Professionals Reply Only

[evodawg]

Have you noticed that our choices for Pro Line Tools are diminishing fast! It use to be there was 4 or 5 choices for good quality power tools. Black and Decker has bought up 3 of those products and now turned them into CRAP! What are our choices now? None. Most of my power tools are Porter Cable and I have had great luck with them. I have a 14.4 drill/driver that has lasted

7 years and I use it everyday. I have already seen the quality of this tool drop from Pro Line to Week End Warrior status. What are we suppose to use now when we want Quality and Dependability?

Bosch comes to mind and Festool, but I'm not sure who builds these. I'm sure every tool built now comes with China fasteners and what few metal parts are left in them. I'm just getting sick of large corps. buying these tool makers and turning them into cheap ass trash not even worthy of Weekend Warrior Status.

I needed to VENT and was wondering what you guys think of this trend?

Rich

[Nate Nagel]

It's not just tools, it's every consumer good. For *most* people the thought of buying tools/goods for a lifetime never occurs to them, just getting them through the next job.

I tear up whenever I think about all the old Delta tools that were in my grandfather's workshop that ended up getting sold because when they moved out I didn't have the money (although I'm sure if I'd expressed interest, I would have been given them, I would have felt guilty,) a truck, or a place to put them. Fortunately I got a lot of his hand tools and AFAIK what my grandmother still doesn't have were taken by my cousin's husband; the only great loss was the tubing tools which were sold.

I'm still having good luck with my Milwaukee and Makita stuff, but the only major tool I've bought within the last decade was a new Sawzall, the rest of it is fairly old.

nate

[dpb]

evodawg wrote: ...sour grapes...

Milwaukee Red...

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[evodawg]

Milwaukee 1/2" corded power drill and Sawzall. Think they are built it France NOW!

Website Addy

[ransley]

With everything being made in china for the lowest price and unknown quality control nobody knows, a bad batch of anyproduct will always get sold here. I have maybe 10 PC products that are fine, I am trying HDs ridgid brand only because of a lifetime warranty even on batteries.

[a]

Yes, I have noticed that also... oops, I'm not a professional, so please disregard this.

a

[Oren]

I bought ONE of each at HD in the past a year or two. Discontinued stocking/model. 1/2 hammer/drill was marked down from $149.00 to about

129.00 or less. Told the clerk to get me one. They were out on the stock shelves. I bought the display, AFTER sending the clerk with my $75.00 offer to an on duty manger. With tax if cost me $90.00.

I needed a corded sawzall this year and picked up one on the "isle" table. Saved maybe $25.00.

Both were Miilwaukee

[The Postman]

French-- Oh yeah, that's real good-- socialized and unionized up to their eyeballs, 6 weeks off per year, short work weeks, no pride in what they do....I'll take my chances with the stuff from China!

[Kevin Ricks]

Here is one reason:

[Abe]

How in the world do you make the connection between:

1. socialized
2. unionized
3. 6 weeks vacation

and

no pride in what they do?

I think it's just the opposite. Good working conditions, strong workers rights, and ample vacation time make for a motivated work force with pride in their work. I think you've been drinking BillO's, Hannity's, and Rush's Kool-aid. Your brain seems to be rusting.

[dpb]

...

The point of the other poster's complaint was perceived quality irregardless of place of manufacture -- imo, Milwaukee is still topnotch for the job in any of their tools I have.

"Homebuilt" would be nice in many ways but currently isn't a reality so there's no point in even debating the issue. The suitability of the tool and reliability, etc., otoh, is...

--

[Oren]

Just not enough vowels in your mym...

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm, Old red Milwaukee, Bosch(made in Swiss), Porter Calbe(made in TN). My idea of getting something is buy best I could afford and keep it life time. Stuff made in China depends on what spec. it is made to. Not everything Chinese is bad.

[HeyBub]

I think it's a good idea. There are electrical hand tools (drills, saws, etc.) that were made 50 years ago that still work swell.

But who would use them? Compared to today's products, these ancient models are heavy, bulky, and limited in function. Heck, they don't even have built in lights, bubble-levels, or radios.

[DanG]

I know of what you speak. I'm still working Black & Decker commercial (my age is showing now), Porter Cable for wood working tools, and Milwaukee for anything that counts. I have never liked Bosch. I have two old Makita drywall guns before they changed the style (for the worse). I got started with DeWalt cordless and have stayed there due to batteries, etc. Ridgid makes the only plumbing tools.

[Woodie]

Oops!!!!! I'm not a professional. Not in home repair anyways...

[J. Clarke]

And yet oddly the US GDP is still approximately the same as that of the whole of Europe and about ten times that of Japan.

[Ralph Mowery]

Not too sure how many countries do it, but some countries have passed a law the companies have to give atleast a month off. This is to create more jobs for the workers. Seems their government is looking out for them. Ours seems to make it easier to import things and cost jobs. If you look at some of the American stuff you will see there is no pride in our work either.

[RBM]

I think the quality of products like power tools, is, and has always been cyclic. Every one of the manufacturers mentioned has at one time or another produced good stuff. I don't care where it's made or who makes it, if there is a market for a quality tool, one will be produced by somebody. I would guess at this point in time, with world wide competition, and a lower quality market catering to do-it-yourselfers, there just isn't a great market for expensive professional grade tools, but eventually someone will see the need and produce them again... for a time. Currently I use: Dewalt, Milwaukee, Bosch, Makita,Skil,and Kango.... They're all crap, but their relatively cheap

>

[aemeijers]

TANSTAAFL. If you have to have enough extra bodies to give 4 weeks off instead of 2 (or whatever), but still have to pay all the workers for all 52 weeks each year, well, who is making up the difference in labor costs? You HAVE to increase your prices. And if the country next door is making the same thing, but they only have to pay the employees for 2 free weeks each year, well, they can set their prices a little lower.

Not defending robber barons or the chinese slave factories, mind you. Every company should treat their workers well, or at least humanely. But if the 'other guy' isn't paying for that perk for his workers, you probably can't afford to either.

-- aem sends...