Oh goody. It'll be like oil. Let's get totally dependent on another country for our stuff. Wheeee.Originally Posted by Mike O'Melia
Oh goody. It'll be like oil. Let's get totally dependent on another country for our stuff. Wheeee.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
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What? I resent being accused of being a rational buyer. You should see the inside of my garage. (In fact, I wish I could see the inside of my garage.)
Pricing is not quite the whole story of economics. How could we explain Apple Computer with that theory?
But I agree that once a product, or rather the public's idea of the product, is more or less standardized then pricing becomes the significant factor.
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Remember I said, "meets the needs of the consumer" and not just price. For example, many people paid fairly high prices for the iPhone because they perceived that it had features that they wanted, and they were willing to pay for.
So putting this in woodworking terms, let's say our hypothetical rational buyer wants a #5 size plane. They have a lot of options available to them, and lots of advice from places like this. They will make a decision based on what which product best meets their needs, which includes the price.
The company that "succeeds" will be the one that creates a plane that best meets the needs of a large percentage of the rational woodworkers who want to buy a plane (and that includes the price they are willing to pay). Marketing plays a part in this success because the company has to get the word out to the woodworkers about their plane, its features, availability, and its price.
Apple has always built products with features (including looks) that appeal to a certain segment of consumers and those consumers are willing to pay a bit more for Apple products and those features. Perhaps the reason Apple doesn't have the majority share of the computer market is because many consumers are more concerned with price than with the "features" of an Apple computer.
Mike
[LN and LV have done well in the market for woodworkers who want a plane that performs well out of the box. If WoodRiver (for example) can offer a plane that performs well out of the box at a significantly lower price, we would expect a significant percentage of those rational buyers to purchase the WoodRiver plane instead of the LN or LV.]
Last edited by Mike Henderson; 06-27-2009 at 5:47 PM.
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
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I own several Bosch tools, and from a quality perspective they are some of the best tools in my workshop. As long as they continue to market a quality product, I will continue to be one of their customers.
Steve
Member
Why is this in Deals and Discounts????
Member
Cap and trade is going to put the final nail in US manufacturing... NOTHING will be made here any more...
Member
My estimate is china has about three more business cycles (20 to 35 years) before they price themselves out of the cheap export market. The chinese are no different than us. They want their 6000 inch tvs, the six cars in the drive way of the 7500 sq foot house. So they're going to start unions and so forth, demand higher pay, equal rights, double time on holidays... Then I guess it will be africas turn at an industrial revolution... And then after that it will be what ever region on the planet that's the poorest where cheap labour is easily exploited. And the cycle will keep going round and round.
Most nations like America are still in the manufacturing business. They "manufacture" (can't think of the right terminology) technology and knowledge so to speak and then export that to other nations. The trick is to keep ahead of the other economically evolving nations.
Sent from the bathtub on my Samsung Galaxy(C)S5 with waterproof Lifeproof Case(C), and spell check turned off!
[OP]
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It does look like a well made sander, if it holds up good fine. It would be nice to know where it's made before you buy. I try to USA if the price isn't too much higher, a lot of tools aren't that far apart any more. This belt sander Bosch 1276d 4 x 24 and heavy was under $100 shipped from Amazon Steve
[OP]
Member
Bosch 4 x 24 model 1276d for under $100 shipped from Amazon seems way better than the normal $250 or so. I should have posted this sooner. Steve
Member
Made in China.
Is NOT going to change by complaing - and certainly NOT by a few people NOT buying made in China stuff.
Get used to it.
Get creative.
Get ingenuity.
Do something that they don't do.
Once you develop something ingenious.
Get in make in China - and get a higher return on your investment.
Uhhh - we DO - like to make money? - no?
we DO look to make the highest gains possible?
If you disagree with this - you most likely do NOT have a 401K or an IRA, and have no investments at all and don't care about how your retirement savings is doing. Cause THAT is what it is al about.
China is fully capable of making excellent quality products. We teach them how to do it.
Bosch - German quality - they also teach the Chinese how to do the quality.
So now we >all< are faced with HOW to make a >global< economy work.
Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 06-28-2009 at 9:33 AM.
Member
I don't really give a damn what your background or experience is... but we DO NOT refer to the Japanese by that slur anymore, and I think you owe a serious apology to some of the Japanese and Japanese descendant members we have here on SMC!
Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 06-28-2009 at 9:34 AM.
Choosing Windows 7/8 over Apple OSX and IOS is sort of like choosing Harbor Freight tools over Festool!
“They come from the desert, but it is we who have our heads in the sand.”
― Ben Weingarten
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[QUOTE=Leo Voisine;1165010]Made in China.
Uhhh - we DO - like to make money? - no?
we DO look to make the highest gains possible?
If you disagree with this - you most likely do NOT have a 401K or an IRA, and have no investments at all and don't care about how your retirement savings is doing. Cause THAT is what it is al about.
QUOTE]
Leo,
I don't know what planet you are living on but my 401K is spread across stocks and bonds and it's in the toilet right now.
I work for one of the largest global corporations in the world. On any given day I could be talking to a co-worker from France to yes even China.
Ken
So much to learn, so little time.....
Member
I think what Leo means here is that it is the whole shareholder desire/demand for an increase in their portfolio over time that forces companies to look to cheaper manufacturing options.If you disagree with this - you most likely do NOT have a 401K or an IRA, and have no investments at all and don't care about how your retirement savings is doing. Cause THAT is what it is al about.
QUOTE]
Leo,
I don't know what planet you are living on but my 401K is spread across stocks and bonds and it's in the toilet right now.
the fact that all the stocks are at a low right now has nothing to do with it, thats just a ebb in the typical ebb/flow process of the stock market (ok, so sticking with the tide theme, it is a rather serious minus tide, but it is still just a swing)
fledgling weekend warrior
Member
I have actually had good luck with Chinese made tools that have major brand names on them. It's the way cheapo stuff ya gotta watch out for [like Homier and Cummins stuff]
I remember my last helper bought a belt sander from Harbor Freight. I didn't think it would last very long but it's still going two years later. I think it's a Chicago Electric.
You just never know these days, but I'd bet that with the PC name on it, you'll be alright.
Contributor
Ok. Ok. IMHO we complain about quality, lack there of, and then complain when we have to pay for quality. If we are going to complain, rant, etc. about any thing consider this. First, we, yes we, are almost as guilty as the large corporations when it comes to wanting what we want for nothing. Second, if we are going try to "buy American", perhaps we should all do it for the right reasons. Now I consider China a third world country, based on human rights, excessive pollution, etc.. Every day in these countries large corporations from the USA, with the help of our consumerism, use, exploit, and yes sometimes hurt through poor working conditions, the people of those countries. Child labor is exploited in what amounts to basically sweat shops. Oh and who helps these people if they get hurt "on the job"???? Oh that's right , no one really. Someone from Africa once said to me "if you don't work, you don't eat". Government, being bought and paid for by large corp., is in and of itself a self corrupting machine only caring as far as it has to to stay in power through votes, violence, etc. In the mean time back at home...."how dare they charge so much for that "made in USA" part". "How dare they pay that auto worker so much money. He's greedy." I could go on and on but I think we can all "get the picture."
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