Disgusted with Chinese manufactured products

[caligula]

Dog treats.

On this morning's news it said there are making dog treats that are dangerous to pets. I only give treats made in America to my dog, Felecia, I urge all of you to avoid dog (and cat) treats from China.

Alex Taber.

 

[paulg]

I have seen a Kirby with a damaged fan housing

However there is a story...
Years ago I worked with a man who, sadly, had a war injury and a metal plate in his head. His behavior was erratic to say the least.
He was the janitor and would damage many things. I found an old 1950's era Kirby in the basement, fixed it up and gave it to him to use.
He had a habit of SLAMMING vacuum cleaners into walls repeatedly. He did bend the fan housing. In that case I did have the Kirby Company fix the unit. Tech said he had never seen it happen before.
However, while the Kirby was being repaired I fixed up a 1970's era ORECK. Toy-like in appearance and weight as compared to the Kirby. However the man couldn't break it! Literally on the backstroke the unit was so light it would fly backwards and not touch the carpet. It was still working when I left.
Regardless, I doubt any of today's vacuums could hold up to such abuse. He even broke the baseplate on a CLARKE!
Kirby, Clarke, Oreck are all of fine quality but not invincible. the Chinese feel USA manufacturers over-engineer products to last TOO long. In such extreme cases one needs extreme quality. So... where is it now?
... And don't suggest we get rid of the janitor. He was a neighborhood charity case and ruining vacuum cleaners was better than being on the street!

 

[luxman107]

Richard, I agree 100%. The good thing is it has fueled my passion for vintage items, especially small appliances mad in the USA

 

[anthony]

i refuse point blank

to buy any new appliances i will keep my old ones going for as long as possible for exa&#92mple my lawn mower packed up this summer [20 year old flymo]i just went on ebay and got another for 6 pounds it was filthy and the blade was blunt i soon put that right a good clean and its fine .Also this year the pump went on my 17 year old hotpoint washer i bought a cheap pump of an indesit machjne and with a bit of doctoring i fitted that to the hotpoint its also working well i simply will not buy any of the rubbish thats on offer today .Only last week my daughter asked me to look at her week old steam iron when i asked what was wrong with it she said nothing dad but can you put a longer flex on it it only had 1 metre of cable fitted and a cheap plug need i go on

 

[jaker15]

The times have changed, haven't they?

Well, it's no wonder why my 1949 Electrolux Model XXX still works almost like new...it's made to last! It has more metal than our $1000 Miele, which, despite being German-made, still has that cheap, plastic feel to it.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well.. I took to tidying out my large spare room last night and discovered two things that are unselfishly made in China. One was bought two years ago and still works as good as new, the other is 10 years old and made in China - both are still made in China and they're not rubbish.

What are they?

A 3 speed desk fan and a slow cooker.

 

[vintagerepairer]

In the UK a number of agencies were out & about telling all and sundry that we were paying too much for large items, indeed we even got labelled "rip off Britain". Thus, demands were made for retail prices to be lowered, and this was done.

We are now all paying the "price" of the savings which had to be made in order to achieve the lower retail prices.

 

[suckolux]

I hope this makes sense, 90 mins sleep. They can make pretty good stuff, IF you want to pay for it, they just make a lot more cheap sh-t. Of course for that money you could have bought it made here to start with.

 

[gmerkt]

We've been inundated with shoddy Chinese-made products for long enough now that an entire generation doesn't know the difference between crap and quality. It's pathetic. They take the u-put-it-together thing out of the box, fumble with cheap fittings, and when it's "together" don't even realize what a waste of money it was.

I think there is some degree of opportunism involved in this, too. Sometimes the price is way more than it should be because X number of buyers simply don't know the difference.

Then there has always been some part of the population that doesn't know sh*t from Shinola anyway. But now that mindset has become fairly universal.

Re. the comment about their (I forget the exact words used) tried and true LG finally giving up the ghost after eight years. That's way too short a life for a laundry machine. In my own view, anyway. I expect laundry machines to have a life in service of significantly more than eight years. Is LG really thought of as a premium brand? Their vacuum cleaners are just more Korean/Chinese krap.

