I do computer repair for a living and in that industry, pretty much everything is made in China. They do produce bargeloads of **** every day but, just like the US, they can and do produce quality. The Apple computer lineup is probably the most known. Component manufacturers like Foxconn can produce great quality stuff that lasts a long time. On the other hand, you also get $200 Walmart desktop computers that will be lucky to live through their warranty period. It's the bane of the industry, being able to go buy a $50 Android tablet. It works but it's an utter piece of miserable crap with a slow processor and blurry bloated pixels. Then consumers get pissed off because they didn't step up and buy a quality product, then they go buy an Apple, swearing off Microsoft & Google in the process.
Aside from quality versus cost, China has other problems such as environmental, poor work conditions and a government that subsidizes cheap goods for export, in both senses of the word.
I think you and I are on the same page 2stroke. I don't boycott China entirely but I refuse to buy (and know how to spot) cheap Chinese crap. I don't use it myself nor do I sell it to customers.
I'm sure this NAPA Echlin solenoid that's made in China will work fine and last. It's a premium product and I have a warranty with a store I can actually walk into, rather than calling up youlongdingdong China and having a 2 hour phone argument that ends in disappointment. It's just a shame that products and goods are no longer predictable when conglomerates buy smaller companies out. You think you're buying quality parts from a good brand just to find out that it's been absorbed into a long line of crap. So many major producers in different industries are falling into this trap. There's not much in a name anymore, unfortunately.
Since we're on the subject, when I was looking for shocks, I chose KYB because they never changed hands, sold out or went bankrupt. They're a Japanese company that has been making shocks for a very long time. I was disappointed when mine arrived and they were made in Taiwan, much like your Cloyes kit. Fact is though, it didn't bother me long because that company is putting their reputation on the line. They're known for quality and if they feel confident opening up a factory in Taiwan and making sure that it doesn't affect quality (thus their reputation), I'm disappointed that they weren't able to stay in the US but if that's what they gotta do to stick around, so be it.
Anyway, back to the original topic, I plan on slapping in this new solenoid tomorrow and pulling the 26 year old factory oem spare I have that fixed the original issue I had.
