Never used anything from Tekton, and had no idea their stuff was made in the US. Gonna have to check out some of their larger wrenches and see what they offer. I’m lacking in that department, say 1” or 22mm plus. And I refuse to spend $75 per from Snap On and want something higher than harbor freight quality.
Tekton has been slowly replacing my Craftsman inventory since Sears withered away. I find their socket wrenches, box-end wrenches, and sockets as satisfying as the vintage stuff they replace. That may sound like damning with faint praise, but these days not having to compromise is a win in my book.
my limited experience with tekton has been good. what i'd like to point out is that taiwan is not china. taiwan is our ally and they need our support. we should all be mindful of that going forward.
Sometimes I wonder if we have any right getting inbetween Taiwan and China. It would be like if China had supported the Tories during the War of Independence, helped them flee to Cuba, and were supporting them.
Amen, I didn’t want to hijack the thread, but while Taiwan may be utterly dependent on us, that doesn’t make them an ally.
Were we to be attacked, can we expect Taiwan to rush to our defense? The very thought is ridiculous. They are honorable, freedom-loving people, but why does that fact buy them a place in the very long line of countries that apparently have a call on the lives of young American men?
All China has to do is throw a blockade around Taiwan and the issue is over.
We do not. Half the USA wants to secede. We should solve our problems and leave the other side of the globe alone. Nothing would be better for this country than an amicable breakup which will not happen. We just had a bank run and we’re fighting a proxy war with Russia and china. We are retarded.
In the case of having the option to pick and choose components for a DIY PC build, Taiwan is an important player. Most components I'm currently using are probably made by them. The equation is muddled by Foxconn's operations in China.
I always thought of Tekton as basically Amazon premium but had no idea they had that kind of commitment to MIUSA, I thought it was just all Taiwanese. Very cool. Might be a new development? I have one of their torque wrenches and some ball-end Allens. Dey gud.
I am not sure that it is MIUSA, so much as transparency and not PRC to the extent possible while still meeting a price point, although that is pure speculation on my part. I would be curious if there is someone there that Jack or Ronnie could talk to about if they have a "philosophy" or if it is just good business.
I have a set of Tekton wrenches that I picked up at Meijer well over 10 years ago so I could build up a new BMX frame in a parking lot.
They're certainly nothing special, but they've been reliable and have resisted all of my attempts to lose any of them. I'd buy them again, but I don't think I'll ever need to!
Maybe I'm in the minority around here but I do not give a shit where something is made. Products are only as good as their quality control regardless of country of origin so I give a big shit about the company making it and how much they dedicate to making sure they ship a solid product. I'm by no means a professional wrencher but haven't had any issues with my Pittsburgh/Icon tools from Harbor Freight.
You might be in the minority but we don't punish minorities here!
I believe that supporting American labor helps the country stay afloat and promotes higher wages, and better working conditions, around the world. I have been asking MY clients to "buy American" for 30 years and I do the same. This is particularly important to me right now because I got bounced from a promising job for being a white man; the CIO was Indian, everyone else on the org chart was Indian, and after 4 interviews I got to him and all he could do was talk to me about "can you be a fit with our company culture". Then I got the fuck-off notice.
Consider it a blessing, as I doubt your physical whiteness is the only thing that would have prevented you from fitting in. A close friend of mine got fired from his last solution architect gig for "disrespecting" a guy like that.
It's hard enough getting a job in tech without having to deal with the caste system, too. I'm already dealing with being overeducated, over experienced but unqualified because I haven't used every single thing in a given company's shitty tech stack on the job for 3+ years. It feels like the market has gotten worse since the beginning of February - and more FAANG layoffs are coming down the pike. That Silicon Valley Bank failure is likely a bad sign, too, as they were apparently real popular with tech startups.
This country doesn't make anything anymore. The white collar tech work feels at least as unstable as manufacturing ever was, because there's no tangible value add involved. I'd much rather have a job working in one of the tool and die shops that supported Dayton in its heyday than be some glorified spreadsheet/powerpoint monkey in some stupid SaaS or financial services company.
I'm not going to belabor it but those who support the alt - right are also hurting American manufacturing as those are the ones who are endlessly busting Unions and then lying claiming to be "Law and Order!" types who support the Working Class .
This is why the gop hates free education : they hate educated voters .
True Conservatism supports fairness and equality .
I don't use "okay Boomer" very often, but it feels applicable here.
If you're still blaming Republicans for everything, you're part of the fucking problem. Hell, Biden BRAGGED about breaking the railroad workers' strike. Both parties are complete whores for corporate interests and don't give a fuck about you.
