FYI: Fantastic oil price at WallyMart
04-23-2007, 04:32 AM
#18
Race Car
I just watched a show on the science channel and their statistic is 85 percent of goods sold in Walmart are made in China. Looking at all the major stores like Sears, Target, and others, I don't think they are too far off either. No one here is willing to work for 75 cents an hour so we lose the battle for manufacturing goods here. Its not a battle we will ever win and its the reason why I think almost everyone in the manufacturing field is going to lose their job even in the high tech manufacturing. I have been over there and people with 30 years of experience machining jetfighter parts using $10 million US dollar CNC machines get paid $300 a month. They don't have to make cheap products because they have the same tools we use and their workforce is smarter than ours in general due to our retarded school systems. Heck, here in S. Ca. you are lucky to escape bodily harm just for going to school. If you are really unlucky, you have to worry about your life as in the case of Virginia Tech. Its easy for many over there to get accepted into Harvard or MIT but they just can't get a visa to come here. These are the people we have to compete with and there is nothing we can do about it.
04-23-2007, 05:00 AM
#19
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I do something about it. I don't buy things made in China. Ever. I end up having to go without a lot of things because I can't afford them, and that's fine. What pisses me off is when I can't find anything that I want that isn't made in China even though I'm willing to pay twice as much for it. For example, I cannot find any cat toys that are not made in China, no matter where I looked. My cat plays with little ***** that I make out of old grocery bags. I doubt she minds.
Here's how I look at this type of thing, especially with regard to Walmart: Let's say I go to Walmart for whatever I need on a given day (groceries/hardware/Cds/whatever). I save $8 - $10. However, the hardware is made in China from inferior materials (metal alloys aren't strong, things arent prepped correctly for paint or plating, etc.). I end up paying less, but my hardware rusts, deforms, or fails to perform in some other way. Now I have to replace it, how much did I end up saving?
The groceries or CDs that I buy are the same that I would get anywhere esle, like the oil, right? Sure, however, if I went to the local grocer, or the nearby independent music store, the money that I use to buy a CD ends up going to Richie, the owner, and he uses it to pay the guy behind the counter who worked the register, and to feed his family, and to put his boy through college.
If I bought the same CD from Walmart, where does my money go? To some fat CEO in some high rise office somewhere? To pay the illegals that are working at almost slave-labor rates all through the night? What pecentage goes to Richie, who is no longer in business because all his customers started shopping for CDs at Walmart? Not enough, he couldn't provide for his family on the wages he earns in Walmart, his wife left him, and he couldn't afford college for his boy, who is now on meth because he was left at home alone when his mother had to start working too, and they still couldn't afford a babysitter.
And what about me? What happens when I want to open a little automotive shop that services cars for $75 per hour? I always torque lug nuts correclty. I always use quality oil filters and brake pads. None of you have to worry about me screwing up your Porsche rims when I mount tires, because I take me time, and I care about my car and understand why people care about their cars. Well, I can't open my shop, because Walmart will do the same jobs for $60 per hour. Sure, sometimes they destroy a rim, or forget to put oil back in, but the money saved by rushing, and by using the cheapest products (chinese, most likely), and by cranking lug nuts down with impact guns, easily out weighs the cost of buying you a new rim or engine every once in a while. So, I can't start my business, sucks for me. At least you saved $15.
Anyway, thanks to anyone who took the time to read this.
Here's how I look at this type of thing, especially with regard to Walmart: Let's say I go to Walmart for whatever I need on a given day (groceries/hardware/Cds/whatever). I save $8 - $10. However, the hardware is made in China from inferior materials (metal alloys aren't strong, things arent prepped correctly for paint or plating, etc.). I end up paying less, but my hardware rusts, deforms, or fails to perform in some other way. Now I have to replace it, how much did I end up saving?
The groceries or CDs that I buy are the same that I would get anywhere esle, like the oil, right? Sure, however, if I went to the local grocer, or the nearby independent music store, the money that I use to buy a CD ends up going to Richie, the owner, and he uses it to pay the guy behind the counter who worked the register, and to feed his family, and to put his boy through college.
If I bought the same CD from Walmart, where does my money go? To some fat CEO in some high rise office somewhere? To pay the illegals that are working at almost slave-labor rates all through the night? What pecentage goes to Richie, who is no longer in business because all his customers started shopping for CDs at Walmart? Not enough, he couldn't provide for his family on the wages he earns in Walmart, his wife left him, and he couldn't afford college for his boy, who is now on meth because he was left at home alone when his mother had to start working too, and they still couldn't afford a babysitter.
And what about me? What happens when I want to open a little automotive shop that services cars for $75 per hour? I always torque lug nuts correclty. I always use quality oil filters and brake pads. None of you have to worry about me screwing up your Porsche rims when I mount tires, because I take me time, and I care about my car and understand why people care about their cars. Well, I can't open my shop, because Walmart will do the same jobs for $60 per hour. Sure, sometimes they destroy a rim, or forget to put oil back in, but the money saved by rushing, and by using the cheapest products (chinese, most likely), and by cranking lug nuts down with impact guns, easily out weighs the cost of buying you a new rim or engine every once in a while. So, I can't start my business, sucks for me. At least you saved $15.
