Do You Try to Buy American?

[TravelingJim]

When I'm researching a product or component for my Airstream, I want to buy American-Made products wherever possible. Often, it's a challenge to find them. I believe that many members of this group would be interested in "Buy American" for our Airstream.

So, let's spread the word and let the group know what American made products you have located and/or bought.

For example, I just purchased the BAL X-Chocks and love them. They have really cut down the "wiggle" when we are parked.

https://norcoind.com/bal/products/co...s/chocks.shtml

Let us know what you find!

[JunkYard]

It hard to do but I settled on North America. Being neighbors and all.

[Mollysdad]

Yes, but it's difficult.
At the risk of being the bad guy, buying American is a two way street, more than a marketing slogan.
I once bought a truck who's manufacturer shall remain nameless. One of the big three. I insisted the body come from the KC plant, rather than Mexico. It was the biggest pile of junk, except for the engine, which WAS Made in Mexico.
Try to buy a US made TV, DVD player, or just about any electronic device. You can't.
"My electric fan is made by Honeywell!" Not so fast. Honeywell SOLD the name and rights to a company in China. Look and see if Honeywell will take care of the warranty? (No).
Now my Toyota is made in San Antonio, is that in America?
Honda's come from Marysville, Ohio, and the new Spartanville, SC. BMW plant is GIGANTIC! They actually export cars to Germany!

[BayouBiker]

It counts if it's made in America. Profits go to the stockholders, but anyone in the world can buy and hold stock. Taxes on American sales and profit stay here so.....

[mbubbaca]

I do buy American.

[Daquenzer]

I prefer to buy anything not made in China. Though that is hard. The irony is that a Toyota has more U.S. labor than some big 3 auto manufacturers. The world is so interconnected. I do know that when I buy American made the quality is better although the cost is often significantly higher. For example I bought my wife new running shoes from New Balance. She has a narrow foot so it’s hard to find good fitting shoes. The American made New Balance that I bought in a narrow width costs about $150. Those relatively same shoes would be about $100 not made in the U.S.(not narrow). But my wife says her shoes are the most comfortable and best fitting running shoes she’s ever worn.

[DaveP]

I always try...

[Bill M.]

Tried to buy American for years. Sorta gave up on it. A lot of American made products that I liked and were buying no longer exist.

I still check country of origin but after buying a made in Japan Subaru (I was looking at the Outback which is US assembled but my wife wanted the Forester, which is brought by boat from Japan intact) and a mostly made in Mexico Dodge truck and a Italian shotgun and a Chinese wood lathe buying a set of Channel lock pliers and a Benchmade knife from the US does not seem to off set it. I sometimes buy a tool and a lot of knives I do not really need if it is of good quality and says made in USA on it

I do buy the somewhat expensive USA made New Balance shoes. They fit me good and wear well. My new water heater I put in the house today said it was designed and mostly assembled in America. My new fishing reel was assembled in the USA from parts die moulded in China. I did not check the Irwin pipe wrench I bought today to install the water heater. All the parts for my new bamboo rod I am assembling were made in America except the cork for the handle and the wrapping thread. Actually the blank was made nearby here in TN. From imported bamboo. So we get the value added instead of them.

I worked in the area of the forest products industry. I have watched the American part of the furniture and panel board and textile industry move away and go away. I have lived in towns with the closed mills.

So let me just say I am mostly aware of where things come from when I buy them. And I will pay extra for American if the product serves the purpose. Only very little parts of most things I want to buy are made in America. I have no control over where CVS buys their medicines and that is a heavy part of my current purchasing.

To be crass about it, first they are going to have to start making stuff in the USA for me or you to "buy American". Just the hype will not do it. Buy "green" sorta withered on the vine too.

[mythbuster88]

Wilton bench vices.

https://www.wiltontools.com/us/en/vi...es/ComboPBVise

Anderson levelers.

https://andersenhitches.com/Products...r-leveler.aspx

My Trek bicycle was made here, in Wisconsin.

My big ol' Ford truck has hubcaps made in China so I took them off until wifey complained so I put them back on.

Since I consider Taiwan an ally their stuff is OK with me. But I prefer USA.

The 5 X 5 sheets of Baltic birch plywood that I use is from Russia. For some reason I'm OK with that. Go figure. It's the China stuff that bugs me.

Lots of stuff that is from Italy most likely is made by Chinese workers in Chinese owned factories. That is why there was so much China virus in Italy.

I think I'm off topic.

But I like the Chinese people.

[Oreg52]

I make an effort to buy USA but not always successful. Some items you have no choice. But when I do have a choice its American/North American. I buy SAS shoes made in San Antonio. Extremely well made and comfortable and yes a little $$ but well worth it.
My Silverado was built in Canada and is probably the best vehicle I've ever owned.

I do have some antique Chinese furniture though.

