American Made

[Kennedy 90]

In another post there was conversation on buying American and how some try to do it when they can. I found this website and thought some others might appreciate it as well. I have no association with this site at all.

 

http://www.americansworking.com/

[AMC RULES 37,125]

Thanks for sharing this.  

[chazm 413]

Thanks for the Cool info on USA sites 

 

Chasm

[Ken B 3,164]

Imagine if Tractor Supply, Harbor Freight or the Home Depot were required to post a list of the items that they sell in their store that are made in the U.S.A and a list of all items Made in china. That would be a very short list for the U.S.A.  Don't get me wrong, I really don't have a problem with buying a product that was made in another Country, another Country that I trust that is..

I can remember back about 15 yrs. or so ago when McDonald's was giving away free cars with a Happy Meal from the Disney movie Cars. Most of the cars he collected were recalled due to them being painted with lead in the paint. They were all Made in china. Of course china knew there was lead in that paint, they aren't stupid, they didn't care...Of course, none of the cars he collected were replaced with safe ones..

[CasualObserver 3,408]

Imagine if Tractor Supply, Harbor Freight or the Home Depot were required to post a list of the items that they sell in their store that are made in the U.S.A and a list of all items Made in china. That would be a very short list for the U.S.A.

 

I don't know if you guys out east have Menards (a Wisconsin based home improvement store/lumber yard that's pretty common here in the midwest) but several times per year they run special "Made in the USA" sale campaigns.  The TV commercials highlight some of the products, and specifically where the products are made.  I'm not saying that they don't sell import merchandise... and truthfully it's pretty easy to highlight that a store carries building products that are produced locally, but it's still nice that they make a special awareness of it.

[Kennedy 90]

I like Menards the closest one to me is about an hour away. I have heard that they try to buy things made in the USA if they can find it. Walmart used to be that way not anymore. They practically built China themselves.

I agree with you Ken B. I try to bub made in America but if I cant find it I look for a friendlier country.

Mark

[formariz 11,987]

I was not born in this country but I thank the Lord everyday, for the day i first stepped on this soil. I am thankfull for the life it has given me and for all of the oppurtunities I otherwise would never had. Having said that, I spend a lot of money and time trying to buy what is made here. Not only because in most cases it is better made but I also feel an obligation to do so. It is becoming increasingly difficult since American made products are becoming basically non-existing in a lot of places. Like Ken I then turn mostly to products from Canada or even Mexico.

Not too long ago I decided to buy a Little Giant ladder, so off to Home Depot I go. What should have been a 10 minute thing, turned out to be a 45 minute ordeal. There was the Little Giant ladder I always wanted for about $400.00 . However right next to it there was a Chinese knockoff for $200.00. Nearly identical, same size, but visibly not as well constructed, but only $200.00. Between looking at them over and over again and taking walks away from them to think, over 30 minutes pass. Finally on the last look something on the American made one finally sealed my decision. It had an American Flag on it saying underneath it Proudly Made In the USA. So I looked at the other one and mumbled to myseld "not today". Funny enough when I got to the register, immediately the cashier said to me that there is another one there for half the price. So with a smile I just told her that I did see it but it was missing the American Flag.

[AMC RULES 37,125]

   HOO RAH!   

[squonk 41,016]

Then there's another problem. American companies making stuff with imported steel. Built in USA but crap Where I work, I have to take care of some pretty sophisticated electro-mechanical equipment. Some of it is 15 yrs old and never breaks. Now with a big expansion project, the system has been expanded with smaller flimsy equipment that bends and flexes when you just look at it. It's been in operation for a month and has broken twice. Service tech says it will break down a lot. Made in Denver. Must be the thin air along with thin steel. And don't get me started on pumps made in the US that leak all over the place that are 2 months old. 

Edited January 15, 2014 by squonk

[MalMac 1,331]

Nothings made here anymore, if it is. it's not made here it's assembled here with foreign junk materials. Never forget when I was at one of are nations largest steel mills delivering some scrap steel. I saw a large ocean going ship that was off loading coils of steel. I ask the receiving clerk if coils had got rejected and sent back. He laugh and said that the mill was importing china steel to sell to it's customers because is was cheaper than they could make it. To me that pretty much sums it up. I just shook my head. A American steel mill importing steel, anybody else see a problem with this.

