Chinese "quality control"

[slofox]

That's the latest oxymoron...I laugh when some wanky Chinese official questions NZ quality control.

Cases in point re batteries (not automotive batteries).

1. The bluetooth receiver that goes with the TPX radar detector uses CR2450 batteries. I usually buy them from Tard Me. I have used various brands which, most times, have worked out just fine. But then I bought a card of a shall remain nameless brand (I forget what the name was). Best of them lasted a month. Worst of them about half that. Leave them on for more than an hour at a time and they are dead. New card are Panasonic. Still using the first one two months down the track. Have forgotten to turn it off twice. Still going. Which do you think I will buy again?

2. Cell phone battery. My Nokia dumb phone battery was showing some signs of deterioration (or so I thought at the time). So I got a new one, again, off Tard Me. Turned up with Chinese script all over it and the "Nokia" hologram in the wrong place. "Oh well" I thought "give it a go." Eighteen months on it died totally - would not take a charge. Fortunately, a small doubt at the time had prompted me to keep the old one. It had been in a plastic bag, in the back of the cupboard, for a year and a half' without charging. I assumed it would be fucked. Not so. I put it into the phone, switched it an and away it went, just like a new one. It's still going and gives no signs of imminent demise at present.

I shoulda known better, eh.


p.s. My son-in-law works for KiwiRail. Ask him about the Chinese locomotives...

[Blackbird]

On the other side of the coin, I replaced most of our 50W halogen spotlights round the house with Chinese Cree LED spots and they've been fantastic. Less than half the price delivered compared with NZ and have been running perfectly for a year now. Also replaced our kitchen downlights with sealed LED units from China 6 months ago. Beautifully made and a box of 5 for the same price as one unit at Mitre 10 Mega.

[hayd3n]

chinese levers still great 2 years later $50 , chinese bar end mirrors $30 still looking good 2 years later :)
just got some 9w led for the bike port and they are awesome $14 for 6 seems chyknees stuff is getting better

[Icemaestro]

On the other side of the coin, I replaced most of our 50W halogen spotlights round the house with Chinese Cree LED spots and they've been fantastic. Less than half the price delivered compared with NZ and have been running perfectly for a year now. Also replaced our kitchen downlights with sealed LED units from China 6 months ago. Beautifully made and a box of 5 for the same price as one unit at Mitre 10 Mega.

Where did you get your LED's from? I've been eyeing up some ones on trademe lately at around 100-150 for 10 10w outdoor ones, but also could do with a few of the GU10 replacements...

[pete376403]

I'd say Chinese quality control can be as good or as poor as the buyer is prepared to pay for.

[Blackbird]

Where did you get your LED's from? I've been eyeing up some ones on trademe lately at around 100-150 for 10 10w outdoor ones, but also could do with a few of the GU10 replacements...

Here are some of the items I've bought over the last year or so and haven't had a problem with any of them. Check the prices against any of the NZ lighting websites! Also bought some solar sensor lamps for the outside stairs up to our deck and no problem with them either.

GU10 warm white: http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-GU10-12W-4x3W-Dimmable-Warm-White-Spot-Light-LED-Bulb-Lamp-85-265V-Downlight-/181288198137?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&hash=item2a359e5ff9

E14 pure white: http://www.ebay.com/itm/E14-Pure-White-48-SMD-LED-Office-Spot-Light-Lamp-Bulb-Energy-Saving-3W-/371102612854?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&hash=item5667707d76

G9 warm white: http://www.ebay.com/itm/G9-G4-E14-E27-2W-3W-5W-6W-LED-COB-Dimmable-Capsule-Bulb-Replace-Halogen-Bulb-/231180973073?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&var=&hash=item35d375b411

Recessed panels: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dimmable-6W-9W-12W-15W-18W-21W-LED-Recessed-Ceiling-Panel-Downlight-Bulb-Lamp-BB-/151280154987?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&var=&hash=item2338fff96b

External sensor lights: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Solar-Powered-12-LED-PIR-Motion-Sensor-Outdoor-Garden-Entrance-Wall-Light-Lamp/130984755745?_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.DEFAULT%26ao%3 D1%26asc%3D20131230161411%26meid%3D874007928015262 4273%26pid%3D100012%26prg%3D20131230161411%26rk%3D 1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D141310627291


You only have to add up the reduced wattages to see that the power saving is pretty substantial as well as hugely longer bulb life. They don't get hot either. The only light I still need to replace is a 250 W halogen cylindrical bulb in a free-standing uplight in our main lounge. I haven't figured out how to make a neat replacement yet. Might have to junk it and get something else

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

Geoff

[Voltaire]

I'd say Chinese quality control can be as good or as poor as the buyer is prepared to pay for.

Totally true.

