Just Plain Wrong !

[DocHeb]

VG's were sold at a premium price and were a quality product.

There is the problem. There are fewer and fewer people that understand what a quality product is, much less be willing to pay a premium for it. Price is everything, and manufacturers are providing what the customers want.

 

[scgargoyle]

I bought a pair of knock-off vise grips at Lowe's which is virtually identical to Vise-Grips- for 1/2 the price. It's the first pair I've seen that was identical. They're holding up to a lot of abuse at work, too. As a toolmaker, I hope I can stay employed until retirement- it's gettin' tough out there.

 

[MikePA]

I bought a pair of knock-off vise grips at Lowe's which is virtually identical to Vise-Grips- for 1/2 the price. It's the first pair I've seen that was identical. They're holding up to a lot of abuse at work, too. As a toolmaker, I hope I can stay employed until retirement- it's gettin' tough out there.

There's a lot of irony in this post.

 

[Scooby074]

Price is everything, and manufacturers are providing what the customers want.

I can understand that, however my last VG with the foreign parts were more expensive then the previous set i bought a year ago that appeared to be US made!!!

 

[curly]

I got laid off November 2007...got a job in February with a company who has now decided to close their doors on Oct 31st 2008. So I called the company that laid me off last year and they are hiring me back. Weird stuiff, huh.

 

[LMTC]

The only thing big corporations seem to understand is profit at all costs. And most people think savings at all costs, no matter the quality or place of manufacture. We're shooting ourselves in the foot!

And what else are big corporations supposed to "understand"? Any corporation is simply a collection of people with varying duties and authority, so "big corporations" in and of themselves understand nothing; they are simply legal entities to facilitate a business operation. So often one hears people rail (not that you're railing....you just happened to use the term) against big corporations, big oil, big tobacco. All of these are no more than collections of people making decisions and performing various functions in a manner they believe will benefit the shareholders. The basic mission of virtually all corporations is to make a profit. Anyone unhappy with a corporation's performance or actions can, with very few exceptions, buy stock in the corporation and vote those shares to help determine the direction and decisions of the corporation. Anyone seriously thinking there should be some public power to tell a corporation how to operate (beyond the usual public safety regs, etc.) is buying into centralized government control of economic ventures, and the Soviet Union showed us how well that works.

And FWIW I agree with you about shooting ourselves....only much more fatally than in the foot. The sweetness of low price will be long gone when the bitterness of a reduced economy settles in as a long term reality. Such is the price a nation pays for having a preponderance of citizens who think along those lines. I seriously suspect most folks have no clue as to the cause and effect of economic issues, nor would they care.....culturally we have become a nation of want now, consume now for several decades, and we will now pay the bills for that.

My heart goes out to those losing jobs permanently, but this is clearly a case for the sage comment from Pogo first used nearly 40 years ago: "We have met the enemy and he is us."

 

[Bird]

there is going to be no tool manufacturers left in NA before long, except maybe Snap-On

When I was repairing mechanics' air tools, I repaired quite number of Snap-on tool and it said "Japan" on the side of them just like the MAC, Matco, and Cornwell tools that were made for them by Ingersoll-Rand or Chicago Pneumatic. The Snap-ons were made just enough different that parts wouldn't be interchangeable with any other brand so they could charge double or triple as much for their Japanese parts.

 

[kenmac]

The chinese worker can produce more product & not complain about his/ her working conditions. That= less over all cost to the company which = more profit to the share holders . As wayne posted. We ( me included) are to blame because we purchase the stuff

 

[scgargoyle]

There's a lot of irony in this post.

Actually, I use Vice-Grip brand at home where I can keep an eye on them. At work, they tend to 'walk'. As the supervisor, I'm expected to lend tools to everyone, and since I'm not about to hand out my good stuff, I keep a supply of junk to lend.

 

[Blagadan]

Sad to hear about it. I hope they manage to keep the quality standards in China.

I have probably about 8 or 9 genuine vice grips locking pliars in my collection, some of them over 10 years old and still perfect. I also have quite a few locking pliar copies by various manufacturers and quite frankly, the copies are a load of sh*t. I have several copies that are still in their packaging, never used.

I only use the copies for clamping stuff when I am welding and dont mind ruining a pair of pliars with spatter and such.

Theres something reassuring about picking up a pair of genuine Vice Grips.

My sympathies to the employees and their families..... tough times ahead....