Cheap Chinese parts ebay?

[a. palmer jr.]

I just bought a couple of piston/cylinder kits from USA. When I got them the writing on the box said "Made in China" but the owner of the saws said to fix them the cheapest way possible so he shouldn't mind. I hope they hold up. I use them in my saws but if they blow up nobody will get angry with me. I also break them in a little slower, don't let them get overheated and use plenty of oil in the mix..

 

[TheTone]

Yeah.... I was going to make a point of that........and I should have.

Let me put it this way. If you buy cheap s**t from China and don't expect any degree of quality, then you should be okay.

Also, it depends on the labor it takes to repair a saw if a part fails. If you split a case on a pro saw to replace bearings, you are likely to buy OEM replacement parts. However, if you can swap a complete clamshell engine for dirt cheap, you're more likely to go Chinese.

 

[Mad Professor]

Quite a bit of difference buying a part for a space shuttle and buying a piston/cylinder kit for a chainsaw...

My uncles made the internal parts for the missiles that are still working today. To 0.000000001" +/- in temperature control. To save counting, that is millionths of an inch.

He let me borrow his crude mics to build my SB chevys

 

[Malarky112]

Isn't a missile a one-time use item?

Anyways, if its just gonna sit in your truck most of the time, try the cheap stuff.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

It seems that the last several saws I've rebuilt because of scored pistons I look at the carburetor and the H and L screws are barely opened. It seems the guys are trying to run them as lean as possible then they won't run anymore..at least that's my guess. Not exactly the fault of the piston.

 

[hodag]

With all the hoop-la about aftermarket vs OEM parts here I have to chime in. I’ve been I the repair business for almost 40 years. We operate a small family run independent shop with no dealer brand affiliation. Lawn and garden equipment is our mainstay with saws being a large part and we also work on cars, trucks and some farm machinery. The question I have to everyone out here is why does a guy not bat an eye over putting an aftermarket part on his $60,000 pick-up truck and afterwards brag to his buddies about the great deal he got but suggest he put an aftermarket part on his $800 chainsaw and he comes unglued.

The reality is there are great parts, fair parts and parts that are total crap and it doesn’t matter where they’re from or whose box they’re in. As the installing technician you are responsible for the final quality control. The end result is only as good as the person doing the work. You learn some aftermarket parts you need to stay away from but also that some aftermarket parts are far superior to OEM. That all comes with experience

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I used to use Mallory and Accel distributors and coils in my small block Chevys and thought they were superior although not OEM. Of course they weren't made in China back then and I suspect their quality control was a bit better than GMs.

 

[1Alpha1]

I hope that I don't regret buying this helmet. It's one of BELL'S better helmets. It's an RS-1. The shell is made of Kevlar, Carbon-Fiber and fiber-glass. It meets all current DOT safety requirements / standards.

It's reg. price was $399.99. I got it on close-out for $99.99 and free shipping and no sales tax. It's an XXL. Even though it's pictured with a dark-smoke shield, it comes with a clear shield. I ordered a dark-smoke shield for it and it was $39.99. It also came with a padded helmet cover.

I've been buying and wearing BELL helmets since about 1968. About one year after they got into the helmet business. Originally, they were all made in CA. Then, some years later, some of their better models were made in Italy. My current helmet that I bought back in 2002 (I think) which is an M-5, was made in Italy.

This new helmet was made in (gasp) China. I've looked it over extremely well and closely. It does appear to be well made. The padded interior can be removed for cleaning or replacement as the years go by. The helmet fits snugly, just as it should. The paint / graphics are meticulous. Same goes with the finish.

I went on-line and checked reviews of this particular helmet. All are exceptional. It is primarily designed for track or "spirited riding" use. The shields come with the latest anti-fog technology coating. You can buy a transition shield for it that automatically goes from clear to full tint in about 10 seconds, but the damn thing sells for $139.99.

As much as I dislike China-made products, I'm kind of in limbo in regards to this helmet. The place I bought it from offers 100% free return shipping on all helmets and apparel. They included a postage paid return label in the helmet box.

I haven't actually worn it yet on a ride. I'm waiting on a pair of new eye glasses ordered from Costco. I hoping that they will be in late next week.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

It stands to reason that a country that is in manufacturing for some time would eventually get better at it. My concern is that the US will in time get worse since we're hiring out our manufacturing to someone else..

 

[1Alpha1]

I remember as a kid, anything made in Japan was thought to be junk.

 

[hodag]

American consumers are always looking for bargains. We shop sales and closeouts and no matter were you go someone is going to complain about the high cost of things. As American workers we all want premium wages with premium benefits to go with the premium wages. The problem is you can’t market $5.00 widgets when the people producing them want $25.00 an hour plus benefits. The math doesn’t work and for the most part we Americans have priced ourselves out of most markets.