So now the Fram HP filters are Chinese? Geez....

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Krooser

Krooser

Building Chinese Free Engines since 1959...
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Yeah I'm not a big fan of the "orange cannister of death" (although the one on the blowed up Hemi I have did a good job of filtering debris).

So I find an online seller that has a 12 piece case of HP1's for $55.00 shipped... a lot cheaper then every other place I've seen them. And the HP1 is actually a decent filter... the innards are comprised of better materials (although they still use that stamped spring). Almost the same as the Wix filter.

So I'm at the local farm store buying oil and I find the $14.99 HP1's on the shelf... MADE IN CHINA.

Guess that $55.00 price might NOT be cheap enough for me...
 
What aint made in China anymore? I went to Fry's to get a capacitor for a project. This is like a Walmart sized store with 40 cash registers and nothing but electronics: parts, computers, appliances, etc. If it plugs in the house, they probably got it. Anyway, there were aisles of bare shelves. I asked a clerk WTF? He said due to new tarrifs on Chinese products all the contracts with suppliers had to be renegotiated. so pretty much everything in that place comes from China. Place was spooky empty.
Frys.jpg
 
They all globalized about the same time. WIX is now not primarily made in USA anymore. You might get one made here, Belgium, France, Japan, China, India or anywhere else WIX has a factory making filters for them. And unfortunately, just because something IS made here doesn't mean it's better. At least not anymore.
 
RustyRatRod said:
just because something IS made here doesn't mean it's better. At least not anymore.
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Very true, corporate greed squeezing every penny out of the products has decreased quality of merchandise no matter where it's made...
 
krazykuda said:
Very true, corporate greed squeezing every penny out of the products has decreased quality of merchandise no matter where it's made...
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Corporate greed is also doing the same to the American work force. Go into any auto parts store, or any other service related business. It's very rare to find anyone who gives a **** anymore.
 
This is a trickle down that started decades ago. Starting with us the consumer. We complained about prices...BAM theres Costco and Walmart....then we complain there's no Ma n Pa stores...
Lucky to find a goddamned barber shop in town...
 
RustyRatRod said:
Corporate greed is also doing the same to the American work force. Go into any auto parts store, or any other service related business. It's very rare to find anyone who gives a **** anymore.
Click to expand...

Same for my work... They are short by about 20 people... They hired about 9 in the last week and lost that many in the last 3 weeks... Some fired, some quit... It's a revolving door... Many of the new hires barely make it through training... Many that do are gone in less than a year...

A guy that's been there for 4 years intentionally called in for a week and a half so they would fire him and he could collect unemployment.... He should have been let go after 2 - 3 days of calling in... They tried to get him to quit and he refused... They had a Mexican standoff going with a Mexican... You can't beat a Mexican at a Mexican standoff, it's named after them for a reason... He kept calling in sick and they finally fired him after a week and a half of calling in...

Another guy gave two weeks notice and the head guy had him walked out... He was a really nice guy and good worker...

The workers that are there are overworked, fatigued, and ready to quit or start a strike even though we're not union...
 
4spdragtop said:
This is a trickle down that started decades ago. Starting with us the consumer. We complained about prices...BAM theres Costco and Walmart....then we complain there's no Ma n Pa stores...
Lucky to find a goddamned barber shop in town...
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When I worked at the automotive cable supplier, it was already going on back then...

When they made cables for "service" they would use any parts that were in stock instead of the ones specified on the blueprints... As long as it worked... Just slap them together and get them out the door... :wtf:

Service cables were what wasn't in production for that current model year....
 
I always get a laugh when people complain that a product is a piece of junk because it's made in China. It doesn't matter where a product is made that has a name brand on it. The product is built to a exact set of standards. If it does not meet those standards or specs, then the manufacturer does not get paid and the product does not get sold with the name brand on it. Now if you are talking about a brand "X" that is totally Chinese from start to finish then you might have a reason to fear it's quality as the Chinese have been known to cut corners and try to say there product is just as good as the name brand.

Jack
 
Coyote Jack said:
I always get a laugh when people complain that a product is a piece of junk because it's made in China. It doesn't matter where a product is made that has a name brand on it. The product is built to a exact set of standards. If it does not meet those standards or specs, then the manufacturer does not get paid and the product does not get sold with the name brand on it. Now if you are talking about a brand "X" that is totally Chinese from start to finish then you might have a reason to fear it's quality as the Chinese have been known to cut corners and try to say there product is just as good as the name brand.

