Any tools still made in the USA?

[Brian Henderson]

My Logitech is made in Thailand.

[Phisherman]

My pack of Duracell AAA batteries says "Made in the USA or China."

[Renata]

Have you tried their Trackball Explorer, perchance? I think it tries to phone home once an hour and gets annoyed when it can't get out (and that's only one of it's "issues").

I'm partially to the ole made in the USA IBM keyboards.

Renata

[John]

Blame the Unions!!

Years ago when there was not much government regulations, companies could do and treat people anyway they wanted. Unions then helped people.

Education, regulations, and the workplace has gotten 10x better and safer. Now companies spend billions either paying extra $$'s because of unions, or spending the money keeping a union out.

I have worked across the US in manufacturing and have found the quality of union work to be worse than non-union work. Union workers are not motivated like non union workers are.

I have worked union and non-union contractors on the same job and the nonunion contractor does equal or better work and is much more flexible.

Why an educated worker needs someone to represent them, I don't know or understand.

What I do know is that companies closing their doors and moving their operations to Mexico or China, are mostly union based companies.

In my own company we have union and non union plants. Those plants that are non union are consistently more productive, efficient, have less waste, and are more engaged than the union plants.

Unions are a real waste to our economy.

If you are in a union, ask yourself why it is that you need someone to represent you and when your company moves operations to the south, Mexico, or China, how much you got in that last strike helped that company make that decision.

[Jon Dough]

Obviously this is a person who has never looked beyond the end of his nose toward politics, human rights, nor the good of workers and communities. I have a union job. It pays much better than the last nonunion job I had. I have good health insurance, a retirement plan, and can take a couple of weeks per year to spend time with my family on a vacation. Many companys have unions because, in the past, the company DID treat people any way they wanted and could do anything they wanted. You readily admit that unions have helped people in the past. Unions are still helping people, more than ever before.

[Tony]

[Tbone]

LOL, Actually, you can blame it on both.

[JAW]

Did anyone answer Brian's original question without going into a union/non-union tirade ?

Thanks ! Jerry

[Tbone]

Actually, the union/non-union tirade did answer it and the answer for all intents and purposes is no.

[Jon Dough]

After getting involved in the union side of this issue I think I should answer this one also. Yes, there are many tools still made in the good ole USA. For hand tools, the first that comes to mind is SnapOn. They are high priced but top notch for quality and service. For the mechanics that do not need the SnapOn experience Craftsman brand hand tools are also made in USA. As for power tools, several companies that come to mind are Delta, Dewalt, Porter Cable and Powermatic. While they also have manufacturing plants in other countries (as well they should because they market to other countries too) their top of the line tools sold in the USA are made in the USA. I even saw Hobart welders (made in USA) on the shelf at Harbor Freight the other day. There are many good tools to choose from. When I need something for a weekend project any tool that gets the job done is fine. But for my job I need tools I can depend on. I want something that is good quality, built here and serviced here by technicians who have parts readily available. I definitely look for the Made in USA label.

[Jon Dough]

Of course the easy way is to check

[Unisaw A100]

I blame the children in China. I mean, can't they get a real job like doing out gardening, making our fast food, picking our grapes?

UA100

[Mark]

[John Carlson]

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[Charlie Self]

Porter-Cable probably still does some here. Makita has long made small tools, especially cordless, in, IIRC, a SC plant. (Might have been in Georgia--that was a second year of tool company tours and some of them got scrambled in my mind.) Toured it once a number of years ago. Impressive facility. At that time, DeWalt was running an almost as impressive line in Towson, MD. That went offshore, along with 1100 or more jobs.

Lots of changes in the industry in the past 5 years, with more and more companies offering tools, with the tools being more and more alike, especially at the cheap end of the scale, and almost all low end to middle range, and some high range, tools now being manufactured elsewhere.

The jump in profit margins must be enormous because in many cases, prices are maintained while production costs are cut by 50% or more.

Charlie Self "Brevity is the soul of lingerie." Dorothy Parker

[Bob Haar]

In the area of manufactured goods, it is almost impossible to talk meaningfully about a "American company" or "made in America" products. Many of the companies that have been traditionally based in the US have become multi-nationals with global operations, often manufacturing the same or similar products in a number of countries. For years, it was common for Asian car companies to import vehicles without back seats so that they would be taxed at the lower truck rates, then bolt in a back seat and sell it as a car. Consumer electronics devices might have all the electronic portions built outside the US then inserted into cases to be sold here.

This whole discussion is quite meaningless. What we should do is be informed consumers and look for quality and value in whatever we buy, no matter whot he manufacturer is or whether the company is based in the US or not.

[Renata]

I wholeheartedly agree. Buy the best quality and it's up to the company, American or other, to earn that reputation. Buying American striclty 'cause it's American allows the company to get lazy and depend on blind loyalty rather than having a good product.

However, when a company has established a (good) reputation and then moves production to an el cheapo place, (and deoesn't even drop prices), what happens to the quality (and soon thereafter, reputation) of that compnay?

I mean Delta is a great example. Why on earth would I buy a new DJ20 jointer now - it's made in Taiwan. Is the price lower - no. Is the quality questionable - in my mind, yes.

Renata

--snip--

[Pat Barber]

Where did you think the tool was made prior to Taiwan ???

PS:

It was never made here.

Renata wrote:

[Bay Area Dave]

Because it's Delta or because it's made in Taiwan?

dave

Renata wrote:

[John Carlson]

Well, I don't consider it meaningless.

When it's feasible, I will choose to reward a company that keeps jobs in the US and puts dollars in the pockets of American workers over one that lays off Americans and exports the jobs to China or wherever to save a buck (and probably put that buck into the CEO's pocket).

This doesn't mean I'll but a crappy product just because it bears a Made >This whole discussion is quite meaningless. What we should do is be informed

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