Sold American!

['63GENIII]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

I try to buy American when I can . My Chippewas are American made but they cost $245

Would those be Super Loggers? I have a pair for work and the old pair for home. Great boots. If you compare them to a pair of Whites or Wescos which are also made here, they're actually pretty affordable.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by '63GENIII

Would those be Super Loggers? I have a pair for work and the old pair for home. Great boots. If you compare them to a pair of Whites or Wescos which are also made here, they're actually pretty affordable.

No the RYODAN model 8 inch. Bought them to ride . They work on a Harley toe heal shaft but dont work on the Goldwing to well . Honda put a regular up down shift lever on it since it has pegs ,no foot boards . And the boot is to big to get under it comfortably to upshift

[LS short box]

So I suspect this post won't be popular but over the last 20-30 years we yes we the US consumers have demanded the lowest possible price with little thought to where products come from. US companies had no choice but move manufacturing off shore to be competitive. The big box stores demanded the lowest price possible and if US suppliers wanted their business China or southeast Asia was the answer. Let's keep in mind that to stay in business you need to be profitable. Not defending all of them many had no choice. Then as soon they started production in China the China allowed local companies to copy the products and then marketed them to the big box stores at cost much lower than the US companies could not compete.
I worked for manufacturing company in the Midwest and supplied a machine system to China in the mid -2000's and in less the a year at a manufacturing trade show in the US China was there with a direct copy of our machine. We had dozens of patens on the machine. This machine cost over $1,000,000. Just try suing the China government.
Please do not buy any China made food products.

['63GENIII]

Originally Posted by davischevy

Is anybody ready for American made antibiotics?

Your timing was good with this one Larry. Pretty sure I don't want the China made cure for what is ailing our country at the moment.

After we went full blown shelter in place here, my boy was losing it a little bit. Not getting out to ride with his buddies, no school, no girls.

It was tough seeing him get down.

We built his bike ramp and he has been using it a lot but he had wanted to also change up some parts on his BMX bike as well. I hate to ever turn to retail therapy and hate even more to teach it to my kids but this has been a bit of an exception for the last few weeks. He needed something to do and it needed to be something to build him up a little.

We had already popped for a frame for Christmas for him. A bigger BMX frame that suited his 6'2" height. He was 5'0" when he got his last one in '15. The frame is called "The Tallboy" by S&M in Santa Ana. Yes manufactured in So Cal. I happily paid a couple of extra bucks on this purchase.

Fast forward to 3/25 or so. I can tell that he wants to trick out that Tall Boy frame with some cool parts while we are on lockdown here. I ask him to put together a parts list which he quickly does in 15 minutes, maybe less. I look at the list and ask him to refine the list by country of manufacture which he also does but I can tell that he wants to ask why.

The second draft of the list showed most of the parts to be made in China. I asked him to revise the list again and search for the same, equivalent or better parts to replace the first list but the stipulation was that NONE of the parts could be made in China. This time he asked why and the short explanation from me was that China was the main reason that we were on lockdown now and looking for BMX parts to pass the time. I knew that he didn't fully understand but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

What he came up with was as follows;

S&M Twitchforks Santa Ana
S&M Perfect 10s (Bars) Santa Ana
Profile Cranks - Florida
Safari Seat and post - UK
Front and Rear Wheelsets - Taiwan (although they won't won't claim to be part of china) and they're pretty high quality.

All in all, we spent likely +150 for trying to keep it mostly local or US friendly. He was able to see the difference in quality between the new parts vs. the old "pacific rim" parts and he also understood that I make my money from people just like S&M and Profile when they build factories, offices or housing here. One hand washes the other.

He's pretty proud of his bike now and has even pointed out other parts that he's found that are made here. Although my wallet is still recovering from the first round of BMX hotroding, it was a lesson well learned and researched by him. Tuition money well spent on my end.

