Rebadging

[slowrev]

Funny you mention about same inside guts.

Remember when several of the tractor companies made their own engines ? some models still have their corporate made engines in them but most seem to buy a vendor engine ( made to specs of course) and put them in. I am not really sure whether this is mostly good or mostly bad, just a notable change due to the global marketplace, And the corporations desire to cut manufacturing costs and raise profits.

 

[nomad]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( But in the meantime, I'm taking a big risk by paying a premium price for a Chinese saw (or whatever) because a US firm put its name on it. )</font>

Almost all of the products today are "already" being made elsewhere and people are "already" paying more because almost all of these products have their names of US firms on them. So, saying that you are taking a risk isn't meaningful/realistic. If I were a person living there, I would enter import business as there is good money in it just by changing the labels.

 

[boustany]

Perhaps.

But I can simply pay less for a chinese saw with a chinese name on it (which is what I do for non-precision tools like drill press, bandsaw, etc.). Many larger machines built in china are identical castings, etc., so I get the cheaper one instead of paying for a label, if precision doesn't matter.

Or I buy US made in US (rare, but still), or pay up and buy European (e.g. Bosch) or Japanese (Makita, Panasonic).

The point remains, don't pay up for quality if the quality ain't there.

I'm a little confused as to why so many people seem to be satisifed being ripped off because a machine has a nameplate that used to mean something. I guess that's why so many once venerable companies have headed into the abiss. Eventually, people do care, and these companies no longer know how to do it right. Meanwhile, they've taught & tooled their biggest nightmares.

Suit yourself. You want to pay 30% or more because a machine has a US label on it go ahead. I don't.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The point remains, don't pay up for quality if the quality ain't there.

I'm a little confused as to why so many people seem to be satisifed being ripped off because a machine has a nameplate that used to mean something. I guess that's why so many once venerable companies have headed into the abiss. Eventually, people do care, and these companies no longer know how to do it right. Meanwhile, they've taught & tooled their biggest nightmares.

Suit yourself. You want to pay 30% or more because a machine has a US label on it go ahead. I don't. )</font>

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you! If the machine is the same, you should not pay more. It makes no sense.

The question lies in whether you believe or perceive that the machines are different or not. It seems some folks believe that if two machines are _manufactured_ by the same company and look mostly the same, they are the same - the fact is, sometimes they are and sometimes they are not. You have to investigate for yourself and make your own decision. A knee jerk reaction either way is premature and uninformed.

So yes. "The point remains, don't pay up for quality if the quality ain't there." Who could disagree with that. You are right with Eversharp.

Cliff

 

[fivestring]

Badges?
We don't need no stinking badges! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

Paying for quality that isn't there ???.........When i was in the auto parts business, I recalled a customer that came to me complaining about the window regulator mechanism in his then 15 year old chevy cavalier being broken and how the window wouldn't work. He said just how cheap they are making cars nowadays.........In reality, that window regulator had opened and closed the driver's window on that cavalier probably 50,000 times over a 15 year period !! Not bad for a part that probably cost gm about 20 bucks !! I told him if you did the same thing to your window on your house, it would have fallen out of the wall years ago............In actuality, lower priced cars were based on a 5 year trade cycle, and the cadillac ( READ "top end" ) vehicles were built on a 3 year trade cycle. The working mans vehicle was built with more utility value because he couldn't trade up as often as the high end purchaser who had to keep up his "IMAGE" The trade up time on the cadillac was shorter...........so the utility quality of the cadillac didn't matter..........So in reality the cheaper vehicle was a better value...........If you've ever worked on a 5 year old luxury vehicle with an electrical problem, you know what I mean............ So badges aren't really any guarentee of quality or longevity..............use your own judgement.............

 

[Junkman]

This really hit home and I must reply. I dated two different women at one time. They were sisters..... actually they were identical twins.... well almost. They were both manufactured in the same plant using the same materials and the same workers did the assembly process. One was very well put together and the other one was not nearly as nice. There definitely was a major difference. Both came with the same warranty.. NONE! Actually, after purchase, it was felt that it was up to you to do all repairs and maintenance from that time forward, no matter what went wrong. There was a clause that you couldn't return the item either. Enough said about that aspect of the purchase. One was soft spoken, and a very gentle person, and the other was raspy and grumpy, and overall, once you got to know her, not a nice person at all. Now, you might be wondering which one that I purchased. Well, to tell the truth, neither. I figured that if the factory did such a shoddy job on one, that the other was also going to fall apart soon after purchase and the be no better than the other one that was already showing the poor craftsmanship. Eventually, both were purchased and eventually, both were abandoned by their new owners for the very same reason. Shoddy manufacturing process that was covered up by one and easily identified of the other. In both cases, the purchasers were initially happy with the purchase, but after the sweetness of the price was over, the sourness of the quality became a major factor. Today, both are back at the factory, and the factory workers are wondering where and why the mistakes were made. In this case, the factory workers did all they knew how to make a perfect product in their own image, but failed because of environmental issues surrounding the manufacturing plant. The workers tried their best, but their best wasn't enough. They are good workers, and nothing like the products that they made. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Junkman, you always put things in perspective. You've reminded us that manufacturing is only a small part of the overall success of a product.
Thanks you.
Cliff

PS Very clever.

 

[fishman]

That's hilarious! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[SPIKER]

Good one Junkam:

I tried one that was a single built unit, she was only one they made, reason was I figuerd after the fact that if the proto type was this messed up better not go into production!

one i have now was the 3rd of the line and MOST if the buggs were worked out by then!~?


still the long term liveability is under scrutiny after 10 years of use from me, but zI'm not the orriginal owner either! I never could afford to break in a NEW MODEL as they are just TOO expensive to wine and dine...

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif