ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Maybe something good...maybe something bad...

What is interesting to me is that in the early 1950s, we complained about the cheap Japanese products. They were junk and cheep and we complained about their cheep labor that was competing with us. Later, the Japanese visited Western Electric, picked up on their Zero Defects program, and took it home with them. They now are known for extremely high quality products and compete with each other instead of against our products. The Koreans have entered the market and were know for junk but are coming up in the world of quality. Now the Japanese are complaining about the cheep labor in Korea.

What goes around comes around. China and India is next.

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Charlie Eldridge, Indianapolis, Utility Power Guy

... BAD NEWS....
...It was only a matter of time that our last great American tool manufacturer bit the dust.I'm disgusted...the quality is no doubt going to suffer,as well as workmanship and materials.They will probably start using all-plastic planetary gears,and an inferior casing which will be given to cracks if you lay the tool down carelessly...This really stinks!!!
Russ

Hey iwire. Thanks for the welcome.

I just had a bad experience with a faulty connection in the quick disconnect. I was forced to replace the cord even though there wasn't any visual physical damage. A hardwired cord would not have the quick disconnect weak link, and would only need to be replaced if there was actual visual physical damage. A hardwired cord replacement is a quick and easy job, that doesn't necessatate a professional installation by a repair facility. So, to me, the quick disconnect cord presents a physical weakness, or vulnerability, not a benefit in the least.

[This message has been edited by royta (edited 09-13-2004).]

On my own tools I agree.

On the company tools we are not allowed by the company safety policy to fix them ourselves.

Same with extension cords if the cord gets damaged we through them out no replacement cord caps.

Of course at my house I may have one or two of these high quality cords with a new cord cap.

Okay, I understand. I've never worked for a shop so large that there actually was a safety policy.

Well it is kind of funny, they tell us we are very talented and highly qualified, we do some very technical jobs.

But then go to change the cord on a power tool, NO WAY you can't do that your not qualified. Ah, OK I will send it out.

One word... Lawyers

Doesn't Milwaukee / Ryobi make a sawzall with a hard-wired cord? IIRC, mine has one...

(Not a super sawzall... just a regular one)

Yes DougW, it must be double insulated, as it does not have a ground on the cord. Before Milwaukee confused everybody by releasing 3 or 4 different Sawzall models, there used to be only one Sawzall available. It was hardwired and also had a ground. Maybe I should look into a non-Milwaukee brand of recipricating saw. Or, I could wait until Milwaukee releases the "Most Supreme of all Sawzalls, or any other recipricating saw for that matter Sawzall" and buy it. After all, a Sawzall that weighs as much as my Hole Hawg can't be bad.