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Re: Neon suppliers

Posted By: Gavin
Date: Thursday, 12 April 2007, at 9:45 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Neon suppliers (SVP Neon Equipment)


> ...snip...

> ...snip...

> I agree with most of your comments, except
> this one. Chinese products are no different
> than products from any other country -
> including the U.S. and Australia. There are
> good products and "crap" coming
> out of China. We used to hear all the same
> things about Mexico. But now China has the
> spotlight for the time being.

> A few examples regarding products made in
> various countries:

> 1) Toyota is leading the automotive industry
> in quality vs. cost of product. They
> continue to take market share away from U.S.
> auto makers. Chrysler is for sale (again)
> and Ford and GM and struggling to stay
> afloat while Toyota prospers. Problem is, a
> lot of Toyota's are made in the U.S. now. So
> what's the problem? Management and attitude
> IMO.

> 2) When Honda started making motor cycles in
> the U.S. they would not hire anyone with
> prior experience in the job that person was
> applying for. Why? Because the applicant had
> previously worked for another (U.S.)
> manufacturer and did not meet Honda's
> manufacturing quality standards. Honda
> wanted to train workers from scratch so the
> work would be done how Honda wanted it done,
> not how the person previously did it. And
> the workers that were hired and trained were
> paid as much if not more than their
> counterparts at other vehicle manufacturing
> plants in the U.S., so it had nothing to do
> with low wages.

> 3) Out of curiosity I purchased some Chinese
> made Swagelok-type stainless steel fittings
> at a fraction of the cost of the genuine
> Swagelok pieces. I examined them closely and
> compared them to the Swagelok equivalent -
> even using a magnifying glass and micrometer
> at times - and found them to be every bit as
> good as the over-priced Swagelok pieces. If
> the Chinese pieces would have had
> "Swagelok" stamped on them, I
> would not have known the difference.

> 4) The much touted "Light Years
> Ahead" Eurocom/Neon Products electrodes
> are made in Brazil. I have been told by an
> importer that Brazilian wages and working
> conditions are sometimes worse than the
> often criticized Chinese wages and working
> conditions. So why is it no one ever trashes
> the South Americans? I dare to bet that if
> there were a lot of South American products
> coming into the U.S. we would be trashing
> them too.

> (Side note regarding Eurocom: How much do
> you think they pay for those Brazilian made
> electrodes? Certainly no more than what the
> Chinese equivalents cost. So why are they
> charging all their loyal customers so much
> more for them?)

> As many know, we are now selling electrodes
> made in China. There are 3 or 4 electrode
> manufacturers in China - perhaps more. Some
> do not make what I would consider a good
> quality electrode. But there are others who
> do make a good quality electrode. In fact,
> in some respects they are better quality
> than what U.S. and Brazilian (by way of
> Germany) manufacturers produce. This is not
> just my opinion: It can easily be proven.

> (Side note regarding Chinese electrodes: The
> new Transco Novaglo electrodes are also made
> in China. But it is my understanding that
> most Transco distributors charge more for
> them than what the Masonlite electrodes used
> to sell for. Go figure...)

> Every industrialized country produces good
> quality products as well as
> "crap". A lot, if not most of it,
> has to do with economics. I'm not talking
> about wages - that's a relative thing. I'm
> talking about what a buyer is willing to pay
> for. Want a better quality product? They
> will make it for you if you are willing to
> pay a little more to get it. Usually
> Americans are not. We want the lowest price
> we can get, but are the first ones to bitch
> when our low dollar product failed because
> it was cheaply made. We have been
> Wal-Mart-ized. Wal-Mart dictates what they
> are willing to pay manufactures for
> products. Consequently, they usually get the
> cheapest made products from *any* country,
> not just China. In this situation, if
> Wal-Mart was willing to pay a little more
> money for a given product they would be able
> to offer a better quality product to the
> consumer and the situation would improve.
> But that is not the case.

> Where SVP is concerned, we could buy Chinese
> electrodes at a cheaper price from a
> different manufacture. But they would not be
> as good a quality as what we are offering.

> Mark

LOL - Mark, i wasnt having a go at all products from China, but the cheap glass and electrodes that are emerging ARE from China and they are crap. The stuff ive seen and been offered is aweful - W65 glass that goes yellow on the bends and electrodes that either cook instantly or do not get hot at all. If they had come from sweden for instance i would have said crap Swedish glass, but the cheap materials being offered in my part of the world is from China alone - no other country. Mate if you know of some good quality Chinese electrodes then let me know in private email - id love to try them because yes i too believe we are paying too much for whats on offer.


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