And dismissing conservative voters as ignorant "alt-right" racists isn't productive. If anything, it just helps the Mitch McConnell types in preventing the working class from wrestling control of the party away from the big business shills. Don't get me wrong, I DESPISE the Republican Party, and I think Trump was a fucking moron who would have quickly sold his limited principles down the river if he'd get some praise out of it. But Republican voters are sick of being told they need to just shut up and accept their lot in the name of diversity, or science, or the elusive greater good, and I can't say I blame them.
We need a third party that rejects all the dog whistle social issue bullshit (that nobody ever does anything about anyway) and focuses solely on uniting people around worker rights. That's never gonna happen, because too many people have built their whole identity around R versus D nonsense and aren't actually capable of listening to their fellow Americans.
I'm a Conservative too and I don't think anyone should suck it up, that's more B.S. from the gop who only ever wants to help the 15 and fuck those who actually work for a living like I do .
The GOP hates unions. I hate the GOP. Heck i might hate them more than democrats at this point. They do nothing and they're useless. of course, the unions didnt do their jobs and protect their workers during covid vaccine mandates
I also agree that Unions often don't do their assigned and _PAID_FOR_ job, I was taken into a 'Skelly Hearing" , this is supposedly the last step before you're terminated, no warning, nothing of the mandated prior steps before adjourning a Skelly hearing, and the Local 347 Union Rep. Dick Wallman , known as 'sleepy dick' walked in sat down and fell asleep ~ I had to defend my self not having a clue why I was there what are the rules were etc.
I said I didn't know why I was there as I had dome _exactly_ what I'd been told to do, the asshole who started this as a personal vendetta said "yes, that is but but he should have known to do differently" ~ ?! what the hell ?! had I not done *exactly* what I was told to do this same jerkhoff would have had me up for insubordination .
That union sucked but I watched some of the other employees who didn't join get tossed right under the bus and screwed ~ I got a month suspension without pay and a healthy respect for documenting every single thing forever more .
The gop, if it followed through with what they claim to be would be a great asset to the Working Class instead of shills who back stab every one who votes for them but the 1% .
Rant over for now .
IMO We're on the same page here, I'm no liberal that's for _damn_sure_ .
I want hard working Americans to have good honest jobs with good honest wages. Sadly i don’t trust either side of the political spectrum to give this to hard working Americans.
Nate, I’m really not sure what exactly alt-right is: To me it’s those who’s oppose the chamber of commerce, country club set in the Republican Party. The opposition I see to unions, at least in the private sector, is most deeply entrenched among that type and, even more deeply, among libertarians.
There is definitely strong opposition to public sector unions, a position that was held by such stalwart conservatives as FDR and JFK.
Full disclosure: My name is on the charter of my Union Local. I was instrumental in organizing it and have served in several officer positions over the last two decades.
I must say though, I find the politics of the International repellent.
I too am along time Union Member and prouldly so ~ I have walked the lines and all the rest .
S.E.I.U.371 .
The facts remain that the alt-right is made up of poorly educated and highly racist people who fail to grasp that those whom they support hate and fear them and will hurt their supporters at any given chance .
I'm very proud to be Blue Collar and a Union Member .
I'm not going down the rabbit hole of "he said / she said" when it comes to untruths about Union support .
Holding American companies responsible for their manufacturing in other parts of the world promotes higher wages and better conditions out there. Supporting American manufacturing would just help Americans. Personally, I don't see value in buying something just because it was made in America. If it meets my needs, has a price I'm willing to pay and just so happens to be made in America then cool...take my money! If it's made somewhere else then they get my money.
Economic reliance on other countries is the new nuclear deterrent. In 2021 we imported over $500 billion in goods from China. If we suddenly stopped buying from them, their economy takes a massive hit that their own internal demand won't be able to make up for. I imagine we're seeing China getting more bold with it's actions around the world in response to the infrastructure act passing. Us domesticating manufacturing threatens their country just as much as any military activities would. This is like...90% conjecture and other than the cost of imported goods isn't based on any other facts. If someone more knowledgeable about global economics steps in with a fact-filled dissertation on why I'm wrong I'd be happy to read it!
Sorry to hear you didn't meet their cultural standards but I don't get the link between being rejected because you're not Indian and buying American. Plenty of American companies would do the same thing under the guise of "cultural fit".
