DennisThornton 4,769 #1 Posted December 10, 2020 Seems China is either clueless or keeps the good stuff and exports the rest. EVERY piece of rubber I see "MADE in CHINA" and is a few years old is cracked, split and failed, tubes, tires, tubing, all rubber. If China's military is using "Made in China" rubber we've got them hands down! They won't have to do do anything other than change out rubber parts! Any good inner tubes out there? I need a couple dozen! 3 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 8,583 #2 Posted December 10, 2020 DENNIS , GREE WITH YOU ON THE CHINESE JUNK, everything they make is on a substandard guide, measurements mean nothing and lack of overall quality is very thorough , if you get a few months out of anything before it fails you are lucky . being a post ww2 kid , when everything was forever , verifies we are all older , glad I experienced the era, pete 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #3 Posted December 10, 2020 (edited) couple of years ago I unburied an old mid 60's schwinn sting ray and replaced the original tires that were dry rotted and cracked also replaced the tubes - the tubes were original made in USA tubes (stamped on tube) quality of the made in China tires and tubes did not look great - but that is just about all that is available (unless you desire to spend $200 for a vintage OEM tire) one tube failed the first day - split at the seam I pulled both new tubes and threw them in the appropriate spot: garbage can re-installed the 55 year old tubes and all is well Edited December 10, 2020 by tom2p 6 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #4 Posted December 10, 2020 1 hour ago, DennisThornton said: Seems China is either clueless or keeps the good stuff and exports the rest. EVERY piece of rubber I see "MADE in CHINA" and is a few years old is cracked, split and failed, tubes, tires, tubing, all rubber. If China's military is using "Made in China" rubber we've got them hands down! They won't have to do do anything other than change out rubber parts! Any good inner tubes out there? I need a couple dozen! I searched for made in USA tubes ... 8" and 12" ... I gave up I think I have a set of 'Firestone' tubes that are just made in China tubes with the Firestone name 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike'sHorseBarn 2,990 #5 Posted December 10, 2020 I took a couple 6-12 goodyear tubes out of an Allis B1 that said Made in USA on them so they are definitely getting reused rather than buying new. I've gotten some tubes from tractor supply that literally only lasted 2 years. Ridiculous. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #6 Posted December 10, 2020 Bought some inner tubes today. Tractor Supply: Travelers Made in China Martin Made in Taiwan While there I looked at some HI-RUN AG tires and was shocked to see "Made in New Zealand"! Thought they only produced wool and lanolin! Runnings: I got all excited when I saw that Runnings had HI-RUN tubes! I ripped one open and read, "Made in China"! However! All of them noted "Butyl" in the front! I've never noticed that on a inner tube box but I convinced myself to never buy another bungie cord unless it was butyl so I'm somewhat optimistic about the HI-RUN tubes. Harbor Freight: No need to tell you where they were made BUT they were the cheapest! I'd like to replace tires and tubes on two 4 wheel wagons and I think that would cost me more than I paid for the wagons new! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,309 #7 Posted December 10, 2020 I'd have to take a second look when I get home but I feel like I've got tubes that were made in Taiwan and maybe Indonesia? I wouldn't have a lot of confidence in the Chinese ones either. I too have looked to see if there are tubes made in the USA anymore and I couldn't find any. If anybody knows if there are any produced here I'm sure the whole lot of us would love to know about it. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #8 Posted December 10, 2020 My Bolens has the original tires from over 50 years ago. Lots of my WHs appear to have the original tires from about that old too so I know it is possible to make good rubber tires at least. I would think good rubber inner tubes would be possible! Maybe these HI-RUNS of butyl will be good ones... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rusty Tinsnips 477 #9 Posted December 10, 2020 The Chi-coms are very capable of making high quality stuff. They only make junk " as ordered" by US companies. "Make me 4000 innertubes and I will only pay 12 cents apiece for them", that's why we get junk. 5 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 22,711 #10 Posted December 10, 2020 I had Lincoln Tire put tubes in my tractor tires about 9 or 10 years ago...still good. I don't know if they were Made in USA, but I would ask them what they were using now. I would think, as a business, they would want to use good stuff. You can't make any money if you have to do things twice. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynnmor 7,302 #11 Posted December 10, 2020 I have repeated failures and slow leaks in my bicycle inner tubes. They will not maintain a suitable air pressure for a week. I asked high end bicycle shops what tubes hold air and the answer is none of them. Some blame the buyers pressing for low prices, I blame people with a broken moral compass. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,871 #12 Posted December 10, 2020 (edited) I see a lot of the Carlisle tires are no longer USA made, but still with a USA price! I often thought the main cause was labor but I think most of it has to deal with environmental regulations. What ever happened to the rubber city, Akron Ohio? Wasn't it a rubber product king. Edited December 10, 2020 by JoeM Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #13 Posted December 11, 2020 (edited) Hard to believe that one can't buy a decent inner tube anymore! I thought Mr. Goodyear addressed that long ago! Maybe the butyl HI-RUNS! I'll try to let you know in a few years.... Hopefully not months! Edited December 11, 2020 by DennisThornton I'll Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Turftech 82 #14 Posted December 11, 2020 Last batch of Carlisle tires I ordered (about 8 weeks ago) for my new to me 94 520H, came with the words Made in China 1/8" tall molded in the ribs of the bead. So once mounted the only way to tell they were not U.S. made was that they now have both English & metric sizing on them. Also they had been strapped together (to get as many as they can into the container) so tight the rear tire beads were stretched into an oval. Needed tubes and pry bars to get the beads to slip over the inside rim lip to set the beads! Not much fun! