Merc's Built in China??

[Blue_Axela]

asians make great outboards!

Honda is the largest motor company on earth.

 

 

There is huge difference between "Made In Japan" and "Made In China". My car is Made in Japan (Mazda) and my outboard is a Yamaha.

 

But I guess most white folk can't tell the difference.

[tschirk]

The fact is if we want to grow or maintain a higher standard of living then it is incumbent upon each of us to take responsibility for our future. That means developing hard to export skills, e.g. Sales, engineering, medicine, law, intellectual jobs, skill trades, etc... As far as manufacturing jobs, North America did to Europe what Asia is now doing to North America. We can scrap free trade, take protectionist actions like buy Canadian/American but that will not stop the inevitable.... we live in a global economy and there is no changing that fact...

 

Many North Americans consume more than we contribute, live beyond our means, use credit irresponsibly and don't save for tomorrow...

Buy smart and use the money you save to build your personal value e.g. education, etc... and build your own financial wealth.

 

"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% of what we do about it."

[HookNrelease]

hey gerrit, i made mention of this a number of years ago on this site, I was coating the power blocks for merc back then, they were cast in wisconsin, trucked to toronto, coated shipped to guelp for machining and sub assembly before being shipped back to merc. the one reason we were told was that merc went to the senate and asked for a tarrif on the japanese outboards being imported to the usa so that they could maintain competition, that was put through, however at that time merc had a deal with Yammy to make their 4 strokes as merc had not made their own at that time, so Yammy gave them the finger and they were forced offshore to china to be competitive. thats what i know and again it will sway some decisions but i believe its 4 years now so the longer it goes it looks like merc are doing due dillagence with their QA???????

 

cheers

ian

[Muskieman]

My 2003 20hp Mercury 2 stroke is a TOHATSU....runs like a charm I don't care who makes it.

[holdfast]

Ive heard this over and over how a Mercury is nothing but an Anchor. So he wants to make it in China, the same people that floods the Dollar store and made those pair of pliers that bent on the jaws when I removed a hook. I think its time we stopped buying cheap worthless crap from the Chinese. The Reliability or lack of it from a Chinese Merc Built engine may not change, But I BET ANYONE HERE, despite cheap labour, THE PRICE WILL NOT GO DOWN HERE IN CANADA, but other parts of the world it will be more affordable. Too many greedy hands by the time it hits a CANADIAN CONSUMER.

[danc]

Ontario is a major manufacturing and exporting province. How many products are shipped from Ontario for sales overseas? It would be real nice for us if the rest of the world refused products made in Ontario.

 

I buy the best product for the best price that I can. Where it's made means little to me. That's the way the planet works.

 

By the way, I own a 2001 Mercaha. It's a Merc with a Yammy power head. I don't know where it's made, nor do I care. I just know that I own a great product.

[Cookslav]

Would it weigh into my thought proccess?....yup

Lets face it...

Chinese exports in general do not have a great track record right now.

 

Based on my own politcal veiws with regards to Chinese exports I can't say I would trust my investment, or feel good about supporting the current situation over there...

 

I have very little experience with Chinese motors so in fairness I can't comment on Outboards in particular but...

If they are anything like thier exported Wheat, and rice Glutens, or any other food based export for that matter...

I'd be very...very leary.

 

But besides all that...

I am happy with the Older Johnson, and the older Evinrude out boards I currently have

So I guess I don't have to worry about it for now

But yes...it would greatly affect my descion

[danc]

Offshore did'nt stop Yamaha

 

It is weird though---just look at the size of the forest industry in Canada---

Bushart

 

What forestry industry in Canada? There is none. I've made my living on the forestry business the past decade or so, but I haven't made a nickel on them in the past year. All of the sawmills and paper mills that I used to make a good buck at, are all shut down now.

 

Just thought you should know.

[Gerritt]

Yamaha was found guilty of dumping... however the courts could not assess them a fine as there was no way to really measure what Mercury's losses were....

 

My only issue with this is the loss of good paying manufacturing jobs here in NA... Including Ontario...

 

If we can no longer afford certain products because of reduced income how can these manufacturers think this is a smart business decision? Lower wages, less discretionary income = lower sales.

 

G

[fishinggeek]

I certainly don't think everyone benefits from free trade. Of course some people will lose jobs and be financially in ruins. The same could be said of some players in the absence of free trade. But I think free trade flows makes both trading society's better on average in terms of output and consumption, as well as standard of living and efficiency in the countries' factors of production. I think North Americans should cease trying to stop the bleeding in their dying manufacturing sectors. The bottom line is if someone can do it better and/or cheaper, at a wage price level that we cannot compete at, then why hang on to it? I think manufacturing labourers should be re-training and doing something like learning a trade, which cannot be economically exported. And for our children, I think instead of passing on the family tradition of manufacturing (or agriculture), direct them to something else higher up the value chain.

