On Sat, 24 Nov 2007 20:40:49 -0800 (PST), terry
wrote:

On Nov 24, 9:07 pm, "RichK" wrote:
Hi All,

Just wondering, because I'm having terrible luck with anything made in
China. In most cases I have no choice, but to buy the junk that fails a
month after the warranty.

About a year ago, I got two small space heaters. Both made in China, but
different brands. They lasted one winter with only occasional use.

One failed completely - this is one from Target, made by Midea Fan Mfg. The
one-shot thermal protector opened. Second was made by (rather marketed by)
Holmes, but also made in China. The Holmes unit burned one of the heating
elements and was only putting out low heat.

I bought the Holmes, because the last heater I had from them lasted 15
years. The difference seems to be where they are made. Even if China
sourced products are sold at half the price, my cost over 15 years will be 5
times.

Both are very simple appliances. Can't the Chinese make anything that will
even approach what was on the US market before?

RichK

Rich: The opposite reason to why we prefer to buy a Japanese brand
vehicle; 'manufactured/assembled in Japan'. Even if it costs a little
more!
The last two "Japanese" vehicles we have were assembled somewhere in
Tennessee IIRC?
Probably have had some real Japanese parts but definitely minor
differences and deficiencies from the genuine Japanese article! For
example you don't expect vehicles manufactured for and in North
America to have wiper problems! Both of these did.
In other words to lower costs.
Eventually, probably fairly soon, China and India will get to the
point of producing good vehicles.
Back in the 1930s Japanese goods were considered junk. Now Japan
produces the most reliable vehicles!
Also much of the higher quality electronics etc.
AND JAPAN IS AN EXPENSIVE COUNTRY WITH VERY FEW NATURAL RESOURCES OF
ITS OWN.
We in North America are also suffering from the Wal Mart Syndrome. WM
drives down prices so severely, often by leaning on the manufacturers
that quality suffers. Saw some figures recently that Wal Mart USA
alone annually buys more goods from China than the GDP of some of the
world's nations! So they have a major influence on world quality of
goods.

So why are we buying this stuff made in other countries anyhow. We
only hurt ourselves with lack of jobs and higher taxes here in the US.
I must admit I like a bargain as much as anyone else, but often those
bargains end up costing more in the end. Spend $20 on an electric
heater that lasts one year, or spend $30 on one that lasts 10 years.
I am well aware of those cheap CF bulbs and I too have had them go up
in smoke and sparks. I'm starting to phase them out and go back to
regular bulbs, partially because they never last long, so where is the
savings, but more so because I think they are a fire hazzard.
China tools are pure crap. I dont buy the most expensive tools, but I
am not going to spend a cent on some tool that bends in my hands when
I use it, and busts a few knuckles too. I just needed some of the
larger torx sockets. Not something I use very often so I was not
going to spend much. A no-name china made set sold for $21, a Stanley
set was $29. Or an expensive top pf the line set was $59. I decided
to pay the $29. Stanley is not the best of all tools, but sure beats
some no-name China crap, which will probably snap off at a critical
moment and really **** me off, if not do more damage. I think Stanley
is made in the USA, but I did not look this time since I was hurried.
I could just see it was a better made tool then the el-cheapo china
crud.