Originally Posted By: StevieC
I don't think it matters today, I think it's how well the company controls the quality. I order a lot of stuff off Ali-Express and it comes from all over that area and I have had good and bad from everywhere. Plus most of the worlds products are manufactured there with a wide range of quality from precision to terrible.
+1
If the world is made in China ( and it is ) you can bet that there are varying degrees of quality along with manufacturing and managerial oversight.
In automotive terms, I don't think much of Nankang tires (Taiwan) but I own a set of Hankooks that were PRC-made and probably the best wearing, problem-free tires I've had in the last 30 years. Is that Hankook, Chinese management, or supplied production equipment and processes making them that way?? My old, top-of-the-line Pearl drum kit is made in Taiwan and it's as good or better than the Japanese production while many similar products out of Taiwan tend to be budget versions.
Personally, I wouldn't use Harbor Freight products as a petrie dish for how good "Chinese manufacturing" is if the equivalent Chinese-made product that's better made and costs more is sold nationally in other chains. HF products are usually ( not always ) made to a price point and are much of the time not a reflection of bang for the buck quality vs. cheapened functionality. Having said that, I've bought some great things at HF that lasted just fine.