As an American, we should support americans first. Supportimg other countries venture capitalist who promote slave labor and outsourcing manufacturing to thirld worl countries who ignore our environmental laws means we cant compete on price or quality. I don’t love our environmental regulations but having them and ignoring them for low labor costs is a lose lose
There are many cases of entry-ism from ethnic groups which don't share the same "best man for the job" values. This is unironically paralleled with HR entryism and "representation" pushes in hiring which are politically-ideologically aligned and which James Damore was fired for simply because he noticed and wrote a well-put together and factually backed document. Tribal affiliation and clan-orientation is about one step removed from racial identification which is something pretty much everyone else on the planet does from the Han Chinese, to the Brahmin Indians, to the Hutus and Tutsis. Outside of cheap labor it is utterly bizarre that a people should favor those outside of their own communities and it really comes across as a rationalization for why I should enjoy cheap electronics or a CONSOOMER lifestyle.
Yes, supporting American manufacturing does primarily go to support and improve the lives of my fellow Americans. I should prefer and make my priority caring for my own house and my brethren over dubious claims of helping the poor masses. If I help the "poor masses" in China by enriching the ruling class who corrupt our planet (they aren't following our environmental regs), practically enslave workers such that SUICIDE NETS are installed at Foxconn, and have a developed on-demand organ harvesting system. Well, maybe I should have focused closer to home and prevented my fellow citizen from losing his job, falling into opiate addiction, and destroying his life and family.
Editing to add: it is a false dichotomy as well. China/third world could be aided in ways that didn’t sell out our fellow citizens.
" because I got bounced from a promising job for being an opinionated white man with a bully pulpit " .
There - I fixed it for you .
I too believe in buying for quality whenever I can, the Chinese _can_ make top grade stuff when they want to .
I had a stubby 9/16" Horror Fright open end wrench snap off in my hand the first time I used it, not cool but I did only buy that tool for that job, I couldn't do it due to lack of tool .
In this case, Nate, Indian Americans are literally the richest group in America. Their average household income is 4x that of whites and 6x that of blacks. So they are neither miserable nor poor.
If I remember correctly, I think it is the Indians who help buy family member’s houses or get into one which is a plus in terms of easing the financial road for family and other ventures.
Might be another group, but I think that’s the one.
I dont want to step in any feet or make your comment section the degenerate side of the alt-right so feel free to delete but Indians make Jews look non tribal. We have a surprising number of Jewish clients. Considering my profession, I’m somewhat surprised they see a gentile CPA. That said, We have one Indian business client and maybe 3 1040s. The Indian CPA down the hall is clueless at his job and often hires us to help but he makes a killing on fees because 100% of his client base is Indians who do not trust non Indians.
Jack, check the labor laws in Ohio and in the state of any company you apply to or work for. Here in California, anyone over age 40 is a member of a so-called "protected class" against employment discrimination...
I’m in the Bay Area and my neighbor is in tech, he complains about the Indian mafia all the time. I generally exhort him to stop whining, but perhaps it’s more of a problem than I thought. One time I told he should marry an Indian lady, but he said they wouldn’t marry him, since he’s not white.
Yeah we are basically in the "No Irish Need Apply" stage of tech.
I knew a dude at Honda who married an Indian woman. She had a one person LLC and she got him contracts with Indian managers by hiding their relationship. Since the Pimp companies make as much as you do on a contract gig they were basically doubling his salary.
Not having data on the ACF readers' sentiment as to where tools are made, I would be willing to wager criteria which matter are working conditions, QC, and efficiency. Although I like purchasing items made in the USA, I have chosen products made in other countries on occasion, in which case the critical criterion is a specific feature. So far the trend I've noticed with medium and small US-based companies is that their customer focus and support is unlike the rest.
I try to purchase as much made in the USA as I can. Tools, clothes, etc. Exemptions are made for certain items, based on cost and how much I will use whatever I’m purchasing. Customer service is also a huge consideration for me and like you said, small US based companies typically offer the best.
You're absolutely correct about customer support being much better at most small to medium US companies. That's been my experience as well however good customer support is only a factor if something goes wrong. If you receive the part and it works just fine then the value of that support is diminished. Like motorcycle helmets and seat belts, it's only useful when you need it...to a vastly different degree of course since fewer people have died due to poor customer support than failing to wear a seat belt.
So far nothing has gone wrong for me so my interactions have been either pre-purchase or the company following up . It will probably sound like a westerner gushing about the Turkish bazaar rug vendor serving them tea, but here are some examples:
1. Although the ThermoWorks thermometer isn't made in the USA, they threw in a bag of jelly beans into the box.
2. At the time Jelt was offering complementary masks with each purchase. I declined because I didn't need one. I got an e-mail from a nice lady at the company asking for my size. I politely declined to claim one. I received one in the mail anyway not too long thereafter.