When we moved into the place we're in, some 27+ years ago, we needed new laundry machines. We abandoned our former Norge units when we moved from California and those were about 12 years old. We couldn't bring them with us. The need for new machines here caused me to "go Maytag" and it was a wise decision. We still have the same machines, fairly basic units and by no means top of the line. The washing machine has never been worked on. The electric drier I've had to replace the belt once and service the drum rollers three times. All the other stuff including timers is original. Maytag used to be a unique product made in its own factory, and I realize that Maytag no longer enjoys this reality nor their former reputation. And that is unfortunate.

I learned the lesson all over again with diswashing machines. This house had a Kitchenaid in it when be bought the place. When it reached about 18 years of age, it became uneconomically repairable. I'd already repaired the pump a couple of times. Then I replaced it with a Hotpoint, one of those that is like 90% of the other dishwashers in the USA. It was a noisy piece of junk that lasted about four years and I was glad it wore out. I replaced it with a Swedish Asko, which has been a great machine. Should I say mechanical timer? Yes!! I put it in over 13 years ago and it's still going strong. When my mother needed to buy a new one, Asko wasn't available in her area but Bosch was, I recommended it, and that's what she's got. People go to Home Depot, see what's for sale and think the higher priced units are the best. Not necessarily. The Asko and the Bosch were not the most expensive, but they cost more than comparable machines. People might shrink at spending more $ for a machine with no more visible capability, but longer life in service usually more than makes up for the additional up-front cost.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Well in the UK

...it has got to the point that some white goods are so cheap to buy that consumers simply will not pay for a better quality, rather they favour something very cheap, with a view to changing it more often than they may have done in the past.

I do not like this idea per-se, but then no consumer can be blamed for being in this mind set when you see the minimal prices which some goods can be bought for.

 

[sebo_fan]

Yes and similarly when said cheap appliance breaks down and owner tries to get parts in, it is difficult.

 

[director12]

My old laundry appliances were GE. While made in America, the parts were from China. I now have an Electrolux and Bosch washer and dryer. After my GE units died, I decided to never buy GE ever again.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

director12

My solution: buy VERY OLD GE stuff.

~Ben

 

[director12]

I would, but my father doesn't approve of owning vintage appliances. I mean, my 32-year old brother has vintage appliances in his ranch house up in Levitown, PA.

 

[danemodsandy]

William:

It's too bad your father feels the way he does. Vintage appliances are not only fun and cool, they're CHEAP.

I recently bagged a General Electric range from 1972, the Model J 370. It's a 30-inch range, only one model away from the top-of-the-line. It has a lighted control panel, P*7 self-cleaning, an automatically timed oven and an automatically timed convenience outlet. There is a Sensi-Temp burner that is thermostatically controlled like an electric skillet; you dial a temperature and the burner will not exceed it. That same burner also has Coil Select; you can set the burner so that only 4 inches, or six inches or eight inches of its surface will heat, maximizing efficiency with smaller pieces of cookware. There is also a griddle that fits on the Sensi-Temp burner; you need never worry about burning pancakes, bacon and the like. Many of these features are not available on today's ranges, at any price.

Cost? Fifty dollars, and every single thing on it works. It is all porcelain outside; there is NOTHING painted on its exterior.

My Maytag 806 pair (1968) was all of $75. The KitchenAid KDS-55 dishwasher (1966) was free. My Amana RR-4D microwave (1974) was $6. My Singer Touch-Tronic 2001 sewing machine (1978) was $130, in the top-of-the-iine Flip 'n Sew cabinet.

Yes, I've put some money, time and expertise into repairing certain things on a couple of appliances, but nothing like what it would cost to buy new stuff. And nothing new comes close to the quality I have.

So, while I respect your dad's preference, I also hope that one day he'll be in someone's house and see vintage appliances doing their job - safely, effectively and economically. Maybe the light bulb will go on over his head!

P.S.: The photo below is my "new" range. Now I ask you - does that LOOK like an old, broken-down piece of crap?

 

[director12]

Let me think...

No, it doesn't.

 

[danemodsandy]

You Think That's Something:

Yep, it looks pretty much like new outside. But with a good cleaning, so can many ranges.

