Currently I think people (like me) are willing to pay more for Taiwan mechanics tools then Chinese, so vendors buy their better tools from Taiwan, it becomes a self-enforcing cycle. It is important to consider this before comparing to iPhones made in China.
My Harbor Freight purchases from the 90's, the Chinese tools are gone, the Taiwan tools remain, albeit chunky, clunky and rarely used, they held up fine.
I'll never forget the Indian made wrenches, HF ad said "you'll be amazed at the quality" yeah I was amazed all right, I never knew "steel" could be porous had had a texture like pumice. They went right in the trash.
In my defense, I made that early 1990's purchase before there was a local East Coast HF store to examine tools in, and I had just lost my primary toolbox to theft. I literally ordered everything I had just lost based on what replaced my old sets, piece for piece.
The infamous $5 40pc 3/8 China socket set was there, I stripped out the soft innards of every socket each time I used one, then I bent the round head ratchet the first time I really leaned on it. I looked at the remaining sockets (all the lesser-used sizes) and tossed it before I got myself in a pickle where I would rely on it, and bought some Craftsman sockets. They split and I couldn't get any Metric open stock replacement- famous warranty was useless since for 3 years straight Sears couldn't keep Metric sockets in open stock, and they wouldn't crack a set to replace mine- so it was on to SK, which was my staple for a long time, and now is again. But I do buy other brands, especially where they make particular "best of breed" tools.
HF still sells that 40pc 3/8 China socket set. It's not any better, and it's not doing Team China's reputation any good.
https://www.harborfreight.com/40-pc-38-in-drive-sae-metric-socket-set-62843.html