3. I signed up to be notified when Origin's Sharkfin cargo shorts would be available again. When the notification finally came in I was confused by the product photos. Customer support quickly confirmed that the design had changed, which meant I wouldn't be buying a pair.
I don't think any of these are make or break reasons, nonetheless to me they reflect an attitude of caring about the customer experience. The little touches are memorable.
Tool time warning: I ended up getting the Origin beanie as a Christmas gift. I'm impressed by how lightweight and warm it is. Compared to the ItchATron one I had before it feels like alien technology.
Ended up talking to one of their sales reps at PRI a couple years ago. Didn't know anything about them prior to that, but was thoroughly impressed with the products they had on hand. I haven't bought many tools since then, but have purchased a few Tektons, and plan to look to them when it's time to put another set together.
I will keep them in consideration, although after 42 years of wrenching, I am about done buying tools, I could use a nice set of crows feet sockets though.....
I like to buy and use American made things but he reality is : they're mostly priced right out of my budget and often the quality is abysmal to boot .
As I'm working on my 64 year old jalopy using my 50 year old tools I look at them and think 'I'm really glad I saved up to buy this specially bent wrench' (or whatever) as some times the angle or off set on the end of a hand tool makes or breaks it .
Now, it that old 1/4" drive 10MM 6 point socket wasn't so loose it drops off the end of my 50 year old ratchet so often....
Too bad I can't post pictures, I write up blurbs on what I do and there's several groups (mostly old Geezers) who love reading what, why and how I did something .
I can't lay any claim to being a serious cockman like Jack but I have declined for than a few offers over the years, when I do I realize I'm incurring a wrath that Khan never imagined, some have asked me "why not Nate ?" ~ 'because you fail to reach my rather low standards my dear' .
Cool! I don’t have but want a set of ratchet ing wrenches but they all seem to have a lot of girth and I expect they won’t fit into spaces that need wrenching. Any experience out there?
Tekton is discontinuing their reversible ratcheting wrenches. They’ve been on sale, but who knows what warranting them in the future may look like.
Most of the Taiwanese ratcheting wrenches are close to the same. Williams are the only ones I’ve found who do reversible flex heads, typically you get one or another. That’s what I ended up going with.
I have a handful of Tekton tools. A Taiwan made flex head ratchet and a USA made punch set. The punch set came with a nice walnut block to store them in. They set in it vertically which doesn't work well with my current tool storage arrangement so it lives in a drawer. There's and industrial supply store near my office that stocks a good variety of Tekton stuff so if I need a tool I don't have I'll pop in there and get it. They make a good product.
On a related note, this store is like an adult candy store. The sheer amount of things they keep in stock is mind blowing. Nearly every fastener you can dream of. They stock USA made wilton vices and C-clamps and about five top brands of battery powered tools. The also have oddball conversation piece stuff that there's no actual market for like a massive 6" diameter, 4 foot long turn buckle and an 8" impact socket on the checkout counter full of candy. They taken a significant amount of my money.
If Tekton had the retail footprint, they’d be the 21st century Craftsman. I’d maybe argue that with Amazon, they are just that.
I’ve had some of their sockets for years. The 3/8 set spent time both in my road box and junkyard bag, usually on the end of an impact gun.
The easiest part is their warranty program. I blew apart a universal joint. Tekton asked that
I send a photo of the broken piece and had a new one on my doorstep in two days. Not bad, all things considered.
I've seen their stuff on Amazon and had wrongly assumed it was Chinesium.
Good to hear otherwise and that they're honest about their products.
Thanks for the tip Jack. Because of your articles, I've been making more of an effort to get USA made stuff when possible.
Never used anything from Tekton, and had no idea their stuff was made in the US. Gonna have to check out some of their larger wrenches and see what they offer. I’m lacking in that department, say 1” or 22mm plus. And I refuse to spend $75 per from Snap On and want something higher than harbor freight quality.
Tekton has been slowly replacing my Craftsman inventory since Sears withered away. I find their socket wrenches, box-end wrenches, and sockets as satisfying as the vintage stuff they replace. That may sound like damning with faint praise, but these days not having to compromise is a win in my book.
my limited experience with tekton has been good. what i'd like to point out is that taiwan is not china. taiwan is our ally and they need our support. we should all be mindful of that going forward.
Sometimes I wonder if we have any right getting inbetween Taiwan and China. It would be like if China had supported the Tories during the War of Independence, helped them flee to Cuba, and were supporting them.
