[Old Mechanic]

Bought some nice tools from Harbor Freight today, looked at the back and saw they were made in Taiwan, NOT CHINA. Sales person asked me if I needed any help. Told him thanks but I am fine and told him I was so happy to see they were getting tools from Taiwan an not China. Picked up a set of 3/8ths sockets and a ratchet as well as a spark plug socket 5/8ths for the plugs in my Echo, which have probably not been changed in 22.5 years and 95k miles.
LOL how about a tune up every 6 Presidents. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, Bidet-in. OOPS!!!!!!

 

[CamPoo]

Prices still incredibly low?

Yeah I've seen some folks go 250K on one set of plugs and the vehicle (Ram) seemed to run just fine, crazy.

 

[Old Mechanic]

Prices have come up considerably as has everything else. (says the guy who started in the auto repair biz when labor was $8 an hour, LOL.) I think the socket set was $14.99. Their Icon brand is much more expensive but I don't need any more than what I bought for how little I will use it. Maybe not incredibly low prices, but a quantum leap better (quality wise) than the cheap crap that came out of China and is choking the flea markets around here where a table full of tools won't bring much more than scrap metal value.
Metric deep 3/8th drive 6 point sockets 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19 and 21 MM 6 points with thin walls like Snap ON so you can get in tight spots. $14.99
72 tooth swivel head ratchet with soft grip. 12 point sockets no longer necessary, with fine toothed ratchets. $17.99
4 3/8ths drive extensions. They have a neat sliding ball lock so the socket can not come loose with a locking collar just above the piece where the socket attaches. I used to have a MAC spark plug socket and pinned extension that never came apart, impact socket and extension that I sold when I sold our last house. These are better, needed a punch to separate the MACs, these just pull back on the collar.
Spark Plug Socket with rubber insert 5/8ths (17MM?). $2.99
I've had a 1/4 inch drive ratchet of the same type for a number of years and it is holding up very well for my purposes, so I felt more comfortable after a long term ownership and all were Lifetime guarantee, for what it's worth.

In the 60 plus years I have been using tools these are as good as anything I have owned including tool truck tools. Maybe the chrome is not quite tool truck quality but for an old fart they are perfectly adequate and less that 10% of tool truck prices.
There is still a lot of China made stuff there, but I avoid it if possible and this is a nice compromise of price and quality. Not a fan of China made stuff if I can avoid it, because it was garbage a few years back and I have no reason to believe otherwise or they would be flooding our car market with cheap cars. Poison sheet rock, lead in toys and I'm sure we all know where the fentanyl is coming from.

 

[corollacoaster]

Bought some nice tools from Harbor Freight today, looked at the back and saw they were made in Taiwan, NOT CHINA. Sales person asked me if I needed any help. Told him thanks but I am fine and told him I was so happy to see they were getting tools from Taiwan an not China. Picked up a set of 3/8ths sockets and a ratchet as well as a spark plug socket 5/8ths for the plugs in my Echo, which have probably not been changed in 22.5 years and 95k miles.
LOL how about a tune up every 6 Presidents. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, Bidet-in. OOPS!!!!!!

That's funny. Taiwan IS China, just not communist China. Look where your TV was built...your computer was built...your refrigerator...most of the stuff in your house and the parts in your Chevy.

 

[Old Mechanic]

We sell Taiwan F16s I understand the geography but different worlds. Much like south Korea versus North Korea.
Want to hurt the country that is flooding us with fentanyl, buy from a different country. Bought a lamp today at the flea market in Gloucester county. Used on a model T patented in 1914, $30. Pre WW1 Ford logo and made in Detroit. Hong Kong was a part of China before the Boxer rebellion. May end up being a part of China again but until then I would rather send my money to those who buy from us and want no part of the PRC. Greatest power we have now is where we put our money. China is hurting now, apply the kind of pressure they understand.

 

[Hiro Protagonist]

Hong Kong was a part of China before the Boxer rebellion. May end up being a part of China again

Hong Kong has been an SAR (Special Administrative Region) of China since 1997, before that it was a British Dependent Territory (since 1841). Nothing to do with the Boxer Rebellion.