[Guest lundboy]

Yamaha was found guilty of dumping... however the courts could not assess them a fine as there was no way to really measure what Mercury's losses were....

 

My only issue with this is the loss of good paying manufacturing jobs here in NA... Including Ontario...

 

If we can no longer afford certain products because of reduced income how can these manufacturers think this is a smart business decision? Lower wages, less discretionary income = lower sales.

 

G

 

You are absoutely right. It's hard to justify buying toys when you lost your $25/hr factory job, and now have to take 2-3 part time service industry jobs at min wage just to keep a roof over your head, and keep the kids fed.

 

It horrible. But the corporations feel that the western world is saturated, and there are huge new potential markets in Asia and other emerging 3rd world countries. We're hung out to dry.

 

I posted this already, it explains how the corporations work (Canadian Production):

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=192...h&plindex=0

[Tybo]

So the assembly robot thats built in Germany, then ship to China and the

U.S,builds two different outboards?

 

Last time I checked this is 2008, not old man Fords assembly line.

The human factor in most mass produced Item is almost extinct..

[lookinforwalleye]

Judging by the crowds shopping at Walmart, CTC or any other big box store you care to think of there is no shortage of demand for off shore products.

I know in my world I am responsible for my bottom line and with various levels of government taking well over 50% of my pay I think of my bottom line first.

[outllaw]

buying bye choice knowingly i would not purchase a chinese motor. when i look at honest folks using foodbanks , not having jobs that pay enough to survive on, i cringe.Our goverments will soon achieve the dis-mantling of the middle class.Im very sure theres honest folks on this board that has a family member struggling to make ends meet.

BUY CANADIAN.....

[pikehunter]

We cannot help but to buy products made in China. Even N. American made items contain parts made in China. You will be hard pressed to find anything that is made here, the U.K, Germany or wherever that contains multiple parts and does not include some parts made off shore from their country of assembly. So as far as not buying a Chinese made car so what? Look under the hood of the car you have now and take a close look at some of the parts. Have you replaced the brake rotors on your car? Chances are that if you have they are made in China too.

 

We have done this to ourselves as we are a bunch of cheapskates always on the lookout for a bargain. Item "A" is $29, item "B" is $19 and chances are we are going to buy item "B" even though it was made by some kid working 14 hours in a sweat shop and item "A" was made by the guy down the street who is trying to make ends meet on his factory pay. You know the guy, nice fellow, 2 kids, mortgage, car payments, says hi to you every morning when you pass by him. Hell he may even go fishing once in a while!

 

Some of us need to climb down from our high horse and face reality. We are screwing ourselves and will pay the piper one of these days. All we are doing is helping the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Just wait until China has us all completely in their grasp and see what the world will be like.

 

I am just as guilty of buying the cheap off shore crap as the next guy, however I do once in a while pay attention to what I am buying and if I can see why a locally made product does cost a few bucks more I will buy it instead. But I will not go to Sears, the Bay or whatever store and buy a shirt made off shore that I can buy at a cheaper store for less money. Same style, same material, same colour but double the price!

 

Good luck to us all. And the next time you see that nice neighbour down the street waving good morning he may just be sitting there with a tin cup in his hand.

[OhioFisherman]

intellectual jobs? with that goes the assumption they can`t learn? The Chinese don`t seem as interested in protecting intellectual property rights as well as we do. A big push here to allow more people from foreign countries to enter because they are as smart, and work cheaper. Microsoft may be leading that charge.

 

Mercury I believe has used the same power heads for mid range outboards as Yamaha for a number of years? Us older guys may remember when Japanese products hit the market, most were cheap, and junk, that has changed, so will the Chinese products, more of a matter of who is specifying what goes into and how they are made, when in doubt copy other peoples designs.

 

Price of metals here is sky rocketing, scrap metals being sold and shipped to China, Aluminum cans now like 70 cents a pound over like 16 cents 10 years ago, food prices up like 23 percent in five years, 12. 5 percent in the last year.

 

It has become a complex world, the US may wind up like England, a player but not number 1. The Chinese have a 3 or 4 to one advantage.

[mustfish]

At the rate high paying jobs are being lost in North America due to things being sent offshore (mainly in the Manufacturing segment) Who can afford to purchase a Chinese Made Merc? when it is selling for the same price if not more, when it was made here?

 

Hundreds of thousands have been let go from various plants. All in the name of the bottom line. The companies did well while here... but obviously can do better overseas as Labour is any manufacturers largest expense.