Here's the real kicker - the inside of a forty-one-year-old oven. See how she gleams! That's old-time self-cleaning for you.

 

[suckolux]

Damn, jealous!

 

[danemodsandy]

David:

Don't be jealous - that range represents a four-year search across the entire Midwest. At that, I was not the one who found it - a friend in Wausau, WI (polkanut69 here) turned it up on his local Craiglist. Had it not been for him, I would STILL be searching!

What was absolutely wonderful was that another friend was traveling across the Midwest to pick up a Frigidaire washer and dryer for himself, and he brought the range to me - no shipping hassles at all, and the gentlest care it could possibly have had along the way.

Here's another shot of it - this time, the cooktop, showing the controls more closely. You can also see the Sensi-Temp sensor in the middle of the large burner at the right front. The small knob at far right is the Coil Select switch, and the burner control immediately to the left of the Coil Select is the Sensi-Temp control:

 

[danemodsandy]

Close-Up:

And here's a really close shot of the Sensi-Temp controls:

 

[vac-o-matic]

Wow, that's a purdy stove! Hard to believe it's age. I have acquired a Kitchenaid dishwasher from the mid 80's, still a Hobart product. Old Kenmore is pulled out, still waiting for the KA to go in. The couple I bought it from was rehabbing their kitchen and said it worked fine, just wanted all new. Hope it works ok!

 

[director12]

Yeah, lets hope it works.

 

[cocoaboo48]

China products

I agree that the vacuums and other appliances from China are junk. The average lifespan of China made vacuums is less than 5 years. I have 1950's Hoover Connies that are still working great. Also the Kirby is good if you don't mind the clumsiness of them. My Kirby is very tough. One can vacuum up nails with it and it will be fine! Other things to avoid from China are pet foods or treats. All pet toys and toys for children. They use lead paint. Also don't buy human food either from China it is poison.

 

[tolivac]

Vacuum nails with your Kirby--how many fans have you gone through?Just wondering.I use the Shop Vac for nails.Save my Kirby for less demanding cleaning jobs that don't involve nails.

 

[sebo_fan]

I really don't mind where the appliance is made - as long as it holds up and I've had a few Chinese made vacuums that have lasted for more than 5 years - of all the appliances I have had that have been made Chinese made that don't last have been hand mixers. They burn out too early if, like me you're a seasonal baker.

However, the biggest surprise is my Chinese made hand stick blender - it is made by a budget company and it is still working after being bought in 2002!

I think it comes down to personal experience.

I wouldn't dream of ever using a Kirby to vacuum up nails or hard grit. They're made to last but they're not made to be abused. I'm pretty sure the average American home that doesn't have loose nails embedded in all of the carpet!

 

[tolivac]

I hope folks don't have nails in their carpets-wouldn't want to walk around in there barefoot-you would need steel sole shoes!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

I'd buy an old Sunbeam Mixmaster "Burst of Power" hand mixer even if it reads "Assembled in Mexico" on it. My parents once had a model 3-76 Mixmaster Heavy Duty in almond that dated from circa 1980.

~Ben

 

[moderneezer]

If you people support quality in products and oppose downgrading, here's an article you might want to print.



http://www.kevinpezzi.com/blog/made-in-China_junk.php

 

[sebo_fan]

Ha. The poster likes Bosch products. Good luck trying to convince yourself that a Bosch cylinder vac is better than Miele. IMHO they're flimsy, difficult to find bags for and everything fits on friction fit. Not as durable as Miele and not as well made.

 

[paulinroyton]

Miele

I have always been a big fan of Miele products. Some years ago my partner bought me a Miele upright for Xmas, can't remember the model number but it was yellow in colour. I tried it out on Xmas day and it sounded like a tractor. On Boxing Day we took it back to currys and it was exchanged for a new one. I had that for a few months and the bag full indicator kept on falling out every time I changed the bag, underneath the 2 plastic side suction channels kept falling out.

I found it very heavy, the hose very short. At this moment in time I am using a vintage Hoover senior. Never lets me down, cheap for bags and belts.

Paul