Beware Chinese bearings!

[Richard]

I sure don't know how to paraphrase his comment but a friend of mine once said something similar to this:

The difference with the Chinese is, with OTHER places of manufacture and engineering, they try to approach it from the perspective of building it right but building it to a price point or perhaps OVER engineering it (German?)

The Chinese however, seem to take pride in engineering it to make it as cheap as possible to produce. The "prize of pride" goes to the guy who can find some way to make it less expensive rather than "better".

The entire drive of the Chinese manufacturing machine is to lower cost at the expense of all else where as, there might be some other places of manufacture where the drive of manufacturing is to make a certain quality level as inexpensively as possible (while maintaining that level of quality)

Dunno if he is/was right but the way he worded it sure seemed to make sense. (and he dealt with the Chinese for making some parts he uses)

 

[SnowRidge]

China makes good stuff, and she makes junk. The problem is in determining which is which.

It isn't hard when you look at halogen work lights at Home Depot, for example. Everyone I have seen there was junk, but how do you know if something like a bearing is quality or crap?

The problem isn't so much with the Chinese, but the American marketeers, who don't seem to care as much about quality as they do about price. The buyers bear some responsibility, too, but you can't blame them for all of it. Often, we are not even offered a quality choice anymore. Again, look at the halogen work lamps in Home Depot. They are all made in China, and the last time I looked, they were all junk. You can't walk into a store and expect to find quality anymore.

 

[Soundguy]

Beware Chinese bearings!....and pet food, clothing with lead, toys with lead, Chinese-supplied wheat and rice gluten that had been adulterated with melamine, Baby cribs that collapse, tooth paste, and on and on.

Ya forgot cough syrup didn'cha

Soundguy

 

[gbick]

When I needed wheel bearings I went to NAPA. After the counter boy got them, I axamined them before paying. Sure enough, MADE IN CHINA. "No", I said. "I don't want chinese bearings!" He says, "No problem, we have SKF's but they cost more and most people want the cheaper ones."
As long as short sighted people demand low price over quality, we will continue to lose our options and low quality will be the standard.

 

[orezok]

I too have bought items made in China that were of poor quality and a poor value, but somehow I don't think that some Chinese businesman designed a bearing, purchased the "right" steel, manufactured it and then took the boat to America to find buyer for his product.

I can just about guarantee you that some AMERICAN company designed it, sent the specs to a Chinese broker who sub'ed it to his uncle who sub'ed it to a friend of his neighbor who couldn't read plans, but made something that looked like the plan. Did the American company visit the manufacturing plant to see how the work was progressing. Doubt it. Did they do a full quality control on the final product. Doubt it. But when it failed, they blamed the Chinese for their shortcomings. It's convenient for American businesses to take the profit, but blame the Chinese for THEIR OWN bad business plan.

Put the blame where it belongs!

 

[xlr82v2]

When I changed the wheel bearings on my 96 Ford Ranger pickup last year, I specifically ordered Timken bearings... the shop had them in stock. Great! Got them home, opened them up... MADE IN CHINA!

Even the once Mighty Timken has gone down the same path... Timken brand is no longer a guarantee of a USA made bearing.

Corporate greed is going to be the downfall of this country.

 

[bluechip]

Looks like an installation error, perhaps not packed properly and perhaps the preload was not set correctly. Can you even get USA made bearings anymore?

 

[Reg]

I guess just to put up a counterpoint,

If I had a picture of a trashed American Made Bearing, and posted it up here saying

Don't buy American made Junk Bearings

What would the arguments be?

I guess what I am saying, is I do not think I would condem all "chinese Bearings" because one failed in an aftermarket scenario.

To each his own I guess. I think you will be hard pressed to only by American made bearings though.

I think the reaction would largely be;
a) You must have installed them dry
b) You might have pre-loaded them too much
c) Ahh, "Made in America" probably only means they were ASSEMBLED in America - from parts made in CH*N*

Well, you get the picture (-:

 

[IslandTractor]

I too have bought items made in China that were of poor quality and a poor value, but somehow I don't think that some Chinese businesman designed a bearing, purchased the "right" steel, manufactured it and then took the boat to America to find buyer for his product.

I can just about guarantee you that some AMERICAN company designed it, sent the specs to a Chinese broker who sub'ed it to his uncle who sub'ed it to a friend of his neighbor who couldn't read plans, but made something that looked like the plan. Did the American company visit the manufacturing plant to see how the work was progressing. Doubt it. Did they do a full quality control on the final product. Doubt it. But when it failed, they blamed the Chinese for their shortcomings. It's convenient for American businesses to take the profit, but blame the Chinese for THEIR OWN bad business plan.

Put the blame where it belongs!

Exactly! I agree that a huge part of the quality problem is on this side of the Pacific. This China bashing is rich considering our own history of automobile manufacturering in the 1970-2000 era. Talk about lousy quality.

Some fine Sony DVD players are made in China. So are Radio Shack and numerous other unreliable players carrying name plates sold in the US market familiar to anyone shopping at Walmart, Best Buy, Circuit City etc etc. They are often built in the same factories as the quality merchandise. It all boils down to what the customer (marketer) specifies and accepts from the factory. You want cheap stuff to sell to your fellow Americans, they'll happily build you cheap stuff to your specifications. It's not just the Chinese selling us junk.

 

[RonMar]

Not to be Jingoistic...but if you want a real reason to avoid chinese junk...go over to the chinese tractor forum and look at what the posts are about...

They are not, in general, about customization, add-ons, et cetera...

They are primarily about repairs...

Well considering that a good number of the chinese machines were assembled by the people who bought them, or are in areas with no dealer support, I would expect to see more discussion about repairs on the chinese forum. They are also simple enough that most troubles can be diagnosed and repairs sugested thru a few forum exchanges. Will my chinese tractor break more frequently than a green or orange one? Perhaps, but It also costs far less to repair it when it does.

When I do need parts, and I will eventually(as will everyone who uses any tractor), I can quickly point and click my way to half a dozzen suppliers, and with a phone, can fairly easilly reach a half dozzen more dealers that stock parts in my home state.

Would I rather have a green or orange tractor? Perhaps, but I just don't make enough money to justify the expense. For a comparable sized CUT, a green or orange tractor wouldn't push, pull or drag any better. Is mine junk? well it has proven so far to be a simple durable tool. Is there junk out there? You bet, but it was most likley specified and designed by someone who holds the purse strings, who decided that it's standards would be "good enough" to make a profit.

US manufacturing going overseas? This has always been, and will always be about economics. Worker lifestyle demands and the same demand for low consumer prices will always be in direct conflict. China is already running into this same issue so they won't be a cheap labor force for very long(no one ever is). Unfortunatly by that time, we, the US will have lost the base for that type production and with startup costs what they are, it will be very costly to reclaim it.

My .02