Grrrrr...Milwaukee, what a con.

[MikeJhn]

@mwinfrance just hope you don't have to use the Darty insurance or repair service, they took six weeks to source a Bosch solenoid to repair our just out of replacement guarantee dishwasher, still within guarantee, but just out of the replacement clause within.

 

[mwinfrance]

That was when ? Friends that I know who have used it since they began this version in 2022 have had no problems.

 

[Matty]

it's all a race to the bottom

 

[Homeless Squirrel]

All Bosch 41/2” grinderettes are made in China and aren’t very robust. Their 5” were made in Germany(not sure about now) and about 3 times the cost of the 41/2” but were much more robust. Get what you pay for I guess.
Regards,
Dave

9" was pants also gears made from Ritz Crackers.
Ive one of the proper Bosch 9" made in Switzerland i think? going to sell soon as never used
The old 4 1/2's are built proof! one i had must be nie on 40 year old

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Scintilla, Switzerland? Mine is, as is the baby router. The two large routers are U.S.A. made. At least 130 years old between them.

 

[Adam W.]

Nice, they do a good looking drill too.

 

[MikeJhn]

That was when ? Friends that I know who have used it since they began this version in 2022 have had no problems.

So the quality of merchandise is such that your friends have used their guarantee during the last year, does not sound like it has changed much since I had the experience of using them in 2021.

 

[mwinfrance]

So the quality of merchandise is such that your friends have used their guarantee during the last year, does not sound like it has changed much since I had the experience of using them in 2021.

That was on items that they had bought around 5 years ago from other companies and registered last year ( when the insurance scheme was launched ) via Darty's insurance system. One Samsung an one Electrolux.
I have to admit , I'm curious how you could use an insurance service in 2021, which ( AFAIK) wasn't launched until early ( about March IIRC ) 2022 .

 

[MikeJhn]

This was using the Darty guarantee and repair service, not insurance, the Dishwasher was bought in 2021?

 

[sploo]

If you doubt Chinese engineering then just take a look at their Beidou satellite navigation system.

But how on earth is Adam going to drill a hole with one of them?

I'd be very surprised if even western made tools (e.g. Festool) weren't now constructed with at least some parts that have been sourced from China. Global world and all that.

 

[Spectric]

I think it would be like a giant game of kerplunk if suddenly everything made in China just vanished, forget the larger items and just think of fasteners and the smaller items that hold everything together, the biggest and most complicated systems are no more than a collection of smaller parts.

 

[Adam W.]

I think we're not too far off from China being able to do what it likes and everybody else having to play along.

 

[sploo]

I think it would be like a giant game of kerplunk if suddenly everything made in China just vanished, forget the larger items and just think of fasteners and the smaller items that hold everything together, the biggest and most complicated systems are no more than a collection of smaller parts.

Absolutely.

I think we're not too far off from China being able to do what it likes and everybody else having to play along.

Agreed too. Though it depends on the intention as being the "factory for the world" is a good source of income.

 

[Fitzroy]

I think Adrian meant the public rather than the companies. Companies knew perfectly well what they doing but Joe Public didn't really notice.

I think Joe Public stuck their head in the sand and didn't want to notice. Most big companies are owned by shareholders, aka the public often through their pension funds, if Joe Public really cared about this stuff they could have prevented it. People like the idea of made at home, but would never be willing to pay what it would take to make this a reality.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Hoi polloi don't really care where anything's made as long as it's cheap.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Hoi polloi don't really care where anything's made as long as it's cheap.

It unfortunately does apply to everything. An insidious effect is the large retailers forcing prices on suppliers to meet the consumer’s price expectations. Just look at U.K. farming to see that in action.
On the tools front the consumer purchases based on price almost to the exclusion of other factors*. The retailers consequently push low price on the supplier which means the supplier reduce the quality to what can be achieved for the price and/or moves the manufacturing to a lower cost base.

Bottom line it is us that are to blame.

* shopping with my wife is a nightmare as she only shops based on price, even when buying clothes etc. there is no point me saying “that looks nicer” because she will ultimately just buy the cheaper one. I have recently forced her to not look at price labels until she has made her final decision on what she likes. The internal conflict she then has on her way to the till is quite something to see.

 

[Blackswanwood]

I’d suggest you cherish her @paulrbarnard

 

[Stuart Moffat]

Of course though, anyone on this site who has bought a
Festool, and their like doesn’t buy on price alone! I suspect most of us are conflicted?

 

[Adam W.]

Just looking at Festool at the moment.....

https://www.festool.co.uk/products/...s-oscillator/576594---osc-18-hpc4,0-ei-set-gb
Not including

https://www.festool.co.uk/products/dust-extraction/mobile-dust-extractors/575021---ctm-26-e-gb-240v
To go with it and the blades too.

My god!

 

[Vann]

... If Taiwan kicks off, and the West actually does something, Ukraine will be like a walk in the park.

You may not need to wait for Taiwan. If China is caught supplying weapons to Russia there may be sanctions.

That could be as soon as next week.

Cheers, Vann.