Commercial and Rental Opertators

[RichL]

How important is Made in USA when buying chippers, shredders, log splitters, chainsaws and other power equipment?

Would you consider purchasing Chinese manufactured equipment if there were significant cost savings?

 

[TMFARM 2009]

you'd better be able to stomach some Chinese.....most saws come from factories in china or japan etc. so its a possibility the one you buy could be Chinese...as far as chippers etc. i couldn't tell ya..some one else will though...there are some good companies here as sponsors for equipment... even some good saw shops too. giving the right circumstance you could find a good deal with somebody here on AS...

 

[redprospector]

I guess I'm a mixed bag on this.
On log splitters and such, I would really prefer that the machine was made here. I haven't found any small engines that are made here anymore. So I will buy the Chinese engines as replacements. Even the mighty Honda is having engines made in China.
As far as larger equipment it's American made or nothing! I'm sure that the way things are going I'll have to eat those words some day, but that's the way I feel about it.
My advice is if you decide to buy Chinese equipment, buy it as disposable. Kinda like a bic lighter, when it's done, replace it.
You don't always get what you pay for, but you'll always pay for what you get.

Andy

 

[TreePointer]

There are certain things that I wouldn't consider buying if not made in the USA. The problem is that everything seems to have at least some parts made somewhere else, even if it is assembled in the USA.

 

[Hddnis]

I used to buy more on price, but those days are long over for me.

So much stuff is made in china and even though it is very cheap it is not a good value at all.

Grinding disks: I tried some $0.50 ones from a local steel yard. They were made in china and cut slow, smelled awful, and didn't last one fourth as long. Now I buy only USA made ones and they cost me $1.89 each.

Screw drivers: Ones that were a few dollars each and made in china had soft tips. Within a few uses they just walked up out of the screws since they were all rounded off. Last full set I bought was Made in USA and set me back close to $100.00

Welding rods and wire: Same steel yard had some cheap china made stuff. I tried it and it smelled caustic and rancid, weld quality was awful and some of them I could break easily. Weld beads would grind to powder and you could see porosity in the bead after wire brushing. I threw the rest out.

I could go on. I now refuse to buy a tool or wear item made in china. I spend more money and buy one good tool that lasts. Sears has been a good source for basic tools if I need something at a decent price that is Made in USA. They really don't even look bad sitting next to my other big name tools.


Another thing I do is politely tell stores that I don't buy items made in china. I'm willing to spend extra time and money to get better quality. I'll buy stuff made in Germany, stuff made in Japan, stuff made in Israel, etc. I'm not anti anything not made here, I'm anti cheap worthless stuff. Made in china does not mean quality, even when it has a big brand name on it.



Mr. HE

 

[ICindrich]

I rent to a wholesale firewood processor at my shop, his grandkids run the operation. He bought a wood pellet machine last year from a Chinese importer and just about every time they run it, some piece of steel cracks. I do there welding for them and have to take extra care in setting the welder low and going slow with my welds so that I don't burn up the cheap Asian steel. I don't think any of that Chinese machinery is worth even the low price they charge for it or the headache.