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Non "Made In China" parts list.

ryan77

Well-known member
2,584
56
48
Location
Cary IL
The problem is if people were given a choice pay $100.00 dollars for chinese part or $150.00 for American what do you think 90% would do??? Im in plumbing and pipefitting 90% of it is made in china or india and the stuff made in usa is to expensive!!! One good thing about Chicago plumbing code is all material must be made in USA or they can make you tear it out and it will not pass inspection!!!
 

eagle4g63

Well-known member
1,544
34
48
Location
North/west Indiana
I think part of the problem of American stuff costing more(other than the labor to produce) is the fact about the numbers sold. IF a company has to make xxx amount of dollars than it needs to sell enough product to make xxx dollars if it doesn't sell enough it will just mark up the price each and still make xxx dollars. More people buying American products should help with the cost.
 

ODdave

New member
3,213
41
0
Location
lansing michigan
To MAKE a part in america isnt where the high cost is at. Its the Taxes, Insurance, Fees, Unions, Epa, Carb, ect. You find a way to get it through peoples thick skulls that they need to lighten up on beating the sh!t out of small businesses AND people need to realize that If your a lazy pos and dont want to work for a living then you die. NO MORE PUBLIC HANDOUTS.

When this happens and the original american workforce is back you will find more products from us......Dont hold your breath though.
 
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deuceaid

Banned
915
149
0
Location
Yucaipa CA
You find a way to get it through peoples thick skulls that they need to lighten up on beating the sh!t out of small businesses AND people need to realize that If your a lazy pos and dont want to work for a living then you die. NO MORE PUBLIC HANDOUTS.
I was talking with the owner of a local xmass tree farm, and he was forced to put $1000.00 worth of exit signs on his tents ( the tent WITH NO WALLS or doors) , and then had to pay $1800.00 more for compliance ,,,,, all in the trashy town of Yucaipa ( run by morons) how much does that run up the cost of a stupid xmass tree? How many trees does he have to sell to make up for idiots?
 

Heath_h49008

New member
1,557
102
0
Location
Kalamazoo/Mich
But they PROTECT US!!!! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!

Whatever you do, don't think about why those who currently fund the politicians would benefit from these regulations, or how much overtime/budget increases/bribery opportunities the bureaucrats get to selectively enforce them... 'cause that doesn't happen. And even if it did, it's THE LAW. What are you? Some kind of anarchist?

Some people don't know what's good for them!
 

dozer1

Member
833
13
18
Location
Sargeant, Minnesota
I don't know anything about these guys CUCV Electric But this paragraph stood out to me.

CUCV Electric is also a company that develops custom electrical components. We oversee their design, and then oversee their construction. All of the components we develop are made in the USA

At least the things they develop are made in the USA. If I had a CUCV and some kind of a rare electrical problem surfaced :-D I would be checkin them out.
 

sigo

Lieutenant Colonel
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,704
412
83
Location
Leavenworth, KS
Something I consider depending on the item I purchase is the warranty or expected customer service. I'll pay more for something that comes with good customer service or an iron clad standard warranty. Even if the item purchased isnt likely to fail I enjoy taking my business to the same place again for something else if it means good service. Good service in my experience means the manufacturer (or retailer) will stand behind their products/services.

If I know there is no way in hel! I'll be able to contact the company should I need the item replaced or repaired I am not likely to buy from them even if it's cheaper. I had a chinese made electronic item that failed, I tried repeately to contact the company for a replacement item, or instructions for repair... not a peep from them. I am convinced unless the company has an office in the US there is no possible way you're going to get any kind of service from a chinese manufacturer. I have done the same thing with US companies and have met with success every time. Generally I go straight to the manufacturer and get very good results.
 

acesneights1

Member
1,449
22
20
Location
CT
Chinese stuff is crap. They poison our kids with tainted food toys , our pets etc and you think they wouldn't cut corners on parts ? All the reasons OD mentioned are true but a major one being overlooked is that if Chinese made stuff had to meet Quality and safety standards that American companies do, they could not compete. There was a study done on this. While I agree that labor unions killed this country I DON'T agree with sweat shop child labor either. I wore Redwing boots for 20 years. They used to be high quality and American made. Now they are Chinese made crap and don't last 6 months. I will never buy another pair. I buy American whenever possible and even when food I check labels , do research, buy produce from local farmers not garbage disease ridden crap from South America.
Make no mistake, the Chinese people hate us and would love to see our demise and if they can profit while doing it...all the better. Washington and American better wake the **** up.
 
