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Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

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Re: Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

#51

Post by SV_BubbleTime »

_Adam wrote: post #9

I don't think this will make much of a difference aside from the branding advantage. The quality of a mass-produced product like a consumer hand tool isn't a function of the country in which it is made but rather of its design. All the decisions made during that process and all the cost / performance considerations made are what determine the ultimate outcome. It's common to blame Chinese manufacturing for cheap tool…

>So bringing it back here without increasing the cost to the consumer means altering the design to make it cheaper to build, or banking on supply chain efficiencies to make it worthwhile.

As much as I like some Klein tools that are made in the USA, they have a few that are cheaper-quality when compared to their cheaper-price Chinese alternatives.

If I can’t find USA, I’ll at least look to Taiwan, having spent time there and seen how hard the people work.

Re: Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

#52

Post by fn-mote »

stacktrust wrote: post #32
umeshunni wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They sell the higher spec ones on the side to their buddies?

Wouldn't the lower spec ones fail QA checks on factory floor?

And as the other posters tell you, possibly failing QA checks is not stopping profiteers from attempting these kind of changes. Constantly. It's a numbers game. Expected profit based on how long until your swap is discovered.

Re: Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

#53

Post by cplusplusfellow »

kube-system wrote: post #43
cplusplusfellow wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tend to disagree with this in many ways. Chinese products are often made from subpar raw materials like steel, which can be much more brittle than steel sourced from US, Germany, and Mexico.

Professionally engineered products have their steel specified by physical attributes, not country of origin. If it meets the spec, and passes QA, it meets the spec. That being said, not every plant makes every type of steel. Higher end steels are the types of steels that western manufacturers can compete on, so it is often what they specialize in.

Some countries declare steel to have certain properties and they do not have those properties.

This is a certifiable fact.

Re: Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

#54

Post by stacktrust »

blt wrote: post #44

This is good news, but Milwaukee is primarily a power tool company. Bringing power tool manufacturing back to the USA would be much bigger news. Project Farm is a YouTube channel that reviews tools. I've noticed that most of the made-in-USA products are relatively simple - hand tools, drill bits, adhesives, lubricants, and so on. Any complex assembly that includes electronics is almost invariably made in Asia. It fee…

A handful of DeWalt power tools are "assembled from global materials" in USA, https://www.allamericanmade.com/where-are-dewalt-tools-made/

  Jackson, TN      Air compressors
  Hempstead, MD    Drill and saw components
  Charlotte, NC    Cordless drills, screwdrivers
  Greenfield, IN   Grinder, recip saws, hammer drills

Re: Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

#56

Post by nostromo »

thaumaturgy wrote: post #48
_Adam wrote: post #9

I don't think this will make much of a difference aside from the branding advantage. The quality of a mass-produced product like a consumer hand tool isn't a function of the country in which it is made but rather of its design. All the decisions made during that process and all the cost / performance considerations made are what determine the ultimate outcome. It's common to blame Chinese manufacturing for cheap tool…

There's a great YouTube channel, Project Farm ( https://www.youtube.com/c/ProjectFarm/videos ), that features a single guy testing, grading, and comparing all kinds of things you might find in your garage. He's not sponsored and tries to be objective throughout the process. It isn't perfect but he puts a ton of effort in and for backyard science it's pretty good. Anyway, he mentions country of origin for a lot of too…

China has a “caveat emptor” culture that I suspect plays a role in this.

In most western countries and other countries, like Japan, selling counterfeit or barely functional products is seen as somewhat shameful. But in China it’s often seen as being clever or cunning.

Chinese consumers are used to this and are very cautious about what they buy and from whom, and of course negotiating a reasonable cost for the goods being sold.

In the US and most of the west, consumers feel entitled to a basic standard of quality, even at the lowest prices.

This leads to consumers being confused in the west when they buy very cheap goods from China and the quality is crap. Well, yeah, you got what you paid for.

Re: Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

#57

Post by collegeburner »

blt wrote: post #44

This is good news, but Milwaukee is primarily a power tool company. Bringing power tool manufacturing back to the USA would be much bigger news. Project Farm is a YouTube channel that reviews tools. I've noticed that most of the made-in-USA products are relatively simple - hand tools, drill bits, adhesives, lubricants, and so on. Any complex assembly that includes electronics is almost invariably made in Asia. It fee…

second the project farm recommendation btw. he's 100% the best source of trustworthy reviews with credible methods for tools i found, i check him every time i need a good tool.

Re: Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

#58

Post by collegeburner »

nostromo wrote: post #56
thaumaturgy wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a great YouTube channel, Project Farm ( https://www.youtube.com/c/ProjectFarm/videos ), that features a single guy testing, grading, and comparing all kinds of things you might find in your garage. He's not sponsored and tries to be objective throughout the process. It isn't perfect but he puts a ton of effort in and for backyard science it's pretty good. Anyway, he mentions country of origin for a lot of too…

China has a “caveat emptor” culture that I suspect plays a role in this. In most western countries and other countries, like Japan, selling counterfeit or barely functional products is seen as somewhat shameful. But in China it’s often seen as being clever or cunning. Chinese consumers are used to this and are very cautious about what they buy and from whom, and of course negotiating a reasonable cost for the goods b…

yea i've seen the attitude extend to college here, we generally have some idea that cheating is wrong but most of the chinese students i met seemed to think it was fine if they could get away with it.

Re: Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

#59

Post by walrus01 »

Anecdotal, but the Milwaukee packout modular stacking toolbox/rolling system has become wildly popular with electrical and low voltage + premises fiber contractors.

Home Depot and several others have tried to clone it with their own cheaper house brands which are kinda okay, but not as good as the original.

Re: Milwaukee Tool Raises the Bar with New USA Factory

#60

Post by stacktrust »

doodlebugging wrote: post #47
_Adam wrote: post #9

I don't think this will make much of a difference aside from the branding advantage. The quality of a mass-produced product like a consumer hand tool isn't a function of the country in which it is made but rather of its design. All the decisions made during that process and all the cost / performance considerations made are what determine the ultimate outcome. It's common to blame Chinese manufacturing for cheap tool…

>The quality of a mass-produced product like a consumer hand tool isn't a function of the country in which it is made but rather of its design. All the decisions made during that process and all the cost / performance considerations made are what determine the ultimate outcome. I have to disagree with this. The quality of consumer-grade hand tools is a function of who controls the manufacturing process and quality co…

> Tool branding is everything and people who use tools absolutely care about where they are made and who owns the company making them. Reputation is everything with some things.

Good chart of tool company owners, https://www.protoolreviews.com/power-tool-manufacturers-who-...

> It may surprise you to know that only a handful of power tool companies own your favorite tools. That’s right, most tool brands fall under a parent company that also controls additional power tool manufacturers and brands.

At this point, reputation and branding needs to be separated out to the level of tool lines or even model numbers, e.g. Ridgid tools, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32453919

> After signing the deal in 2003, TTi took over the production of Ridgid power tools. These tools are licensed for sale only at The Home Depot, and all of these tools are produced by TTi, not Emerson. However, TTi does not own Ridgid or the rights to the brand name. Rather, TTi has a licensing agreement with Emerson that allows them to produce and distribute the tools under the Ridgid name.

While most Ridgid power tools are made in China by TTI, the well-regarded Ridgid shop vacs are made in Mexico by Emerson.

Ridgid toolboxes are made in Israel by Keter, which also makes enclosures for Milwaukee Packout and Home Depot's Husky brand.

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