 

[corollacoaster]

We sell Taiwan F16s I understand the geography but different worlds. Much like south Korea versus North Korea.
Want to hurt the country that is flooding us with fentanyl, buy from a different country. Bought a lamp today at the flea market in Gloucester county. Used on a model T patented in 1914, $30. Pre WW1 Ford logo and made in Detroit. Hong Kong was a part of China before the Boxer rebellion. May end up being a part of China again but until then I would rather send my money to those who buy from us and want no part of the PRC. Greatest power we have now is where we put our money. China is hurting now, apply the kind of pressure they understand.

That's why 60% of American currency is outside America and Americans are homeless. Check the label in your maga hat...that's Chinese too- Taiwan is China.

 

[Hiro Protagonist]

Check the label in your maga hat...that's Chinese too- Taiwan is China.

The status of Taiwan is a political minefield. Regardless, something made in Taiwan will be labelled as "Made in Taiwan", "Made in ROC", or "Made in Taiwan, China/Chinese Taipei" not simply "Made in China". If you see a product from a Taiwanese company labelled "Made in China", that will be because it has come from a factory on the mainland (Foxconn, for instance)

 

[Gen7-bestGen]

Snap-on is even selling pricey stuff MiC!

 

[Edgeman]

That's why 60% of American currency is outside America and Americans are homeless. Check the label in your maga hat...that's Chinese too- Taiwan is China.

There are two Chinas, one is free (Taiwan), and the other is being run by a Communist dictator. The latter has declared America as their #1 enemy and are flooding this country with Fentanyl.

If you want to know why we've lost so much manufacturing, just research what happened after Clinton signed NAFTA. In my hometown, textile production moved south of the border, and furniture manufacturing moved to communist China.

 

[Old Mechanic]

I had a spare radio for my Sienna. The original radio had pushbuttons that did not work. Pulled the radio, looked at the spare "made in China", threw it in the trash and repaired the other radio.
Of all the hundred plus countries on this planet including the USA we can make things as inexpensively as they are made in China.
Why?
We have been subsidizing their economy for at least the last 30 years, basically our money increased their quality of life for that time. Now they want more, sounds like unions in the USA, see what happened to them.
Now we have technology that can replace human labor and over a hundred alternatives to made in China as far as labor markets and many of them have lower labor costs than China after our 30 year subsidy.
I was reading about an electric car that is made in Vietnam.
How about south America.
I guess no one considered the true cost of having production leave the USA.
Giving the money to Taiwan is one way to stick it to China.
Match their tariffs on what they buy from US, then use that to fund production here.
If we don't do something or many things they will own us, and we will sheepishly submit.

 

[wheatthin]

One big example of our money (our wealth) leaving the US and heading for china-Li, yes Lithium. Almost all Li refined in the world comes from china, the use of child labor and/or slave labor doesn't stop the self-righteous from buying their EVs! BTW of politics we are turning the future of our transportation sector over to CCP. In fact, we are "paying" Americans to buy (via $7500 tax credit) these EVs! Can you say, "something is wrong here"? If one takes a minute to look at the price of Lithium over the two years you'll see what is going on. The Price of Lithium metal has gone up OVER 800% in the last two years, even the wokes can't deny the financial reports!

 

[guyslp]

Yeah I've seen some folks go 250K on one set of plugs and the vehicle (Ram) seemed to run just fine, crazy.

Many auto makers are stating that today's iridium and ruthenium plugs, in particular, can be presumed to be lifetime items for most cars. Several have engineered things such that you have to drop the engine to change 'em.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Particularly if it's something unlikely to break and/or which will show issues when in the process of breaking or broken, but without leaving you stranded. My 1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon got it's spark plugs changed the one and only time they have been at a bit over 200K miles when one of the plug wires started going bad and the set were replaced (along with the plugs). My 2007 GMC Sierra 2500 HD is still on its original set of plugs at 207K. It runs no differently than it did when I got it, and its gas mileage is unchanged.

