Was There Ever a Time For Great Asian Tools?

[Dave MacArthur]

Well jeez. That's quite a lamb blasting.

LOL. Well, I was just trying to give a more precise and succinct framework to a question that was fraught with danger due to it's vagueness Ermmm, no lambasting intended!

[Mark Bolton]

I think Porter Cable is a poor example. In this case the corporation made a good decision [IMHO] by giving the consumer clearer choices about the level of tool they want to buy. This way we can compare various brands on a more even playing field.

They chose Delta and DeWalt to be their professional brands, Porter Cable a higher end homeowner brand, and Black and Decker their 'I'm not a tool person' brand.

I think DeWalt did exactly what they intended to with their acquisition of PC. They diminished the PC line in quality moving a significant portion of its public presence into a low end consumer line of tools. Delta got them moved into stationary tools where they were years and years ago. The PC part serves to elevate Dewalt which until recently has been known for construction tools but has been moving into what was PC territory. It was a strictly strategic decision, and actually a smart one, pertaining to market share.

Not counting the "real" DeWalt of old, DeWalt suffered many of the issues you elude to with regards to Grizzly. They went through a long period of quality issues early on and only in the last several years have they moved from that but personally I still dont like them in the shop or in the field.

What I was speaking directly to in my response was a business philosophy similar to, but on a smaller scale, that was in a recent post regarding Lee Valley. It spoke to someone bringing in an 8 year old square and LV crediting the purchase price out of good conscience. Now we cant expect all companies to operate at that level but gone are the days where someone is trying to make a better tool because its simply what you should be doing as a tool maker. Now the only motivation is if it will generate adequate profit. Profit is always in the equation its just how big a part does it play.

Mark

[Will Overton]

Now we cant expect all companies to operate at that level but gone are the days where someone is trying to make a better tool because its simply what you should be doing as a tool maker. Now the only motivation is if it will generate adequate profit. Profit is always in the equation its just how big a part does it play.

Absolutely! In any industry that is made up mostly of conglomerates, there is no or very little pride, or feeling of responsibility.

When banks serviced a community they had an interest in writing only good mortgages. But then they went national/global ...

[Chris Tsutsui]

The time is "now" for good asian tools.

Technology and safety is reaching higher levels than ever and the globe is working together to provide various levels of value.

Heck, If Japan wants to sell a tool cheaper they will outsource labor or ownership to America.

[Greg Portland]

has there ever been a time when Asian tools were of significant quality, to the point that you'd consider one over a US/Europe machine?

You could make the same statement about US machine quality versus European machines (SCMI, Felder, etc.).

[Van Huskey]

LOL. Well, I was just trying to give a more precise and succinct framework to a question that was fraught with danger due to it's vagueness Ermmm, no lambasting intended!

So do you baste your lamb first or blow it apart first then baste...

I think you gotta blast first since if you don't all the basting liquid will get sucked up in the wool, or do you need to blast it first so you can baste it back together, or maybe it doesn't matter who cares if you beat it up before or after you blast it... I guess it just depends what baste you are basing it on.