Made in the USA (resources, not a RANT)

http://www.canadianmade.com/

Good thread. Please don't forget about your northern neighors!

 

I don`t know the price of ,say, a hacksaw blade...all i want is a good blade thet will cut and last....It is`nt going to bankrupt me to pay premium..but it`s almost impossible to find what i want...ie; I`ll give the dealer his profit, no worries..i just want something good to buy.I wore out my last good blade at weekend(kindly donated by a mate who works at the local nuke plant) and needed a replacement, I searched the garage and found one with a little gold oval badge on it....it literaly lasted six stokes before it was as sharpe on both edges.Knowing now what the "competition" is like, I think there is a massive market for quality home made goods,,,,cheap definately is not best.

 

bttt

 

Wife bought me some flip flops a couple weeks ago.
I haven't worn "Jap flaps" in decades.
I wore them back in the 60's when I could get a well made Japanese pair for about 35 cents but soon they were all made in some part of china and because they got so crappy in their finish and the parting line flash between my toes was so bad and painfull I just gave up on them.
But these, http://www.okabashi.com/
ones are really well made so I'm wearing them again.
I passed a joke to Wife that I was "turning Japanese" and she laughed and told me the sandals were made right here in the USA in Georgia. (The state not the country)

 

OK, here is a tip for you folks that may want to have products PRODUCED in the USA. Look into Amish,Hutterrite,Mennonite Colonies in the Midwest. Many of them run production lines and are open to new ideas to make a buck. Don't throw the obvious jokes out there, I have seen some the highest-tech facilities out in the middle of farmland and very few even know they are there. We are currently working on this option TO BRING PRODUCTION BACK here! I am excited.

 

I agree,my father in law lives in the middle of an amish colony,he bought a saddle for dirt cheap,and the quality and detail is absolutly amazing.

 

I see shirts, pant, and the like but how about some non Chinese Chucks? I don't mind European or Japanese, they pay a wage to their people. I just hate companies exploiting others and selling it to us. I would rather buy American but will buy anything but Chinese if they have fair business practices.

 

maybe "they" are in ohio but some of thier machines are made over seas. i own one and was pretty dissapointed when i realized it. great machine though. miller and hobart are owned by the same company and are both made here.

 

For several years I've done what I can to buy US-made. It's hard. But I feel I've done alright if I've just not bought "Made in China". Most of my money goes for old car and motorcycle parts now anyway - definitely made in America.

I've worn J.C. Penny t-shirts since I was a child (of the 50's). I still think they are the best available. The white ones are now made "elsewhere" (though not China). The last grey ones and black ones (without pockets) I bought were made in Canada and are excellent in weight and construction. I haven't bought any in about a year and hope they are still made there, they really are a quality product. Just wish the white ones were made by the same manufacturer and of the same quality as the grey and black ones.

Some Hanes products (sox, underwear) are still American-made, but watch the labels.

I miss Levi's. For awhile I was buying used ones, made in the US, on ebay. Nothing compares to them. None, NONE, of the current American-made jeans compare to a good pair of 501's. Wrangler unwashed denim boot-cuts were made in the US last time I looked.

gary

 

I got one of these floor jacks made in North Carolina by Brunnhoelzl, and it's superb:
http://www.brunnhoelzl.com/WARRIORJACKS.htm

Hutchens air sanders are superb. I use a 4500 and love it.
http://www.hutchinsmfg.com/

I use a lot of stuff made in Illinois by Pit Pal Products and really like them. Some of their designs have been ripped off and made overseas though, so look for the real thing.
http://www.pitpal.com/

I could go on for hours about great American-made tools. There are links to lots of them for fabricators and racers here:
http://www.roadsters.com/tools/

 

This is a good point. You need to look out for "made in USA" not "American owned".

A lot of comapnies here play that game..."AUSTRALIAN OWNED" "made in China"

Pete

 

True Striper. My Lincoln has Ohio on the box, but when you go through it inside you see parts marked hencho en Mexico and made in India.

On a brighter note, a guy at work bought a new combination square set last week, genuine made in USA, it was $376 (fuckin gulp!!!).

 

I can't help but repeat, what a GREAT thread this is!

I saw decals that a local guy had made:
"Buy American- be part of the solution, not the problem".

 

Another good idea for tools is your local swap meets. I was guilty of owning a made in china & a made in india puller. Quality on both was crap but I didn't use them enough to spend the cash on a high quality American made one. So.....I looked at swap meets and found a "gentle used" one made 20 or so years ago in the good ol' US of A.