Messing with a functioning system for the sake of messing is inviting unexpected troubles.

 

[1stb]

This is only my personal view. For those saying Taiwan is the real China or that there are 2 Chinas, that's not the full story. The majority of people in Taiwan did not come directly from mainland China in the last century. Their identity has been shaped by multiple events and influences, such as occupation from Japan for about 50 years.

Although most of them have Han ethnicity, according to polls, most consider their cultural/societal identity as Taiwanese instead of Chinese. Similar to how many Caucasians in the US may be Anglo-Saxon, but would call themselves American instead of British. A large minority of the population is made up of people who fled the Chinese mainland after the end of the Civil War. Most would consider themselves as Taiwanese if limited to 1 choice, but may consider themselves as both Taiwanese and Chinese if given the option.

The "Republic of China" issue came from the Nationalists losing the Chinese Civil War after WWII and retreating to Taiwan. They replaced local leaders and set up a dictatorship, killed thousands, imprisoned and tortured tens of thousands. They weren't the "good guys," more like the lesser of two evils. Since the establishment of the ROC in China during the 1910's, many factions have been warring and purging each other. The Nationalists continued this brutality in Taiwan until the 80s. Full democracy was achieved in Taiwan only in the 90's.

The Nationalists and the left over constitution officially declare the ROC in Taiwan as the seat of the legitimate government of China, even though everyone but a few know it's a delusion. Even if voters were able to remove that from the constitution, or change the official name of the country, they would not do it for risk of China considering it an act of sedition. The status quo is now "one China, two systems." People don't want to risk invasion or an economic embargo from China, as long as their current way of life can be preserved.

 

[Old Mechanic]

One big example of our money (our wealth) leaving the US and heading for china-Li, yes Lithium. Almost all Li refined in the world comes from china, the use of child labor and/or slave labor doesn't stop the self-righteous from buying their EVs! BTW of politics we are turning the future of our transportation sector over to CCP. In fact, we are "paying" Americans to buy (via $7500 tax credit) these EVs! Can you say, "something is wrong here"? If one takes a minute to look at the price of Lithium over the two years you'll see what is going on. The Price of Lithium metal has gone up OVER 800% in the last two years, even the wokes can't deny the financial reports!

Makes you wonder why there is no other place on Earth where Lithium can be mined, OR find another alternative to the Lithium itself. I still don't like reading about battery fires, now in bicycles, one in New York caught an apartment building on fire and killed some people if I remember correctly.

 

[wheatthin]

Makes you wonder why there is no other place on Earth where Lithium can be mined, OR find another alternative to the Lithium itself. I still don't like reading about battery fires, now in bicycles, one in New York caught an apartment building on fire and killed some people if I remember correctly.

Sir, one of the world's largest LI deposits is in the Salton Sea, CA. Of course, you can guess the rest. The gov. has appointed a council to study the situation, between the "experts" on the council or board, that will be good for 4-8 years' worth of "getting donations from interested parties", then if the "right" people are involved (by right I mean do they heavily donate to the rulers) there might be a limited, but highly regulated operation. If the Li is more valuable to the rulers than those that will be adversely affected it will go forward, if not, not so much. By the way, mining of the Li is small part of the problem, it is the refining. My guess is, NO WAY would CA allow a refinery, they'd ship the ore to CCP, and as it would go. Most Li is Not mined in China, as it is mined, ore is sent to china for refining, and manufacturing, the last time I checked over 90% of all Li is refined in china by one of the CCPs refining operations. They don't have an EPA, and can use actual slave labor, something many EV drivers act as if it [the slave labor] is not happening. Like slavery, buy goods made in china. For those riding around in an EV, thinking they are an elite member of society, but are actually supporting slave labor, forced child labor, and disasters to the ecology from the Li mining and refining ops, are actually telling the world what kind of people they really are. My guess, they would have been happy to make a dollar with the Nazis in 1938, because it's all about them....