Striebel Und John

[ban-all-sheds]

I've mentioned Milwaukee power tools before. I have several Milwaukee drills from the 1950's - 1970's era, made in the U.S.A. and built like the proverbial tank. Then they moved production to Mexico to cut costs and quality suffered, now they've moved some production to China and they're little better than the no-name Chinese stuff.

Did that process start because Milwaukee could do nothing about the way so many people buy the cheapest they can find, and never even think about quality, or because some bean counter decided they could make more profit if they spent less money on manufacturing?

 

[PBC_1966]

They used to be "The Detroit Switch and Fuse Manufacturing Company", their logo being a D for Detroit in a square.

You got it!

Did that process start because Milwaukee could do nothing about the way so many people buy the cheapest they can find, and never even think about quality, or because some bean counter decided they could make more profit if they spent less money on manufacturing?

No idea - Perhaps a combination of both?

 

[333rocky333]

We have had an MK factory round here since I was a kid, so always assumed that was a british company, till I found out what the initials MK stood for, same thing with Fords, never even knew they existed in america

 

[securespark]

I worked for them for a few years.

That's plain ol' cheatin'.

 

[kai]

The quality or lack of it in modern boards probably causes most fires around the intake area of many homes. Maybe if the quality of the Wylex Standard Boards were maintained, there would have been so few fires that amendment three would never be necessary in the first place!!

 

[Adam_151]

We have had an MK factory round here since I was a kid, so always assumed that was a british company, till I found out what the initials MK stood for, same thing with Fords, never even knew they existed in america

AFAIK, They are British.... while the spelling might look foreign... German infact...... I am lead to believe that substituting K in the place of C was simply the fashion of the day for naming things.... Ergo... there was the MEM having a fuse carrier called the "Kantark" (Can't arc)

 

[Iggifer]

We have had an MK factory round here since I was a kid, so always assumed that was a british company, till I found out what the initials MK stood for, same thing with Fords, never even knew they existed in america

They are british aren't they? I'll admit I didn't know what MK stood for until I just googled it, but the two founders were English and they founded it in this country?

 

[Echo the husky]

Some MK info and an old 1936 MK ad I have.

 

[stillp]

The quality or lack of it in modern boards probably causes most fires around the intake area of many homes. Maybe if the quality of the Wylex Standard Boards were maintained, there would have been so few fires that amendment three would never be necessary in the first place!!

I was speaking to someone 'in the know' about this the other day. He felt the apparent surge in CU fires is due to incompetent installers failing to make good solid terminations. as well as the CUs that are copies of respectable brands, but poorly made.

 

[DaveHerns]

The Cutler Hammer CH boards are still much more rugged and still made in the U.S.A., so C-H it was.

TBF, they may now have turned things around, but in the early days the cars that came out of BMW's plant in SC were a very good illustration of why "Made in the USA" is not, per se, a good recommendation.[/QUOTE

Is this suggesting that anything that comes out of Germany is superior? BMW could sell dog poo as chocolate and the gullible masses would be saying "yummy" ..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

TBF, they may now have turned things around, but in the early days the cars that came out of BMW's plant in SC were a very good illustration of why "Made in the USA" is not, per se, a good recommendation.[/QUOTE

Is this suggesting that anything that comes out of Germany is superior? BMW could sell dog poo as chocolate and the gullible masses would be saying "yummy" ..

No I didn't.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But in any event no, that is not what I was suggesting.

What I was pointing out was that when BMW first started making cars in Spartanburg their quality was not, it really was nowhere near, that of BMWs made in Germany.

 

[333rocky333]

We have had an MK factory round here since I was a kid, so always assumed that was a british company, till I found out what the initials MK stood for, same thing with Fords, never even knew they existed in america

AFAIK, They are British.... while the spelling might look foreign... German infact...... I am lead to believe that substituting K in the place of C was simply the fashion of the day for naming things.... Ergo... there was the MEM having a fuse carrier called the "Kantark" (Can't arc)

Thanks
I see in freddos post they were in edmonton, thats where i remember them, now in southend i think.
there telegram adress on that ad says multiconta so now more confused

 

[seasickstevie]

I'd always assumed they were in Milton Keynes

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I am lead to believe that substituting K in the place of C was simply the fashion of the day for naming things.

And 'tother way about.

"Camp" comes from police records, where it had been KAMP - 'known as male prostitute'.