Amen, I didn’t want to hijack the thread, but while Taiwan may be utterly dependent on us, that doesn’t make them an ally.
Were we to be attacked, can we expect Taiwan to rush to our defense? The very thought is ridiculous. They are honorable, freedom-loving people, but why does that fact buy them a place in the very long line of countries that apparently have a call on the lives of young American men?
All China has to do is throw a blockade around Taiwan and the issue is over.
They have my good wishes, and that is all.
We do not. Half the USA wants to secede. We should solve our problems and leave the other side of the globe alone. Nothing would be better for this country than an amicable breakup which will not happen. We just had a bank run and we’re fighting a proxy war with Russia and china. We are retarded.
We got that retard strenf though
Alternative history book when.
In the case of having the option to pick and choose components for a DIY PC build, Taiwan is an important player. Most components I'm currently using are probably made by them. The equation is muddled by Foxconn's operations in China.
I always thought of Tekton as basically Amazon premium but had no idea they had that kind of commitment to MIUSA, I thought it was just all Taiwanese. Very cool. Might be a new development? I have one of their torque wrenches and some ball-end Allens. Dey gud.
I am not sure that it is MIUSA, so much as transparency and not PRC to the extent possible while still meeting a price point, although that is pure speculation on my part. I would be curious if there is someone there that Jack or Ronnie could talk to about if they have a "philosophy" or if it is just good business.
I have a set of Tekton wrenches that I picked up at Meijer well over 10 years ago so I could build up a new BMX frame in a parking lot.
They're certainly nothing special, but they've been reliable and have resisted all of my attempts to lose any of them. I'd buy them again, but I don't think I'll ever need to!
Maybe I'm in the minority around here but I do not give a shit where something is made. Products are only as good as their quality control regardless of country of origin so I give a big shit about the company making it and how much they dedicate to making sure they ship a solid product. I'm by no means a professional wrencher but haven't had any issues with my Pittsburgh/Icon tools from Harbor Freight.
You might be in the minority but we don't punish minorities here!
I believe that supporting American labor helps the country stay afloat and promotes higher wages, and better working conditions, around the world. I have been asking MY clients to "buy American" for 30 years and I do the same. This is particularly important to me right now because I got bounced from a promising job for being a white man; the CIO was Indian, everyone else on the org chart was Indian, and after 4 interviews I got to him and all he could do was talk to me about "can you be a fit with our company culture". Then I got the fuck-off notice.
We used to call it The Indian Mafia at a place I used to work at.
They have their own banking sector as well.
Something something everyone favors their tribe except a certain subset of modern people.
Consider it a blessing, as I doubt your physical whiteness is the only thing that would have prevented you from fitting in. A close friend of mine got fired from his last solution architect gig for "disrespecting" a guy like that.
It's hard enough getting a job in tech without having to deal with the caste system, too. I'm already dealing with being overeducated, over experienced but unqualified because I haven't used every single thing in a given company's shitty tech stack on the job for 3+ years. It feels like the market has gotten worse since the beginning of February - and more FAANG layoffs are coming down the pike. That Silicon Valley Bank failure is likely a bad sign, too, as they were apparently real popular with tech startups.
This country doesn't make anything anymore. The white collar tech work feels at least as unstable as manufacturing ever was, because there's no tangible value add involved. I'd much rather have a job working in one of the tool and die shops that supported Dayton in its heyday than be some glorified spreadsheet/powerpoint monkey in some stupid SaaS or financial services company.
There's a much bigger picture here Alan ;
I'm not going to belabor it but those who support the alt - right are also hurting American manufacturing as those are the ones who are endlessly busting Unions and then lying claiming to be "Law and Order!" types who support the Working Class .
This is why the gop hates free education : they hate educated voters .
True Conservatism supports fairness and equality .
-Nate
I don't use "okay Boomer" very often, but it feels applicable here.
If you're still blaming Republicans for everything, you're part of the fucking problem. Hell, Biden BRAGGED about breaking the railroad workers' strike. Both parties are complete whores for corporate interests and don't give a fuck about you.
And dismissing conservative voters as ignorant "alt-right" racists isn't productive. If anything, it just helps the Mitch McConnell types in preventing the working class from wrestling control of the party away from the big business shills. Don't get me wrong, I DESPISE the Republican Party, and I think Trump was a fucking moron who would have quickly sold his limited principles down the river if he'd get some praise out of it. But Republican voters are sick of being told they need to just shut up and accept their lot in the name of diversity, or science, or the elusive greater good, and I can't say I blame them.
