Chinese Quality

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tornitore45
Posts: 2077
Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:24 am
Location: USA Texas, Austin

Chinese Quality

Post by tornitore45 »

Is common opinion that Chinese tools are of poor quality or Las Wegas quality (is a gamble, you pay your price and yo take your chances).
The odds are actually better than Las Vegas, in my experince you get a serviceable product better than half the times. The duds are so bad that are not giving you any service, no matter how much you are willing to cope with.

The complaint is usually generic but I have a couple of specific examples.

Have a set of R8 End Mill Adapters and a set of end mills.
The shank of the end mill does not fit the hole in the adapter.
Should the shank be undersized or the hole oversize?
Stupid question, both have non overlapping tolerances.
But I can measure the shank with better accuracy, so a bit
of info may help me decide whic piece to fiddle with.

Have a few AXA-100 tool holders, they are good quality but the hex socket screw are tad small for the allen wrench that fits all the others. No big problem, just aggravation. With force and use the cheese screws will open up.

Have a set of drill bits. I know that twist drill do not drill a precise hole and I can not measure the diameter of the business end but the shanks are all several thousand undersize. Is this normal practice? Start from a tapered blank so that the bit will not drag or bind? Or is just a bad drill.

I have a set of 1-2-3 blocks, they are fine buth the threaded holes are undersized. You can not chase the threads because it is hard. Had to use abrasive compond to have a workable fit.

Have a dead center that dead but far from centered. A little diamond tool post grinding with the center in the spindle saved it. But how difficult is to make a dead center half way accurate.

Have compass dividers made of Pure Iron, the point are soft and wont scribe anything harder than Lead or Aluminum.

Have a magnetic base for the dial indicator. The knobs broke soon and the swivel fitting... are not.

I can not afford to buy the USA made tool, (HSM) but if I did I assume the price difference goes to guarantee proper tolerance and material.

This is not a rant, the economic realities are what they are, however, I encourage you to share specific examples of disappointing quality, because there are tools where a little sloppines is not too bad and others where the whole idea of accuracy is central to the function. Is nice to have an idea of what can be wrong with various tools, each of us can decide whether the saving is worth the risk of getting a dud.
Mauro Gaetano
in Austin TX
JimGlass
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Post by JimGlass »

Chinese stuff tends to be inconsistant. You need to buy Chinese merchandise from a reputable vendor like J & L Industrial, MSC or ENCO.
They are all one of the same but my point is this. If you are not satisfied, return the stuff for a refund. I usually buy from one of these outlets and always been satisfied with the quality regardless of the country of origin. No future selling merchandise only to have it returned. :wink: If it ain't right, return it.

The 1-2-3 blocks, the grinding vises, parrallels, angles, gage blocks and gage pins are all imports and I'm satisfied and often impressed with the quality. However, the micrometers, dial indicators I have did not come from China.

Chinese cutting tools are very hit and miss. I'm finding the solid carbide endmills are hard to beat for the price and most of those are US made :lol:

Threads are also hit and miss. Never know if the threads are metric or Inch.
Jim
Tool & Die Maker/Electrician, Retired 2007

So much to learn and so little time.

www.outbackmachineshop.com
john_j
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Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:54 pm
Location: Minneapolis, MN

Post by john_j »

I bought Chineese made "precision" angle blocks (30/60/90 and 45/45/90) from Enco. The 90 degree angle was so bad on one of them that I could tell by looking at it with my eye that it was off. It was WAY off.

Enco refunded my money on the item with no hassle. I didn't even have to send it back.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PART ... A=418-4820

I try to by USA when I can, but sometimes the price is 4x, 6x, 8x more for the USA brands. Funds are not unlimited of course, so I have to make compromises.
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tornitore45
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Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:24 am
Location: USA Texas, Austin

Post by tornitore45 »

Well ENCO is at least upfront, it clearly state " Minimum tolerance 10"

10 what? Degrees of course, no wander you can tell just by looking.
You probably got a good one, only 3 degrees off, you do not need 10 degrees off to tell.
Mauro Gaetano
in Austin TX
spro
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Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Chinese precision tools

Post by spro »

Many of the examples you posted are things I have some experience with. For some reason actual angle blocks and cutting tools are not of Asian or Indian although there are many good ones.For some reason I did not purchase them. I have looked at the drill points of many a "good deal" and seen with naked eye they are hosed. .. then you have to think of China what is and what it was. There are two sides to this coin;we can get it cheap and complain about it. Remember this is fluid... As one factory in America goes down one after another never to be rebuilt that way with all the new specifications regulations and graft. Then to see the Chinese imports ascend to quality in our face at this time. That is troubling to me. I shoulda bought that Brown &Sharpe, I shoulda bought that Starrett. I f I and thousands more did the price would come down and they woulda sold more etc etc. In our time we see the ascendancy of quality in machines and associated capacity trancending ours. I don't see any tears for our dearest lost in fighting islamist extremists. We have taken that burden away from them.I assure you that would be great. No they can turn stuff out we buy and our manufacturing base dies. There is a race of sorts to colliding entities. I hope this hi-tech guys can outdo the advanced weapons a ********** buch of you name it wil occur at the apex. Then they take the grid out so UPS or not we are temporary.
Roy
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Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 12:59 pm
Location: Central lower ALabama

Post by Roy »

As others stated. Its a hit or miss affair with China made stuff, no matter what name is on the item. I bought a lathe (Jet) and it was a POS right out of the crate.....I have some china made stuff which is very good and does the job. I have other china made things which are not worth carry8ing to the scrap yard for scrap price.....I have found however even if the item s superb and works well or its junk and does not last, China can simply not make a decent setscrew of any kind and most nuts and bolts are also kind of iffy. IIRC they make their setscrews specifically from cream cheese or lead! :wink:
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GearGeek
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Joined: Mon May 28, 2007 11:39 pm
Location: WA

Post by GearGeek »

my friend is starting a music instrument repair class and asked me to pick up a pair of cheap english/metric digital calipers so I went over to our local Harbor Freight. I have had very much hit or miss luck with them and their calipers, all things considered are not all that bad. I still prefer my Mitutoyo dial or my B&S verniers for myself but for my friend, those digitals work just fine.

Now, while I was there, out of curiosity I went over and looked at their lathes and :shock: ... Well.. I think I will keep looking ;)
GRH
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2006 12:20 pm

Post by GRH »

I find most Chinese quality same as present day American as companies like Starret have their stuff made in China.
I mostly buy from Enco and have had very few problems and was also told to keep the item and they either sent a nother one or issued a full refund.

Graeme
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