 

Problem is your killing your consumer by taking away their wage, therefor shooting yourself in the foot...

 

you honestly think the people of China are going to hang a Merc off the back of their boat? Doubtful they can afford the boat to be honest..

 

Blame the Walmart Mentality folks...

 

I also think we could blame the outdated, complicated, moronic taxcode in the USA!

[Hookset]

Ordered my new bumper stickers today, lemme know if you want one...

 

"Canada...the "new" China"

 

There is a U.S. version as well.

 

 

Hookset.

[Headhunter]

I was speaking with my brother in London last night, he works for a Magna company and they are now down to 3 days a week! Yes, this is the result of a labour dispute in the U.S. and yes, this too shall eventually end, but, wouldn't you, as a business owner begin looking at all aspects of your company's business and consider any and all options that would put your company in a position to be profitable?

I know that if I owned a company and I saw that unreliable labour, high taxes, high labour costs were eliminating my bottom line, I would seriously consider moving it to a place where my bottom line is acceptable. I'm sure that many folks will have issues with this, but we here in the "1st world" have created our own mess. We are pricing ourselves out of the market.

Getting to the point of the thread... no I would not buy a motor made in China... my experience with products from that area of the world tells me that I am not buying a solution to my problems, let's face it, virtually every buying decision is made based on a "preceived "problem" that the buyer has, be it a need, want or desire.

When I spend my hard earned cash, I expect that what I am getting will meet my expectation... so far, by in large, products from that part of the world have been pretty disappointing.

HH

[charlesn]

I don't know if it has been mentioned here yet, but Brunswick, the company that owns Merc, Triton, Baja and bunch of other boat lines recently announced a bunch of lay-offs and a plant shut down... Coincidence? Maybe.

 

But not a great sign of things to come for Brunswick employees.

 

That being said, I guess I am an evil conscienceless money grubber as I would buy the best motor for the buck (or sometimes just out of convenience) regardless of where it was built.

 

I wouldn't let my babies play with it though if it was made in China, too likely to contain Lead paint... lol

 

Charles

[Golfisher]

Charles is right... wear a protective suit when running a Chinese-made outboard! LOL.

[Brian G]

but is the paint on these engines lead free????/LOL

[HookNrelease]

when we were coating the merc power heads the materials we used were locally sourced and compliant in all aspects, you will most likely find a high level of chromium on the aluminum as the chinese have less if any at all legislation and controls, also the finish materials will be initially of the north american formulation but may have waivered as time goes by for cheaper less compliant local chinese products.

Also one thing to consider is that over the past 10 years or so the major western world and Na corporations have built plants in china and trained them how to make the product that was made here, the fat cats at the top close to retirement are reaping in the rewards of a higher profit line, they dont care about our future as they are securing their own retirement package. You watch, once china has the bulk of our products and the manufacturing in NA has closed and gone the prices will skyrocket from china, as they will have a captive market. Our manufacturing sector is dying we try to be competitive and keep ahead but if everyone buys cheap instead of thinking a bit and spending a buck or two more, we will end up being just like china in our life times, our kids will be working 15 to 20 hours a day for nothing and we will be supplying china all the sub components the tables will be reversed on us.

teach your kids chinese now to secure their future jobs

[largemouth]

I read an article in a business magazine on the work force of china and how it is disappearing due to lack of workers. Since China set a 1 child per household limit the replacement work force is approx. 2/3’s less than the people they will be replacing. Which could spike the minimum wages etc. The article claims north america and some parts of eastern europe will be the “cheap labor China” in the future due to population of wokers vs available work.

[Canuck2fan]

Lot of good points here, but the fact is eventually if you want a product you will not be able to do anything but buy it from overseas....

 

A lot of people blame unions, corporations and governments for the damage of globalization when the fact is the consumers, shareholders and the electorate are the only ones to blame. In other words all of us. Simple supply and demand would stop all of this erosion of the middle class.

 

Consumers are to blame because if we didn't buy it they wouldn't keep making it overseas and taking our jobs.

 

If you own or your pension plan owns shares in a company that takes jobs offshore and you all sold the shares and nobody bought them the company would cease to exist and stop outsourcing jobs basically overnight.

 

As for governments if we stopped electing losers who allow free trade but ignore the peril of not INSISTING on free trade we could turn things around if we don't to this we deserve what happens to us.

 

As for blaming the unions, yes they have their faults but no union EVER took one job offshore willingly. No union ever put into effect a contract that wasn't signed by the company who thought they could honour it. No union ever designed and then allowed the bean counters to butcher a product so that it was complete garbage that nobody wanted all by themselves either....

Edited April 2, 2008 by Canuck2fan