We need a third party that rejects all the dog whistle social issue bullshit (that nobody ever does anything about anyway) and focuses solely on uniting people around worker rights. That's never gonna happen, because too many people have built their whole identity around R versus D nonsense and aren't actually capable of listening to their fellow Americans.
You're pretty close Alan .
I'm a Conservative too and I don't think anyone should suck it up, that's more B.S. from the gop who only ever wants to help the 15 and fuck those who actually work for a living like I do .
-Nate
Uniparty. There is no R or D. The sooner we all realize the sooner we can move on.
The GOP hates unions. I hate the GOP. Heck i might hate them more than democrats at this point. They do nothing and they're useless. of course, the unions didnt do their jobs and protect their workers during covid vaccine mandates
Well put .
I don't hate the gop, I just don't trust them .
I also agree that Unions often don't do their assigned and _PAID_FOR_ job, I was taken into a 'Skelly Hearing" , this is supposedly the last step before you're terminated, no warning, nothing of the mandated prior steps before adjourning a Skelly hearing, and the Local 347 Union Rep. Dick Wallman , known as 'sleepy dick' walked in sat down and fell asleep ~ I had to defend my self not having a clue why I was there what are the rules were etc.
I said I didn't know why I was there as I had dome _exactly_ what I'd been told to do, the asshole who started this as a personal vendetta said "yes, that is but but he should have known to do differently" ~ ?! what the hell ?! had I not done *exactly* what I was told to do this same jerkhoff would have had me up for insubordination .
That union sucked but I watched some of the other employees who didn't join get tossed right under the bus and screwed ~ I got a month suspension without pay and a healthy respect for documenting every single thing forever more .
The gop, if it followed through with what they claim to be would be a great asset to the Working Class instead of shills who back stab every one who votes for them but the 1% .
Rant over for now .
IMO We're on the same page here, I'm no liberal that's for _damn_sure_ .
-Nate
I want hard working Americans to have good honest jobs with good honest wages. Sadly i don’t trust either side of the political spectrum to give this to hard working Americans.
Nate, I’m really not sure what exactly alt-right is: To me it’s those who’s oppose the chamber of commerce, country club set in the Republican Party. The opposition I see to unions, at least in the private sector, is most deeply entrenched among that type and, even more deeply, among libertarians.
There is definitely strong opposition to public sector unions, a position that was held by such stalwart conservatives as FDR and JFK.
Full disclosure: My name is on the charter of my Union Local. I was instrumental in organizing it and have served in several officer positions over the last two decades.
I must say though, I find the politics of the International repellent.
Just another perspective to consider.
Thank you Sir .
I too am along time Union Member and prouldly so ~ I have walked the lines and all the rest .
S.E.I.U.371 .
The facts remain that the alt-right is made up of poorly educated and highly racist people who fail to grasp that those whom they support hate and fear them and will hurt their supporters at any given chance .
I'm very proud to be Blue Collar and a Union Member .
I'm not going down the rabbit hole of "he said / she said" when it comes to untruths about Union support .
-Nate
Nothing more American than a dissenting opinion.
Holding American companies responsible for their manufacturing in other parts of the world promotes higher wages and better conditions out there. Supporting American manufacturing would just help Americans. Personally, I don't see value in buying something just because it was made in America. If it meets my needs, has a price I'm willing to pay and just so happens to be made in America then cool...take my money! If it's made somewhere else then they get my money.
Economic reliance on other countries is the new nuclear deterrent. In 2021 we imported over $500 billion in goods from China. If we suddenly stopped buying from them, their economy takes a massive hit that their own internal demand won't be able to make up for. I imagine we're seeing China getting more bold with it's actions around the world in response to the infrastructure act passing. Us domesticating manufacturing threatens their country just as much as any military activities would. This is like...90% conjecture and other than the cost of imported goods isn't based on any other facts. If someone more knowledgeable about global economics steps in with a fact-filled dissertation on why I'm wrong I'd be happy to read it!
Sorry to hear you didn't meet their cultural standards but I don't get the link between being rejected because you're not Indian and buying American. Plenty of American companies would do the same thing under the guise of "cultural fit".
