Band saws (Grizzly)

[Robert Goodale]

Well...

There really isn't such thing as a "Made in USA" power tool anymore.  I 
recently purchased a "JET" table saw.  This was no cheepie, a $1,000.00 
price tag.  I shopped thoroughly.  The "old school" standards such as 
Delta are made entirely in China now.  Jet tools are made in the USA but 
from Chinese parts, about the closest to "Made in USA" your going to get 
today.  Many companies are headquarters in the U.S. but not made here, 
(i.e. the Korean built Wurlitzers marketed by Baldwin, an American 
company).  The economic facts are simple- It is just not profitable to 
build items such as shop tools using high cost union labor in the USA 
and STILL be profitable on the open market.  It is the reality of an 
economy that has evolved into the high tech and world financial 
industries and much less the manual/mechanical labor industries.  Case 
and point- pianos are more profitable and cheaper to build in Korea and 
China than in the U.S., and some of these companies do a pretty darn 
good job.

My decision was on quality and the Jet was superior without question. 
 Not unlike the Young Chang of a dozen years ago, Jet is a company that 
was once known for cheep tools but has since risen to produce some of 
the finest in the industry.  I have continued to hear positive comments 
on them and couldn't help but notice the number one respected wood 
worker's supply company in Las Vegas has become the exclusive dealer. 
 They have Delta as well but looking at them side by side there was no 
question which one was a better machine at any price.  Sign of the times 
I guess.

Rob Goodale, RPT
Las Vegas, NV


Joseph Garrett wrote:

>All,
>My biggest concern with major tools, that are made in Taiwan, China, etc.,
>is: Can I get the darned thing fixed if it breaks? Let's consider, also,
>that American made products keep Americans working. However, having said
>that, go with the best tool(s) you can afford. IMHO CHEAP always comes back
>to bite you in the backside.
>