How Important is Made in the USA?

[dcyrilc]

Can't wait to see them. Put me on the list for:

Pallet forks
Grapple bucket with rake bottom
box blade

I also will have an interest in pallet forks, depending on how they attach and what the load rating will be.

 

[BeeferMan]

Lots of good posts and points here...

I think that the best thing for a company like yours Ted, is to stress the quality of your products first, then make sure it's clear they're made in the USA. When people have "Made in USA" as the first criteria in choosing a purchase, it can sound like "I'm going to buy this 'cause it has a US flag on it, even if it's lower quality". I don't think that's the message we intend. We want to buy USA made because it means we're getting the best.

Being patriotic doesn't mean buying USA made regardless of quality, being patriotic means building the best, so the customer gets the best. Do that consistently and then "Made in the USA" equals Quality, and that's where we really want to be.

 

[Builder]

Lots of good posts and points here...

I think that the best thing for a company like yours Ted, is to stress the quality of your products first, then make sure it's clear they're made in the USA. When people have "Made in USA" as the first criteria in choosing a purchase, it can sound like "I'm going to buy this 'cause it has a US flag on it, even if it's lower quality". I don't think that's the message we intend. We want to buy USA made because it means we're getting the best.

Being patriotic doesn't mean buying USA made regardless of quality, being patriotic means building the best, so the customer gets the best. Do that consistently and then "Made in the USA" equals Quality, and that's where we really want to be.

Couldn't be better said. However, being better than the Chinese stuff I see should be an easy task. :laughing:

 

[Artimus]

Ted,

I suspect that many would say that they would be willing to pay the extra 10%, but would have second thoughts when it comes to pulling out their wallets.

If the products have the same warranties I would have to think long and hard before paying the extra 10%.

Steve

Sadly this is true and American companies have in many cases priced themselves out of the market with high prices and lower quality in search of the ultimate profit margin. We have strayed from our roots. Few things are truly made in America of American products. Those that are as of late, as has been mentioned, have had some quality issues that have burned us consumers making us wary of paying extra. At the same time we all want to save money especially in this economy. A superior product made in America will generate word of mouth advertising. If I had a good idea it was truly American and as good or better than a foreign product I would buy it.

 

[mjncad]

Yesterday I went to Orifice Crax as I call Office Max to get some inkjet shipping labels.

I usually buy Avery and they wanted $13.50 for 150 made in Messyco labels. They had 3M for a buck less; but I neglected to check where they came from. Then I found the OM house brand labels for $11...made in USA. I bought the OM labels, and so far, so good.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Being patriotic doesn't mean buying USA made regardless of quality, being patriotic means building the best, so the customer gets the best. Do that consistently and then "Made in the USA" equals Quality, and that's where we really want to be.

That is exactly where we want to be! Very well said.

 

[Builder]

Ted,

I'll tell you a tractor implement that was a tough find for me was a reasonable priced 3 pt material spreader with a plastic hopper and hydraulic open/close for the chute gate on the bottom. The Vicon & Befco brand was close to $3,000. I finally found one made by "Agrex" that has a mechanical remote control for $1,200, but someone ought to make one that uses tractor remotes to open/close and maybe a second remote to vary flow amount or width of pattern.

 

[Dead Horse]

"you would make this whole venture a complete flop and I would lose a lot of money and waste a lot of time as well."

Superlatives are not going to cut it in business, neither is blaming customers for stratigic decisions you make. Your unfair competive advantage better be somethng more than just being a member of the "tribe".

Build a quality product and price and market it competively. The word will get around and people will seek you out.

 

[MrBushhog]

it is very important. it is where we live and where some of us still have a job.

 

[WHW2821]

I know this thread is old but it struck and nerve with me. I just got burned on one of those empelments with inferior junk blades made in India. It is a Howse 5' rotary tiller that was purchased years ago and not under warranty any longer but was never used. The one year warranty would not have done me any good anyway because you have to register your product within 30 days or your warranty is void. Its hard to belive but it was never used in 3 years and the first time I tilled 1/2 acre of silty loam that had been previously plowed it broke 6 tines. I was informed that they are a normal wear item and will not be replaced even though they still have new paint and no wear on any of them. So you can say that I learned my lesson the hard way about paying the extra 10%. Never ever again will I purchase there junk I will pay the extra whatever % for a quality product.

Just so you know I really paid 12.88 per blade x 32 plus shipping because the blades continue to break with each use which is a lot more than than 10% up front. So if you can buy a quality well reviewed USA product spend the extra money and smile while you are doing it.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

We have in the last few years added a 1989 F700, 1976 265 MF and 1983 JD 310B backhoe and are seem to be mostly made in the USA. I do not think that is too easy to do if you buy new stuff.

 

[rbcsaver]

I always try to buy everything made in the USA. It has become harder and harder! Ready with my flame retardant underwear. The Union hierarchy, just like those running the SEIU and Teachers Unions are to blame We can't afford to pay 30 retirement yr salaries with free healthcare till death anymore.

About 6 yrs ago I purchased a mad in the USA garage lift, vs a Chineese unit that a friend had. Mine has much more substance, but the US company is gone.