['63GENIII]

Originally Posted by LS short box

So I suspect this post won't be popular but over the last 20-30 years we yes we the US consumers have demanded the lowest possible price with little thought to where products come from. US companies had no choice but move manufacturing off shore to be competitive. The big box stores demanded the lowest price possible and if US suppliers wanted their business China or southeast Asia was the answer. Let's keep in mind that to stay in business you need to be profitable. Not defending all of them many had no choice. Then as soon they started production in China the China allowed local companies to copy the products and then marketed them to the big box stores at cost much lower than the US companies could not compete.
I worked for manufacturing company in the Midwest and supplied a machine system to China in the mid -2000's and in less the a year at a manufacturing trade show in the US China was there with a direct copy of our machine. We had dozens of patens on the machine. This machine cost over $1,000,000. Just try suing the China government.
Please do not buy any China made food products.

If Im not mistaken, this is what happened with the Bosch / GM Tech 2 Scanners which IIRC, went for several thousand dollars new. Now you can get china knockoffs on AllieExpress or Alliebaba for 2-300$.

As far as the food....

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by LS short box

So I suspect this post won't be popular but over the last 20-30 years we yes we the US consumers have demanded the lowest possible price with little thought to where products come from. US companies had no choice but move manufacturing off shore to be competitive. The big box stores demanded the lowest price possible and if US suppliers wanted their business China or southeast Asia was the answer. Let's keep in mind that to stay in business you need to be profitable. Not defending all of them many had no choice. Then as soon they started production in China the China allowed local companies to copy the products and then marketed them to the big box stores at cost much lower than the US companies could not compete.
I worked for manufacturing company in the Midwest and supplied a machine system to China in the mid -2000's and in less the a year at a manufacturing trade show in the US China was there with a direct copy of our machine. We had dozens of patens on the machine. This machine cost over $1,000,000. Just try suing the China government.
Please do not buy any China made food products.

Right on. This thread may get punted for politicality, but I totally get what you are saying. I worked in defense for 31 years, and counterfeit parts are a real problem.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

counterfeit parts are a real problem.

Yes they are. I picked up a girl at a bar once....Eh...Nevermind.

[Nut Case]

Does anyone remember the first time he had to buy a metric wrench to work on a Chevy?

We have been over run......

just sayin

nutz

[1976gmc20]

I'm proud to say that I eat only American raised bats.

[LS short box]

Are the bats free range or pen raised?

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by LS short box

Are the bats free range or pen raised?

Free range organic

[LS short box]

Good old US bats kill bugs not people. China bats modified in labs kill people world wide.

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by FleetsidePaul

Yes they are. I picked up a girl at a bar once....Eh...Nevermind.

He'd say "Keep your tallywacker in you pants boy".

Do these two statements have ay relevance?

[davischevy]

An ordinary brown bat can eat up to 100 percent of their body weight each night, which is about 1/2 ounce. They consume approximately 1,200 insects per hour.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by davischevy

An ordinary brown bat can eat up to 100 percent of their body weight each night, which is about 1/2 ounce. They consume approximately 1,200 insects per hour.

Just think what an extraordinary brown bat could do!

(We have bats living in our attic some summers. They come out in the evening and whiz by our heads when we sit out on the deck.)

[special-K]

I don't know who made what where, but there sure is a lot of crap sold these days that only serves as "pay for frustration" and putting a buck in Mr Big's pocket.

Just this morning I go out to finish a little project I'm all excited about. I've had this 1/2 round window in my mudroom for decades that is plain glass. I always wondered about making dividers for it, would match my house better and I'm a freak for detail. I make up all the special little pieces from cedar, sand, cut to fit, prime, and paint with the last of that color I had left. Barely was enough, but I was poised to gitter done. Yesterday I go to Walmart and buy a squeeze tube of clear silicone I figured I'd use to adhere and seal to the glass. Today I go out, cut the tip off the tube and squeeze. Nothing. I poke it with a nail and squeeze. Nothing! I HATE THAT! I went out to complete my very special to me project that was going to give me a tickle to see, but NO. I had to buy some oldass product that has been sitting too long or maybe they left too much air in the tube. A simple doggone thing and it's just no good!

A couple weeks ago it was DAP window glazing. I picked up a tub, got home, saw I had already bought one. Not long ago, because I had gone to do this project and discovered the hardly used tub I already had set up on me. I took one of the recently purchased tubs back and even made mention that I would have just kept it for later but it doesn't keep. Just threw a tub out. So I go to do the project. That stuff wasn't hard, but it was too dry to stick to anything. Went to perform a task only to make a mess I had to clean up as I tried to let my frustration subside. I bought a tub of aggravation when I thought it was glazing putty.

