Any tools still made in the USA?

Brian Henderson wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I have had nothing but German iron sitting in my driveway for the last 15 years. Ford's rate last in my book as well.

r
Reply to
Rich Andrews
Loading thread data ...

Saw something on the Discovery Channel recently - Ford is spending a gazzillion bucks to make their F-150 sound "tough". That's right, the "engineers" are spending their time tuning the sound of the engine, engine compartment and passenger compartment to make the sound of the engine "ideal" for the dickheads that think sound (rather than quiet) is important. No improvements in reliability, fuel economy, power-to-weight, life or any other tangible improvement. Just make it sound good.

The Economist (British news weekly) predicts that Ford will be the next American auto maker to go under, probably within a few years if things don't turn around. With management decisions like "make it sound tough" instead of "build a better vehicle", it's no wonder.

I bought a Japanese car made two hour's drive from where I live.

But not before the richest bean counters die of old age.

Mike

Reply to
Michael Daly

I'd almost agree, except that most tangible improvements in safety, fuel economy and such were the result of Congress, not Detroit. If it were up to the idiots in Detroit, they'd still be selling steel dashboards, non-collapsible steering columns, cars that disintegrate on impact (compare damage on regulated cars to unregulated light trucks - 5mph collision costs a couple of hundred in a car, a couple of thousand in an SUV) and so on. They still don't get it, but get away with it because people buy into the dream, not the vehicle.

Mike

Reply to
Michael Daly

My condolences if they are Volkswagen.

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

They would if the bean counters would let them. I've gotten damn tired over the years of hearing "it's good enough. Just get it out of here".

Reply to
CW

Silvan asks:

I've got a couple replacements. Problem is, they're all about 1/3 the weight of the old version so with my typing technique they tend to dance around.

One thing you learn when writing for a living is only use the long words when short ones absolutely will not do. That basically means you almost never use the long words. Took me a couple years to get over a degree in English, but that was back when I was about your age. I haven't got any idea how much key clicking has been done on this keyboard, but I've written 3-4 books and dozens, possibly hundreds, of magazine articles, several tool manuals and a lot of other things, plus correspondence on and off line for the 6 years I've had it.

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

Reply to
Charlie Self

Way too late in a lot of cases.

The U.S. has never produced a viable professional camera outside the big boxes (4x5, 5x7, 8x10). Thus, I've always had to use foreign gear, usually Japanese because when I started, German cameras were (and remain) outrageously expensive, as were Swiss (is the Alpa still made?). Digital cameras are about the same: just checked the base of my Minolta 7i. It was made in Malaysia.

Off-road motorcycles are another arena the U.S. never entered.

I don't know, but I'd guess these 4 wheel ATVs are all foreign made.

It often isn't a matter of choosing between circulating money back into the economy at all. With the first example, I would have been unable to make a living if I'd refused to buy foreign. With the second, I could have chosen a different recreation, I guess. Dunno what hunters and others do about ATVs. I don't have one, don't want one, but note that all the brand names I see were once Japanese companies. Probably most of them made in Georgia or Manila.

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

Reply to
Charlie Self

Here in CT, many of the newspapers have consolidated or been run off by a the nationally owned Hartford Courant

The New Haven Register, New Britain Herald, Middletown Press, and several others are all pretty much the same paper

Barry

Reply to
B a r r y B u r k e J r .

Stanley tried to move their corporate address to Bermuda last year.

All for a tax dodge!

Barry

Reply to
B a r r y B u r k e J r .

My last two "imports", a 2001 Subaru and 1996 Nissan were made in the USA. The fit and finish of the Subaru is excellent, the Nissan was crap. The reliability of each has followed the fit and finish.

The Nissan came from New Smyrna, TN, the Subaru from Indiana. I've always wondered if, of the two plants, both, neither, or either is UAW represented?

Barry

Reply to
B a r r y B u r k e J r .

Ya' beat me to it.

Unfortunately, some of Volkswagen's problems seem to be creeping to Audi. Case in point: The ignition coil recall that both companies denied for years.

Barry

Reply to
B a r r y B u r k e J r .

With the news being reported on the fast media, the only thing available to the print folks is to expand the story, which they do, within space limitations, presuming you, as they, know the overview.

Couldn't agree more that story selection, facts selected in support, and general slant of the print medium, as with other media, is to sell soap. With that in mind, they stick to the tried-and-true formula that all gains are ill-gotten, the individual is always the victim of circumstance, and the only way to "beat the system" is with their support and guidance.

Last night's here featured articles on why we need steel tariffs to protect our mining industry, which contrasted sharply with the reportage on a group of malodorous "green" malcontents trying to prevent further mineral exploration, lest there be a mine opening....

Reply to
George

More important in the price of the vehicle is the number of retirees who are paid from the same markup. Read recently that GM was paying one retiree for each two workers. The retirees benefits are renegotiated in the pattern contracts.

Both are UAW.

Reply to
George

There is a lot of stuff I simply couldn't buy period if everything I bought was made in the USA.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

Wasn't the Army going to buy a bunch of foriegn made berets until too many people complained? Apparently, there are so few American clothing producers left that they couldn't an American firm to produce them quickly enough.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

Polaris makes ATVs in the USA. They now sell more ATVs than Snowmobiles.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

Now there's a brand of a few Lie Nielson planes I'd like to own. Don't care where they are made, I still want them! But, first I need employment...still waiting for the last stage of recovery I guess.

Reply to
Phisherman

Reply to
Renata

Actually, I doubt if anybody in Congress has or ever had the knowledge or expertise to even ENVISION any of these improvements, Mike. Probably most of the ideas came from other countries...most notably Germany and England. Fuel economy for cars would still be a dream if it weren't for Volkswagen...and the subsequent imports from other countries.

Actually, cars are supposed to disintegrate on impact...to be safe. That's the principle behind it all. Just watch some of the wrecks on NASCAR, etc. When the car resists all that force, its your body that hasta take the blunt of it. Not good.

A good example...although not with cars...

I don't think Harley is building any bikes yet with air bags...or with ABS brakes. But their available in other countries.

International competition is a good thing.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity!

Reply to
Trent©

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.