[lsbrodsky]

I once read an article where a family tried to do Christmas with no Chinese products. Did not really work out, especially for toys, lights, and so on. While I try to buy American, with a willingness to pay a premium, I have purchased too many items from US companies I thought were manufacturing in America, only to find"made in China" stamped on the product. It is a better bet to buy Japanese or Korean, to avoid Chinese. I am afraid that I just buy what I want now, regardless of origin.
Larry

[skyguyscott]

The basic issue boils down to the cost of labor. Free market capitalism, a system this country has promoted with evangelical fervor throughout the globe since the end of World war two, is always seeking to minimize production and labor costs to both maximize profits and win competitive pricing in the marketplace. Where the product is manufactured is irrelevant to the free market capitalist, thus the current state of the world.

And to be fair, for over half a century, this global system has achieved one of its major goals, which is to prevent yet another world war from breaking out between countries. Peaceful, cooperative trade in the nuclear age is probably preferable to war and the massive death, disease, destruction and horror it brings.

Even China, ironically, has largely adopted a modified version of capitalism where the ruling party rather than private robber barons call the shots.

Also ironically, systems that in theory focus on worker quality of life, wealth sharing and a fair and equitable society are Socialism which can be either democratic or authoritarian, and Communism which seeks to eliminate the robber barons by putting the state in charge. You probably already know how successful communism turned out to be and how it ended up working in practice.

Today even the Chinese are seeking lower labor costs in south east Asia and in Africa, the next scapegoats set to blame for the decline of manufacturing elsewhere across the world, and coming soon, ever-capable automation, robotics and artificial intelligence which promise to rerun manufacturing to US shores, but not employ many of our fellow citizens. This will be the brave new challenge our children will have to face.

[NO NOIZE]

Originally Posted by TravelingJim

When I'm researching a product or component for my Airstream, I want to buy American-Made products wherever possible. Often, it's a challenge to find them. I believe that many members of this group would be interested in "Buy American" for our Airstream.

So, let's spread the word and let the group know what American made products you have located and/or bought.

For example, I just purchased the BAL X-Chocks and love them. They have really cut down the "wiggle" when we are parked.

https://norcoind.com/bal/products/co...s/chocks.shtml

Let us know what you find!

The Chocks on the top of that link say "Made In USA", I purchased the "Deluxe" model on the bottom of the page thinking it was also made in the USA. When I received it, it clearly stated "Made In China"

[rowiebowie]

Montana tools makes some great tools. And they are priced competitively. Free shipping for Father's Day with discount code "DAD2020".


And no, I don't work for them. Just a satisfied customer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmxUNukCZxQ

[TravelingJim]

Interesting comments. Hopefully, as automation in the USA advance through robotics, it will create a demand for engineers to design and program the robots and for high tech service people to maintain those robotic devices. This would mean higher paying jobs.

[skyguyscott]

Originally Posted by TravelingJim

Interesting comments. Hopefully, as automation in the USA advance through robotics, it will create a demand for engineers to design and program the robots and for high tech service people to maintain those robotic devices. This would mean higher paying jobs.

It will mean some higher paying jobs for fewer people who are working to design machines that will displace a much larger number of workers. And even then, eventually within a machine generation or two, the machines will be able to design themselves based on a string of simple algorithms, and reiterating based on what works best. The fusion of AI, 3D printing and robotics is well underway. This may seem like science fiction, but it is clearly foreseen by those already in the field.

Curiously, most people think only low-skilled manual labor jobs are at risk, but Artificial Intelligence poses a threat to everyone one from financial advisers to pilots, to meteorologists, to mid-level management, to architects to most any job in the knowledge industry. And as robotics technology increases the dexterity, sensing and precision of robots, even surgeons will not be immune.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...16328717300046

https://www.wired.com/2010/12/ff-ai-essay-airevolution/

[SilverWind]

I wonder how much of my 2017 Airstream International is made in the USA?

[Steamguy]

I buy products made in the US or by friendly countries whenever possible. My Bosch dishwasher is made in the US, that's the newest appliance in the kitchen.

I admit I have a high degree of bias against certain Chinese and Korean manufacturers: I used to work for a twice-removed subsidiary of a very large Japanese corporation. I sat just down the row from the IS guys, and in addition to our needs, they were in charge of the back-end of the website. It was always an interesting conversation with them about how many attempted hacks per day we were having and where they were coming from. They could not only tell the origin of the hacks, but through other sources knew where their financing was coming from...

These competitors were really, really, after our LCD technology, and appeared to have been successful with some physical espionage. Things were real tense around the office for a few months, as we had to stand at the guard station and empty our pockets upon entering and leaving the building. About eight months later, an Asian competitor came out with LCD technology that was the exact equal of ours.

[ROBERT CROSS]

...we are way beyond that, the paste has left the USA tube...better results by supporting local enterprises.

Bob
🇺🇸

[kb0zke]

I try to buy American first, then "friendly" countries, and try to avoid made in China. Not always possible, but I do try to work at it. Right now I'm wearing jeans that were made in America and American-made New Balance shoes. Next month I'll be ordering a pair of American-made khakis.