Chinese products - experiences

[DarkBlack]

I think it's pretty common here to lump "chinese quality" into the harbor freight merchandise. Hate to tell ya boys but your fords, chevys, etc are loaded with chinese parts. Prejudice is a hard thing to break

[JoeBuyer]

I think it's pretty common here to lump "chinese quality" into the harbor freight merchandise. Hate to tell ya boys but your fords, chevys, etc are loaded with chinese parts. Prejudice is a hard thing to break

If I am "prejudiced" it is against the Chinese communist system and the way they conduct business and treat their people. Everyone should be.

[DarkBlack]

If I am "prejudiced" it is against the Chinese communist system and the way they conduct business and treat their people. Everyone should be.

That's fine. I think there are people in this world who don't love us, or our ideals either.

[DarkBlack]

I remember when everyone saw Japanese mercahndise as junk...

[clemsonfor]

i love garage sales. I buy every 1$ incomplete socket set i find. I used to be willingto pay a lil more.. but now that hf will sell you a complete 3/8 drive sae and metric socket set with 3" ext and 1/4" adapter and a cheap lil nut driver for 2.99 to 3.99 .. well.. they are cornering the market on yard sales even!

Yep picked up one 2 weeks ago. ( i found one in the truck tool box and the other is in my tool box both still unopened!) I am stashing them everywhere. I have a few better ratchets but for some reason i always end up using a cheapie, and bust about one a year. Its just cheaper to get the set for $3 and have a complete set of sockets and new ratchet vs buying the ratchet for $6 at HF although the $6 ratchet will rival most entry level american tools. I would take some of these ratchets back but cause there so cheap and i buy those socket sets at different places its hard to keep up with what china made ratchet i busted?

The china ratchets bust on me but i use 3/8 ratchets like 1/2 inch ratchets, cause i have few 1/2" sockets, really just one metric and standard set of impacts. But anyway i pull those tiny ratchets as hard as i can and i even use dead blows on them to move the stubborn nuts!! I dont use my american brand but china made stanly as its a better feel and i dont want to bust it so i whack the china made ones from big lots or walmart or HF or where ever they came from.

[JoeBuyer]

I remember when everyone saw Japanese mercahndise as junk...

I recall that well. I don't think anyone on here has a problem with the Chinese people themselves. I just have an issue with that style of government and would like to see them treat their people better and conduct business in a different manner.

[Toyboy]

Husky is decent tools, made in USA, did you check them out?

[crazyal]

I have a set of expensive wrenches, I don't need another set. If I found a set of real nice wrenches for cheap I doubt I would take a cut off wheel and welder to one of them like I would a Chinese noname wrench. If you like to spend your day going from garage sale to garage sale that's fine. It's not for me. If I see something in a second hand store that's fine but if I walk into a HF store I know they are going to have a set of cheap wrenches. I have too many project I want to do so I'm not about to spend hours dealing with Craig's list trying to meet up with someone burning up gas driving around to get a set of wrenches.

OTOH I can spend a couple bucks and have a set of wrenches that even if I only use one wrench once I'm still ahead of the game. If I find myself in a bind and I need to modify one I'm not going to cringe thinking about cutting up a 40 year old Craftsman US made wrench. Also when I need it they will be here, no running around.

[Soundguy]

No not pawn shops. Thrift stores, second hand places. Or garage sales like has been mentioned. Also craigslist will have cheap tools sometimes. I recently made two very nice tool sets out of a crate of tools sold to me for $20 at the end of a garage sale. I gave them away as gifts and I still had many tools left over. The crate was still there because it was so heavy and it had other stuff setting on it so no one saw it. It was mostly Husky stuff and it was fine for who I gave the tools to. They had to be out of the house in a hurry so I took it off of their hands. I backed my truck up and transferred all the larger stuff into the truck bed until I could lift the crate. I always keep cheaper tools in the barn, on the tractors, etc. I would rather loose one from a garage sale or thrift store than out of my main set. And I also like to put money in someone's pocket locally by buying used stuff than pay for HF tools being shipped in from china. Way too much stuff gets junked when all it needs is a little wrenching.

I also make gifts of tool sets..

I sometimes go to auctions or estate sales.. yard sales.. etc.. and usually for a few bucks can walk out with tons of mismatched tools.

I toss em all in a bucket and every few months sort out a complete metric and sae socket and wrench set.. pliers, screwdrivers, etc, and then bag them in a ziplock or spare ammo can.. zipper bag, etc.. ( hf, 1$ zipper canvas tool bag. ).. they make a great set to loan a friend and not worry about getting it back.. or to hang on a bik.. or on a tractor.. or some place they may not be secure... but you don't mind loosing a 3$ tool set.. etc.. give to friends to toss in their trunk in case of emergency. half the time I'll be riding with them and feel better knowing i gave them a tool set and it's in the trunk if we ever break down and I have to fix their car on the side of the road..

[Soundguy]

If you like to spend your day going from garage sale to garage sale that's fine. It's not for me. If I see something in a second hand store that's fine but if I walk into a HF store I know they are going to have a set of cheap wrenches. I have too many project I want to do so I'm not about to spend hours dealing with Craig's list trying to meet up with someone burning up gas driving around to get a set of wrenches.

OTOH I can spend a couple bucks and have a set of wrenches that even if I only use one wrench once I'm still ahead of the game. If I find myself in a bind and I need to modify one I'm not going to cringe thinking about cutting up a 40 year old Craftsman US made wrench. Also when I need it they will be here, no running around.

I don't spend my day going from yard sale to yard sale. I do walk a couple miles a day and a couple times a month I do walk by a yard sale..

I do hit an auction about 1/month, looking for tractors... occasionally they have a bucket of mixed tools.. you have to be there early for the small items.. most people wait and come later for the heavy equipment.

not uncommon to buy a 5g plastic bucket of mixed brand hand tools for 5$.. I frequently find 'name' brand tools in there. just getting 1 craftsman or snap on wrench over 3/4 and you made the 5$ price tag... i've never 'not' fout my buying price in name tools buying lots like that. the best deals are end of the day walking into a yard sale or estate sale, and taking stuff off their hands they don't want to pack up. I've bought 3 large tool boxes of 50's to 70's era tools, most american.. skb, etc.. from a flea market at closing time for less than pennies on the dollar...