[AMC RULES 37,125]

Then there's another problem. American companies making stuff with imported steel. Built in USA but crap Where I work, I have to take care of some pretty sophisticated electro-mechanical equipment. Some of it is 15 yrs old and never breaks. Now with a big expansion project, the system has been expanded with smaller flimsy equipment that bends and flexes when you just look at it. It's been in operation for a month and has broken twice. Service tech says it will break down a lot. Made in Denver. Must be the thin air along with thin steel. And don't get me started on pumps made in the US that leak all over the place that are 2 months old. 

Don't forget, now there is some other "stuff" being released into the air in Colorado...

that may start influencing the quality control of products being produced there.  

Edited January 15, 2014 by AMC RULES

[Ken B 3,164]

I have a story too share. We had shipped two VERY expensive custom made leather couches, I'm talking over 20 grand here. When they arrived at one of our show rooms and they opened the crate they found damage because the crate must have been left on a loading dock and it rained. The crate was shipped back to us and when I opened it up I found that the blue shipping blankets got wet and there was blue dye stains all over the leather on the couches destroying them. I'm not talking soaking wet here, just a little damp, It could have been humidity for all I know. When I went to pull the blue shipping blankets off the couches the first thing I saw on the shipping blankets was this little tag in the corner that read "Proudly Made In China" How sad. Sure, insurance covered things but these couches are special order and take time to create. Not too mention they were sold to a very high end client, I believe Sir Elton John was his name. We threw hundreds of brand new "Proudly Made In China" blankets in the dumpster.

[wrightorchid 261]

The really sad thing is that if you want to buy a quality item, made in the USA, your choices are limited, or non-existent.  The imported steel, and basic Levi's for example.  I remember when the last US Levi's plant in Georgia closed.  US jeans made of US denim from US cotton.  The imported Levi's mad in Bangladesh, from fabric made who knows where is simply not the same.  The same holds true for almost any machinery.

[formariz 11,987]

Sadly it has all become about just making money and politics along with the so called "global economy". In a country where basically most of what we use everyday was invented  none of it is made here. All for sake of making more money. And really awsome that our government little by little allowed this to happen right? There is something wrong with a system that allows major companies to donate vasts amounts of money to campaign funds and a  where most politicians are millionares.

Fortunately some of it is turning around. Hopefully the fact that somethings are now assembled here is a realization of the damage done and it will continue. I definitely will buy what is assembled here over what is not.

 

A little off topic but related since i read some complaints that some things made here are not so good. The way our children are now brought up and educated specially in the major urban areas of the country.We are now from a very young age always pushing college education on them and at the same time succumbing to the "ways of modern child raising". I am not against college education since I am also "college educated" to some extent, but we are now bringing up childern who will be totally unprepared for real life.  When I went to high school we had two wood shops, a metal shop, an auto shop with whole working engines in it, a welding shop, mechanical drawing (drafting) and home economics. We were exposed to all of these things and although some were of more interest than others we learned a lot about every thing. It encouraged us to do more on our own , be creative,and most case choose one for our future career. We learned how to work with our hands, enjoy it and at minimum undestand how things work. Do our children have those qualities like that now? Who is going to be making or assembling anything in the future with quality or care?

 

What I just said above is a major part of what sealed my love for wheel horses and their story. A father and sons doing things TOGETHER, learning, being creative , and enjoying the fruits of their labor, leaving something for future generations to admire and enjoy.

 

Teach them to use their hands, to enjoy what they do, to learn the value of a hard days work , and they will always be able to make a living regardless of what ever situation they find themselves in and then we may have  something to look foward to.

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,240]

Oh man, just caught myself.  I had formulated this whole reply to this topic and realized I would likely have to ban myself with that reply.  So with that, I'll just say please keep things civil, or do like me and not post it

[rexman72 210]

thanks for sharing

[JimD 3,345]

DANG!

