4 ms·

I know a lot of parts for many items I use are made in China including the iphone but one thing I do notice is pretty much everything I buy that is entirely Chi

I know a lot of parts for many items I use are made in China including the iphone but one thing I do notice is pretty much everything I buy that is entirely Chinese is crap that breaks in short order. I wouldn't go near a Chinese built plane.

justicezyx 6y ago
What kind of items you typically buy? How are their prices looks like compared to items manufactured from other places (USA EU etc)? I often heard YouTube comments claim that one got crappy Chinese products because of they paid cheap price. I don't have much experience in buying items directly from China (I bought a drill and impact drive from AliExpress, have been OK); want to learn your experience.
- pbourke 6y ago
  Nearly anything that costs under $100, is not a consumable/personal care item/detergent/etc, and is above the fold on Amazon search results will have been made in China.
- hangonhn 6y ago
  > I often heard YouTube comments claim that one got crappy Chinese products because of they paid cheap price. I don't have much experience in buying items directly from China (I bought a drill and impact drive from AliExpress, have been OK); want to learn your experience. I think that's the nuance that other people miss. Cheap stuff is cheap for a reason and they break. We have all purchased expensive Chinese stuff that work well but we don't attribute them to China because of the shiny non-Chinese logo on them (i.e. Apple, etc.) Anker is a new generation of Chinese companies that is trying to build a brand and move up market. Their stuff have been superb but aren't bargain bin prices.
  - BTCOG 6y ago
    This is a constant misunderstanding of supply and products origin. Just because an iPhone is "made" in China does not mean it's a Chinese phone. Apple have rigorous standards of quality control and factory management, they have oversight. A Chinese product, would be something that is designed in China and also made by Chinese production. Those are the Chinesium that have little to no quality control and are Chinese products. iPhones are not Chinese products, they are being built in China to Apple standards. I would agree with you that Anker seem to make nice products of a higher quality.
    - eunos 6y ago
      BOE display (Chinese company) recently started supplying display panels for iPhone. Since the panel is one of the most expensive components of the phone, value added part for China is increasing.
gambiting 6y ago
Lol what a crazy position to have. My own Volvo XC60 was built in China and it's the most well put together car I've ever had. Especially compared to my previous German-built Mercedes where I can guarantee you there wasn't a single plastic that didn't rattle.
- Retric 6y ago
  Volvo XC60’s rank low on reliability metrics for their price range. So, uhh what have you been driving?
  - gambiting 6y ago
    A GLA45 AMG - it was actually just as much money as the XC60, and in the 4 years I had it I would visit the workshop probably 6-8 times per year, for minor and larger issues. Sooo many elements had to be replaced/adjusted due to rattling, creaking, falling off, had to have the entire gearbox replaced after a year. Would not recommend, not for this amount of money anyway. Btw, it had nothing to do with relability - apart from the gearbox issue, it was very reliable, just extremely poorly put together. I've had this XC60 since brand new for a year now and literally had zero issues with it. Nothing.
    - babesh 6y ago
      Just an anecdote but when I was backpacking in Munich, I ran across these young Irish backpackers. They were on the way to work at the German car factories. This was quite awhile ago but I suspect not much has changed. No offense to those guys who seemed bright but poor, but it isn’t a bunch of well educated German craftsmen and craftswomen working those factories.
      - chefkoch 6y ago
        I guess they did some low level jobs in the holiday season. Car manufactoring pays way to good to give these jobs to irish travelers.
    - 6y ago
justapassenger 6y ago
I think you meant to say "I do notice is pretty much everything I buy that is entirely cheap is crap that breaks in short order" There're scams and various levels of quality, but price is a pretty ok indicator of quality. If you buy something cheap, it'll break. Doesn't matter if it's cheap Chinese or European or American crap.
edm0nd 6y ago
There is a name for that. It's called Chinesium. https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinesium/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinesium/
- ardy42 6y ago
  > There is a name for that. It's called Chinesium. That reminds me of a scene in Back to the Future where 1955 Doc Brown mocks a failed Japanese-made component based solely on his stereotypes, and 1985 Marty corrects him and says the Japanese make the best stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1QcjsjjtRc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1QcjsjjtRc
  - cmdshiftf4 6y ago
    Is there any economical incentive for China to produce higher quality goods?
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - babesh 6y ago
      Yes. Higher profit margins. Whereas before you were making bad copies of $50 goods, now you make a good copy of $1500 goods. Those more expensive goods carry higher margins.
    - mytailorisrich 6y ago
      Obviously. Higher end products attract higher margins and a reputation for quality is a good differentiator compared to competing on price. For example, Huawei is (or was...) going after Apple in the high end smartphone market and they produce extremely good quality products.