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Dave Kay

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
503
31
28
Location
Kingman AZ
If I can find made in USA part I will buy it regardless of extra cost. This I have done for decades and from my personal experience of fixing up older vehicles, I will say this with confidence; the Chinese junk is practically GUARANTEED to be of inferior quality and useful life of the part will last ALMOST ALWAYS last significantly less time than American made.
 

AlexFolino

New member
60
0
0
Location
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Chinese stuff is crap. They poison our kids with tainted food toys , our pets etc and you think they wouldn't cut corners on parts ? All the reasons OD mentioned are true but a major one being overlooked is that if Chinese made stuff had to meet Quality and safety standards that American companies do, they could not compete. There was a study done on this. While I agree that labor unions killed this country I DON'T agree with sweat shop child labor either. I wore Redwing boots for 20 years. They used to be high quality and American made. Now they are Chinese made crap and don't last 6 months. I will never buy another pair. I buy American whenever possible and even when food I check labels , do research, buy produce from local farmers not garbage disease ridden crap from South America.
Make no mistake, the Chinese people hate us and would love to see our demise and if they can profit while doing it...all the better. Washington and American better wake the **** up.
Couldn't of said it any better!
 

1stSarge

Member
428
5
18
Location
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Thanks Dozer.

I spend about 20 hours a week either attempting to procure, or assisting in the design and manufacture of parts we want to make available.

In the early days of retail, there was a clear distinction between China junk and “Made in USA” . Later, that line got a little blurred. As USA parts got more expensive, China parts increased in quality.

Then just a few years ago, there was another transition; it was no longer a matter of paying more for USA parts. They were simply no longer available. That’s all there was to it. If we could not contract it out to have it manufactured here, it would have to be imported. There was no other option.

99% of all shoes and boots in the US retail market are now made in China.

What we found out also, is that when you get into a position as a company to begin to import anything, especially from China, you have a great deal of control of the manufacturing process. Sometimes it gets expensive, and you need some buying power and a few good contacts over there, but you can do it.

A great example are the relays we carry for the volt meter, blackout lights, and Alt2, these were manufactured exactly according to our specifications. We wanted this to be different than what you generally find floating around on eBay. Not some small 30-40 lightweight thing that you can find anywhere, but something that was better, waterproof up to 60 psi, and rated for 80 amps.

On the other end of this spectrum, we can say the glow plug controllers are made in USA, but what about the actual circuit components? Motorola has been contracting out to Taiwan since the 1950’s and most other integrated circuit suppliers get their work done in Japan.

What you see now, that a Harbor freight tool is sometimes equivalent to a Sears tool in quality and workmanship. Do I buy these? Sure do. Lifetime warranty, Just like Sigo said.

More and more retail chains are selling the exact same quality items with their own names on them. So what makes the difference? Customer service. What is going to keep that customer coming back? Customer service. How can you be different as a retailer? Customer service.

Apple stores are make more money per square foot of retail space than any other retailer. Almost double the second place holder; Tiffany’s.

Why? Customer service. Their employees are trained never to be in a position to say “no”. They are not even allowed to use words like “unfortunately”. This results in a super positive environment that is geared to solving problems verses making sales.

To settle it with myself, and indeed as a company, if there was a US made option for a product, I would list it for sale. Even if that meant placing it alongside an imported equivalent product. If there is no US made product listed, then it is not available that I can find.

We could go into the dangers of this to the US economy, and how easy it would be to fear China as a country in the future, but I think that would be a bit beyond the OP’s intended purpose.
 