Before anyone starts flaming me. Please tell me how the Unions have kept any USA companies/sectors, OTHER THAN local/state/Federal Gov't employees? Autos defunct (except for Ford), Steel Industry gone, Pots and Pans (Regal and others,) also gone). Try and buy a
garden shovel, hoe, or other implement made in the USA. It's tiring and usually NOT successful. Time for a change.
Regards,
Steve

 

[nuffer460]

I'm not sure that it's the average union wage. It's more like simple math. I do believe that the problems are because of wages. Just not your blue collar wages. How many white collars with multi million dollar bonuses every year are supported by the rank and file. If you take away the bulk of their multi million dollar bonuses. How many US jobs could be maintaned with just one million dollars. That is allot of blue collar jobs, even with benefits. It doesn't have as much to do with unions or health care. It comes down to corperate greed. To put it simply. Any and all business needs more indians than chiefs. Just my .02.

 

[BeeferMan]

Before anyone starts flaming me...

I agree about made in the US, the quality still seems to be better. Not always, by any means, but generally so.

But get the facts right - Ford, (although they may have not taken stimulus money, to their credit) is no more a "made is USA" company than any of the other big three, and the move to overseas manufacturing has little to do with unions. Cheap labor, yes, but the average industrial worker in China makes under $500 a month - find me a worker in the US, union or otherwise, who would work for that? The decisions to move offshore are made by management, driven by their desire for ever increasing profits through cost reductions, and the consumers love of inexpensive goods. There has never been a financial crisis or failure that can be laid at the feet of the workers.

The issues of offshoring will never be effectively addressed, never mind solved, until the motivation and responsibility for these decisions is recognized. It is interesting that the wage situation in China is changing though. Wages are rising, it's been predicted that the age of the inexpensive big screen TV in the US may soon be over. The reason? Wages in China are almost to the point where the workers (that build them) can afford to buy them.

So not flaming you Steve (your flame retardant underwear remains intact!), but show me how any US worker, union or otherwise has really caused any of these problems? US workers, union or otherwise, are not willing to work for such low wages that they can't afford to buy what they build. And I don't blame them. You need to look at the corporate/consumer aspect, not the worker aspect.

Disclaimers: I am a loyal Ford customer, I am not a union member.

 

[BethesdaEC]

I see a resurgence in US manufacturing coming in the next couple of years. These things tend to move in cycles and the rate of off shoring for the last ten years is certainly not sustainable. Wages are rising in India and China which is greatly reducing the cost savings, coupled with a devaluing of the US dollar due to all the money leaving the country. Throw in escalating transportation cost due to rising energy and we have the environment for a manufacturing renaissance.

I just put together a toolbox for my tractor and I purchased a collection of tools to fill it. Hammers, crescent wrenches and pliers all made here in the USA. It cost me twice as much to buy as the cheap Home Depot made in China tools, but at the end of the day only a rich man can afford to buy cheap tools. Buy it once, buy it right.

 

[lockhaven]

the wage of the worker is being used all the time for the reason to go offshore.
BUNK!!! I forget the ratio but in the US executives get something like 100 times the salary of the workers plus bonus plus other perks like company cars, planes, vacations, a different health plan and much better retirement packages at a much younger age. In the developing countries executives get maybe 5 times as much. The other reason large companies go off shore is because of funny book keeping. My business is designing tooling, molds fixtures and anything else necessary. some of my customers have gone off shore the quality of the tooling is so poor that it needs a complete rebuild before it can be used. But because of the funny book keeping the cost of the rebuild comes from another budget. The tool shop looks bad because of the "REPAIR" while the executives get a bonus for saving the company money on the initial purchase.

 

[Zork]

I'll pay 10% more for made in USA by USA-in's and better quality.

 

[BethesdaEC]

I'll pay 10% more for made in USA by USA-in's and better quality.

I'll pay double for a good tool. Let's look at the crescent wrench example, the made in USA Crescent brand tool is made from high quality steel that has been properly heat treated and will last a lifetime. The cheap Chinese knock off was made in some no name foundry from the cheapest pot metals, probably not heat treated properly and will have rounded off jaws in a year or two. Now I need to replace it every couple of years. Now tell me which is the cheapest tool.

 

[Gary Fowler]

WHW2821: The inferior equipment that you mentioned (HOWSE) is not India made, but made in Mississippi. The blades however may be sourced outside the USA just like most manufactureres do, look for the cheapest price so they can make more profit. So even though we may buy American made, some of the critical components may not be up to par. The only Howse thing I have is a cheap bush hog and I have abused the heck out of it and it is still clipping. Despite hitting a truck load of rocks, the blades are still in good shape. Maybe they just outsources the tiller blades for a while and go some inferior products. A letter to their headquarters might make them take notice if they havent already. If they realize that they used some bad blades on older models, they should bite the bullet and replace the for you at their cost but dont hold your breath on that one. Maybe ship them some broken ones for examination with a letter and maybe some photos of the soil that you were using them in would get a response.

 

[silvertramp]

Yup, without a doubt it's the poor & middle class that are to blame. The Megacorp media told me so. Those union b*st*rds sometimes make enough to buy a 3br ranch! Shameful!