S&K handtools bites the dust

[ballvalve]

http://www.bidspotter.com/forms/stat...?gallery=12259

Take a look at bidspotter and have a look at S&K industries in Chicago and Ohio, soon to be CHINA.

We REALLY are in trouble now - thousands of machine tools, and thus all the machinists that ran them will be sitting home watching TV.

Probably no more USA socket sets, and perhaps they made craftsmans also. We are screwed.

The Chinese are readying a few container ships for our IDIOCY.

Obama should buy the plants instead of building schools for the taliban to blow up.

HARBOR fright, here we come.

[Thatguy]

According to this lady
http://www.oddcast.com/home/demos/tt...an_example.php
"we are screwed"
translates to
我们是用螺丝固定

She can also say "Harbor Freight" in Chinese.
Now, see, I feel better already!



It might be time to move to somewhere else \/

"
The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through a nine stage sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacence to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again into bondage.
"

And, check out the corruption level in the US
http://www.transparency.org/policy_r...i/2010/results
China is worse than we are - corruption pays well, for some.

[Ian Gills]

But Communist China still seems to be doing pretty well eh? America might have a thing or two to learn from that. Like taxpayers paying for kids to go to good schools, regardless of what their parents earn. And State provided healthcare for all.

But I digress.

I have very few qualms with cheap products. That, afterall, is the American way. Do is well or don't do it at all.

What I do worry about is poor quality products. Let's hope there is still demand for the good stuff that works. Some of which is American made. But most of the best stuff has already gone, which eats me up. You had some real good brassware here.

I blame Reagan. And you should too. And the best way is to not vote for those in his Party.

[ballvalve]

"
The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through a nine stage sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacence to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again into bondage.

Fairly true. I wonder how England fits into that....

Bondage we will have again, that is after the CARNAGE.

Perhaps Al Queda would have done us a favor with 10 airplanes on target, and woke us up out of apathy, to return to the time of courage.

PS : We will not have Simpson stamps when the Chinese move us to the salt mines.

[Thatguy]

I think it was this guy
http://www.amazon.com/Arithmetic-Lif.../dp/0345426452
who added cannibalism [to fend off starvation] to the progression.

He said it depends on the population density. The US [or the world, I forget] is already over the population density that supposedly caused the downfall of the civilization on Easter Island. Vanity also contributed to this chain of events.

[Ian Gills]

Look, it's not that complicated.

We need to send kids to good schools and fix workers when they are sick.

Taxpayers need to foot the bill.

Then America will be great again.

[jimbo]

[QUOTE=Ian Gills;276324] Let's hope there is still demand for the good stuff that works. Some of which is American made. QUOTE]

The demand for good stuff is extremely small, because we consumers aren't willing to pay for it. We still can get Chicago or T&S faucets. The list is pretty short.
Just curious...do they make everything they use, over there in Jolly old England, or do they import from "the colonies" most things.????

[Ian Gills]

Our manufacturing died years ago during the Thatcher/Reagan era, when the unions were killed off and import tariffs were abolished. Yours started dying then but has taken longer - so, again, you need to blame Reagan if you don't like buying cheap Chinese.

So we've been buying imports for years now. First it was from Japan. Then they got rich and their wages got too expensive, so then it was stuff from Taiwan. Again they got too rich. Now it's China. I wonder who next?

America again perhaps?

The bottom line is England has no manufacturing left. You're all going that way. The only jobs left will be in services. So stick to plumbing or banking. That's my advice.

Or get ahead of the curve and get into Green Jobs. But to achieve that we need the Government paving the way with tax dollars for innovation and regulation. Cap and trade. It's the only way American manufacturing has any future. So Man Up America.

[ballvalve]

Green jobs were soy diesel and corn ethanol : fairly false hopes, mostly bankrupt, losing taxdollars and not green at all anyway except for tax credits.

Green jobs? water reclamation, low flow toilets, NO MONSTER showers, buy back of home power at reasonable rates, nuclear power plants in each county.

[ballvalve]

Speaking of American manufacturing, while looking for a small recirculating pump, I found something called "Iron might" pumps, and a few others. Top quality, delivered for $145, super efficient, made in Oxnard Ca. with us made motors. Same for pool pumps - you can find a 1HP for $129. Thats a Hayward - my last one survived 24 years of hard service.

Lucky us the chinese havent time to swim while making all our hammers and disposable pliers.

[Dunbar Plumbing]

Thats a Hayward - my last one survived 24 years of hard service.

But that's not the american way anymore. That means you as a customer haven't been spending money with them in 24 years. That's a loooooooooong time before someone has to eat again.