[Motu]

p.s. My son-in-law works for KiwiRail. Ask him about the Chinese locomotives...

How are the Chinese locos doing ? They are a lot noisier, and haven't got rid of the need to run double engines on some loads, but apart from the asbestos issue, I've not heard any complaints about them. Is this being kept out of the media?

[Gremlin]

I'd say Chinese quality control can be as good or as poor as the buyer is prepared to pay for.
Agreed, often a product is available from two suppliers, looks similar, but one is very cheap while the other more expensive...

slofox, 18 months from a battery is actually pretty good going. My OEM genuine Samsung battery lasted less than 6 months in the brand new mobile before expanding and becoming useless... Yes, it was replaced, but this was OEM...

[EJK]

Agreed, often a product is available from two suppliers, looks similar, but one is very cheap while the other more expensive...

slofox, 18 months from a battery is actually pretty good going. My OEM genuine Samsung battery lasted less than 6 months in the brand new mobile before expanding and becoming useless... Yes, it was replaced, but this was OEM...

18 months is VERY good for a battery.

OEM Samsung battery used to be a problematic for some. My Samsung S4 OEM was also replace by warranty after 4-5 months. It was quite infamous fault which occured to many (https://www.google.co.nz/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHKB_enNZ417NZ417&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=samsung%20battery%20bulging).

[Akzle]

p.s. My son-in-law works for KiwiRail. Ask him about the Chinese locomotives...

you mean the ones that were a year late, full of asbestos, didn't fit either the supplied german engines or the gauge railways we have.....
oh fucking lol. sell 49% of that.... to the chinese!

fuck everything.

[george formby]

Japan used to be synonymous with cheap shite and look where we are now.
Slowly but surely China is putting some great products on the market.

The auto electrician down the road sources a lot of his parts for Euro cars and also trucks & diggers etc from China.

He's got one of them new squished VW Beetles in at the mo, overheating. Water pump fan thingy has gone. It's all plastic which has gone hard so it spins on the shaft. He has replaced it with a Chinese kit, all aluminium, which also comes with a secondary electric fan because the VW cooling design is so crap. He's done this to quite a few VW's and has had zero problems. It also extends the cambelt replacement from 60'000 to 100'000kms.
The kit is half the price of OEM.

He's shown me numerous examples of very expensive OEM stuff which is inferior to what is available from China for much cheaper.

It's still wild west but with a bit of research some very good stuff is available.

I'm looking at a Samsung S5 smartphone clone at the mo. Internally it uses exactly the same hardware but with a better processor. Android 4.4.2, 13mp camera etc.
$179 US.
Bonkers.

[awa355]

18 months is VERY good for a battery.

OEM Samsung battery used to be a problematic for some. My Samsung S4 OEM was also replace by warranty after 4-5 months. It was quite infamous fault which occured to many (https://www.google.co.nz/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHKB_enNZ417NZ417&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=samsung%20battery%20bulging).

Geez, My Motorola Defy is over 4 yrs old. Original battery still goes forever.

[jellywrestler]

On the other side of the coin, I replaced most of our 50W halogen spotlights round the house with Chinese Cree LED spots and they've been fantastic. Less than half the price delivered compared with NZ and have been running perfectly for a year now. Also replaced our kitchen downlights with sealed LED units from China 6 months ago. Beautifully made and a box of 5 for the same price as one unit at Mitre 10 Mega.

yip and they've got a 25000 hr life, you've used then for about 1000 hrs and raving about them, wonder if you'll be doing the same in another year or two?
also are were they legal to fit and fitted with the correct clearances to building elements, or when your house catches fire and your insurance is found to be invalid are you still going to rave about them?

[avgas]

Reminds me of a story about a grumpy old man who bought cheap shit, found it didn't work, then complained about in some sort of racist rant.

China provides the level of quality requested. If you buy shit from them, expect shit. It is the same with Pakistan, India, Brazil........and even NZ.
Had a rant with the boss today - complaining that he Xero software was missing something. I asked him if he was paying top dollar for it - the answer was no. I told him not to expect top quality because he didn't pay top dollar. He agreed.
Everything has a budget and a price point.

[R650R]

Here are some of the items I've bought over the last year or so and haven't had a problem with any of them. Check the prices against any of the NZ lighting websites! Also bought some solar sensor lamps for the outside stairs up to our deck and no problem with them either.

