Battery terminal cleaning tool now all made in China?

[AylmerQc]

Bought a Snap On Battery cleaning tool BTC-3. The box and tool itself say made in USA. Looked it up on the Snap on web site and looks like they are now made in China but their number is BTC-3A. So, does that mean I have an original now no-longer-made-in-the-USA Snap on tool ?

[Frank Murch]

I went to Harbor Freight yesterday and they have a ½ inch socket rail for about $15. I would pay about $150 for a set of used Snap Ons. The cost differences are just so huge, it is hard to compete.

I understand that the Chinese set will rust, is poorly tolerance and will wear out quickly. The Snap ons will last 50 years; the Chinese stuff will end up in the trash after the 10th use. It is a little like comparing a paper plate to a ceramic plate, but still, to have this much difference is amazing.

I am told the Chinese value their money cheaply and peg to the dollar to. Having been there it seems we live a lot better. They have less. However, they are moving up and we are hardly moving. I don’t know what an hour of Chinese labor is really worth – I just know it is more than they charge.

As a small business owner I can tell you, the state and Federal governments are like beggars with palms open all the time. Well – not exactly like beggars, they are more like the mafia. They add nothing to my business, but push me around, extract money and are arrogant little SOBs about it. They take the joy out of the business and will likely kill my business in the end. At least they stunt it.

There is a problem with this type of relationship with China. I understand how a company like Snap On might feel. If they don’t use China their competitors will undercut them. In the US - government harasses them, driving up direct costs and compliance costs. They must go with the flow or lose.

We have a problem in this country that if we don’t solve – we will all be stuck in a declining situation with no happiness. It is like being in a bad marriage – It is mostly bad, and poor handling of things makes it worse. Problem avoidance is not a long term winning strategy.

[burngasoline]

hi, i have to agree that we do have a problem in this country and we are the cure. we have to buy "made in usa". I know that it is not always easy but little steps will lead to bigger ones.
One of my little steps was buying a tire for my motorcycle. i bought a used bike (made in usa) that had "not made in the usa" tires on it and i replaced one with a "made in usa" tire. the differance was less than 30 bucks.
some times the difference is huge like the sockets that were discussed. some times it not so easy to find out where an item is made.
little steps, it's a start.

[S-O points]

Two problems may exist in this country when it comes to retailing tools. Even tools made in the U.S. have to be made cheap enough to compete with China and each other. It is great that we have companies like Craftsman, S-K, Herbrand, Challenger, Wright, Husky, and others to fill a market where a guy who sharpens his own lawn mower blade or changes his own oil can't justify a set of Snappys. Keep in mind Snap On price sheets to their dealers are a couple of percent higher. This is to protect the dealer for the guys who take off and don't finish paying for their tools on the revolving account. Also when Snap On became a corporation with a board of directors, shareholders wanted to be paid dividends. This all can add to the cost of a tool. Another killer in the tool retail business is carrying liability insurance for all the users who improperly use tools. Regular sockets on impacts, misuse of punches and chisels, abuse of pullers and other tools only opens the flood gates for Snap On to be sued. I had wanted to carry a particular popular automatic transmission clutch pack compressor made by an independent manufacturer when I was a dealer. Snap On did not condone me selling it because the company would not or could not carry $2 million in product liability insurance.