Americans cooked their own goose by being lazy. They don't want to work, that's why mexicans made a killing doing what us americans think are beneath our feet.

Manufacturing jobs are for those who didn't see above poverty levels in life. If you choose that direction in life, you must be accountable that you will struggle for that design. That's not the world's problem to deal with.

With greed, thinking you're worth a million dollars an hour and can't show up a month straight without an excuse to take off and take your kid/grandson to the doctor?


You got the chinese working 15-18 hour days, work like they won't see tomorrow and don't take off work for damn oil change in their car or laugh like chuck when they schedule a dentist visit in the middle of the day "Cuz that's the only time I could in" attitude.

It's pathetic, and I encourage you to watch the boat that travels to china with raw materials that are assembled and brought back, cheaper than what any american is willing to work for. So much insubordination found in the american worker that they only figure 5.3 hours of "actual" work that's done in an 8 hour shift.


That number is pathetic.


Save the pity party folks. This is the new economy you're forced to live. And remember, you read my words by the great chinese that built these computer systems. If americans built computers it would cost as much as a car and would be breaking down within months, recalls to follow. Hrmmm...

For some reason that makes me think of something else that's the same exact way. Hrmmm....

BTW, I use/buy harbor freight tools. I went and bought 3 tools from sears, cost me $38.00.


Went to Harbor Freight, not only bought those 3 items but got double the amount of product, bought other stuff, walked out for $22 and then put gas in my truck, got something to eat and prayed while I read the flyer from harbor freight when I got home.

Prayers answered. LOL!!!

Americans need to go back to the 70's when hard work was the norm, not the exception.

[ballvalve]

You would really try and turn a pipe with a wrench other than a Rigid, where the housing cracks and the teeth shear off to save 20 bucks? Or to use a pair of Chinese Channel locks that explode and smash your hands? Even 50 bucks for a giant pair of US channel locks that you can give your kid is a better investment than 4 of the chinese cast iron crap.

Screwdrivers from China? Not yet at any price for the personal tool box. Something other than Klein or craftsman dikes? I dont think so. My favorite pipe wrench was my grandfathers, made before the chinese had pipes.

You can get that Chinese pump for 39$ But the one made today in OXnard california for $145 is still going to get you 25 years if you change the seals a few times and capacitor and switch. Try and find the parts for that chinese pump 5 years from today. Even 5 minutes from today.

We still excell if one chooses carefully where to cut and where to spend. One S&K socket wrench was good for 50 years, the Chinese 6 months.

If we now consider all tools disposable and breakable, then live with harbor fright.

I bought 5 battery trickle chargers for 4.95$ each a year ago. One sort of works still. Trash conspiracy, crime against nature to mine and mill this stuff to all be tossed out.

[Dunbar Plumbing]

Nothing is built to last

Everything including toilets/faucets are shipped or made in other countries, cheaper.

A fridge or freezer from 34 years ago lasts longer than the best "top" model made today. I find that pathetic.


Water heaters? Same thing.


BTW, implying "doom" with breakages don't cut the salami with me. I've had tools break more commonly with the american made than the cheap HB types.

It's all about the dollar, how many you can keep in your pocket. Last time I checked, it's hard to wear out hand tools.

Some of the best impact deep sockets I've ever bought was from HB, and if you happen to break one? Most if not always they'll just chuck you a whole set, not just one.


You're not complaining that you and I are communicating worlds apart on a chinese made computer.

When you answer your cell phone

Watch your flat screen tv

Listen to any radio

and most likely the clothes you buy, the furniture you own, down to the freaking utensils in your kitchen,


Non-American. Anything to do with electronics follow the same vein of design.

You can always hand pick what you want american made, but the reality is the majority of everything americans use are not made here. They're made in another country, cheaper.

How does a company keep their operations at top efficiency when an american won't come to work because they got drunk watching good ole american football the day before.


It's called american tradition and no one wants to bad mouth what we so believe is a justification that we've earned that type of way.

No one should be complaining when they lose their job to another country. We've proved ourselves unreliable in this sector and that's why companies found security in those who do believe in work ethic. We all need to take hard lessons in this manner, not just the pathetic "get-by" world we live in.

[ballvalve]

Lucky for us, despite the junk you [we] buy from China, America is still by far the worlds largest manufacturing producer by dollars and range of product. Beats Japan, China and Germany. Loook it up.

Show up on my job as a real plumber without a Rigid pipe wrench and you are going home quick.

That would be like the carpet cleaner coming with a bucket and sponge.

[Ian Gills]

This is a good time for me to chime in. I'd like to add that we need to start thinking about what this country can do for us, rather than what we can do for the country.

We tried Kennedy's way. And it hasn't worked out too swell.