Junk, junk, junk

[Rod Sheridan]

Thanks Peter, I have a less expensive one that isn't electric.......Those sure are nice kettles...............Rod.

[Robert Engel]

Even high quality machines can end up with a faulty component. I had a DW jigsaw with a sticky switch. Problem was case was rubbing on switch. Filed with an emery board no problems since.

Don't discount the whole saw because the switch went bad. But I would be p***ed too if I had to buy a new saw because I couldn't get a switch. Have you researched that fully on ereplacementparts.com?

[Keith Weber]

I own some high quality Chinese products...

That comment literally made me laugh out loud. I guess high-quality is a subjective term that's relative to what you're used to. I'm sure even that Plymouth Voyager would seem high-quality to a guy that's upgrading from a Ford Pinto or an AMC Pacer.

[Marion Smith]

I contend that for decades now, products are designed, manufactured and sold with only two people in mind. Those two are the CEO, and the shareholder.

[Mike Holbrook]

I solved the cut off saw problem just recently:

Saw:glue station.jpg

I'm in the process of installing a drop table on the back of this saw station. The top is a Festool top, so I can use my Festool T55 or a Carvex on the table. It will have drop down wheels too. The Stanley 150 miter box has all the accuracy I need and provides a little exercise too.

[Martin Wasner]

I contend that for decades now, products are designed, manufactured and sold with only two people in mind. Those two are the CEO, and the shareholder.

The smart shareholders, or board, place a CEO will make them the most money. I can't imagine it working any other way. If they are going to make more money selling junk to the uninformed consumer, you're fooling yourself that they will take any other path.

[roger wiegand]

With modern manufacturing technology it is going to be nearly impossible for a repair to be competitive with a "pitch and replace" model from a dollar point of view. Repair requires a lot of infrastructure, parts warehouses, distribution networks, a skilled person to diagnose the problem, then a one-by-one manual, disassemble, replace, reassemble process. It probably takes even a skilled, experienced person a half hour to replace a switch in a power tool. The assembly of a new tool takes a small fraction of that, done by unskilled labor or a robot. I'm not at all surprised that repair is generally uneconomic.

The tradeoff is that we get generally very good, very inexpensive tools that need to be replaced rather than repaired. The vast majority of us have voted with our feet on this issue, buying the products from Bosch, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, Festool and others that offer a pretty sweet spot of price and performance, even when price is considered from a total cost of ownership perspective that factors in un-repairability.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Its funny how often we fail to see the irony in our own lives... We complain about poor schools - and high property taxes. About excessive corporate profits - and failing companies. About cheap tools - and expensive tools. And sometimes I do both in the same breath.

We celebrate success - - just not too MUCH success!

[Bob Glenn]

I haven't taken the switch apart yet, I'll wait for the new one to arrive. However, since at first it wouldn't shut off until I pried the trigger out, I think the contacts corroded or were worn, thereby increasing the electrical resistance. Probably welded the contacts together when they got hot enough. It happens occasionally with automotive relays. Ever heard a horn that would not shut off?

[Bob Glenn]

Here's an update. Got the switch that wasn't designated for the saw, but one that looked like it would fit. Guess what? Same part. Went right in, same wires plugged in, works like a charm. Now I'm wondering, does Hitachi know what they're doing or is this a little plan to sell more saws?

As an aside, I checked to see if I could order a switch replacement for the Delta miter saw that has a bad switch also. Again, the switch has been discontinued. I guess I'll go back to my hand tools.

[Garth Almgren]

Which Hitachi saw do you have, and what was your source and part number for the replacement switch?

My C10FCE2 is still going strong, but I don't use it every day either...

[Mark Blatter]

Just had to replace our microwave because the door on the old one cracked and was falling to pieces. A new door ~100-150. A new Microwave $170 incl tax delivery. There's no way around the disposable nature of those prices. IMO

My first microwave was a graduation gift in 1984. It cost about $1200 and I was using it until 2007 when we finally sold it at a garage sale. It was just so big it took up serious counter space, but it still worked great. Not a thing didn't work.

Yes, many tools today are junk. Some are still good quality, but as others have pointed out, higher priced. It transfers to most other areas of life. Flying today is so much worse than when I took my first flight in 1975. No meals, seats 30% smaller, crammed aircraft, etc. Yet the price is, relatively speaking, much cheaper.

[Dave Zellers]

[QUOTE=Bob Glenn;2568048] Now I'm wondering, does Hitachi know what they're doing or is this a little plan to sell more saws?

Yes and Yes.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have four Hitachi commercial grade saws, a 15', 10" slide and two 8 1/4" slides. None has ever needed so much as a brush and the one 8 1/4" was the first slide to come out, 25 years old at least and used by 100 guys, abused every day.

Quit buying Box store junk.

[Robert Parent]

In my view quality has and will always cost dollars (BTW, don't forget to adjust your dollars for inflation when comparing past to present)...... I much prefer many of the new tools compared to those of years past. The design and safety features are many times better for a majority of tools. Today there are tools available which can do things one could only dream of in the past. For hand power tools, variable speed, soft start, electronic braking, etc are just a couple of the features that many expect today that were not generally available in the past at any price.

Robert