Any tools still made in the USA?

[Brian Elfert]

Is any woodworking maachinery for the hobbyist still made in the USA?

I'm looking for a 14" bandsaw. Delta makes them in the USA, but the current models don't have a great reputation. Powermatic is making a real nice 14" bandsaw, but in Taiwan. I would rather see jobs stay in the USA and pay a bit more for my tools.

Many other types of stationary tools simply aren't made in the USA unless you want to buy high end models for thousands of dollars.

I was just at Home Depot a few days ago buying tools in the hand tool promotion. I only bought stuff made in the USA. I may have paid a bit more, but someone might have a job for another day now. I was going to buying a socket set, but Husky tools are all made in Taiwan now so those stayed on the shelf.

Brian Elfert

[DexAZ]

think they still make everything in Dayton, OH Great customer service department. Nice folks to deal with.

DexAZ

[Dr. Know]

I was shocked to find my Dewalt cordless screwdriver (Christmas present) was made in China. And my $500 jointer, etc., etc.

You are one in a million. If more people spoke with their pocketbooks, perhaps we wouldn't have unemployment rates that we do.

For many years I refused to buy Chinese crap, but the stores kept filling up with more and more of it - it's hard to stem the tide of consumers who don't give a crap - until THEIR jobs disappear. Most are oblivious to this trend occurring. They select products on price and packaging alone - and a year later, when it is lining the local landfill, line up at the local Target to buy more...

There are still the industrial MFGs, but I haven't actually checked lately that a Wilton DP or other such brands are still made in the USA. Most heavy iron work seems to be coming from Eastern Europe and China these days. It's a trend that is overwhelming. First we built Japan into a world empire, then Taiwan, South Korea, and now China. And my personal standard of living is nowhere close to what my dad maintained. Our boom industries are insurance fraud (chiropractors and lawyers) and prisons.

JMHO, Greg

[SteveC1280]

Everytime Congress raises the minimum wage it makes everyone feel good, but it just ships more jobs to China.

Remove the 'remove' in my address to e:mail me.

[Phisherman]

[Bay Area Dave]

I'd rather have a good tool that worry about somebody's job. Those folks have to eat to, Brian! :) I love my Powermatic BS.

You can vote with your dollars, but I'll vote for the specific tool for the task, regardless of what country it was made in. Perhaps your "American Made" tools were made in the continental US, but were made by Vietnamese, Mexicans, Japanese, Chinese, Canadians, English, Germans, Italians, and yes, perhaps even a Taiwanese or two?

Find something else to obsess over.

dave

Brian Elfert wrote:

[Bay Area Dave]

but don't YOU like that extra $4 in your paycheck every week? :)

dave

SteveC1280 wrote:

[Scott Cramer]

On 10 Nov 2003, Bay Area Dave spake unto rec.woodworking:

Gesundheit.

[Bay Area Dave]

Clarifications:

"somebody's job" - US workers

"Those folks" - workers around the world.

dave

Bay Area Dave wrote:

[GTO69RA4]

Not much these days. Cheaper labor overseas and rising costs across the board in the USA take care of that. Every country goes through this to a certain extent. From agricultural, to industrial, and I suppose now service or information. Same thing's happening to Japan and even Taiwan. If it helps any, US companies are probably making more money, it's just going to the execs and owners.

I like to buy US when I can, but it's not a huge deal for me as long as it's a good product. I've had Chinese and Taiwanese no-name tools that were beyond useless, and then a lot of my nice Porter-Cable and Milwaukee stuff is made in the same places. My DeWalt cordless drills are USA with Japanese batteries.

Buy used if you want really nice stuff. Old Delta, P'matic, and General iron is a good value.

GTO(John)

[Grandpa]

[Charlie Self]

Nonsense. It is NOT the minimum wage jobs that are going to China. Burger flippers are still in demand, as are counter jumpers at any number of big boxes. The guys and gals who can't find jobs are those who made 11-12 bucks an hour and up. Mostly up.

Besides, the flight to China didn't gain steam until several years after the most current raise to a munificent $5.15 an hour.

Charlie Self

"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." Sir Winston Churchill

[George]

If you're a grandpa, you must remember the three-year vehicle. So you've picked a bad example, in my opinion. I'm _glad_ they don't make 'em like they used to. I'm running about eight/ten years in salt country right now, and 150K+, which was unheard of when I was a kid.

As to manufacturing, might I submit:

Foundry/factory puts out smoke, noise, uses up resources. NIMBY!

Got to let people who hate what I stand for as an owner "organize" in my plant. They risk nothing, I everything to start it.

Have to be a good corporate citizen and pay more taxes even if it bankrupts me. I don't get to define citizenship, either.

Oh yes, conspiracy theories aside, the money _isn't_ in making 'em, but selling 'em.

[Rico]

You are either financing your cars over longer than a 10 year period, abusing them, or buying crap.

[Phisherman]

Ah, my Japanese car is over 20 years old. My brother always buys American cars, but buys a new one every three years because they keep falling apart. He makes more money than I do.

[Brian Elfert]

I work for a newspaper. Unless everything goes to the web, we'll still be around. So many people like to read real paper that newspapers will be around for some time yet.

Retailers still need to advertise no matter where they get the good, so my job is reasonably secure.

Brian Elfert

[Brian Elfert]

Cars are much better now. Minnesota used to be the land of the rust bucket. Now, in general, more cars succumb to accidents than to rust. I rarely see a rust bucket anymore unless it is pretty old like 1980s vintage.

Brian Elfert

[Rich Andrews]

Dr. Know wrote in news: [e-mail]:

The last I checked, Stanley brand "slip joint pliers" were made offshore. The Channellock brand was still made here in the States.

r

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Still be around, but less of you. Newspaper circulation has been in decline for some years now. People would rather watch the news on TV or listen on the radio during their commute. I can think of a dozen major cities that have lost at least one of their papers in the past 10 or 15 years. Ed

[SteveC1280]

Hi Charlie,

I'm a long time reader, occasional contributor to the WREC. I submit that you are wrong and I am right about the minimum wage jobs going to China. I am going back to China this Sunday for the second time in a month. Without going into great detail, I visit production factories in China that used to be in the USA. 90% of the people who work there are doing the manual labor that Americans used to do. More and more companies are moving jobs to China because of our minimum wage, out-of-control health care costs, etc. What really scares me is the new trend to move high-end jobs, like engineering and software to China and now India.

Remove the 'remove' in my address to e:mail me.