Interested in buying one, so I sent P-C an e-mail asking what the USA-made
parts content percentage is, and if they are merely assembled in the USA of
imported parts.
Got an answer in two days:
"These routers are made in the USA, not just assembled here.
Thank you,.
Stacie
Porter-Cable"
So, do I interpret that as 100% US-sourced parts or is it a dodge answer
begging the question of what "made in USA" means? (Shades of "it depends on
what the definition of "is" is".) Reason I'm suspicious is because a fellow
posted a message on the Usenet saying he had taken apart one of these and
the bearings were Chinese and the soft-start controller for the motor Dutch.
Who do you believe?
- GRL
"It's good to want things."
Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
Visual Basic programmer)
I've been to the plant in Jackson TN. I can tell you from first hand
experience that Porter Cable is probably the most independent of the power
tool manufacturers. They build alot of their own parts. Cut their own gears.
Build their own armatures. Wind their own fields. In some cases, they even
build their own switches. They outsource all their castings to another US
based company. Their molded plastics also come from another US based
company. At least that was the story I was told by the production engineers
when I toured the plant.
As we all know, nothing is 100% USA made anymore, but I think Porter Cable
and Milwaukee are the two companies that do more in the USA than any others.
Rick
"GRL" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Interested in buying one, so I sent P-C an e-mail asking what the USA-made
> parts content percentage is, and if they are merely assembled in the USA
of
> imported parts.
>
> Got an answer in two days:
>
> "These routers are made in the USA, not just assembled here.
>
> Thank you,.
> Stacie
> Porter-Cable"
>
> So, do I interpret that as 100% US-sourced parts or is it a dodge answer
> begging the question of what "made in USA" means? (Shades of "it depends
on
> what the definition of "is" is".) Reason I'm suspicious is because a
fellow
> posted a message on the Usenet saying he had taken apart one of these and
> the bearings were Chinese and the soft-start controller for the motor
Dutch.
>
> Who do you believe?
>
> - GRL
>
> "It's good to want things."
>
> Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
> Visual Basic programmer)
>
>
>I've been to the plant in Jackson TN. I can tell you from first hand
>experience that Porter Cable is probably the most independent of the power
>tool manufacturers. They build alot of their own parts. Cut their own gears.
>Build their own armatures. Wind their own fields. In some cases, they even
>build their own switches. They outsource all their castings to another US
>based company. Their molded plastics also come from another US based
>company. At least that was the story I was told by the production engineers
>when I toured the plant.
>
>As we all know, nothing is 100% USA made anymore, but I think Porter Cable
>and Milwaukee are the two companies that do more in the USA than any others.
>
>Rick
PC makes their cordless drills and accessories in Taiwan and Japan, at least
the one I had. Great quality, though.
GTO(John)
GRL <[email protected]> wrote:
> So, do I interpret that as 100% US-sourced parts or is it a dodge answer
> begging the question of what "made in USA" means? (Shades of "it depends on
> what the definition of "is" is".)
It does depend on what the meaning of "is" is. She didn't really say it
was one hundred percent, but do you really expect some office person to
provide you with an exact percentage which probably changes all the
time?
> Reason I'm suspicious is because a fellow
> posted a message on the Usenet saying he had taken apart one of these and
> the bearings were Chinese and the soft-start controller for the motor Dutch.
>
> Who do you believe?
I believe her and your usenet fellows may be correct as well. If you
want something without any foreign production, you probably have to dig
the ore and start making some iron.
"GRL" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Interested in buying one, so I sent P-C an e-mail asking what the USA-made
> parts content percentage is, and if they are merely assembled in the USA of
> imported parts.
>
> Got an answer in two days:
>
> "These routers are made in the USA, not just assembled here.
>
> Thank you,.
> Stacie
> Porter-Cable"
>
> So, do I interpret that as 100% US-sourced parts or is it a dodge answer
> begging the question of what "made in USA" means? (Shades of "it depends on
> what the definition of "is" is".) Reason I'm suspicious is because a fellow
> posted a message on the Usenet saying he had taken apart one of these and
> the bearings were Chinese and the soft-start controller for the motor Dutch.
>
> Who do you believe?
>
> - GRL
>
> "It's good to want things."
>
> Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
> Visual Basic programmer)
I'm probably gonna get flamed for this, but here goes: Why the big
concern over Made in the USA? How about supporting manufacturers of
the best product, regardless of where they are made? My current car
was made in Germany because it's the best in its class; my wife's
minivan was made in the U.S. for the same reason. I prefer Japanese
hand tools to ones of Western design; why should I be forced to cut on
the push stroke for patriotic reasons? If the Porter-Cable is the
best router for your needs, then buy it and use it to make some fine
quality, custom crafted, Made in the USA furniture. Let's support
quality, not some outmoded notion of patriotism and long in the tooth
industries.
And before you go off on me about American jobs being shipped
overseas, I work in an industry that has seen a huge persentage of
work move to Canada and Eastern Europe. Just this week I lost an
upcoming three week job that has moved to Vancouver. Am I upset by
that? No, in fact as soon as I found out I e-mailed a work friend
there to alert him and it looks like he might get the job.
I've got my asbestos suit ready so flame on!
Why not e-mail them and ask them what Made in the USA means.. I know I am
curious.
Made to me does not mean "assembled". If they say made, I hope they are.
Stephen R.
"GRL" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Interested in buying one, so I sent P-C an e-mail asking what the USA-made
> parts content percentage is, and if they are merely assembled in the USA
of
> imported parts.
>
> Got an answer in two days:
>
> "These routers are made in the USA, not just assembled here.
>
> Thank you,.