Attachments

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Dave Kay

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
503
31
28
Location
Kingman AZ
As much as we all may hate it, this is a politically charged issue. And it should be pointed out that we only have ourselves to thank for this situation. I well remember back in the early 1980's when nearly EVERYONE was buying up those cheap, little Japanese Toyotas and Datsuns like they were jelly beans. Everywhere you looked there they were, foreign cars in droves, plying our streets and highways happily owned by your fellow Americans. And it occurred to me, even back then, what is to eventually become of American autos and the industry as a whole with this literal flood of imports. Well, the damage has been done and it will take an enormous effort to reverse the decline of our manufacturing base, probably decades, and that is only if the American people have the will.
 

tequilaiam

Member
157
0
16
Location
Brazil, IN
Two quick points:

1) There is a big problem with counterfieting and outright lying in China. For example, a friend of mine was sent there to setup his company's new manufacturing line. Sounded good at first; built to the same quality standards as before. Product seemed exactly the same. A few months in they started getting higher failures...turned out that the factory manager switched to a different type of o-ring on his own and was pocketing the difference.

The DoD is dealing with integrated circuit conterfeiting from there, not just the designer handbag makers. They'll re-label cheap chips with loose tolerances as the higher-tolerance ones, or relabel something completely different in the same package. Then to add insult to injury, they'll pad a roll of chips with the real thing so it will be difficult to check by sampling unless you unroll all of it. Not a big deal if the thing it's going in is an iPod with expected life of only a few years. But pretty bad news if its for an ICBM or even under the hood of a car.

Not saying that kind of stuff never went on here but its more unlikely when an end customer can call the product manager and the product manager can drive down to the plant and chew some ass the same afternoon vs. a place with a different language on the other side of the world.



2) Peak oil, or just more expensive oil in general, will add to the default cost of making stuff over there. Eventually things will come back but it will likely be high bulk, low value stuff first. Auto-parts will probably be the last things to come back here short of WWIII (that's CUCV related!)
 

acesneights1

Member
1,449
22
20
Location
CT
Thanks Dozer.

I spend about 20 hours a week either attempting to procure, or assisting in the design and manufacture of parts we want to make available.

In the early days of retail, there was a clear distinction between China junk and “Made in USA” . Later, that line got a little blurred. As USA parts got more expensive, China parts increased in quality.

Then just a few years ago, there was another transition; it was no longer a matter of paying more for USA parts. They were simply no longer available. That’s all there was to it. If we could not contract it out to have it manufactured here, it would have to be imported. There was no other option.

99% of all shoes and boots in the US retail market are now made in China.

What we found out also, is that when you get into a position as a company to begin to import anything, especially from China, you have a great deal of control of the manufacturing process. Sometimes it gets expensive, and you need some buying power and a few good contacts over there, but you can do it.

A great example are the relays we carry for the volt meter, blackout lights, and Alt2, these were manufactured exactly according to our specifications. We wanted this to be different than what you generally find floating around on eBay. Not some small 30-40 lightweight thing that you can find anywhere, but something that was better, waterproof up to 60 psi, and rated for 80 amps.

On the other end of this spectrum, we can say the glow plug controllers are made in USA, but what about the actual circuit components? Motorola has been contracting out to Taiwan since the 1950’s and most other integrated circuit suppliers get their work done in Japan.

What you see now, that a Harbor freight tool is sometimes equivalent to a Sears tool in quality and workmanship. Do I buy these? Sure do. Lifetime warranty, Just like Sigo said.

More and more retail chains are selling the exact same quality items with their own names on them. So what makes the difference? Customer service. What is going to keep that customer coming back? Customer service. How can you be different as a retailer? Customer service.

Apple stores are make more money per square foot of retail space than any other retailer. Almost double the second place holder; Tiffany’s.

Why? Customer service. Their employees are trained never to be in a position to say “no”. They are not even allowed to use words like “unfortunately”. This results in a super positive environment that is geared to solving problems verses making sales.

To settle it with myself, and indeed as a company, if there was a US made option for a product, I would list it for sale. Even if that meant placing it alongside an imported equivalent product. If there is no US made product listed, then it is not available that I can find.

We could go into the dangers of this to the US economy, and how easy it would be to fear China as a country in the future, but I think that would be a bit beyond the OP’s intended purpose.
All the warranty or customer service in the world is worthless when a part fails and leaves you stranded or you have to do a job 2 or 3x or a Tool is lifetime warrantied but can't do the job. Craftsman IMHO is junk too. Homeowner stuff. Anyone who wrenches for a living knows why Quality name brand costs more. I tried to get head bolts off a 6v92t Detroit years back and broke 3 Craftsman Clubs in a row. I hunted down my friendly neighborhood Snap On dealer , paid 3x as much for 5/8 12PT socket and took the bolts out without issue.
 

