 | Home > Off Topic > Made in China |
 
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| Gasket Member Since: 30 May 2020 Location: Manchester Posts: 629  |
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24th Sep 2021 9:20pm |
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| Tim in Scotland Member Since: 23 May 2007 Location: The Land that time forgot Posts: 3753 
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I had to go to B&Q this morning to get a replacement spring unit for a push/push wash hand basin plug. Crafty B&Q now don’t put a country of origin on these things all it says on the label is “Specially imported for B&Q PLC Chandler’s Ford” the store assistant couldn’t tell the origin so I left it behind - at least on Amazon they are honest enough for you to see who the Chinese supplier is. Another “gripe” is at B&Q I could only get a complete new tail and plug unit when all I need is the Brass spring insert unit that I can buy from the Chinese named Amazon supplier. I ended up buying a good old fashioned rubber plug to cover the outlet until next week when the local old fashioned plumbers merchant is open. I’ve also found that they come in 2 sizes but the original I have is neither size it’s longer by 3mm………. Just hope that in the end it isn’t going to be easier to get a plumber in to replace the entire drain unit with a new fitting….. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed! |
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25th Sep 2021 11:42am |
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| What puddle? Member Since: 25 Oct 2013 Location: Reading Posts: 952 
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As a plumber myself, I would recommend Grant & Stone if you have one nearby. They are usually very helpful and offer good stock at prices often better than Screwfix (which although stock is good, the prices are peculiarly sometimes a bit much). But like you say, you just can't beat a little plumbing or hardware shop. I'm 62 - we used to call them 'ironmongers'! Now left.
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25th Sep 2021 1:33pm |
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| Black Puma Member Since: 31 Jan 2015 Location: Sydney Posts: 204 
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Just edited out a rant I just wrote.
I simply find the whole situation baffling and frustrating, and will always be paying more for quality stuff made in the same place as the business itself. It's just become more and more a challenge to do that these days. Can't understand why more people don't feel the same. |
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26th Sep 2021 4:35am |
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| What puddle? Member Since: 25 Oct 2013 Location: Reading Posts: 952
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Oh, you sound like me! I go out of my way to not buy Chinese! When I needed eight tyres - van and car - I found out where the tyres were made first! Went for Avon - made in Britain.
Dualit small electrical appliances are made in Britain (at least, I hope they still are!). https://ao.com/l/small_appliances-dualit-4275/1-6-20/55/ Mrs Puddle and I even thought of starting up a website called notmadeinchina.com - found out someone had already bought the website! As I said before, we went to Currys and turned over every bread machine. All were made in China, even the Japanese Panasonic ones. Guy at the store said he thought the US-made ones (KitchenAid) were made in China even though their mixers are still made in the US. Now left. |
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26th Sep 2021 7:54am |
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| Black Puma Member Since: 31 Jan 2015 Location: Sydney Posts: 204
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Oh yes I grew up with Dualit toasters and kettles. But the only electric kettles made by Dualit I can find in AU, are ones made in China.....
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26th Sep 2021 3:31pm |
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| Tim in Scotland Member Since: 23 May 2007 Location: The Land that time forgot Posts: 3753
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Dualit are also one of the few toaster makers that you can get spares for - have both a Dualit kettle and toaster and unlike previous toasters and kettles these have now survived 18 years faultless use, no spares needed! I also have a 23 year old Made in Germany Miele washer drier, one of the last made in Germany before they transferred manufacture to China. 2 years ago I had to call a service technician out for the first time to do a reset after I put too much detergent into it and the foam came out of the drum and triggered a protection switch……… so my fault. The Miele tech did the reset by Bluetooth from a laptop with diagnostics on it without even having to roll the machine out from under the counter, he also commented that Miele had decided to re-open their German factory “because the number of machine failures from the Chinese made machines was too high when you offer a lifetime warranty”. Prior to the Miele I had a Hoover washer drier, made in U.K. that had to be scrapped after some 15 years use because the drum corroded through and couldn’t be replaced, I didn’t scrap it but offered to the local college as it was otherwise a working piece of kit - they used it for training washing machine repairers! I’m sure that there was some value in all the cards etc in it too when they had finally finished with it. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed! |
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27th Sep 2021 8:25am |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3564 
