke said:
It seems that we Americans want top wages for our work but won't step up to pay the price for US made products; so the manufacturers get things done in markets paying very low wages and we buy the stuff and bitch about where it's made.:-?
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I think Americans want livable wages for their work, few want to be more than comfortable. The American marketplace has long catered to the desire for Americans to "save money" by purchasing cheaper, foreign made goods.

If all things were equal, a pair of Jeans made in USA or Thialand would have the same production cost.

A pair of New Balance sneakers will cost 20 bucks, made in America, a pair of Nike's could run over $250.00, made for pennies in Mylasia.
 
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JES2727

Senior Member
Location
NJ
JES2727 said:
OK, maybe it says "Czech Republic". I'll take a look at it tomorrow.
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It was made in the Czech Republic. Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic - it's all the same to me.

bkludecke said:
Just wondering why all the consternation about what is made where? I buy the products that serve me best and price sometimes plays into my decision. I really don't care who made it or where.

It seems that we Americans want top wages for our work but won't step up to pay the price for US made products; so the manufacturers get things done in markets paying very low wages and we buy the stuff and bitch about where it's made.
Click to expand...

Wow, you really don't get it, do you? This thread was started by someone who wants top wages for his work and DOES want to step up and pay the price for US made products! Please don't generalize and say that we don't want to pay the price so we buy the cheap stuff and bitch about where it's made. I AM willing to pay the price, I don't buy imported stuff if I can avoid it, but I still bitch about where it's made. I care. It's unfortunate that you don't.
 
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bkludecke

Senior Member
Location
Big Bear Lake, CA
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
JES2727 said:
It was made in the Czech Republic. Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic - it's all the same to me.



Wow, you really don't get it, do you? This thread was started by someone who wants top wages for his work and DOES want to step up and pay the price for US made products! Please don't generalize and say that we don't want to pay the price so we buy the cheap stuff and bitch about where it's made. I AM willing to pay the price, I don't buy imported stuff if I can avoid it, but I still bitch about where it's made. I care. It's unfortunate that you don't.
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Actually I do get it. And if there were enough of folks like you who were willing to pay any price for domestically made products, those products would be easy to find. So you are definately a minority. The US auto industry was just about distroyed in the '80s because they couldn't (or wouldn't) produce a quality product at a reasonable price. Today GM has to add about $1500 to the price of an average car just to pay for health insurance for retired workers. I'm not willing to pay for those mistakes/concessions that management @ GM allowed just to keep the UAW in business.

I'm as red-white-and blue as anyone but when companies can't compete in a global market place they will eventually fail. Capitalism is the the only moral economic system there is. When products and $$ cross borders, soldiers don't. Global trade is a good thing and I'm sorry you don't agree.

I could go on for hours be you'd be bored I think. Peace.
 
LarryFine

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
bkludecke said:
Today GM has to add about $1500 to the price of an average car just to pay for health insurance for retired workers. I'm not willing to pay for those mistakes/concessions that management @ GM allowed just to keep the UAW in business.
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Is that so different from our discussions about customers who only want the lowest price and use trunk-slammers vs. those who want and are willing to pay for licensed and insured professionals?

(I'm not specifically talking about union shops, but I'm not excluding them for the sake of this discussion, since you mentioned the UAW.)
 
e57

e57

Senior Member
Location
San Francisco, CA
bkludecke said:
Just wondering why all the consternation about what is made where? I buy the products that serve me best and price sometimes plays into my decision. I really don't care who made it or where.
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I can agree with this.... So what Bosch makes it better than some for some things, they don't make everything.... WiHa and Knipex replaced all of my Kliens... Kliens do not even make the same "type" of screw driver WiHa does - apples and oranges...

Oh - From what I understand if Carhartt's can be sewn in/out-sourced via Mexico, and the zipper installed in the US - qualifies as "Made in America" what's the point anyway?

Why determine quality by country of origin? Capitolism and socialism just don't seem to mix in any country, they have simular problemsas we do... Pensions collapsing, social security crisis, aging polpulations, etc.
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Members, where do you see this thread going?

Does anyone really think they will change the views of others here?

Here is the OPs question.

danickstr said:
If I want to support a US company with a power tool purchase, which one would I use? I need a new cordless drill, for example.
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Lets stay on topic and leave the rest of the discussions to your PMs or another type of forum.
 
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ITO

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Made in Japan is a mark of quality for me, its the crap from China that concerns me.

However, if you looking for a good drill the Bosch are really nice, but I cant seem to hang onto them for very long.
 
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