As an American, we should support americans first. Supportimg other countries venture capitalist who promote slave labor and outsourcing manufacturing to thirld worl countries who ignore our environmental laws means we cant compete on price or quality. I don’t love our environmental regulations but having them and ignoring them for low labor costs is a lose lose
There are many cases of entry-ism from ethnic groups which don't share the same "best man for the job" values. This is unironically paralleled with HR entryism and "representation" pushes in hiring which are politically-ideologically aligned and which James Damore was fired for simply because he noticed and wrote a well-put together and factually backed document. Tribal affiliation and clan-orientation is about one step removed from racial identification which is something pretty much everyone else on the planet does from the Han Chinese, to the Brahmin Indians, to the Hutus and Tutsis. Outside of cheap labor it is utterly bizarre that a people should favor those outside of their own communities and it really comes across as a rationalization for why I should enjoy cheap electronics or a CONSOOMER lifestyle.
Yes, supporting American manufacturing does primarily go to support and improve the lives of my fellow Americans. I should prefer and make my priority caring for my own house and my brethren over dubious claims of helping the poor masses. If I help the "poor masses" in China by enriching the ruling class who corrupt our planet (they aren't following our environmental regs), practically enslave workers such that SUICIDE NETS are installed at Foxconn, and have a developed on-demand organ harvesting system. Well, maybe I should have focused closer to home and prevented my fellow citizen from losing his job, falling into opiate addiction, and destroying his life and family.
Editing to add: it is a false dichotomy as well. China/third world could be aided in ways that didn’t sell out our fellow citizens.
That the job of THEIR government
" because I got bounced from a promising job for being an opinionated white man with a bully pulpit " .
There - I fixed it for you .
I too believe in buying for quality whenever I can, the Chinese _can_ make top grade stuff when they want to .
I had a stubby 9/16" Horror Fright open end wrench snap off in my hand the first time I used it, not cool but I did only buy that tool for that job, I couldn't do it due to lack of tool .
-Nate
(edited BEE-Kuse Ah Can't spel gud)
Except I don't interview under the name I use on this site, and nobody there had ever heard of me. The CIO just didn't want a white man.
Tribalism is nothing new .
I've been the wrong color many times too but I don't gripe abut it, I just go forward and leave those in their self caused misery and poverty .
-Nate
In this case, Nate, Indian Americans are literally the richest group in America. Their average household income is 4x that of whites and 6x that of blacks. So they are neither miserable nor poor.
If I remember correctly, I think it is the Indians who help buy family member’s houses or get into one which is a plus in terms of easing the financial road for family and other ventures.
Might be another group, but I think that’s the one.
I dont want to step in any feet or make your comment section the degenerate side of the alt-right so feel free to delete but Indians make Jews look non tribal. We have a surprising number of Jewish clients. Considering my profession, I’m somewhat surprised they see a gentile CPA. That said, We have one Indian business client and maybe 3 1040s. The Indian CPA down the hall is clueless at his job and often hires us to help but he makes a killing on fees because 100% of his client base is Indians who do not trust non Indians.
?! You might want to actually you know, GO ON THE RESERVATION before making such a blatant untrue statement jack .
Yes, there are a very select few Indians who are rich but most are below poverty level, that's a simple fact .
-Nate
Ok, then why are we importing a warring tribe?
Scott ;
Not sure what warring tribe you're mentioning here ?.
-Nate
Jack, check the labor laws in Ohio and in the state of any company you apply to or work for. Here in California, anyone over age 40 is a member of a so-called "protected class" against employment discrimination...
Unfortunately I got the interviews through a top 5 recruiting firm, with whom I cannot rock the boat.
I’m in the Bay Area and my neighbor is in tech, he complains about the Indian mafia all the time. I generally exhort him to stop whining, but perhaps it’s more of a problem than I thought. One time I told he should marry an Indian lady, but he said they wouldn’t marry him, since he’s not white.
Yeah we are basically in the "No Irish Need Apply" stage of tech.
I knew a dude at Honda who married an Indian woman. She had a one person LLC and she got him contracts with Indian managers by hiding their relationship. Since the Pimp companies make as much as you do on a contract gig they were basically doubling his salary.
Lol. Those only work if you’re the right protected class.
Not having data on the ACF readers' sentiment as to where tools are made, I would be willing to wager criteria which matter are working conditions, QC, and efficiency. Although I like purchasing items made in the USA, I have chosen products made in other countries on occasion, in which case the critical criterion is a specific feature. So far the trend I've noticed with medium and small US-based companies is that their customer focus and support is unlike the rest.
I try to purchase as much made in the USA as I can. Tools, clothes, etc. Exemptions are made for certain items, based on cost and how much I will use whatever I’m purchasing. Customer service is also a huge consideration for me and like you said, small US based companies typically offer the best.