Jack
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Some of those no name chinese motorcycles and scooters come to mind.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Some of those no name chinese motorcycles and scooters come to mind.
Click to expand...

I have a 2013 CF MOTO Snyper 600 side by side. I did my homework before I bought it used at auction. I got it for a song. It turns out that in the 2013 model year they fixed a wiring problem that had plagued the models before then. I have had it since 2015 and it runs like a top. If you are going to buy any Chinese atc/utv, due your homework first.

Jack
 
Coyote Jack said:
I always get a laugh when people complain that a product is a piece of junk because it's made in China. It doesn't matter where a product is made that has a name brand on it. The product is built to a exact set of standards. If it does not meet those standards or specs, then the manufacturer does not get paid and the product does not get sold with the name brand on it. Now if you are talking about a brand "X" that is totally Chinese from start to finish then you might have a reason to fear it's quality as the Chinese have been known to cut corners and try to say there product is just as good as the name brand.

Jack
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Good theory. But a lot of companies, and/or their employees don't give a ****. So the defective/substandard parts get sold to consumers anyway.
 
Coyote Jack said:
I always get a laugh when people complain that a product is a piece of junk because it's made in China. It doesn't matter where a product is made that has a name brand on it. The product is built to a exact set of standards. If it does not meet those standards or specs, then the manufacturer does not get paid and the product does not get sold with the name brand on it. Now if you are talking about a brand "X" that is totally Chinese from start to finish then you might have a reason to fear it's quality as the Chinese have been known to cut corners and try to say there product is just as good as the name brand.

Jack
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The Chinese will cut a corner off a penny. That's their culture; they get shamed if they don't screw someone when they had the chance, and most of them don't understand critical thinking.

Coyote Jack said:
I have a 2013 CF MOTO Snyper 600 side by side. I did my homework before I bought it used at auction. I got it for a song. It turns out that in the 2013 model year they fixed a wiring problem that had plagued the models before then. I have had it since 2015 and it runs like a top. If you are going to buy any Chinese atc/utv, due your homework first.

Jack
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You didn't get an improved product, you just got lucky. There's precisely zero consistency on that Chinese trash. And buying parts is always a crapshoot, too.

I went with my kid to O'reilly's yesterday to get a cooling fan for his (ugh) Chevy Sonic. The kid at the counter knew him from school and begged him to work there. They're giving him 40 hours a week, 8 hours overtime at $11/hour, and benefits. Damn! When I worked at Autozone a couple decades ago, that was a twenty-hour-a-week job!
 
Coyote Jack said:
I always get a laugh when people complain that a product is a piece of junk because it's made in China. It doesn't matter where a product is made that has a name brand on it. The product is built to a exact set of standards. If it does not meet those standards or specs, then the manufacturer does not get paid and the product does not get sold with the name brand on it. Now if you are talking about a brand "X" that is totally Chinese from start to finish then you might have a reason to fear it's quality as the Chinese have been known to cut corners and try to say there product is just as good as the name brand.

Jack
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I call BS.
Some years ago, I complained to Standard Motor Products about defective Chrysler voltage regulators (internals were not connected to the case to make a ground). My local store (Advance) had three of them, and another store over 80 miles away had at least one. Standard told me they knew about the problem. That they had changed suppliers (didn't say if that was before or after). Those regulators stayed on my local store shelf for at least two months longer. About three months later, I found they had been "repaired". Someone had put a sheet metal screw into the case, so the under side of the screw head contacted the retainer bail, allowing a ground. I wonder what happens, when some corrosion forms under the head of the screw?

How about the "new" Mopar small block distributers, from A-1 Cardone? Ever buy one of those. You need to buy three and maybe you will get one good one.
 
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RustyRatRod said:
Corporate greed is also doing the same to the American work force. Go into any auto parts store, or any other service related business. It's very rare to find anyone who gives a **** anymore.
Click to expand...
THIS. Oh my lord THIS!
I have never owned a new vehicle, nor made hundreds of thousands in income.

These stores are my car payments.
I move back home and my parents want me to service their 05’ Ford Explorer ten days ago. “Check the car and do a brake job.”

Well pandora’s Box is opened once again and every ball joint and every tie rod was ****,, shocks 15 years old, rear wheel bearings rotten.

