quality control

[Boanerges4]

What ever happened to quality control? Oh, now I remember, it went out in the 70s. Im making reference to lumber. when was the last time you saw a straight 2x4 with all four corners and no knots. If you could find one the price would be 6 dollars plus. Ive been working for the same company for almost 37 yrs. It was built on service to the public, strange thing is that I havent heard the true service word in several years. Its all about the numbers and how fast you can get the job done regardless of service. I guess I just wanted to vent a little. Thanks for listening

[bc toys]

Yes I can still remember those day when we took pride in the stuff we installed and now its jost get it in and move on or they will get someone else to put it in .

[Woodbutcher]

Quality and customer service have been replaced by cheaper prices. When we as consumers buy what is the cheapest we vote with our dollars. There was private lumber yard in our town that had been there for 80 years. Home Depot and Menards opened and within 5 years they closed. They had the kind of lumber you speak of. But they had to charge more and people just would not pay for it.

[eamarquardt]

You get access to what others are willing to pay for.

Here in Simi Valley, Ca.:

We used to have a good shop that sold quality tools. Now we have a Harbor Freight.

We used to have several plumbing supply stores. Now we have a HomeDepot and Lowe's. There is a good plumbing distributor but they carry mostly stuff for new construction not the items you need to maintain things.

We used to have several good hardware stores. Now we have one True Value left. They have a great stock of grade 5, grade 8, metric, and SS nuts and bolts plus e-clips and other cool stuff. The owner is an old but a nice and cantankerous fellow. He's in his eighties. Not sure what will happen when he moves on. The staff there are friendly and know what they have in stock.

We still have a good irrigation supply, a couple of commercial electrical suppliers, and actually have a good tool repair shop.

Fortunately we have the internet and Los Angeles is nearby for the real specialty stores as a city the size of LA can support stores like that.

Gus

[Shadow Catcher]

Much of that good quality wood was old growth and that is largely gone, and much of the old growth goes over seas. I remember raw logs be loaded on car carriers for the return trip to Japan, that was many years ago but?
Quality I still have local sources for most difficult to find bits and pieces and most of it comes from companies that deal with industrial needs i.e. fining three in camlock fittings for the drain from CR came from a company dealing with industrial hose. BUT one of the chain quick links for CR safety chain pulled apart and straightened out, the chain should have broken first.
Having worked in nondestructive testing/quality control most of my working days I saw standards for steel that have a plus or minus 5% translated into we will produce steel at minus 4.9%. Devilbus compressors are no longer made (Toledo) because the customer, Sears was not happy they lasted too long and could not get the life expectancy down.

[GPW]

SC, all GREED ... “Vulture Capitalism “ ... maximum profit ... damn the quality (price points) .. You know already how the RV industry is fraught with quality problems ... Seems it’s spread everywhere... The Great EVIL of our History , the love of money ...

[eamarquardt]

Devilbus compressors are no longer made (Toledo) because the customer, Sears was not happy they lasted too long and could not get the life expectancy down.

So that's why they're no longer sold. I have a couple. 25 years and still ticking.

Gus

[eamarquardt]

Devilbus compressors are no longer made (Toledo) because the customer, Sears was not happy they lasted too long and could not get the life expectancy down.

So that's why they're no longer sold. I have a couple. 25 years and still ticking.

Gus

[jstrubberg]

As long as we the consumer buy the cheapest product available, that's what we the consumer will get.

It's easy to blame companies, but if there's a profit in selling a better item, a company will sell it. They are in buisness to make a profit.