GU10 warm white: http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-GU10-12W-4x3W-Dimmable-Warm-White-Spot-Light-LED-Bulb-Lamp-85-265V-Downlight-/181288198137?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&hash=item2a359e5ff9

E14 pure white: http://www.ebay.com/itm/E14-Pure-White-48-SMD-LED-Office-Spot-Light-Lamp-Bulb-Energy-Saving-3W-/371102612854?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&hash=item5667707d76

G9 warm white: http://www.ebay.com/itm/G9-G4-E14-E27-2W-3W-5W-6W-LED-COB-Dimmable-Capsule-Bulb-Replace-Halogen-Bulb-/231180973073?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&var=&hash=item35d375b411

Recessed panels: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dimmable-6W-9W-12W-15W-18W-21W-LED-Recessed-Ceiling-Panel-Downlight-Bulb-Lamp-BB-/151280154987?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&var=&hash=item2338fff96b

External sensor lights: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Solar-Powered-12-LED-PIR-Motion-Sensor-Outdoor-Garden-Entrance-Wall-Light-Lamp/130984755745?_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.DEFAULT%26ao%3 D1%26asc%3D20131230161411%26meid%3D874007928015262 4273%26pid%3D100012%26prg%3D20131230161411%26rk%3D 1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D141310627291


You only have to add up the reduced wattages to see that the power saving is pretty substantial as well as hugely longer bulb life. They don't get hot either. The only light I still need to replace is a 250 W halogen cylindrical bulb in a free-standing uplight in our main lounge. I haven't figured out how to make a neat replacement yet. Might have to junk it and get something else

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

Geoff

Good luck with your house insurance should you have a fire.
A mate imports this stuff individually and through a major supplier also. Stuff that hooks directly into 240V supply needs some kind of official approval/certification process. (some of which may already be on the approved list if someone else has imported and gone through all the whoopla for specific model).
A lot of the stuff is 12V and you run it off a converter unit but that first link says 85-240V input...
Just something to be aware of....

[FJRider]

Reminds me of a story about a grumpy old man who bought cheap shit, found it didn't work, then complained about in some sort of racist rant.



In the early years of the Space Shuttle ... the Captain of one mission told his crew ... "Be comfortable in the fact that the Shuttle was built from parts supplied by the lowest tenderer .." (the shuttles had problems later too)

[R650R]

Back to original topic, everything is made in china so very subjective argument.

If anything its prob better as they shoot people in the head if the screw up over there and that includes the CEOs.
Just look at the melanoma milk additive or whatever it was called and a few other things.

*touchwood* I bought quite a bit of JinBei lighting gear and so far it seems just as good as the 3x more expensive pro brands...
Friend of a friend is the repair agent in Auckland and reckons well made.

Oh well best we let you get back to typing on your Lenovo keyboard. Don't forget to take your Samsung cellphone later when you jump in your Toyota on the way to RSA to have some tea and Chinese made biscuits

[Naki Rat]

I'd say Chinese quality control can be as good or as poor as the buyer is prepared to pay for.
Spot on, and as most NZers have adopted the "Where everyone gets a bargain" mentality they now can't understand that cheap usually equates to shit quality.

The Chinese operate in an extremely competitive environment and given half a chance they will cut corners to reduce price. The supply chains led by the likes of Walmart, The Warehouse and dozens of other discount retailers just complete the process by supplying to the ignorant masses.

[Edbear]

Agreed, often a product is available from two suppliers, looks similar, but one is very cheap while the other more expensive...

slofox, 18 months from a battery is actually pretty good going. My OEM genuine Samsung battery lasted less than 6 months in the brand new mobile before expanding and becoming useless... Yes, it was replaced, but this was OEM...

My near 10-year old Sony Ericsson K750i is still running fine on its original battery. Only problem is the ear speaker is kaput, so I just turn the external speaker on.

[pete376403]

My near 10-year old Sony Ericsson K750i is still running fine on its original battery. Only problem is the ear speaker is kaput, so I just turn the external speaker on.

Was probably made in China, too.

[AllanB]

Relevant to any business anywhere in the world. Shit some American made stuff is shit.


I used to deal with offshore product in the printing industry - originally Hong Kong based and the companies moved their plants over to China - quality control was top-notch and print perfect (surpassed my NZ printers for quality, speed, and of course price).

I printed hundreds of thousands of products in China.

It is as good or bad as the Company decided it should be.

One point to make - you purchased a cheap battery and it lasted 18 months - compare it to the cost of and duration the original battery lasted - you may find it was acceptable and 'good value' on a $ to duration basis. Work it out and repost.

Also - WTF - nobody buys a new phone battery anymore - it dies, upgrade and buy a new phone :bleh:

[Erelyes]

So I ordered a little cable luber via Ebay cos it was $11, shipped. Ex Taipei (Taiwan).

Not only did it come with a 10% discount card for my next purchase, it came with a freakin' ribbon and a thank you note (can't tell if handwritten or photocopy, but if it's a photocopy it's a good quality one!!!)

Luber works a charm and looks like good quality too.

Not only can the price beat NZ competition, the service can too! Now if the quality matches surely that's game, set, match?