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 55,099 #15 Posted December 11, 2020 A few years back I bought Goodyear Advantage tires for my truck and the wife's SUV. The tires had a 80,000 mile warrantee and gave about 20,00 miles of service before they had to be replaced, guess where they were made; China! The dealer did make a good proration toward a new set of Goodyear tires. I requested that the new ties be made someplace other than China and he said he hasn't seen anything other than Chinese tires for several years. According to him (and I can believe it) the regulations imposed on manufacturers in the USA has driven everything overseas. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #16 Posted December 11, 2020 46 minutes ago, 953 nut said: A few years back I bought Goodyear Advantage tires for my truck and the wife's SUV. The tires had a 80,000 mile warrantee and gave about 20,00 miles of service before they had to be replaced, guess where they were made; China! The dealer did make a good proration toward a new set of Goodyear tires. I requested that the new ties be made someplace other than China and he said he hasn't seen anything other than Chinese tires for several years. According to him (and I can believe it) the regulations imposed on manufacturers in the USA has driven everything overseas. Thank goodness our elected officials are watching over us! Now we can blame China for our flats and not Goodyear! I have NO doubt that much of this is do to more and tougher specs but don't let our competitors go around those and beat "US" out of our own game! It's one thing to mean good but another to actually do it! Not sure how much actual down to earth knowledge we elect... Half of my carts and trailers had flats recently. And not because we shot them out target practicing! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #17 Posted December 11, 2020 1 hour ago, DennisThornton said: Hard to believe that one can't buy a decent inner tube anymore! I thought Mr. Goodyear addressed that long ago! Maybe the butyl HI-RUNS! I'll try to let you know in a few years.... Hopefully not months! I have HI-Run 4 ply front tires on my 312 appear to be as good or better than the OEM Dico tires ... but that might not be stating much ... ? ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #18 Posted December 11, 2020 Unless you can tell us now, time will tell. Fingers crossed for both of us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #19 Posted December 11, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, 953 nut said: A few years back I bought Goodyear Advantage tires for my truck and the wife's SUV. The tires had a 80,000 mile warrantee and gave about 20,00 miles of service before they had to be replaced, guess where they were made; China! The dealer did make a good proration toward a new set of Goodyear tires. I requested that the new ties be made someplace other than China and he said he hasn't seen anything other than Chinese tires for several years. According to him (and I can believe it) the regulations imposed on manufacturers in the USA has driven everything overseas. Goodyear tire made in China ? hasn't seen anything other than Chinese tires for several years ? that surprises me - and that tire dealer might be mis-informed ? tires are made all over the world - including China - and some still made in the US my guess is many tires sold in the US are not made in China but would not be surprised if many of the lower / lowest priced tires are made in China Edited December 11, 2020 by tom2p 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #20 Posted December 11, 2020 44 minutes ago, tom2p said: Goodyear tire made in China ? hasn't seen anything other than Chinese tires for several years ? that surprises me - and that tire dealer might be mis-informed ? tires are made all over the world - including China - and some still made in the US my guess is many tires sold in the US are not made in China but would not be surprised if many of the lower / lowest priced tires are made in China November 2, 2016 -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company today announced it has broken ground on a $485 million expansion of its state-of-the-art tire factory in Pulandian, Dalian, China. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #21 Posted December 11, 2020 Remember when "Made in Japan" meant "Junk!"? Now "Made in China" had replaced that but there are exceptions. I know people that have actually gone to China to review the production of their orders and they told me that good quality is possible but it's a challenge and that SOMEONE has to be there to watch! There's every likelihood that a Goodyear tube made in China could be a very good tube. Not everything "Made in China" is junk. Not everyone is happy with this one though... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynnmor 7,302 #22 Posted December 11, 2020 ST trailer tires with Goodyear Marathon brand were made in USA for years and were of fair quality, keep in mind that trailer manufacturers want cheap above anything else. So Goodyear sent the line to China and the result was total unsafe junk. Next, they moved it back to the USA for awhile till they sorted out the China problem, then moved it again, result was total unsafe junk again. Now the Marathon line has been dropped and replaced with the Endurance line made in the USA and they are nearly problem free. I have a small amount of experience working with Chinese manufacturing and believe that I understand the problem but I won't go into that because some would say words like racism, prejudice and the usual politically correct hogwash. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #23 Posted December 11, 2020 I'm surprised that Goodyear couldn't work it out! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #24 Posted December 11, 2020 Not sure why I didn't buy a Slime inner tube at TSC but they too are "Made in China"... Maybe the green stuff is "Made in the USA" though and will help with the "Made in China" cracks in the tube . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rusty Tinsnips 477 #25 Posted December 11, 2020 The largest tire manufacturers offering tires made in USA are: Michelin Pirelli Continental Bridgestone Yokohama. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