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Be very careful of ‘made in’ labels. Norwich has always been a centre for ladies and children’s shoes (Northampton was the same but for men’s shoes). Every single ladies shoe factory has now closed. We do still have Start-rite children’s shoes who have a presence. My friends wife used to work for them thirty years ago. Start-rite have Royal warrants and if you look at the boxes they would make you believe that these shoes are still manufactured in the UK. Alas, they are not. I believe they complete the shoes in the UK, by putting a sticker on them or putting the liners in the shoes or by putting them in a box, something futile, but they are all manufactured in the Far East. There are a lot of companies out there pedalling their UK credentials when in fact, most of their products are out sourced abroad, and completion of the product is but a small part of their production, but this still allows them to put the ‘Made in the UK or Great Britain’ on their advertising. A large proportion of the lighting products I deal with are either manufactured in the Far East or their components are manufactured in the Far East. Even good old MK Electric who have manufactured in Southend since God was a boy is now manufacturing some of their products in China. Let’s be fair about it. The reason we don’t make things in this country is we are all becoming over educated to do menial jobs and we all want to earn too much money. I see this at work all the while. Young people entering the work place who want t be fast tracked to Management. Because of a skills shortage, I witness young people with little or no experience being promoted to positions they have little skill or experience to fill. Sadly I fear a large proportion of these young people will burn out as just because you take the big money and the job title doesn’t mean you are capable of doing the job. No wonder there is so much stress and anxiety and mental illness in our work place. Look at the agricultural industry. It relied on immigrants to pick fruit and vegetables mainly because these people who came here had a great work ethic, could earn reasonably good money (compared to their home country) and were willing to work. Forty years ago, our local farm employed all local labour from the surrounding villages during the vegetable harvest. I doubt they would be able to do this now. |
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27th Sep 2021 10:13am |
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| Tim in Scotland Member Since: 23 May 2007 Location: The Land that time forgot Posts: 3753
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I bought a Marin mountain bike a few years ago, the box had huge US flags printed on it and stated in small print “made in Taiwan” but in big font under the flags “Assembled with pride in the USA” except it wasn’t assembled in the USA, it was built up in the UK by the bike shop who got them direct from the Taiwan factory via Marin’s HQ in the USA! No point in shipping assembled bikes that could be damaged in teansit. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed! |
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27th Sep 2021 1:39pm |
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| Ads90 Member Since: 16 Jun 2008 Location: Cots-on-the-Wolds Posts: 812 
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It used to be sniffed at, but I read somewhere that Taiwan are now well respected for their tubular assemblies including bike frames, when production migrated there from Japan initially for the cheaper labour. They now have all the skill and tech to rival any other country.
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27th Sep 2021 2:13pm |
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| markb110 Member Since: 22 May 2010 Location: Guildford Posts: 2655  
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You are correct Ads.
Interesting Italy is investing in frame building, including carbon due to the transport issues over the last few months...still does not solve the component shortage, buts it a start. |
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27th Sep 2021 7:16pm |
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| What puddle? Member Since: 25 Oct 2013 Location: Reading Posts: 952
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Indeed, yes. But as I said, I was regularly talking to Taiwan representatives (of the country and of their industry) and couldn't buy just two bikes - they wanted me to become an importer. The smallest lot I could buy was 110! They need to push their goods out to the usual suspects like Amazon and Ebay. ALL of the folding ebikes I was looking at are Chinese. I don't understand just what Taiwan is playing at. I did see a British one - but needless to say that the price was silly - but actually what put me off was the tiny wheels, as that would be an uncomfortable ride. Now left. |
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28th Sep 2021 7:27am |
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| Tim in Scotland Member Since: 23 May 2007 Location: The Land that time forgot Posts: 3753
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A friend of mine recently bought a lightweight Hummingbird folding e-bike - made in the U.K. but VERY expensive. She’s delighted with it and recently had to get a spare part for it so phoned the on line shop she bought it from who didn’t have the part in stock and weren’t sure when it would be available but they did give her the details of the U.K. factory making them and she dealt directly with the designer. She made some suggestions , he thought about them and a couple of days later changes were incorporated into the bikes. You can’t do that with a Made in China bike!
If you are interested https://hummingbirdbike.com/ based in Banbury Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come 2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed! |
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28th Sep 2021 7:54am |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3564
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When I was a kid (1970's-early 80's) Made in Taiwan was the lowest of the low. All of the little plastic crap which we had all had those immortal words printed on them. Everyone laughed at Taiwan, but now they are not a laughing stock and as I have read here, much respected.
This reminds me of history. The Japanese were laughed at when they started making motorcycles. Jap-crap, I believe was the saying as us Brits still got home and placed a drip tray under our trusty Triumphs and Nortons. I guess the Chinese are on a similar path and although there are plenty on here who seem to dismiss them, I expect if we all keep breathing, the same story will be played out in time and another country will pick up the batten for manufacturing cheap rubbish to sell to the world. |
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28th Sep 2021 8:14am |
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