Jay481985 Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/09/business/popular-wrench-fights-a-chinese-rival.html?_r=0 Basically a tool called the bionic wrench made in America, sold in Sears was copied by Sears, made in China and Bionic Wrench was no longer sold in Sears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich_Guy Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 It's sad and many of Craftsman tools have suffered quality losses once being made in the USA and now being made in China. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Microcosm of America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I just went through this a few months ago with a torque wrench. After reading up on it (glad that there are internet reviews) I bought a better brand. I hope Levis and Nike don't do the same thing and let quality slip (probably already made in China). I will have to walk around in boxers and flip flops all winter. On a similar note, its funny that "Made in Japan" used to mean cheap and now means high quality. I pay a fortune for auto parts made in Japan, but they are top grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Thanks for posting Jay. Sears had a definite win win already without taking a cheap shot like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich_Guy Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I hope Levis and Nike don't do the same thing and let quality slip (probably already made in China). Levi's already has and there are many complaints about how poor quality is getting. I know I have had a few pair with very premature tears lately. From the many complaints I have seen it is now becoming fairly common for jeans to tear sometimes after only a few wearings, it used to take a few wearings before they even started to become broken in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 It's sad and many of Craftsman tools have suffered quality losses once being made in the USA and now being made in China. I forgot, the company had to lay off 32 American workers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 Thanks for posting Jay. Sears had a definite win win already without taking a cheap shot like this. My dad had 1980's Craftman tools, I used them inappropriately like a wrench for a hammer but it still works and looks fine. I want to buy a new set of Craftman tool even with the ridiculous markup they have compared to similar products out there but I wonder, will they work and stand up to time like my dad's? Probably not. Hence I won't buy them. This article re enforces it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I hope Levis and Nike don't do the same thing and let quality slip (probably already made in China). Levi's already has and there are many complaints about how poor quality is getting. I know I have had a few pair with very premature tears lately. From the many complaints I have seen it is now becoming fairly common for jeans to tear sometimes after only a few wearings, it used to take a few wearings before they even started to become broken in. Oh man, Levis would last so long and were so well made that the denim, which was really tough, would start to frey before any stitches wore out. Say it isn;t so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Oh man, Levis would last so long and were so well made that the denim, which was really tough, would start to frey before any stitches wore out. Say it isn;t so. I have bought Wranglers for the past few years. The couple of pair I have now were made in Mexico. The newest pair is over a year old and looks like they aren't more than a month old. Levis just got to be too expensive. We used to have textile mills here in teh South, and plants that made jeans. Different brands were made in the same plant, with slightly different stitching and labels, depending on which brand they were. It is probably the same now, with the plants in other countries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I don't know how much Levis are right now, I have 4 pairs that I bought about 6 years ago, so I am set for another 5+ years. I still have the four pair that I bought in the very late 1990's, they are in great shape, but the younger ladies tell me they are out of style. [:$] I also have my Levis from the early 90's and use them to work outside when I am going to get dirty. They are pretty worn but still going strong. They only go bad when they rip by being caught on something (My tablesaw had a sharp edge that took out several pairs). I use my second oldest ones for Home depot, lumber yard, camping, machine shop. etc. (Not too many fashionable types there to remind me that they are out of style). I remember paying about $20 in the 1980's for Levis. I bought a pair of Calvin Kleins for $50 in the 1980s because that was the big thing. I had to save for a while to get that much money and they fell apart in one year. I have never bought anything but Levis since then. I think that Levis are about $50 today, which is probably less than the $20 in the 1980s. They always seemes expensive, but women's blue jeans are like $200 (which is way too much). To me they are worth every penny because they just do not wear out. They are everyday wear for 7 to 10 years then workpants for another 10 years (just watch your diet [:|] ). I remember in the 1980's when blue jean jackets came back in style. My grandfather gave my brother a levis jacker from the 1950's that was still in great shape. If I had that jacket I would wear it all of the time today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 My Lands End jeans were made in Jordan. Could that be Jordan, Arizona? JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 My Lands End jeans were made in Jordan. Could that be Jordan, Arizona? JJK But not made by Jordanians I would bet! Likely made by Third Country Nationals (TCNs) who are living 12 to a room not even as large as most walk-in closets here, sharing 6 bunks, working 12-hour shifts, and earning less than 200 bucks a