China is taking the fun out of my hobby.

Buying the better name brand parts isn't always the solution. The first AC compressor in my GMT400 lasted about 28 years. The new (not remanufactured) AC Delco ones have been good for 18-20 months. 

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

In ACD's defense, those vehicles ate compressors because they were mounted high up.  The oil would slowly get pumped out of them and then sit in the low spots in the A/C system, and then the compressor would eat itself, distributing its digestive byproducts into the rest of the system in the process.

The only long-term success I've had with replacing a compressor on one of those involved replacing everything else, including the evaporator.

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

I've had good luck with GPD brand compressors, but I flushed out everything twice, including the condenser and evaporator and lines, did some hail marys and an Seminole ceremonial dance before I put it all back together and vaccumed the system down.  Holding up fine so far (knocks wood).

Snrub said:

I think much of this thread is the typical China bashing that is so in vogue. Yes they were a big part of what got the lowest of low price trend moving, but almost everyone has embraced the philosophy in most product categories. The vast majority of major appliances are made domestically because they're heavy and lower priced. They're designed to fail very quickly. The steel rusts prematurely because they're trying to save a fraction of a cent on lower carbon, lower nickel steel, just like chinesium.

Domestic car manufacturers built garbage for a long time. Cars last more than twice as long today as in the 70s. For most other products categories the opposite has happened.  The level of engineering in today's cars is so much higher. It rose because Japanese manufacturers forced everyone to raise their game. Drive a GM product from the early to mid 2000s, when it was 3-5 years old and tell me they didn't rip off their customers.

It's old news. You're probably old enough to remember the Japanese bashing in the 70's, and how those Japanese products, including cars were not great.  Remember JapScrap, and the J.A Pan company, all those garbage made in Japan tools? That changed and they became much better. China will do the same

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to ProDarwin :

But they can make more money in the short term by selling off US based assets and "downsizing" workers, which increases stock value.  To get product, they offshore.  Or just let the company die, shrug into their golden parachute, and do it again to another once-profitable company.

That is all possible yes, but that isn't what is driving it/is only part of it.  I've worked for many companies that have a portion of manufacturing overseas.  They sell products to other companies that sell products or services to consumers.

The companies selling the product to consumers are targeting a crazy low price.  This may be to increase their quarterly profits, but another huge factor is that they simply can't remain competitive with their peers unless they cut costs.  So they need that engine mount to cost them no more than $xxx.  If you are the company that is bidding on building that part, you are probably using every trick in the book to get your cost down, including building it or some of the components elsewhere.

Mr. Peabody said:

 all those garbage made in Japan tools? That changed and they became much better. China will do the same

Japan (and other nations through history) did use cheap crap stuff to build an economy (back up, in japans case) and moved on to make better quality. China, despite making some decent products (shows the can) has not shown any indication that plan to. 
Those that feel that chinas plan is the exact opposite of that may be wrong; but then again, they might not be. 

03Panther said:

Mr. Peabody said:

 all those garbage made in Japan tools? That changed and they became much better. China will do the same

Japan (and other nations through history) did use cheap crap stuff to build an economy (back up, in japans case) and moved on to make better quality. China, despite making some decent products (shows the can) has not shown any indication that plan to. 
Those that feel that chinas plan is the exact opposite of that may be wrong; but then again, they might not be. 

I kind of agree. I think China's philosophy is most similar to the US. There is plenty of capability to build better stuff, but they may, or may not, depending on the market/product space. Like the US, they're a bit more cut throat than some other places.

In reply to Snrub :

Very good point! Being born in the us, I want to wish "we" were a bit better than them, but reality shows me that, as a nation, it prolly ain't so 

I was more or less repeating what I said on the first page. Somebody's going to be the bad guy, deserved or not, and right now it's China. At one time it was Japan.

But if you don't think they're getting better, and a lot better, at that, look at the quality of what you're reading this on now. And something I actually know about, Chinese companies now have real made in China off road motorcycles that are taking market share, and rightfully so, from the Japanese.

I hope this doesn't veer to political, but here goes:

Don't ever equate China and the United States.  China has no rule of law.  As has been pointed out earlier, China will counterfeit anything and everything.  Copyright and patent infringement suits fall into a black hole; China doesn't recognize the suits and even after a judgement is levied there is no way to enforce the judgement on a Chinese company.  And this is systemic policy, it's not merely bad companies doing it, it is the strategy and policy of the government.  The United States is (still, mostly) a country of the rule of law.  China is, well, >not<.   I'll quit now before I get more patriotic.

At least in my case I was attempting to describe the business philosophy involved in product/design quality/reliability, not the countries as a whole, political systems, laws, etc.