Where are your tools made?

[Lean Angle]

Anytime I shop for tools, I am pretty sure I pick up just about every one on the shelf looking to see where it is made. I more or less refuse to buy anything chinese, and I always try to find USA made. Boy is that a challenge!

I was wondering if any of you do the same thing, and if there are any brands you have found that are mostly US manufactured.

When I bought my router, I was surprised to find Porter cables manufactured in mexico, and Bosch made in the US. I choose the bosh and have not been disappointed. As far as I can tell all the Bosch router bits are USA made too

I'm also currious where the various high end table saws are made, as that will probably be my next purchase. Grizzly? Jet? Delta?

[Kyle Kraft]

Welcome to the Creek, Lean!! Most of my stuff (JET) is made in Taiwan. I have mostly old school dewalt and milwaukee which are made in USA.

[kipp yeakel]

I usually buy what ever tool gets the best ratings when reviewed by Fine Woodworking, Wood, American Woodworker, etc. If the tool happens to be USA made then that's even better. I usually steer away from HF and other bargain basement tool sellers. I have bought Grizzly, (Taiwan and China made) Jet (Taiwan made) and Delta (Some Taiwan, some Mexico, not sure if USA made any longer). I've been very happy with my Grizzly purchases, and their support after the sale. I've also been happy with my Jet tablesaw and their support. Delta on the other hand has been a disappointment on both initial quality and support.

Finding USA made in this global economy is getting harder and harder. My GM vehicles are made in Canada and Mexico. I cannot buy gasoline that doesn't support the middle east. Probably Toyotas or Hondas are more USA made than cars from the big three..

Good luck finding those elusive USA made tools!

Kipp

[Jason Beam]

Dunno ... they work, so i never bothered to check.

[Pat Zabrocki]

This is an interesting question. I recently bought a new vehicle, a Buick Enclave and boy is it nice. Friends were telling me to check out the Lexus, Mercedes etc... but I said "no, it had to be made in the US and the profit had to stay in the US too" (I know the Lexus is made in the US but the profit goes out of the country). Anyway, your question makes me feel like a hypocrite and has given me cause to rethink my purchases. I buy American vehicles (really big purchases) but I have a lot of Grizzly. I can't say that I'll just change over night but I've certainly given myself something to think about.

On the other hand, I wonder how many creekers are sticklers about buying American tools but have Hondas and Toyotas in the garage? Hmmm... something to think about anyway.

BTW, I'm not getting on a soap box about buying American by any means. I certainly don't hold anything agains anyone that uses different criteria to make their purchases. Heck, apparently I don't have a consistant criteria other than to help out the home team when I can.

cheers
Pat

[Kermit Hodges]

95% of mine were made in American at least 50 years ago.

[Alfred Clem]

U.S.A., England, Germany, Japan, China, Taiwan, Mexico. All good products, well-designed, and well made.

A friend recently criticized me for buying a Toyota Sienna minivan. He went on and on about how he wouldn't buy anything made by a former enemy of the U.S.

I pointed out to him that my Sienna was assembled in Indiana. He didn't know that his Audi (Auto Industrie Deutsche Industrie) was manufactured in Germany. Tee hee.

[Alfred Clem]

Correction: AUDI stands for Auto Union Deutsche Industrie. My fingers are sleepy this morning.

[Lean Angle]

Cars are very tricky. A lot of times you don't know where its made unless you check that particular vehicle's markings. And who knows where the parts were made.

I don't worry about where the profits go. That part of my purchase pretty much goes to those with plenty of money (executives and such) or stock holders (could be anyone in any country). But the non-profit portion of my purchase is going to pay the salaries of people like you and me, and that's who I care about.

I don't mind buying things from other countries if I can't buy US. It's China that really bothers me. Mainly because they don't play fair, and the quality is often questionable. Craftsman used to make good power tools for instance, now its mostly made in china. I blew up a jigsaw and a router in the same day! Both almost new.

Quality is certainly my biggest concern, but there are other things to consider. For instance, a Japanese pull saw, in my opinion SHOULD be made in japan.

[Gary Keedwell]

Americans like good tools at a cheap price, period. I like to call it Wal- Martized. As long as 90% of Americans buy their tools at the big box stores, manufacturers are going to design tools that are inexpensive to make and have a short life span. They know that Americans like to buy the same tools over and over again like we keep buying cars. It is kinda based on the "throw away mentality" theory.
Anyways, that was my big thought for the day. I gotta go lay down now.

Gary K.

[Chuck Lenz]

I think some of the higher end Delta is still made in the USA. Like the X line of equipment. I'm not sure. This is really kind of a touchy subject for me. I won't get into how I feel about what this country has done with jobs, or the people that think a certain machinery importer is so great.

[Kacey Zach]

It is very hard to find anything made in the US. I tend to buy based on sales and reviews by magazines and other users. If all else is equal I would much rather have a made in the US tool or anything for that matter.

Big equipment like tablesaws, what is left in the US? The PM66 is the only thing I can think of and that is being discontinued soon if not already. I don't think the newer Unis are made here anymore either.

[Chuck Lenz]

U.S.A., England, Germany, Japan, China, Taiwan, Mexico. All good products, well-designed, and well made.

A friend recently criticized me for buying a Toyota Sienna minivan. He went on and on about how he wouldn't buy anything made by a former enemy of the U.S.

I pointed out to him that my Sienna was assembled in Indiana. He didn't know that his Audi (Auto Industrie Deutsche Industrie) was manufactured in Germany. Tee hee.

I don't think you can put China, Taiwan or Mexico in the same class as the USA, Germany or even Canada as someone else has said.

[Bruce Benjamin]

I don't think you can put China, Taiwan or Mexico in the same class as the USA, Germany or even Canada as someone else has said.

I can and do. To each their own. I just believe that America hasn't received much more support from Canada or Germany than from those other countries. You have your own standards to judge by and from prior conversations that you and I have had I can be certain that your ideas frequently don't match mine. You're entitled to your opinions of course. I'll keep mine thanks.

Bruce

[Jason Beam]

I don't think you can put China, Taiwan or Mexico in the same class as the USA, Germany or even Canada as someone else has said.

I disagree. Maybe I'm reading you wrong, but it sounds to me like you're implying that China, Taiwan and Mexico are incapable of producing ANY quality and that no good tools come from those countries. One step further, it sounds like you are saying that no tools made by those three countries compares in quality to a US made one of the same type?

That seems awefully general. I'd bet that every countery has both good and bad manufacturers. I'd also bet some of those good manufacturers could give us a run for our money.

Maybe I'm just reading you wrong.