Asian junk

[Massive Lee]

Here's some Saturday morning thoughts, while having a latte and freshly baked crescents in bed. Every couple of weeks, I get spammed by Asian manufacturers wanting some business. They usually makes okay copies of Occidental designs, but knowing the quality of their material, I can be assured that looks can sometimes be deceiving. It's true that for years I wanted to have my own line of calipers done cheaply in Asia. But after some thinking, I elected to have well know specialists take care of the job. Be it Brembo, Alcon or Wilwood. At least, I know what I am buying.

I discuss on a weekly basis with the three machineshops that supply me with parts. And they all agree that most often, the problem with Asian parts in not the machining as it is pretty standard around the world, but the material they use, which is very inconsistant. They tested some 6061-T6 Asian-sourced aluminum and ended up with many problems such as differences of surfaces after machining, impurities, and inconsistance in material quality from one batch to the next. My own experience with a US supplier for one Taiwanese-made rotors has not been satisfactory.

Here's the latest spam I received. There are hundreds like them. Products look okay (quite ricy though). The floating drive-pins are copied from Brembo's design. Is the quality more than skindeep? Taiwanese rotors made from recycled junk? Oh no...

Basically, this company will ship parts with your name on it, instead of "XYZ"

http://www.xyz-racing.com/

[mrsleeve]

Lee you products are top quality, for a very fair price (compared to the other options). Dont cheapen your products, and your reputation by out sourcing components for asian crap.

Oh and on that note, CAT has announced they will be bringing a bunch of their production back here to the states. They have figured out that off shoring to Asia is not always a good business move

[Massive Lee]

Don't worry. I will not compromise quality and try to increase profits by outsourcing parts from India or further East.

[mrsleeve]

didnt figure you would, just the fact you get spammed like that ought to say something about the quality of everything, as many many people would be suckered with that. And

[StereoInstaller1]

So is that why I get hungry 20 minutes after eating chinese food? Does it delaminate?

[dinanm3atl]

I get a handful a day on my work email. Offering up everything.

[markseven]

Here's some Saturday morning thoughts, while having a latte and freshly baked crescents in bed. Every couple of weeks, I get spammed by Asian manufacturers wanting some business. They usually makes okay copies of Occidental designs, but knowing the quality of their material, I can be assured that looks can sometimes be deceiving. It's true that for years I wanted to have my own line of calipers done cheaply in Asia. But after some thinking, I elected to have well know specialists take care of the job. Be it Brembo, Alcon or Wilwood. At least, I know what I am buying.

I discuss on a weekly basis with the three machineshops that supply me with parts. And they all agree that most often, the problem with Asian parts in not the machining as it is pretty standard around the world, but the material they use, which is very inconsistant. They tested some 6061-T6 Asian-sourced aluminum and ended up with many problems such as differences of surfaces after machining, impurities, and inconsistance in material quality from one batch to the next. My own experience with a US supplier for one Taiwanese-made rotors has not been satisfactory.

Here's the latest spam I received. There are hundreds like them. Products look okay (quite ricy though). The floating drive-pins are copied from Brembo's design. Is the quality more than skindeep? Taiwanese rotors made from recycled junk? Oh no...

Basically, this company will ship parts with your name on it, instead of "XYZ"
http://www.xyz-racing.com/

Fishing for compliments, are we?

[Massive Lee]

Not really. Rather a comment on Asian suppliers of generic parts...

[Dave McLaren]

Not what I was hoping for when clicking on this thread. ;)

[pureaudio]

Not what I was hoping for when clicking on this thread. ;)

You wanted to look at asian cocks?

[Hallen]

We've seen similar problems with them. They'll source materials wherever they can get it. They all seem to have cousins that they can get cheap stuff from. Consistency is non-existent unless you keep a very close watch on everything they do and supply them with your own raw materials (which would be cost prohibitive in your case).

In my industry, we make very precise and complicated instruments. The Chinese have knocked off designs from every single manufacturer in the industry. They don't even change the designs for the moldings. They try to make them as close to the original as they can. They're all crap right now. They work, but they don't last more than a year or two. If you need precise measurements every time, well, you wouldn't want to buy one of these Chinese units. But there's enough of a market for them in third world countries where price means everything that these Chinese companies do pretty well. They'll get better with more time.

Also, they'll just spec stuff that sounds good, or matches the original manufacturers spec, but they don't really rigorously test to those specs. When we say your measurement will measure 1mm + 1ppm, it will. When they say it, well, on a good day, it might hit that, but usually not. People who buy the instruments don't know that though. They think the printed specs mean something, and it would to our company, but not to these Chinese ones.

[Bimmerman325i]

I just rebuilt my made-in-China Craftsman jack today. Aside from an appalling lack of standard size fasteners (seriously, 17.5mm/ 23/32" nuts. WTF), the build quality is terrible.

Fifteen months after purchase (and maybe 10 uses), the thing starts hemorrhaging oil. So, I get a rebuild kit and decide to replace the oil seals. What do I find? DIRTY oil. Black oil. New hydraulic jack oil is clear. Even better- each part was painted before assembly. Including things that slide in other things. As a result, there was a shitload of paint chips inside my oil. The o-rings had essentially deteriorated so badly that I think the ones used aren't oil-qualified (yes, there are different grades of o-rings).

What an utter piece of shit. Don't buy made-in-china shit for important things if you can avoid it.

[blunttech]

I have a sears made in china 1.5 ton floor jack that I got when i was 18 years old from my dad as a gift. thats 36 years ago for those of you counting. Ive lifted my 3/4 ton ford pickup, taken it to the track millions of times and abused it every way you can imagine and Ive never even replaced a seal in it. It did start leaking about 5 years ago so i added some fresh fluid to top it off and it cured itself. it doesnt leak anymore and in 36 years Ive never changed the fluid. I cant explain it.

[Bimmerman325i]

I have a sears made in china 1.5 ton floor jack that I got when i was 18 years old from my dad as a gift. thats 36 years ago for those of you counting. Ive lifted my 3/4 ton ford pickup, taken it to the track millions of times and abused it every way you can imagine and Ive never even replaced a seal in it. It did start leaking about 5 years ago so i added some fresh fluid to top it off and it cured itself. it doesnt leak anymore and in 36 years Ive never changed the fluid. I cant explain it.

I've heard similar stories, I think the downturn in quality started relatively recently. I didn't abuse my jack nor expose it to weather or really anything that would kill it, yet it did die without using it much at all. I dunno really

[b*saint]

Japanese stuff is generally good. I swear by Denso connectors and electrics and OE Kawasaki parts for me bike.