Heath_h49008

New member
1,557
102
0
Location
Kalamazoo/Mich
Two quick points:

1) There is a big problem with counterfieting and outright lying in China. For example, a friend of mine was sent there to setup his company's new manufacturing line. Sounded good at first; built to the same quality standards as before. Product seemed exactly the same. A few months in they started getting higher failures...turned out that the factory manager switched to a different type of o-ring on his own and was pocketing the difference.

The DoD is dealing with integrated circuit conterfeiting from there, not just the designer handbag makers. They'll re-label cheap chips with loose tolerances as the higher-tolerance ones, or relabel something completely different in the same package. Then to add insult to injury, they'll pad a roll of chips with the real thing so it will be difficult to check by sampling unless you unroll all of it. Not a big deal if the thing it's going in is an iPod with expected life of only a few years. But pretty bad news if its for an ICBM or even under the hood of a car.

Not saying that kind of stuff never went on here but its more unlikely when an end customer can call the product manager and the product manager can drive down to the plant and chew some ass the same afternoon vs. a place with a different language on the other side of the world.



2) Peak oil, or just more expensive oil in general, will add to the default cost of making stuff over there. Eventually things will come back but it will likely be high bulk, low value stuff first. Auto-parts will probably be the last things to come back here short of WWIII (that's CUCV related!)

You're 100% correct. Labor ceases to be a factor when the manufacturing is automated... soon the transport costs and quality issues will bring production back... BUT that can only be true if the regulation and tax costs are lowered here. Right now, the labor could be free and it would still be cheaper to outsource than jump the hoops.

I once worked for some very wealthy Pakistanis. I ran their shop, their daddy runs most of the textile industries in Pakistan... Long story short... cutting corners was like counting coup to them. They were never so proud of themselves as when they ripped someone off. It was a sign of how good a businessman they were, in their eyes. Mind you, these were people who didn't need the money AT ALL. This was validation to them. Ripping some poor schmuck off for $3 at the cost of their car or their life was not a factor. Look at the Union Carbide incident in India. That explosion killed all those people because THE LOCALS cut corners on safety in their own town!

In many ways, pride in what you make is a very western concept. How smart you are to most people in the world, is determined by how cleverly you can rip someone off, and how long you can get away with it.
 

trukhead

New member
725
5
0
Location
dane/wi
Chinese stuff is crap. They poison our kids with tainted food toys , our pets etc and you think they wouldn't cut corners on parts ? All the reasons OD mentioned are true but a major one being overlooked is that if Chinese made stuff had to meet Quality and safety standards that American companies do, they could not compete. There was a study done on this. While I agree that labor unions killed this country I DON'T agree with sweat shop child labor either. I wore Redwing boots for 20 years. They used to be high quality and American made. Now they are Chinese made crap and don't last 6 months. I will never buy another pair. I buy American whenever possible and even when food I check labels , do research, buy produce from local farmers not garbage disease ridden crap from South America.
Make no mistake, the Chinese people hate us and would love to see our demise and if they can profit while doing it...all the better. Washington and American better wake the **** up.

I'll go along with the labor unions to a point but to level the playing field level I would insist that he chinese and all other mfg. areas live up to the American standard of living for workers and environmental conditions, American workers smoke the competition. The Germans in sourKrout land are paying their mfg sector and average of $48/hr and they have a surplus with china.and are being asked to prop up the rest of Europe.
I like the Idea orf having clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. Mfg sectors in china are basically toxic waste dumps and their workers jump out of multi story dormitories to quit their jobs..
You'll can rag on the Gooberment and Unioons as the problem but you aught to hold the corporate-whore politicians that support things like the korean trade deal where they encourage north korea to set up a huge mfg sector just north of the DMZ and use slave labor and then ship it south and label it made in S. korea. HARRMPHFF!
The politicians are in the pockets of corporate entities that want to lower costs for the Profit and loss statements for the benefits of share holders. Labor is the final frontier to bust so..... If you want the problem fixed just put the tax rate on wall street investors and corporations back to pre-reagan tax levels and problems would be solved in 6 months. fat lady sings
 
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