You're absolutely correct about customer support being much better at most small to medium US companies. That's been my experience as well however good customer support is only a factor if something goes wrong. If you receive the part and it works just fine then the value of that support is diminished. Like motorcycle helmets and seat belts, it's only useful when you need it...to a vastly different degree of course since fewer people have died due to poor customer support than failing to wear a seat belt.
So far nothing has gone wrong for me so my interactions have been either pre-purchase or the company following up . It will probably sound like a westerner gushing about the Turkish bazaar rug vendor serving them tea, but here are some examples:
1. Although the ThermoWorks thermometer isn't made in the USA, they threw in a bag of jelly beans into the box.
2. At the time Jelt was offering complementary masks with each purchase. I declined because I didn't need one. I got an e-mail from a nice lady at the company asking for my size. I politely declined to claim one. I received one in the mail anyway not too long thereafter.
3. I signed up to be notified when Origin's Sharkfin cargo shorts would be available again. When the notification finally came in I was confused by the product photos. Customer support quickly confirmed that the design had changed, which meant I wouldn't be buying a pair.
I don't think any of these are make or break reasons, nonetheless to me they reflect an attitude of caring about the customer experience. The little touches are memorable.
Tool time warning: I ended up getting the Origin beanie as a Christmas gift. I'm impressed by how lightweight and warm it is. Compared to the ItchATron one I had before it feels like alien technology.
Ended up talking to one of their sales reps at PRI a couple years ago. Didn't know anything about them prior to that, but was thoroughly impressed with the products they had on hand. I haven't bought many tools since then, but have purchased a few Tektons, and plan to look to them when it's time to put another set together.
I will keep them in consideration, although after 42 years of wrenching, I am about done buying tools, I could use a nice set of crows feet sockets though.....
Thanks, I’ll have a look.
They do look svelte but at the price point I’m turn and flip, oh well
Excellent synopsis Jack .
I like to buy and use American made things but he reality is : they're mostly priced right out of my budget and often the quality is abysmal to boot .
As I'm working on my 64 year old jalopy using my 50 year old tools I look at them and think 'I'm really glad I saved up to buy this specially bent wrench' (or whatever) as some times the angle or off set on the end of a hand tool makes or breaks it .
Now, it that old 1/4" drive 10MM 6 point socket wasn't so loose it drops off the end of my 50 year old ratchet so often....
Too bad I can't post pictures, I write up blurbs on what I do and there's several groups (mostly old Geezers) who love reading what, why and how I did something .
-Nate
I can tell this post is fiction because you claim to have a 10mm socket.
_BUSTED_ .
I used some really old worn out Vise - Grips and only stripped the threads one one of the six 6MMX1.0 MM studs .
It sounds better the other way though .
-Nate
Where do you post that stuff, Nate? I’d be interested in reading some of it.
I have 'round robin' chain letters I exchange with others here and there .
I'm a pretty awful writer but ask jack for my E-Mail and I'll send some to you but don't complain when you're underwhelmed please .
-Nate
"don't complain when you're underwhelmed please"
I've told many women that :)
I can't lay any claim to being a serious cockman like Jack but I have declined for than a few offers over the years, when I do I realize I'm incurring a wrath that Khan never imagined, some have asked me "why not Nate ?" ~ 'because you fail to reach my rather low standards my dear' .
'Hell hath no fury..' etc....
-Nate
Cool! I don’t have but want a set of ratchet ing wrenches but they all seem to have a lot of girth and I expect they won’t fit into spaces that need wrenching. Any experience out there?
SK is the gold standard here.
Tekton is discontinuing their reversible ratcheting wrenches. They’ve been on sale, but who knows what warranting them in the future may look like.
Most of the Taiwanese ratcheting wrenches are close to the same. Williams are the only ones I’ve found who do reversible flex heads, typically you get one or another. That’s what I ended up going with.
I have a handful of Tekton tools. A Taiwan made flex head ratchet and a USA made punch set. The punch set came with a nice walnut block to store them in. They set in it vertically which doesn't work well with my current tool storage arrangement so it lives in a drawer. There's and industrial supply store near my office that stocks a good variety of Tekton stuff so if I need a tool I don't have I'll pop in there and get it. They make a good product.
On a related note, this store is like an adult candy store. The sheer amount of things they keep in stock is mind blowing. Nearly every fastener you can dream of. They stock USA made wilton vices and C-clamps and about five top brands of battery powered tools. The also have oddball conversation piece stuff that there's no actual market for like a massive 6" diameter, 4 foot long turn buckle and an 8" impact socket on the checkout counter full of candy. They taken a significant amount of my money.