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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Marble Falls
    Posts
    39

    China made tanks

    Seems that's all ebay has. Gut reaction is, don't go there. getting fed up with junque from China. Any comments? Going to switch from FC to solid wire and C25, now that I have some shelter, plan is to own the tank. Thanks
    Rick C

    HH187
    Victor A/O
    Griz, Jet, Powermatic, DeWalt woodshop

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Gulfport, Florida
    Posts
    1,963
    Rick,
    You won't regret switching to solid wire and C25. Even tho flux-core has it's place. I have 125 cf bottles nice size for me. After buying you're first bottle keep on the look out for a used bottle maybe on Craigslist, this way you're have a spare in case you run out on the weekend..

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    2,041
    I just bought a couple from IOC (from their E-Bay listing) and they were Sherwood.

    The computer you post on is likely Chinese junk too.
    So little time...So many machine tools.........
    www.flipmeisters.com

    Miller, Hobart & Lincoln TIG/MIG/-
    Hypertherm Plasma (Thanks Jim)
    Plasma-Cam DHC (coming shortly)
    Harris OA
    Too many motorcycles.............-

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    kingsport tn.
    Posts
    188
    can you really find anything made in usa!!! anymore? It may say built in usa but it was just assembled here. just take the cover off. this free trade is shutting the usa down
    lincoln pt225
    hack saw & a hammer
    oh & a shovel

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Gulfport, Florida
    Posts
    1,963
    Quote Originally Posted by walker d. View Post
    can you really find anything made in usa!!! anymore? It may say built in usa but it was just assembled here. just take the cover off. this free trade is shutting the usa down
    Flip says,"Babies are still made in the USA".. I can belive that..

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SE Michigan
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    2,041
    Quote Originally Posted by urch55 View Post
    Flip says,"Babies are still made in the USA".. I can belive that..
    The 125's that IOC offers on their website/Flea-Bay are Sherwood and made in this country, I just bought 2 a few weeks ago. Free shipping to boot, well, shipping built into the price.

    Far as bottles go, it's kind of moot where they are made. They still have to be manufactured to ASTM specifications and hydro tested prior to sale. The hydro test is at 150% of rated maximum allowable pressure.

    Like John Lennon said.... "I like Chinese, they are cute, cuddly and willing to please......."
    So little time...So many machine tools.........
    www.flipmeisters.com

    Miller, Hobart & Lincoln TIG/MIG/-
    Hypertherm Plasma (Thanks Jim)
    Plasma-Cam DHC (coming shortly)
    Harris OA
    Too many motorcycles.............-

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Medford, MA
    Posts
    435
    Quote Originally Posted by walker d. View Post
    can you really find anything made in usa!!! anymore? It may say built in usa but it was just assembled here. just take the cover off. this free trade is shutting the usa down
    Seriously ... yes, we do.
    Though parts and raw materials may come from all over the world,
    including the US

    When compared to the rest of our economy (especially housing
    and construction related stuff) our manufacturing sector is currently
    doing comparatively well. The last numbers I saw were that our
    manufactured-goods trade deficit is shrinking (that is, we're
    exporting more and importing less). Manufacturers are hiring,
    it seems whenever I hear/see employment numbers the number
    of manufacturing jobs goes up 10/20/30,000 a month. I also recall
    that either caterpillar or deere was bringing a major plant back
    to the US from someplace else... There have also been a couple
    of guys on this very board saying that they are seeing some
    increases in their manufacturing businesses and are adding on
    to their shops...

    It also seems that the prices of stuff sold by Harbor Freight and
    other Chinese-Import-Inc retailers is going up really fast. More than
    other things ... this could open (new) opportunities for (new) domestic
    manufacturers...

    Granted, none of this means that Happy Days are Here Again,
    but things are not all doom and gloom either. If we don't F... it up,
    we might be ok - but it probably will be a tough, long, haul.

    Frank

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    2,041
    Frank...

    The reason why the price of imported goods is rising is bacause the dollar is growing weaker as the benchmark currency.

    Offshore manufacturers take dollars in trade for goods and it takes more to equal their domestic currency.

    As the dollar weakens against foreign currency, our standard drops and we again become an exporter (instead of an importer) of hard goods, but the catch is out standard of living drops to meet the standard of those countries that were exporting to us.

    Without dissecting political agenda's (this isn;t the forum for that), that is just what the current administration wants.

    A good example is GM. GM's largest customer at present is China for automobiles. Go figure.
    So little time...So many machine tools.........
    www.flipmeisters.com

    Miller, Hobart & Lincoln TIG/MIG/-
    Hypertherm Plasma (Thanks Jim)
    Plasma-Cam DHC (coming shortly)
    Harris OA
    Too many motorcycles.............-

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    London Ontario
    Posts
    290
    Well I think as fuel prices rise it will make North American goods more attractive as well. Or maybe I am just looking for the silver lining.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Northern Cal.
    Posts
    1,507
    Seems as simple as not buying the tanks made in china to me.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Elsewhere
    Posts
    338
    We NEED a low dollar to FORCE us off imports and make our EXPORTS competitive.

    Well I think as fuel prices rise it will make North American goods more attractive as well. Or maybe I am just looking for the silver lining.
    It sells LOTS of US exports. We don't need to be the benchmark currency, we need to SELL like mad and kick buttt.

    The amount of labor in a computer makes Chinese production of quality competitive. Computers REQUIRE precision to function.

    The only way to compete on goods whose RAW materials are expensive and labor inexpensive is to use worse materials and less/worse workmanship.

    My Lenovo works fine, but I ain't buying Chinese cylinders. I don't buy new cylinders anyway. I lurk Craigslist and exchange what I buy from there.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    houston pa
    Posts
    1,254
    i love china. for quite frankly i could only do a quarter of what i do in america without the china budget. the american counterparts that i see simply are not worth their salary. not even close. thats on the humanistic level, quality is perhaps up but not worth the bother.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Medford, MA
    Posts
    435
    Quote Originally Posted by SidecarFlip View Post
    Frank...

    The reason why the price of imported goods is rising is bacause the dollar is growing weaker as the benchmark currency.

    Offshore manufacturers take dollars in trade for goods and it takes more to equal their domestic currency.

    .
    Yup

    It will reduce our STD of living
    But one could argue that it is/was so
    high because we've been living beyond
    our means.

    But it is possible to have an export
    oriented economy AND have a good STD
    of living -- look at Germany. Exporting
    Crocs and T-shirts is not the way to do it.
    Exporting high end cars and extremely engineered
    stuff IS the way. Fortunately, the uUS tends
    to export higher end things. So if we don't f. it up
    we just might be ok in 5-10-15 yrs

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Elsewhere
    Posts
    338
    To the extent our standard of living depends on imports, it should be reduced and the only economically fair way to do this is by dropping the value of the dollar.

    The way to force people to make things here yet be competitive in exports is reducing the value of the dollar. Too bad for those who want foreign goods, but FORCED change of priorities is fine with me. Twist those arms until they snap off, we have a country to fix.

    If you actually consider how much import "guano" the US buys that isn't necessary to survive, that's a lot of spending we can cut.

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