[can whlvr 993]

its the same up here in Canada,most of the steel mills closed,manufacturing has been sent over seas,etc,pretty sad when most of the raw materials come from here,go over seas to be processed,shipped back and at half the price,but with no quality

[js5020 111]

DANG!

  I still remember that DANG thread (sorry folks "inside" story),,, Jim how about the follow up, Chinese "boats"  ,,, what did they call those "boats" again??

Edited January 16, 2014 by js5020

[Stormin 9,981]

You know something? You lads could be talking in a pub over here.

[jackhammer 546]

IMHO please

 

I haven't had much trouble buying what I need , one big problem is pursuing till you find it. My jeans, and Tshirts for example are  wash, wear, and be satisfied - if not return before 90 days free return shipping for money or exchange. (And I have sent back items to small after 6 or7 washings). With this I realize its not clothing out of most brick and mortar stores, and I  am willing to pay more for that. My jeans have a birth place and a tracking number to what farms grew the blends of cotton for them to be made. No big deal but I might be helping a small American company grow and that to me is also worth it. With the internet and so many ways to search for new and old  companies, begging for business, its very hard to turn my back on others when I have the chance and they have what I need . Tools the same way. It 's not easy but neither is wanting and searching for a WH barn find,,, but after you find it you are happy and proud. 

Edited January 17, 2014 by jackhammer

[oaktown1987 82]

Even carhartts are being made in Mexico

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[specialwheelhorse 174]

Golly I couldn't agree more with this, we just picked up 3 cases of water

that proudly say bottled here in Texas, I just went downtown to get my

wife a pound of butter and low 2 behold on the shelf was proudly made in Texas

a pound of butter. This is really catching on down here, a big star and an

emblem for Texas. We are trying to keep as much as possible here in the states

as well as Texas.

[jackhammer 546]

Even carhartts are being made in Mexico

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Your only 50 miles south from me and I'm sure if you look here at Kennedys post you might find something

 

 

In another post there was conversation on buying American and how some try to do it when they can. I found this website and thought some others might appreciate it as well. I have no association with this site at all.

 

http://www.americansworking.com/

 

On the right side I only went to the jeans link and then to All American clothing.com  clicked on the outerwear  and seen  a few coats for sure , I love their jeans , I order with a gusset and it gives me plenty of room to work over, under and around my horses.

 

Check out the rest of his links he has posted and I think with a few quick clicks you can find almost everything quality made that you need.

 

Now how about that tractor show Marshall has in the fall - - -  is it worth me driving down an hour to see any horses?

 

Good hunting with those USA  links - they are valuable to me -hope you find some use for them also.

[SousaKerry 501]

I work for a large multinational company who started in Mason, Michigan and is still headquartered there.  If you drank coffee from a gas station this morning there is an 80% chance that you used one of our products.  We design and manufacture all of our own production machinery right here in Mi.  Our Engineering department has almost 400 employees in 3 buildings.  We have several plants located in foreign countries mostly because our products are just too expensive to ship long distances because it is bulky and doesn't weigh much.  In my job I spec out components for our machinery, I deal with problems created from foreign made components daily and could give you story after story on the subject. 

 

But I also can tell you how much work it is trying to get US made machinery into some of the countries.  At one time we considered putting an operation in China strictly to serve the Asian markets.  The built the plant and started building equipment but when the Chinese government wanted us to submit prints manuals and all information pertaining to the manufacture of our products the company backed out and said go to he!!  China then promptly banned our products in their country so we could not import to them. 

 

We have a plant in Brazil that we recently opened, they have  300% terrif on all manufactured items coming into the country, to protect their own jobs.  Trouble is we are creating jobs in their country by locating there but yet have no facilities or skilled labor to manufacture equipment there.  Almost every part, bolt, tool and anything else you would need to run a plant has to be imported not necessarily because we can't find them there but the prices are so inflated it is cheaper to import them and pay the 300% markup.

 

The only location we actually import finished products to is California and we used to have a very large plant in the LA area, we moved it across the border to Tijuana because the tree huggers limited our emissions because they may contribute to smog(never proven.) So California by their own stupidity lost several hundred jobs.