I order parts from Rockauto BUT IT TAKES MORE THAN A WEEK, SOME PARTS ARE BROKEN.

Ever try to return something to them or contact customer service? It’s like my dad yelling at my teenage ***-does little good. You CANNOT call them.

I make my way around San Antonio, which every bit a car town as Detroit, for parts:

“Oh we don’t have it, Valley High has it go to them.”
Valley high, “THEY SHOULD HAVE CALLED FIRST! THAT, is protocol. We don’t have it. Try military drive.”

military drive: “here you go.”

I look at the part. Me, “someone tried to install this ball joint. I am surprised that you have this beat up part on your shelf. I would please like a different one.”

military drive: “I am sorry sir, you will have to pay for one if we order it, we don’t have another.”

Another store for another part, “Sorry we are not going to price match this wheel bearing.” {same part number, same part, different brand}

Me: “ brother I just drove around town on a wild goose chase because your company sent me to every store all the way to Timbuktu, (price match) would you knock the ten dollars off of this thing-I really spend thousands at your store.”
Them: “get out.”
Another store, “here is your part discounted $20 mr. Anderson, we are sooo sorry for your experience, here is the number to the district manager to file a complaint.”

It’s a saga to fix a car now, no wonder labor has gone up-I wasted two Civic gas tanks chasing down parts that could have been a one stop shop instead of a store (with a neighbor competitor store) every 6 miles.
 
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Charrlie_S said:
I call BS.
Some years ago, I complained to Standard Motor Products about defective Chrysler voltage regulators (internals were not connected to the case to make a ground). My local store (Advance) had three of them, and another store over 80 miles away had at least one. Standard told me they knew about the problem. That they had changed suppliers (didn't say if that was before or after). Those regulators stayed on my local store shelf for at least two months longer. About three months later, I found they had been "repaired". Someone had put a sheet metal screw into the case, so the under side of the screw head contacted the retainer bail, allowing a ground. I wonder what happens, when some corrosion forms under the head of the screw?

How about the "new" Mopar small block distributers, from A-1 Cardone? Ever buy one of those. You need to buy three and maybe you will get one good one.
Click to expand...

Those exact voltage regulators were my first troubleshooting experience when I first got into Mopars.
I kept blowing out coils AND getting stranded. Damn the Chinese parts!
 
Charrlie_S said:
I call BS.
Some years ago, I complained to Standard Motor Products about defective Chrysler voltage regulators (internals were not connected to the case to make a ground). My local store (Advance) had three of them, and another store over 80 miles away had at least one. Standard told me they knew about the problem. That they had changed suppliers (didn't say if that was before or after). Those regulators stayed on my local store shelf for at least two months longer. About three months later, I found they had been "repaired". Someone had put a sheet metal screw into the case, so the under side of the screw head contacted the retainer bail, allowing a ground. I wonder what happens, when some corrosion forms under the head of the screw?

How about the "new" Mopar small block distributers, from A-1 Cardone? Ever buy one of those. You need to buy three and maybe you will get one good one.
Click to expand...
Cardone? we went through 3 racks for our 2010 Challenger build. Pulled the trigger and bought a Mopar one (and done)
 
Another point about "Brand" names. Bought and payed premium price for a "Raybestos" Brand front wheel drive bearing and hub assy. When it came, it had was identical to the cheap house brand part, down to the numbers stamped on the part and the paper work in the box. I call Raybestos to complain about paying twice as much money for the same part. The answer:
"We have nothing to do with that part, we just licensed the use of the Raybestos name".
 
Many years ago, I worked in a production plant. We had to inspect every single item. When the product was shipped to the purchaser, they would spot check items by pulling random item from random cases, as the came out of the truck. If the buyer found two or more defective items the whole load was rejected. We then had to incur the expense of sending a crew to the buyers place, and reinspect the complete load (every single item, and there were thousands), or have the complete load returned to use for reinspection. Of course that can't happen, today. Too expensive. Today the end user is the chief inspector, and with out getting paid for it (he has to pay for the privaledge)
 
Then I'll put out a word of encouragement. Our facility prides itself on safety first, quality second. We do not make a deal about productivity. While it's true it's hard to find young people (or older folks) with this mentality walking in the door, it's how we train. Our tolerances are tighter than the customers prints. People are still people. What you make important to them is what will be important to them.
 
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