Anyway, thanks to anyone who took the time to read this.
04-23-2007, 05:21 AM
#20
Race Car
Sorry for the hijack but I am posting this stuff because it hits a real sore spot.
Japanese cars like Honda and Toyota started out the same way as Chinese goods right now. Is the quality going to stay bad? I don't believe so. My friend who builds 2500hp drag cars use Chinese stroker cranks for some of his lower hp cars at much less $ and these cranks hold up very well. I bought a pair of procomp aluminum heads (copy of Dart Iron Eagles) brand new with new valves for $800 (less than half price of any small block V8 head by an American Company). These heads don't fall apart as they are every bit as high quality as their American counterparts. The bottom line is, the quality will get better and better the same way Japanese cars and Japanese/German steel evolved and eventually took out much of GM and USX market shares. I don't think its possible to avoid buying anything from China though it may come back in the form of a missile in the future. They hold 1 trillion US dollars in their reserve and can destroy our economy at any time just by an announcement to dump their inventory of the dollar. They probably won't do that as it will destroy their economic progress as well. We pay our tax to China since they buy much of our IOU notes in the form of treasury notes so we pay them interest out of OUR tax $. Don't like it? These are the facts and everyday Bush spends in deficit, the Chinese are lending us money charging us interest. Who is really funding the war in Iraq? Just about anything you spend at Harbor Freight, $ goes to China. Wait, have you checked the lable of what you are wearing including your underwear?
Japanese cars like Honda and Toyota started out the same way as Chinese goods right now. Is the quality going to stay bad? I don't believe so. My friend who builds 2500hp drag cars use Chinese stroker cranks for some of his lower hp cars at much less $ and these cranks hold up very well. I bought a pair of procomp aluminum heads (copy of Dart Iron Eagles) brand new with new valves for $800 (less than half price of any small block V8 head by an American Company). These heads don't fall apart as they are every bit as high quality as their American counterparts. The bottom line is, the quality will get better and better the same way Japanese cars and Japanese/German steel evolved and eventually took out much of GM and USX market shares. I don't think its possible to avoid buying anything from China though it may come back in the form of a missile in the future. They hold 1 trillion US dollars in their reserve and can destroy our economy at any time just by an announcement to dump their inventory of the dollar. They probably won't do that as it will destroy their economic progress as well. We pay our tax to China since they buy much of our IOU notes in the form of treasury notes so we pay them interest out of OUR tax $. Don't like it? These are the facts and everyday Bush spends in deficit, the Chinese are lending us money charging us interest. Who is really funding the war in Iraq? Just about anything you spend at Harbor Freight, $ goes to China. Wait, have you checked the lable of what you are wearing including your underwear?
04-23-2007, 05:36 AM
#21
Burning Brakes
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Epic, can I get a hell yeah?!
I have to say, I loathe all that wal-mart does and stands for, but i'll be damned if "protection" isn't amazingly cheap!!!(partial joke but true)
I personally have worked on acouple of Chinese diesel motors including gerneators and they suck. I remember once, the head bolts on a particular motor weren't marked at all. Lowest grade!!!! Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those supposed to be grade 8, or maybe at the least a 5? Yeah...
Back to my beer.
I have to say, I loathe all that wal-mart does and stands for, but i'll be damned if "protection" isn't amazingly cheap!!!(partial joke but true)
I personally have worked on acouple of Chinese diesel motors including gerneators and they suck. I remember once, the head bolts on a particular motor weren't marked at all. Lowest grade!!!! Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those supposed to be grade 8, or maybe at the least a 5? Yeah...
Back to my beer.
04-23-2007, 11:16 AM
#22
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Thread Starter
Haha I agree w/ you all, and it's definitely a sore subject for me as well, as it is I'm sure for everyone. I fended off going to WallMart for my entire life, and this is the first time I have ever bought something from there.
Unfortunately, at this point in my life I've been forced to live pretty much from paycheck-to-paycheck, and I simply can't afford $7/quart of oil when I can get the exact same crap for half that.
I used to go to Sam's Club/Costco but now their deals are crap re: oil. $35 for 6 quarts?! i might as well go to autozone where there isn't much of a zoo.
I'm the epitome of the "starving college student" and often times I've forgone my lunch to buy a much-needed part for my bike/car. se la vie
Unfortunately, at this point in my life I've been forced to live pretty much from paycheck-to-paycheck, and I simply can't afford $7/quart of oil when I can get the exact same crap for half that.
I used to go to Sam's Club/Costco but now their deals are crap re: oil. $35 for 6 quarts?! i might as well go to autozone where there isn't much of a zoo.
I'm the epitome of the "starving college student" and often times I've forgone my lunch to buy a much-needed part for my bike/car. se la vie
04-23-2007, 11:40 AM
#23
Three Wheelin'
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Originally Posted by bigred1001
No, the arguement is not there that the oil is any different there than anywhere else. But to me its definitely worth a couple of extra bucks to buy from a store, like an autozone that is willing to let you borrow coolant pressure testers for instance when you need them or maybe has employees that have some insight when you are looking for a particular tool or product.
