Another reason I'll never knowingly buy more Chinese junk for my Jeep

**Jerry Bransford** · 01-21-2009, 06:33 PM

I have a slew of fabric top products (bikinis, cab top, tonneaus, etc.) for my TJ... Bestop, Steelhorse, and one more brand I forget... with the two latter brands being made in China.

Well this afternoon, I got into my storage shed to find and install the Cab Top made in China for Steelhorse. The fabric seemed fine but the first time I pulled on the straps to secure it in place, the straps literally disintegrated in my hands. Threads and black powder. Then I went to install the unknown-brand Chinese made tonneau cover which did exactly the same thing... two different brands of Chinese made products... the straps literally pulled apart with my hands. Then out of amazement, I tried all the other Chinese-made soft top products (acoustic brief, bikini top, etc.) and every one of them did the same thing. So I gave up and chucked 'em all into the trash barrel.

I then went back to the Bestop Safari Top that was on earlier today, and installed the Bestop Tonneau Cover and Bestop Windjammer... all of which were OLDER than the Chinese tops... and they all worked fine, I pulled them tight with the straps and no problems at all. The Chinese fabrics (not the straps) seemed ok, none had torn, but the fabric was noticeably thinner than the fabric that the Bestop products are made from.

The absolute amazing thing is that side-by-side, you absolutely cannot tell the Bestop vs. the Chinese straps apart. They appeared 100% identical even upon my close examination. Some of the Chinese straps actually looked brand-new before they crumbled from being pulled on. I could easily pull them apart with my bare hands without them even being in the plastic buckle. I had installed them before and the straps were fine then, it's just that in just 5-7 years, the Chinese strap material decayed and fell apart. A good example of the difference between good quality and poor quality.

It just goes to show that looks can be deceiving.

If anyone disbelieves me, they're still in the trash as of today Wednesday (the trash is picked up Thursday morning though) and I'll be glad to take a few pics of the disintegrated straps.

Bitzorock · 01-21-2009, 07:15 PM

lol, I believe you. It is just too bad that all that was trash.. However, we can all learn from it. Thank you.

chutta · 01-21-2009, 07:41 PM

With this economic slide I think we are all finding out we don't need most of the stuff foisted on us and that if it's made in China we can do without

**IslandTJ** · 01-21-2009, 08:57 PM

The only Chinese manufactured thing on my Jeep that I can make a positive comment on, is the manifold that was advertised on the JF site

It's been 3 years since installation, and the manifold is still working like a champ!

DaveJKJ · 01-21-2009, 11:07 PM

You have to look real close at things these days. I had a cheap socket set made in China that I bought for a spare set. The first time I used it I cracked a socket so I just threw the set away.

I have 2 recovery straps. When I bought them I looked and they are made in Canada (forget the brand or company) and have been used only a couple of times but I feel comfortable with them as they are not made in China. I had bought a tow strap with the metal hooks (for on road use only) and was not apparently paying attention and sometime later discovered that it was made in China. I just threw it out as soon as I realized as it was too late to take it back. I replaced it with one made in the USA. None of my recovery stuff, shackles, etc is made in China. These days you really have to pay close attention to where stuff is made. There is a difference.

Jay12 · 01-22-2009, 02:51 PM

this is what happens when these companies outsource to these countries and run sweat shops. the workers do horrible jobs for there measly salaries and therefore you get horrible products. and sometimes theyre more expensive just because of import taxes

gkainz · 01-23-2009, 12:52 PM

and we're idiots for continuing to buy the crap! But, just try to find stuff that's NOT made in China! Really REALLY torques me off ... we're selling our economy and our country down the river.

**jeepster93** · 01-23-2009, 01:01 PM

Cheap crap Chinese winches.

Cheap crap Chinese bumpers.

Smittybuilt.

Milemarker.

SRC.

None of it is on my heep.

I DO have Australian lockers though.

**Jerry Bransford** · 01-23-2009, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeepster93

I DO have Australian lockers though.

That's alright, the Aussie locker is based on and nearly a clone of the American designed and manufactured Powertrax Lockright locker.

nicolas-eric · 01-23-2009, 02:22 PM

I often had problems with cheap products made in China. But most of all companies in the world buy or build their parts in asia because it´s very cheap there. Just take a look at the business statistics how many million tons of things are imported to the US from China, Taiwan, ...

But I disagree that all winches from China are bad. I have a 200$ cheap 12k lbs winch from china and it still works without any problems after 2.5 years now. And it´s stronger than my friends War M8000 or 8274. When they need a snatch block my winch still does the job without such a block. My winch is always faster than my friends M8000. Only the 8274 is way faster with medium load.

**Jerry Bransford** · 01-23-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicolas-eric

I have a 200$ cheap 12k lbs winch from china and it still works without any problems after 2.5 years now. And it´s stronger than my friends War M8000 or 8274. When they need a snatch block my winch still does the job without such a block. My winch is always faster than my friends M8000. Only the 8274 is way faster with medium load.

Really, a 12K capacity winch is stronger than an 8K winch? Who woulda thought that.

I'll still take my Warn 9.5K winch over any Chinese-built 12K winch any day.

PortlandCJ76 · 01-23-2009, 02:37 PM

The problem Jerry is that practically every single consumer item these days is made in China or somewhere overseas. It's seems to me that it is getting more difficult with each passing day to find things still made in America.

nicolas-eric · 01-23-2009, 02:37 PM

I only wanted to say that not all things from China are bad.

Levinz11 · 01-23-2009, 02:43 PM

Theres an old Chinese proverb:

Cheap Ting NO GOOD!
Good Ting NO CHEAP!

jeep2008 · 01-23-2009, 03:44 PM

i TOTALLY agree with your anti-chinese ideas BUT i heard only good thinks about the smittybuilt xrc8 winch and since money nowdays IS an issue i'm seriously thinking of ordering it...