299697

299696

[Voltaire]

If you think Chinese stuff is shit, track down some of the crap made here in the past.

Retread tyres, made from slipothene
Lincoln Turner screwdrivers, made of Krapite
Those crap Funho toys that were only good for blowing up with double happys
Treka ute things. Skoda powered...oh how we laughed
Plastic rugby boots that you were embarrassed to wear.
Thorn stereos
Pye Tv's
Anything by Black and Decker
NZ assembled vehicles.
I sure I have missed lots.

[Blackbird]

yip and they've got a 25000 hr life, you've used then for about 1000 hrs and raving about them, wonder if you'll be doing the same in another year or two?
also are were they legal to fit and fitted with the correct clearances to building elements, or when your house catches fire and your insurance is found to be invalid are you still going to rave about them?

Only time will tell. The Cree bulbs are sold round the world and are made in modern factories which are the equal of anywhere else in the developed world. Not sure about the sealed units in the kitchen but they look absolutely identical to the ones at Mitre 10. I'm sure that a lot of retailers in NZ and the rest of the world come to that source them from the same place.

[bogan]

So I ordered a little cable luber via Ebay cos it was $11, shipped. Ex Taipei (Taiwan).

Not only did it come with a 10% discount card for my next purchase, it came with a freakin' ribbon and a thank you note (can't tell if handwritten or photocopy, but if it's a photocopy it's a good quality one!!!)

Luber works a charm and looks like good quality too.

Not only can the price beat NZ competition, the service can too! Now if the quality matches surely that's game, set, match?


I got one from City Honda for $16 bucks, same day service with a simile, not some kill all the trees note bullshit :bleh: Local wins this round imo.

[slofox]

How are the Chinese locos doing ? They are a lot noisier, and haven't got rid of the need to run double engines on some loads, but apart from the asbestos issue, I've not heard any complaints about them. Is this being kept out of the media?

S-I-L tells me wheels have a habit of collapsing.


Agreed, often a product is available from two suppliers, looks similar, but one is very cheap while the other more expensive...

slofox, 18 months from a battery is actually pretty good going. My OEM genuine Samsung battery lasted less than 6 months in the brand new mobile before expanding and becoming useless... Yes, it was replaced, but this was OEM...


18 months is VERY good for a battery.

OEM Samsung battery used to be a problematic for some. My Samsung S4 OEM was also replace by warranty after 4-5 months. It was quite infamous fault which occured to many (https://www.google.co.nz/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHKB_enNZ417NZ417&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=samsung%20battery%20bulging).

Not in this phone. I said it is a dumb phone. It makes phone calls and takes photos. I've had it for about eight years. First battery lasted four of those years.


you mean the ones that were a year late, full of asbestos, didn't fit either the supplied german engines or the gauge railways we have.....
oh fucking lol. sell 49% of that.... to the chinese!

fuck everything.

Yeah - those ones.


Points about "get what you pay for" taken. Like I said, I should have known better.

[AllanB]

Those Funho toys are collectible now!

[avgas]

In the early years of the Space Shuttle ... the Captain of one mission told his crew ... "Be comfortable in the fact that the Shuttle was built from parts supplied by the lowest tenderer .." (the shuttles had problems later too)
Yep. Pretty much ANY infrastructure project in NZ history is the same.

So better hope that China isn't too shit - or we paid a slight premium for the gear............because big chunks of it are from China.

(Even the giant hole borer, Alice, you guys have in Auckland right now was made there)

[slofox]

Those Funho toys are collectible now!

I had heaps of them once. Shoulda kept them eh.

[ellipsis]

...yanks make some shit, as do the poms, the Indians, the russians, the kiwis, maybe even the scandies (surely everything they do cant be perfect)...I'm weary of Chinese stuff at times, but I have tried to blow up a chinese motor in my bucket for five seasons, big circuits, street races...it just wont falter...my $80.00 pencil type camera that got dragged 10 meters under my fairing at the Greymouth races, ended up looking like someone had had a go at it with a ballpeen and then tried to grind out the damage with a 250 mm grinder...still goes...still weary of some of their shit though...

[Voltaire]

Those Funho toys are collectible now!

Might be " Kiwi icon" blah blah blah but no where near as good a matchbox.
Its what you get when you put tariffs on just to give people jobs....

[skippa1]

The Chinese keep getting better at manufacturing.........they already dominate production volumes throughout the world for lots of things, they will nail quality and keep the prices low.

[FJRider]

The Chinese keep getting better at manufacturing.........they already dominate production volumes throughout the world for lots of things, they will nail quality and keep the prices low.

"Made in Japan" (and Hong Kong)had a bad ring to it a few years back ... their quality controls improved in time too ...