About a week before that I bought a pair of aluminum folding sawhorses at Lowe's. Took them to the job, and one of the horse's leg locking mechanisms does not lock when in set-up position! Nice way for someone to get hurt. My very first (and only) use was on a bad sawhorse... ridiculous! I don't go out to perform work just to waste half my time returning junk and getting frustrated! I am very motivated and nothing chaps my britches more than something standing in my way unnecessary standing in my way! ARGH!! This is not what I bought these products for. Happens far too often! Sometimes it seems the only guarantee is somebody just made some money off of me. What I get is secondary.

[DeadheadNM]

I've been surprised at the quantity of US made goods sold by Menards particularly compared with Lowe's and Home Depot. Menards is privately held unlike the other two and thus no shareholders to appease, which probably accounts for the difference.

[Ol Blue K20]

I had a brand new spray bomb that wouldn't even hiss. The can feels pressurized too. Very irritating!

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

I've been surprised at the quantity of US made goods sold by Menards particularly compared with Lowe's and Home Depot. Menards is privately held unlike the other two and thus no shareholders to appease, which probably accounts for the difference.

My wife bought a Maxx brand tub from Menards for the remodel and it is Made in the USA.

[davischevy]

I opened the door on my 05 K2500HD this afternoon and noticed this after fifteen years.

[Zippi]

I remember the slogan...I'd walk a mile for a Camel. I remember my bothers coming home on leave and they had small packs (4) of Lucky Strikes and Camel cigarettes. I work in an automotive plant in the quality department. Even though we make the body moldings, license plate bucket, front grille, etc. I've seen some strange markings on the semi trucks pumping the plastic pellets into the plant. Even though it's American made it may not be an American product.

[burnin oil]

Originally Posted by Zippi

I've seen some strange markings on the semi trucks pumping the plastic pellets into the plant. Even though it's American made it may not be an American product.

Something tells me that has a lot to do with environmental regulations. Kind of the same way as how is it cheaper to cast an engine block in Mexico and then ship it here. At this point I would be thankful that they are molding the parts here. I know at one time all the Duramax engines were cast in Japan and shipped to Ohio for machining and assembly.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by davischevy

I opened the door on my 05 K2500HD this afternoon and noticed this after fifteen years.

Yeah, my "new" 2016 says "Fort Wayne" (Indiana?)

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by davischevy

He'd say "Keep your tallywacker in you pants boy".

Do these two statements have ay relevance?

Yup. My old man gave me some good advice right there.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by special-K

I don't know who made what where, but there sure is a lot of crap sold these days that only serves as "pay for frustration" and putting a buck in Mr Big's pocket.

Just this morning I go out to finish a little project I'm all excited about. I've had this 1/2 round window in my mudroom for decades that is plain glass. I always wondered about making dividers for it, would match my house better and I'm a freak for detail. I make up all the special little pieces from cedar, sand, cut to fit, prime, and paint with the last of that color I had left. Barely was enough, but I was poised to gitter done. Yesterday I go to Walmart and buy a squeeze tube of clear silicone I figured I'd use to adhere and seal to the glass. Today I go out, cut the tip off the tube and squeeze. Nothing. I poke it with a nail and squeeze. Nothing! I HATE THAT! I went out to complete my very special to me project that was going to give me a tickle to see, but NO. I had to buy some oldass product that has been sitting too long or maybe they left too much air in the tube. A simple doggone thing and it's just no good!

So I take the tube and receipt back, risking my life a second time, and see that Walmart can't accept returns due to the virus. "Hurry up and ship out those cases of expired silicone caulk to the stores. They can't return it right now and most will lose their receipt by the time this virus thing has passed". Well, not me. Receipt is taped to the tube. I want my $4 back! (matter of principle) I'll just have to go to a real hardware store and get some real caulk like I should have in the first place. But this curbside service is sure a PIA.

I have a stone walk that is just flat-ish stones laid on the ground, so grass in between and around. Some had sunken a good bit so I pulled them up and brought the grade up, replaced stones, and threw down some seed I had. Well, that was three weeks ago and not a single sprout. Now I remember I had bought a bag of seed that wouldn't take. I guess this was it