1/8" Brad Point Bit from Shop Smith...made in China?!

[joshh]

Based on these pictures...do you think the bit, the plastic sleeve it came in, or both were made in China?

[dusty]

In my opinion, this tells you that the bit was made in China and it is getting so that that is not necessarily bad.

Some foreign made goods are as good or better than a similar item made in the USA.

This fact is the very reason why the technology transfer that has been occurring (both legal and covert) is not good for those industries based in the USA. We are rapidly losing our technological edge over the rest of the world.

Why is this happening? Because we make our purchase decisions based primarily on price. If the price is right we buy...almost regardless of quality. Once countries like China have captured the market...the price differential will disappear.

[nuhobby]

My Shopsmith new-in-2007 brad-point bits all have "Made in China" on them. They've worked well. Usually Shopsmith is very selective about what they'll put their name on. I've heard elsewhere (maybe a Bridge City Tools blog long ago?) that some ultra-cheap Chinese drill-bit sets only use hardened metal on the frequently-used diameters, with the rest of the kit being lower-grade pieces.

[dusty]

My Shopsmith new-in-2007 brad-point bits all have "Made in China" on them. They've worked well. Usually Shopsmith is very selective about what they'll put their name on. I've heard elsewhere (maybe a Bridge City Tools blog long ago?) that some ultra-cheap Chinese drill-bit sets only use hardened metal on the frequently-used diameters, with the rest of the kit being lower-grade pieces.

I have a set of brad points that were made in China and sold by Woodcraft. I bought a set on sale for what I saw as a steal price. That was about a year ago and I have been using them regularly. Don't know that I have used all sizes but they are holding up so far.

How many holes does one need to drill to call it a "good deal"?