The Gauntlet has been thrown

["J"]

Alright Geezer made a comment about going to WalMart and buying Chinese products (crap actually) and I figured I'd just throw this out... I normally referance this site or ones like it to buy major items like appliances and the such but don't do it for the everyday or now and then small stuff.... And probably a lot like the rest of you figure that probably isn't worth it.... But it probably is and if we look at it as a way to reduce the amount of foreign materials in our households then maybe we can make a small differance.... So if we just try to make an honest effort to purchase or at least look for AMERICAN made products in our daily jaunts too all these mega stores or ask the clerks working there if they have any AMERICAN made products that your looking for maybe we can in our own little way make a differance.... So here is the site that I go too and use for referance... If any of y'all have another than post it and maybe we can get it too a sticky and use it for a referance so when we go too buy something we can educate ourselves a little.... Whatcha think?????


http://www.madeinusa.org/nav.cgi?data/spor

 

[Jackalope]

I would tend to agree if "American Made" still meant "Quality Made".. However in today's time in an effort to make a product to the same price point as their foreign competitors the cut corners on quality.. I'm not looking to spend more on a lesser quality product just so I can say i "Bought American"..

For instance. I had a Kenmore Elite refrigerator. ($1,200) The model Number began in 106 telling me it's actually made by Whirlpool.. It has broken twice in 5 years and required over $450 in repairs.. And keep in mind.. This is their "elite" model.. The Fridge has cost me $1,650. After the last repair i sold it before it could hit me in the wallet again..

I also owned a Kenmore Elite model washing machine and dryer for 6 years. Made by GE... Withing 3 years i had to replace the dogs in the agitator, then the agitator, then in year 5 the supplemental heating element.. The dryer began slowly leaking transmission fluid from a faulty seal.. When that went i threw them both out as the heating element was already going out again. I did the repairs on them myself and spent over 200 in parts, For a service call it would have been over 700... I paid about 1,200 for the pair and would have had over 1,900 in total cost of ownership for a 6 year product life. PLUS they were loud as hell...

The previous owner of my house remodeled the kitchen about a year before i bought it.. He put a cheap Frigidaire dishwasher in there. $250.. I bought the house and within a year the door seal leaked and the top arm wouldn't spin.. I threw it out and bought something else...

I now have the following appliences

LG refrigerator
LG Dishwasher
LG Front load Washer and Drier.
Samsung LCD Tv

All of them Made in Korea.. Quality far above US made products and only maybe 100 more on sticker price.. However longterm cost of ownership will be far lower.. Not to mention they are far far quieter in operation. The washer, dryer and dishwasher i can;t even hear them running.. I can even be in the kitchen and have to recheck that i actually started the dishwasher.

I will Never buy a Sears branded Kenmore product again in my life.. Or anyone who makes things for them. GE, Frigidaire, whirlpool etc...

Until the US factories and manufacturers changes their business practices, and make a quality product at a price point comparable to their foreign competitors, i see no reason to support that business or their Union.

 

["J"]

I agree with you Joe, doing your homework is all part of the process.... If in doing research I find that brand X made in America is a piece of crap and brand Y made in Korea is a lot better than that is a no brainer brand Y it is... But if they're comparable and with in dollars of each other than I go with made in America.... Home work and research is the key on any purchase...

 

[rrr]

I think another good point made is to shop the Mom and Pop stores. I remember as a kid going into the hardware store with my dad and those old wood floors and getting a piece of penny gum on the way out if I was good. Take that forward a few years and I'm working a family owned farm market and I watch people buy flowers, mulch, and vegetable at a higher price than the big box stores - most because we were essentially organic and do have higher quality (if you're eating sweet corn that was picked more than 6 hours ago, it sucks). I will never forget the lessons that my boss taught me to treat customers with respect and do everything to make them happy - from picking the best tomatoes or loading countess bags of mulch in trunks. And now as a consumer myself, I have those small stores and am ok with paying a little extra because I am supporting someone's small business and in turn feeding the American dream.

 

[hickslawns]

I agree Ernie. There is a little diner around the corner from our retail location. Nothing fancy, but a convenient location for us. It is not heavily traveled. Times are tough for the lady that runs it. I try to stop in when I need a quick eat on the run. They are clean, quick, friendly, and local. Always try to help the local businesses. Now, let's take it a step farther. Drive another 1/8 mile and there is a gas station right on the interstate. Ran by the friggin Taliban. It is dirty. Their service sucks. They are absolute jerks. They have "reportedly" been busted multiple times for their gas metering devices to have been off. I.E. You pump in 10gal but you really got 9.4gal or something like this. Not sure how far off, but off nonetheless. I know their are specs which are acceptable. I have talked to people that check their credit card statements. Their receipt shows $x but their statement shows $x+. I will NOT support these bastards. I have been there twice when they first opened. The first month or so there were locals running it. After the "grand opening" faded, all you see behind the counter were towel heads. Do your homework people. Help your locals. Don't support the taliban.

 

[CJD3]

I have made it a practice for years to support the local "mom an pop" businesses. as long as they have a price within reason, I buy there. I try and do what I can... by the same token, I will go out of my way to bad mouth anyone that plays around in the manor "J" spoke of above such as screwing w/ the gas pump meters or gouging on debit/credit card purchases.

O and one more thing ... this is America damit... learn the language. I am sick of bi-lingual signs.

 

[COB-TY]

Jacklope the problem with many "thing" made in America have parts in them made in Mexico and other South American countries. I know. I bought a lot of part, maintenance and others, and "head quarters" dictated we buy from Mexico, Brazil, India, and a lot of other places. Why, because the parts were cheaper and were a bunch of shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hickslawns]

Yessir Cob. You mean like when someone buys a $30k vehicle and the sealed wheel bearings are junk at 30-40k miles? Non warranty items. Yep. BS if you ask me.

 

[COB-TY]

hick "they" like to build em all with "built in obsolescence"!!!!!!!

 

[Ohiosam]

I have a friend that has an excavating business and was doing a job at the local GM plant. He brought in a Komatsu track hoe and one of the union bosses asked him not to use it because it was "Jap". He agreed and took it home and brought in his Cat hoe instead. Actually the Komatsu was made in Galion, Oh and the Cat was from Europe. lol

 

[Milo]

Guess its generally about who you think it will benefit the most...white collar workers or blue collar workers.....Buy American now adays your financing white collar jobs...by japanese and your financing blue collar workers.. pretty much it evens out across the industry. What we should not be doing is feeding those that want our destruction...like mexico and china.

 

[Beentown]

Guess its generally about who you think it will benefit the most...white collar workers or blue collar workers.....Buy American now adays your financing white collar jobs...by japanese and your financing blue collar workers.. pretty much it evens out across the industry. What we should not be doing is feeding those that want our destruction...like mexico and china.

Wheres the "like" button? I completely agree.

 

[Jackalope]

hick "they" like to build em all with "built in obsolescence"!!!!!!!

And then addopt slogans like

"Longest lasting most dependable trucks on the road" Riiigghhhhhtttttttttt.... Good thing Rednecks buy em and fix them themselves.. If city people bought them the slogan would have to change to "Longest in the shop most predictable failures on the road"

 

[Jackalope]

Wheres the "like" button? I completely agree.

Hmmmm... Good question.. Where did that fugger go...

 

[Milo]

Hmmmm... Good question.. Where did that fugger go...

that what i say about muh wifes button....of course her bitch button stays in the same place:smiley_crocodile:

 

[Jackalope]

Wheres the "like" button? I completely agree.

Look what decided to show back up at the top of the thread... I didn't change a thing. :