> Stacie
> Porter-Cable"
>
> So, do I interpret that as 100% US-sourced parts or is it a dodge answer
> begging the question of what "made in USA" means? (Shades of "it depends
on
> what the definition of "is" is".) Reason I'm suspicious is because a
fellow
> posted a message on the Usenet saying he had taken apart one of these and
> the bearings were Chinese and the soft-start controller for the motor
Dutch.
>
> Who do you believe?
>
> - GRL
>
> "It's good to want things."
>
> Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
> Visual Basic programmer)
>
>
Well stated Leon... I like the analogy.
--
Brian
www.lavoiewoodworks.com
lavoiewoodworks at hotmail dot com
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well if you live in the USA and you build a coffee table out of Padauk, is
> it made in the USA?
>
> Don't let life pass you by as you procrastinate over what to buy.
>
>
>
All that answer means is that they probably use suppliers with storefronts
in the use to get parts and stuff. I would be extremely surprised if there
aren't at least some parts that originated in asia. But, their answer is
probably as close to truly "made in the usa" as you'll get anyway.
"GRL" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Interested in buying one, so I sent P-C an e-mail asking what the USA-made
> parts content percentage is, and if they are merely assembled in the USA
of
> imported parts.
>
> Got an answer in two days:
>
> "These routers are made in the USA, not just assembled here.
>
> Thank you,.
> Stacie
> Porter-Cable"
>
> So, do I interpret that as 100% US-sourced parts or is it a dodge answer
> begging the question of what "made in USA" means? (Shades of "it depends
on
> what the definition of "is" is".) Reason I'm suspicious is because a
fellow
> posted a message on the Usenet saying he had taken apart one of these and
> the bearings were Chinese and the soft-start controller for the motor
Dutch.
>
> Who do you believe?
>
> - GRL
>
> "It's good to want things."
>
> Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
> Visual Basic programmer)
>
>
I wouldn't believe anything is 100% made in the USA. My faith was shattered
when I learned that Harley Davidson motorcycles had imported front
suspension parts (in the days when AMF almost ruined them). I don't know if
that's true or not.
Bob
"GRL" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Interested in buying one, so I sent P-C an e-mail asking what the USA-made
> parts content percentage is, and if they are merely assembled in the USA
of
> imported parts.
>
> Got an answer in two days:
>
> "These routers are made in the USA, not just assembled here.
>
> Thank you,.
> Stacie
> Porter-Cable"
>
> So, do I interpret that as 100% US-sourced parts or is it a dodge answer
> begging the question of what "made in USA" means? (Shades of "it depends
on
> what the definition of "is" is".) Reason I'm suspicious is because a
fellow
> posted a message on the Usenet saying he had taken apart one of these and
> the bearings were Chinese and the soft-start controller for the motor
Dutch.
>
> Who do you believe?
>
> - GRL
>
> "It's good to want things."
>
> Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
> Visual Basic programmer)
>
>
On Fri, 6 Feb 2004 20:59:18 -0500, "GRL" <[email protected]>
scribbled:
>Interested in buying one, so I sent P-C an e-mail asking what the USA-made
>parts content percentage is, and if they are merely assembled in the USA of
>imported parts.
>
>Got an answer in two days:
>
>"These routers are made in the USA, not just assembled here.
>
>Thank you,.
>Stacie
>Porter-Cable"
>
>So, do I interpret that as 100% US-sourced parts or is it a dodge answer
>begging the question of what "made in USA" means? (Shades of "it depends on
>what the definition of "is" is".) Reason I'm suspicious is because a fellow
>posted a message on the Usenet saying he had taken apart one of these and
>the bearings were Chinese and the soft-start controller for the motor Dutch.
Under NAFTA rules, for most machinery and equipment to qualify as a US
(or Canadian or Mexican) made product, at least 50% of the cost or 60
of the "transaction" value must originate in the country of origin.
Things that meet this test can enter Canada (or the US or Mexico)
duty-free. So, in theory, all the parts could come from other
countries, but as long as the cost of assembling it is more than 50%
of the total cost, it would be considered as originating in the US.
Things may be different for labelling a consumer product.
Luigi
Note the new email address.
Please adjust your krillfiles (tmAD) accordingly
Replace "nonet" with "yukonomics" for real email address
On Sat, 07 Feb 2004 13:25:33 GMT, "Bob Davis"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I wouldn't believe anything is 100% made in the USA. My faith was shattered
>when I learned that Harley Davidson motorcycles had imported front
>suspension parts (in the days when AMF almost ruined them). I don't know if
>that's true or not.
>
FWIW, some of the best motorcycle and mountain bicycle suspension is
imported, from Italy, not the Far East. Marzocchi rocks! <G>
Barry
GRL wrote:
> Reason I'm
> suspicious is because a fellow posted a message on the Usenet saying
> he had taken apart one of these and the bearings were Chinese and the
> soft-start controller for the motor Dutch.
>
> Who do you believe?
There is a definition that states how much of a product must be of US origan
to be labeled "made in USA"
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/madeusa.htm
Buy American Act Requires that a product be manufactured in the U.S. of
more than 50 percent U.S. parts to be considered Made in USA for government
procurement purposes. For more information, review the Buy American Act at
41 U.S.C. §§ 10a-10c, the Federal Acquisition Regulations at 48 C.F.R. Part
25, and the Trade Agreements Act at 19 U.S.C. §§ 2501-2582.
It would be very rare to find a tool, machine, or anything that has more
than a few parts that is 100% built in ANY one country. That bearing made
in China may have steel from Japan. The Dutch contoller may have wire from
Gemany or Sweden.
--
Ed
[email protected]
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome