The other day when discussing an Irwin drill bit deal in that post’s comment section, Jeff brought up another post he remembered reading that described certain sets where a few sizes were good and others utter junk.
I remember reading the same post, and when my search efforts failed, careful meditation (or luck) refreshed my memory and I tracked down the original article.
$5 for a 1/8″ Twist Drill? Only in America describes what John, from Bridge City Tool Works, observed in a Chinese factory 11 years ago. He saw cheap bench grinder motors being wound with scrap copper wire, and drill bits being coated to make them look like they were properly hardened.
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Factory workers were mixing in good (or at least better quality in comparison) drill bits with junky pot metal bits. Why? Because these many-piece drill bit sets were so low-priced that American consumers continue to let them get away with it.
John’s post is an interesting and illuminating read. It is important to realize that not all import bit sets are going to be be similarly comprised of a few good bits and many garbage bits. But there’s only one sure way to be sure you don’t get stuck with only 4 good bits out of 115 – spend more upfront and buy better brand-name bits.
fred
It gets more and more difficult to tell what’s what from looking at the brand name – and who own’s what is also quite a puzzle. For years we purchased twist drill bits from an industrial supplier wo gave us a mix of product – but mostly “Cleveland” brand for our metal/pipe fabrication shop and a mix of others (Greenfield, Chicago Latrobe, Triumph and Morse to name some) for our general business. Of course – we sometimes bought a bit or 2 at the local big-box or at local hardware stores (until most of them got forced out) At some point along the way – Greenfield was acquired by Kennametal and more recently sold to Top Eastern Group – a Chinese firm. We still buy USA-made product from Greenfield’s subs (Cleveland and Chicago Latrobe) – but who knows how much longer they will be made here
Allen
Good article. One feature I would like to see on these pages is a country of origin on reviewed products. I am of the ABC crowd. (anywhere but China)
mnoswad1
Every time i read an article similar to this, I feel so gutted, my insides feel sick to think that the America that my grandfather helped to build and protect has gone this far a stray. It is not the Chinese that are the problem, I don’t expect them to have any integrity. But I do expect it from us. It is us, who have failed, and the world are the vultures picking away at our carcass. We allow others to get away with this crap because we’re also eating ourselves alive for the sake of short term profits.
I’m afraid that we have gone so far down this road to ever live up to the promise and potential of the american spirit again.
It reminds me of Apple computer, they have 76 billion in cash….in the bank. Perhaps they could have built the same products in the U.S. and sold them for the exact same price and maybe take less profit……36 billion less and still have 40 billion in the bank. I don’t think the argument that “Made in America” means more expensive…….when you have those kind of profits.
No, I’m not an Occupy Wallstreeter, and profits are good, but so are jobs and homes, and college for your kids, and jobs for your kids, and your kids not having to move back home, and etc……
Pro-2-A
I agree with you & I’m not an Occupy Wallstreeter either. China is building air craft carriers with the profits of all the cheap junk we buy from them. i hope this doesn’t come back to bite us later on.
Dave L.
It already has-wars can be lost on economic fronts, too. That giant sucking sound is all those jobs going to China.
Anthony
as long as people keep buying chinese junk, places like harbor fright will get bigger and the good american companies will wither and die
Carol Griffin
I’d always wondered how the low prices for such sets were possible — now I know! Thanks for the informative article.
jeff_williams
Good summary Stuart with some good advice at the end. Essentially, you get what you pay for.
Stuart
Agreed, but every now and then I have good luck finding loose USA-made drill bits at big-box store import bit prices. Thanks for the great sales, Harry Epstein, Amazon/Small Parts, Enco and MSC!
puttsy
As I recall, there was a documentary regarding this (possibly by this man) several years back. It covered some of these pacific rim countries and how that $80 tool shop chop saw was really a $5-15 chop saw with the right color plastics to fit the “brand”.
Anyone know about that documentary? I’ve been trying to find anything about it and there’s nothing….just like the quality of these tools.
It’s a crying shame that they are coloring the bits to make them ‘look’ the same as quality counterparts.
Stuart
The factories making these “tools” are only partly to blame. There are also the retailers that keep restocking and selling them, and the consumers that keep buying them.
Dave L.
It’s a downward spiral: We get addicted to cheap junk, companies outsource to Asia to be able to sell it, we lose jobs, we then NEED cheap stuff…lather, rinse, repeat….
John D
Easy solution for all of you !! Just buy Norseman. American Company- more important American MADE !!!
Fromthed1970
From Chinese steel