justicezyx 6y ago

What kind of items you typically buy? How are their prices looks like compared to items manufactured from other places (USA EU etc)? I often heard YouTube comments claim that one got crappy Chinese products because of they paid cheap price. I don't have much experience in buying items directly from China (I bought a drill and impact drive from AliExpress, have been OK); want to learn your experience.

pbourke 6y ago
Nearly anything that costs under $100, is not a consumable/personal care item/detergent/etc, and is above the fold on Amazon search results will have been made in China.
hangonhn 6y ago
> I often heard YouTube comments claim that one got crappy Chinese products because of they paid cheap price. I don't have much experience in buying items directly from China (I bought a drill and impact drive from AliExpress, have been OK); want to learn your experience. I think that's the nuance that other people miss. Cheap stuff is cheap for a reason and they break. We have all purchased expensive Chinese stuff that work well but we don't attribute them to China because of the shiny non-Chinese logo on them (i.e. Apple, etc.) Anker is a new generation of Chinese companies that is trying to build a brand and move up market. Their stuff have been superb but aren't bargain bin prices.
- BTCOG 6y ago
  This is a constant misunderstanding of supply and products origin. Just because an iPhone is "made" in China does not mean it's a Chinese phone. Apple have rigorous standards of quality control and factory management, they have oversight. A Chinese product, would be something that is designed in China and also made by Chinese production. Those are the Chinesium that have little to no quality control and are Chinese products. iPhones are not Chinese products, they are being built in China to Apple standards. I would agree with you that Anker seem to make nice products of a higher quality.
  - eunos 6y ago
    BOE display (Chinese company) recently started supplying display panels for iPhone. Since the panel is one of the most expensive components of the phone, value added part for China is increasing.

gambiting 6y ago

Lol what a crazy position to have. My own Volvo XC60 was built in China and it's the most well put together car I've ever had. Especially compared to my previous German-built Mercedes where I can guarantee you there wasn't a single plastic that didn't rattle.

Retric 6y ago
Volvo XC60’s rank low on reliability metrics for their price range. So, uhh what have you been driving?
- gambiting 6y ago
  A GLA45 AMG - it was actually just as much money as the XC60, and in the 4 years I had it I would visit the workshop probably 6-8 times per year, for minor and larger issues. Sooo many elements had to be replaced/adjusted due to rattling, creaking, falling off, had to have the entire gearbox replaced after a year. Would not recommend, not for this amount of money anyway. Btw, it had nothing to do with relability - apart from the gearbox issue, it was very reliable, just extremely poorly put together. I've had this XC60 since brand new for a year now and literally had zero issues with it. Nothing.
  - babesh 6y ago
    Just an anecdote but when I was backpacking in Munich, I ran across these young Irish backpackers. They were on the way to work at the German car factories. This was quite awhile ago but I suspect not much has changed. No offense to those guys who seemed bright but poor, but it isn’t a bunch of well educated German craftsmen and craftswomen working those factories.
    - chefkoch 6y ago
      I guess they did some low level jobs in the holiday season. Car manufactoring pays way to good to give these jobs to irish travelers.
  - 6y ago

justapassenger 6y ago

I think you meant to say "I do notice is pretty much everything I buy that is entirely cheap is crap that breaks in short order" There're scams and various levels of quality, but price is a pretty ok indicator of quality. If you buy something cheap, it'll break. Doesn't matter if it's cheap Chinese or European or American crap.

edm0nd 6y ago

There is a name for that. It's called Chinesium. https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinesium/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinesium/

ardy42 6y ago
> There is a name for that. It's called Chinesium. That reminds me of a scene in Back to the Future where 1955 Doc Brown mocks a failed Japanese-made component based solely on his stereotypes, and 1985 Marty corrects him and says the Japanese make the best stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1QcjsjjtRc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1QcjsjjtRc
- cmdshiftf4 6y ago
  Is there any economical incentive for China to produce higher quality goods?
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - babesh 6y ago
    Yes. Higher profit margins. Whereas before you were making bad copies of $50 goods, now you make a good copy of $1500 goods. Those more expensive goods carry higher margins.
  - mytailorisrich 6y ago
    Obviously. Higher end products attract higher margins and a reputation for quality is a good differentiator compared to competing on price. For example, Huawei is (or was...) going after Apple in the high end smartphone market and they produce extremely good quality products.