month each, out of which they must eat and buy their own clothes and rent their bunk and ...you get the picture. The amazing thing is that they somehow manage to send over half of that wage home to their families in whatever country they came from...Philippines, India, Tibet, etc. Competition for the jobs is fierce and even moreso once they get the jobs and see a possibility of moving up to the first level of supervisory positions. Most of these workers' passports are collected up by their employers when they arrive for work, and not returned until they finish their contract and are ready to go home...literally prisoners of their employers. And if they are good workers and decide not to renew their contracts, then their passports are withheld for a month or so after their contract is up, with them having NO income during that time, until they are successfully coerced into renewing the contract. The laws in most of these countries do not require contract labor to depart for home until 60 days past their work visa expiration, so the companies take advantage of this to coerce employees into renewing contracts while they starve them into submission. I have seen it all over the Middle East...and my wife was a victim of it, as were her sisters...so Please don't tell me that I don't know what is really going on, OK? If you want jobs to come back here, then stop paying for things made elsewhere...pretty simple! American companies can't produce here and compete with labor practices like these... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 Sounds like Dubai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 My Lands End jeans were made in Jordan. Could that be Jordan, Arizona? JJK Jordan Arizona, 158 turns in 12 miles, great ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Thanks for posting Jay. Sears had a definite win win already without taking a cheap shot like this. My dad had 1980's Craftman tools, I used them inappropriately like a wrench for a hammer but it still works and looks fine. I want to buy a new set of Craftman tool even with the ridiculous markup they have compared to similar products out there but I wonder, will they work and stand up to time like my dad's? Probably not. Hence I won't buy them. This article re enforces it. Not all Craftsman tools are made outside of the USA...look for the American flag on the packaging and "Made in USA." Sears has made a concerted effort recently to ensure that many of the hand tools labeled as "Craftsman" are still made here...LOOK BEFORE YOU BUY! And the Craftsman brand of hand tools still carry the forever warranty...I still use and buy them, myself...they are reasonably priced and the warranty is the same as always. Sears has realized that their tool sales are hurting due to not being USA-made, and they are heading the other direction now. -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 I heard rumors that they minimize the Made in USA to the bare minimu, like they will cast the tool elsewhere and machine it in America to be 51% American. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Andy, Look into this a little more. I just had to buy a new torque wrench and Craftsman does not have a quality one, let alone an American made one. I had to pay almost three times the price, but the one that I have will last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Andy, Look into this a little more. I just had to buy a new torque wrench and Craftsman does not have a quality one, let alone an American made one. I had to pay almost three times the price, but the one that I have will last. Craftsman started marketing the Chinese made "clicker" style microtorx torque wrenches about a year or so ago. Almost all of their high-polished wrenches have been in China for over a year or so, now. Their "pebble-grained" grip open end, box end and combination wrenches are mostly still USA made. Sears has just recently went on record that they will get more of their tools made in USA, but the process of bringing the work back here to getting it on the shelves in stores takes a couple of years time at the very least! Sears is hurting financially, and knows that it must do this to survive. Its appliances and tools are its bread an butter sales, and more and more American consumers are looking for Made in USA on the durable goods items they buy outside of WalMart nowadays. Delta woodworking tools' castings have been made overseas for years, but were machined and assembled here until a few years ago. They are part of a "group" now, which includes several older name-brands like Porter-Cable. Even in the 1960's and 70's many Delta professional floor-standing tools were made overseas, such as their larger wide-bed planers and such being made in Italy. In the 1970's Klipsch bought Altendorfer panel saws made in Germany, prior to that all the sawing was done on Delta Cabinet saws. None of this overseas-made tools situation is a new thing! It has been going on for over a half a century now. I don't think you can even find a new table saw with a cast steel top that is American-made anymore! I haven't seen any new ones in quite some time! You will be hard-pressed to find even USA-made electric motors on the tools that you see...almost all are made in China nowadays! The days of seeing a Made in the USA electric motor are almost over, too! Baldor even has most of its medium sized and smaller motors made overseas...in CHINA!...something I thought I would NEVER see! Like I said...look before you buy! Look at each separate assembly on the item! -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I bought the jeans because that website listed all sizes down to 38w 27 inseam with the stretch assisted waist. All the other sites stopped at either 28 or 30 inseam. I didn't know they were made in Jordan untill I received them. Most of the local stores in this area do not even come close to stocking my size. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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