Seriously though. I hear it all the time. WallyWorld is evil. It treats it's workers like crap, it sells Chinese products.
Well, just about everyone else sells Chinese products as well. Ever check the manufature of some of those tools they sell at Sears, Lowe's, Home Depot and the local jobber shops? Hell. I bought and American made Allen driver (made BY Allen tools) that broke, twice while working on my suspension. I then borrowed the same site tool, bought at Harbor Frieght (China west) and it worked, over and over again.
Bitch about it all you want. For the most part I'll agree that the Chinese stuff is crappy but often it still gets the job done. And for oil, you can't beat the price they sell it for at WallyWorld, and it's made the same place all the rest of that Mobil oil is.
As far as working conditions, unlike China itself, I don't thing anyone handcuffed them or pointed guns to thier heads to work there. Don't like it, go on strike, form a union, or find another job.
In my industry (software) a lot of stuff is farmed out to India. And the companies that did that are finding that in a lot of cases the quality is lower, but often it's acceptable. So I try to remain as educated as possible and worke to find those new, areas of software developement that are not likely to be farmed out in the near future (or at all). It's Darwinism... I may be as old as the dinosours but hell if I'm going to go out without giving it my all.
It's simple really. Don't like it? Change it. And if you don't like WallyWorld, you're more than welcome to spend a few more bucks in a jobber shop for the same product. That's one of the cool things about America.. options.
Crap.. and I just meant to post a +1 when I started all this.
04-23-2007, 12:02 PM
#25
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
ANYway, I just wanted to let y'all know of this smokin' deal, and like it or not, it pulled me in, hook-line-and-sinker.
And don't worry about not getting business due to WallMart in the automotive dep't. They're good at changing oil for dirt cheap and rotating tires. But for everything else, this is where you and your shop come in. People know that they can take their cars to WallMart for the aforementioned items, but when something is legitimately wrong, they take it somewhere else. Sure, there will always be the exception (believe it or not, there are idiots amongst us) but for the most part, people understand WallMart's uses. And they are few -- but often times too valuable to overlook for those of us who are a little strapped for cash.
As soon as August arrives and my scholarships come rushing in, I'll be jumpin' on the "Yeah WallMart's ****ty" bandwagon. In the meantime, however, I'll keep buying high-quality oil for dirt cheap.
And don't worry about not getting business due to WallMart in the automotive dep't. They're good at changing oil for dirt cheap and rotating tires. But for everything else, this is where you and your shop come in. People know that they can take their cars to WallMart for the aforementioned items, but when something is legitimately wrong, they take it somewhere else. Sure, there will always be the exception (believe it or not, there are idiots amongst us) but for the most part, people understand WallMart's uses. And they are few -- but often times too valuable to overlook for those of us who are a little strapped for cash.
As soon as August arrives and my scholarships come rushing in, I'll be jumpin' on the "Yeah WallMart's ****ty" bandwagon. In the meantime, however, I'll keep buying high-quality oil for dirt cheap.
04-23-2007, 12:09 PM
#26
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i get my oils and chemicals at walmart...i refuse to buy much else. Craftsman tools FYI...made in america...by the company that owns the brand (not sears either) Danaher AKA Matco.
04-23-2007, 12:32 PM
#27
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Originally Posted by nickg
Craftsman tools FYI...made in america...by the company that owns the brand (not sears either) Danaher AKA Matco.
Althought I'm sure I can dig up a tool marked 'Craftsman' in my tool check with a 'Made in China' stamp as well (pretty sure the torque wrench I have is).
04-23-2007, 12:48 PM
#28
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Am I the only one that thinks it is funny we have a bunch of American's in love with a German car complaining about their money going to some corporate bigwig or to another country?
30 years ago, people said the same things about Japanese product that they now say about Chinese. Chinese manufacturing will evolve and their product will continue to get better just like Japanese product did.
30 years ago, people said the same things about Japanese product that they now say about Chinese. Chinese manufacturing will evolve and their product will continue to get better just like Japanese product did.
04-23-2007, 12:55 PM
#29
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no...some on here, such as myself, have problems supporting the "exportation of America"..you should too if you have any kind of manufacturing related job
i just saw that it is something like 3 million manufacturing jobs lost since the start of this year alone!....
i just saw that it is something like 3 million manufacturing jobs lost since the start of this year alone!....
04-23-2007, 01:14 PM
#30
Race Director
Originally Posted by bigred1001
I don't care if naked hot women were giving the oil away at Wal-Mart I wouldn't get it. Although not the only reason, a big reason things are built like crap nowadays.
Picture this: Billy Bob's gurl, Sally-Belle - at Walmart - 30lbs overweight, wearing a mid-drift too-tight T-shirt, her cottage cheese textured legs perfectly framed by her short-shorts, and her fungus infected nails gingerly displayed on her fliip-flops. Not to mention the several missing teeth, the belly-button piercing, and the overly done makeup from the 70's and 80's.
Now imagine Sally-Belle "naked hot" and handing you a quart of Mobil-1 motor oil?
Yep - Walmart -- no matter where the store is, it brings out the Red-necks from miles around!
-Z-man.