"Made In USA"

I called the NAPA auto parts Fri to price a wheel bearing and he said $11.50, which I was so happy to hear I didn't say another word, but over the weekend wondered about the brand, origin, etc. I went by there yesterday to get them and asked about the brand etc. They were sure enough, made in China, and I asked about his other brands, he had SKF, Made in USA, which were priced $19.50. I muddled over the price for a little bit while asking about returns/rejects etc and looking at the Chinese one. I pulled one of the Made in USA out of the box and one look told me all I needed to know. From the packaging, to the finish, to the etchings in the steel, all crisp, clear, and clean. No more questions here, thank you!
They were actually identically engraved as the originals, excepting the originals were "Japan" (who actually came to make some exceptional stuff). The originals had 280,000 miles, hoping the new ones will see even half of that ; )
Nothing like seeing them in a side by side comparison to know why it's better "Made in USA"

I agree entirely, especially with auto/truck parts, usually you are better off not buying the cheaper ones available as they are of lower quality and would not last as long.

On the "flip" side, I also noticed the spices and seasoning at a dollr tree said "Made In USA" and quickly picked up some garlic powder, ground cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, chili powder etc, yeah, I like it spicy.
After reading the labels several times over I began to wonder if the ingredients in them are actually a product of the USA(I've looked high and low for actual USA grown spices/seasonings to no avail, if it doesn't say, you probably don't want to know ; ). The label merely says "distributed by greenbriar int'l" which has absolutely no website, and in searching the web, found numerous horror stories about both.
Even though it says "Made In USA" on the label, they could be selling the label, the bottle, or the mixture, as such, which would definitely be skirting the "truth in labeling" law
During my searches I did find one very unappetizing article @ Spices | MADE IN USA NEWS If you're interested in better spices and seasonings you might want to check it out before buying any random products

Originally Posted by Jvcr1

I agree entirely, especially with auto/truck parts, usually you are better off not buying the cheaper ones available as they are of lower quality and would not last as long.

True, and I'll certainly rest easier knowing it's got the good ones in it

Ah man, ...now I gotta start a garden just for spices and herbs now, lol. at least I'll know where they come from then

Originally Posted by Jvcr1

Ah man, ...now I gotta start a garden just for spices and herbs now, lol. at least I'll know where they come from then

Exactly, I've been growing my own peppers for years, and drying them over the wood stove, then grinding them up in the blender to a powder, maybe roasting just a bit, and put in a shaker. But I got behind on that, and this past year I didn't hardly have a garden at all.
I did however plant some garlic last fall, which did fairly well, and have it broken up and drying, plus I've got another bunch planted already for next year. You can buy garlic at the grocery store for this, just whatever looks good, break all the cloves apart and plant it 2 or 3 inches deep, root side down. Throw a bunch of grass clippings or old leaves over it for mulch, and next summer have all ya want.
The kind you'll find in the stores are likely a better variety for longer storage, but nurseries will have numerous other types. At least with that you'll know where it grew at

Truth in advertisement is like asking politicians, lawyers an car sales men not to lie, cheat, or be faithful to their wives/husbands. /zing!

I like garlic, I may have to grow some. Now to see if that's possible to do inside, I get to many critters tromping around in my yard for me to do it outside. Dumb cats an foxes!

Sirscrapalot - Doesn't have a green thumb.

I've got all types of critters around here SSA, and nothing bothers the garlic. The chickens like to roll in that loose soil and dust themselves, and that wallered a few of them out, but this time I threw some loose pieces of 2x4 fence wire across there after planting and mulching, so I doubt they'll be rolling around in it this time ; )
Once they start growing taller in the Spring, I'll pull that wire out of there

Good to hear. I may have to take a stab at it an see what happens. I love me some garlic.

Thanks!

Sirscrapalot - Time is my greatest enemy. - Evita Peron

I'm not sure about other products but tools that display the "made in usa" stamp have at least 60% of the product manufactured in the country. Anything with a patent number also has a good chance of being domestic product because there are no copy wright laws in china.

Originally Posted by Bear

On the "flip" side, I also noticed the spices and seasoning at a dollr tree said "Made In USA" and quickly picked up some garlic powder, ground cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, chili powder etc, yeah, I like it spicy.
After reading the labels several times over I began to wonder if the ingredients in them are actually a product of the USA(I've looked high and low for actual USA grown spices/seasonings to no avail, if it doesn't say, you probably don't want to know ; ). The label merely says "distributed by greenbriar int'l" which has absolutely no website, and in searching the web, found numerous horror stories about both.
Even though it says "Made In USA" on the label, they could be selling the label, the bottle, or the mixture, as such, which would definitely be skirting the "truth in labeling" law
During my searches I did find one very unappetizing article @ Spices | MADE IN USA NEWS If you're interested in better spices and seasonings you might want to check it out before buying any random products

Greenbrier Intl is actually right by where I live in Chesapeake Virginia. There the manufacturing end of dollar tree. They produce most of the products there. They hire thousands of Americans in that factory every year. I was there for 6 months. They don't hire exchange students or people on a work visa. No social security number no job.

Don't mean to highjack the thread, but is it true that back in the 50s and 60s when Japanese products first came to the US market they were considered "cheap junk"?

Another place to search out better prices for bearings is industrial suppliers. This doesn't work for specialized car parts but is good for standard run of the mill bearings and the like. Oufits like Kaman Industrial and Grainger (Acklands-Grainger here in Canada) are the names I check first. I find internet prices can vary, but if you know what you are looking at you can get a decent price.

I had to get an oddball bearing for a John Deere baler last summer--the dealer wanted 80$ but could have it in a day, Kaman wanted $45 but needed two weeks and I found a Chinese supplier for about $15 on the 'net, which would have been at least 3 weeks and I woulda had to buy more than one to replace the bad ones. I couldn't wait but the difference between the dealer and Kaman was the dealer/JD markup...both were US-made bearings.

Jon.

Originally Posted by faction757

Greenbrier Intl is actually right by where I live in Chesapeake Virginia. There the manufacturing end of dollar tree. They produce most of the products there. They hire thousands of Americans in that factory every year. I was there for 6 months. They don't hire exchange students or people on a work visa. No social security number no job.

Wow! Thanks for that one faction! I was all around Chesapeake in my searches, hoping to stumble across someone on a forum somewhere I could contact to ask if the individual ingredients were actually from here, or if they came in on a ship from some unknown origin.