It isn't necessarily the companies that are to blame for manufacturing overseas (primarily mexico for larger items).  The mentality of today's consumer is that they want or are ENTITLED to have everything, but they don't want to pay for it.  Stores stock what sells.  Go to Menards and you might have a $200 USA made drill next to the $60 import.  Statistically the $60 import probably flys off the shelf.  Why because it's cheap.  We have a choice on what products to buy, and in the end what will be available in stores.  If no one buys the cheap goods, then no one will sell them.

I only know this because I'm in manufacturing in the US.  We make transformer cores.  Many of our customers are constantly looking at producing in Mexico.  They also design to the bare minimum efficency required by law...  Why? Because higher efficiency costs more, and the customers don't want to pay for it.  

With that in mind, Mexico and Canada are kicking the snot out of the US in power efficiency implementation in the grid.  We use a material the produces the most efficient transformer core to date, and Mexico (for usage in mexico) is one of the largest markets for production.  US manufacturers are still in the testing/approval phases. 

- John

John: Lake Forest, IL



'57 Fairlane 500 - Looking better every day.

Just curious, where and when did you find this American drill because I would love to go buy one!



I'd rather spend $200 on a tool that's going to last longer than my life than $60 for a tool that will have to be replaced regularly. And it's not having to replace it that is the biggest deal for me. It is the probability that it will break at a terribly inconvenient time, in the middle of a project. Maybe others have had better luck than me with imported junk and I admit I have some imported junk but I make an attempt to find and buy American before I settle for the junk.



The thing that gets me is manufacturers will move production off shore which reduces the cost but they don't pass that reduction to the consumer. And more often than not, the quality goes down, while the price goes up. They will tell you that they maintain quality control. Yeah, right. Talk to my dad who's been in construction all his life about the quality of tools and products then and now.


Lawrenceville, GA

I buy a lot of NOS parts on eBay just because they were still made in USA. As far as tools go, I buy a lot of German tools such as Fein, Wurth, Metabo and Stahlwille. Bosch has become just a name like American tools.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

I agree 100%.  The drill might have been a bad example, but you know what I mean.  You can get the tool shop brand which will break, or the reputable brand.  Of course you could also just buy 4 drills, and then you have extras

John: Lake Forest, IL



'57 Fairlane 500 - Looking better every day.

I couldn't say it better, John.

This sense of entitlement is profound and prolific.  Last "Black Friday," a New York Wal-Mart employee was trampled TO DEATH by shoppers in a frenzy to buy as much Communist Chinese goods as possible.  “When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling, ‘I’ve been on line since yesterday morning,’ ” Ms. Cribbs told The Associated Press. “They kept shopping.” - New York Times

Along with "Support our Troops" bumper stickers should say, "Support our Neighbor", but that won't happen voluntarilly.  We would rather 'save money' by supporting their unemployment and welfare checks, than buying products made here.  Sadly, when we get our 'stimulus' money, many will hurry to buy a wide-screen TV, made in the orient.  That's what got us here in the first place and it perpetuates.

Too bad we are reduced to buying limited parts that are only made abroad.  350 Million Americans saw it coming for many years.  Before our situation becomes dire, I hope our leaders will advocate for American businesses, and I pray Americans will 'Buy American'.

Royal Oak, Michigan (Four miles north of Detroit, and 12 miles NORTH of Windsor, Canada).  That's right, we're north of Canada.

Ford 292 Y-Block major overhaul by simplyconnected

I bought a Black and Decker drill at Lowes a while back thinking it was a good American drill.what a piece of crap! I have an old B&D drill that was metal and manufactured in the 60's or 70's and it finally made so much noise and sparks that I bought the new one.the quality between the two is huge.I guess that's why it is so much cheaper than the high dollar power tools. you get what you pay for.

Curious, but does GMs' HUMMER actually make all our military vehicles, or are they farmed-out to various manufacturers (like WW II jeeps)? If so, recent attempts to sell HUMMER to a "communist" Chinese company does sort of boggle the mind!

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Dan,

      Prior to GM's purchase of the name they were made in the same plant. AM General owns the HUMMV line. GM built a seperate plant adjacent to the old one. All of the civilian Hummers are built there.The military vehicles are not supposed to be part of the deal. While the locals think that the Chi-Coms will continue to produce Hummers there, I'm not so sure. I expect as soon as they figure out how and can get a plant built the H-1's will sport a "Made In China" sticker like the B&D Drill. 

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

I've always sported the saying "Be American,Buy American" but it's getting harder and harder to do in todays throwaway world.

I bought a nice Buck Knife for my nephew last Christmas as I have always liked Bucks and made in the USA (Idaho) also. I got it home and was about to wrap it and decided to look it over first, and glad I did. Right on the bottom of one of the blades was this horrible name CHINA!  I couldn't beleive my eyes, I felt totally screwed!  I sat down and wrote Buck knives an e-mail letting them know how I felt about their greed and taking from the American worker then took the knife back to the store and got a refund. You just never know anymore.

Please Mr Ford, keep your cars and trucks at home.

                                           Bud 

Bud in Northern Arizona on route 66 in Winslow (standin' on the corner)

If you're American, buy American

631/2 Galaxie 500XL 406   55 T-Bird