Got a quality part for 5 bucks.

Just a thought...

Matt

 

There are some awesome links on here! I really like this idea: http://www.lowbucktools.com/MM1.html

I bought my wife some kitchen stuff last year, and after seeing them featured on "Made in America" on the travel channel I went with All-Clad pots and pans.
http://www.all-clad.com/

Miller is definitely the way to go with welders, they are assembled in Appleton, Wisconsin. I want to say some of the interior components are made elsewhere, but they are mostly American - made.

 

yup.... hell last i heard there is a hankook tire headquarters right here in nj.... another way to look at it, at least some of the cash is staying here. i am a union member and i take it pretty seriously, but i also cant go broke buying things im not going to need tp use every day. i am guilty of shopping at HF everynow and then. i used to be so against it. some of the new american cars are a joke with the parts content and assembling, there are jap cars that are more american built than some of them.

 

Sorry , but Snap-On moved out of Kenosha Wi. after 75 years and moved to China. They layed off a few hundred people about the same time they gave the clowns at O.C.C. $500,000 to build them an ugly motorcycle and give lots of Snap-On air time on their show.

 

Snap-On welders are made by Century, more offshore crap. Century can't even make a good battery charger.

You'd think for the coin you put out for a Snap-On welder you'd at least get Hobart quality.

Watch what it says on the box, Made in USA now means the BOX was made in the USA, the stuff inside may not be. We ran into this with bearings, the box says "Japan" but the seal plate on the bearing says "China"

Shawn

 

checkout www.realrodderswheels.com Bought a set of these wheels for a project that is almost done Ive been working on - since recentlly finding out that american racing wheel is 100% built in China (having just been bought out for the 3rd time).

The company that buys me my speed parts : Fairbanks scales - manufacturers of heavy capacity truck scales, floor scales, bench scales, etc. 100% domestically made (even the boards) in St Johnsbury, VT and Meridian, MS ---If you ever need new scale equipment, drop me a line and I'll see what I can do.... www.fairbanks.com

 

I bought this Husky air compressor from home depot. Both the tank and the pump are made in USA. I'm not sure who its made by though.

 

I live in boots, and love my American-made Chippewa and Corcoran boots.

Chippewa Boots:
http://www.chippewaboots.com/


Corcoran Boots:
http://www.corcoranandmatterhorn.com/

 

i bought a pry bar from lowes for some house work i was doing i mad emy decision because one was made here when i got home i just felt i had to peel the sticker off it wasnt meant to come off but for some reason i just had to, forged right i nthe side wa smade in china. the sticker said made in usa. i still buy redwing boots. the ones i buy are made here with imported materials. that works for me.

 

Not totally true. Their line of "Husler" racing headers are made in Georgia, but most of their headers are made in Mexico, along with their j-bends, collectors, etc. The Husler headers are assembled in the US with parts from Mexico.

 

SNAP ON is still made in America they just closed the Kenosha plant.

 

Hein-Werner 2 ton floor jack, I believe it is the same as the old Walker line? Sure love mine! Heavy but awesome.
Tom

 

Really, then I wonder why they would tell everyone in the manufacting plant as well as the Kenosha media that they could no longer compete in the world market with China so they were forced to open a plant there?

 

Husky compressors are made for Depot by the same people who make Campbell Hausfeld and Speedaire compressors. Good quality for the money for sure.

If you need parts or service for CH, Husky or Speedaire compressors go to www.chpower.com and they can tell you where the nearest service centre is.

Shawn

 

i bought a campell hausfeld compressor at hf tools and it say eningeered and tested in the usa ( usa in big letters) and made in china on the bottom, i knew t was made in china but i did not know i was doing the testing it does work good 1/2 hp for $89 with air hose, just right for pumping tires at home.

 

I wore a pair of those 10" side zipper jump boots by matterhorn every single day for 13 years. I loved them dearly, but my ex-wife threw them out...

 

I picked up some old stock wrenches, all marked Made In USA, I forget the brand name.

I haven't even taken them to the last few shows - I didn't expect to get rich off them but I figured I could sell them all in a year or so at 3 for $10. Some of them are marked $10 and $20 each. No one buys, maybe I sold 10 out of the 50.

But the point is other older hardware stores may still have tools like this, the place they came from had been in business close to 100 years when they finally decided to close the doors.