View Full Version : Made In China Baldwin Filters
mattb5150
10-10-2009, 21:58
Ever since Dr Lee did the oil filter comparo years ago I have used Baldwin Filters and order my the case or half case on the web. Lately however their fuel filters and now the spin on Allison filters are Made In China. Wondering if I should be trusting my ride to that questionable quality? Maybe time for Dr Lee to run some more tests?
Matt
Inspector
10-11-2009, 11:04
We have a baldwin dealer here in St. George and I like you have used that brand of filter. When it was time to change the spin on for the trans I planned on using a baldwin. I went to get it and as is my habit I took it out of the box for an inspection. I saw that is was made in China and refused to buy it. As a comparison the inlet holes are smaller in the China made filter that in the Allison. Fortunatly there is an allison dealer here as well and I bought the OEM. It was cheaper as well.
Denny
Not trying to put a "spin" on anything here.
The situation is a little different in that it's Baldwin building filters in their facility in China not subbing to the cheapest vendor. We have used the Baldwin filters for several years now w/o incident. The number and size of the holes in the end plate only needs to match the size of the single center hole.
That said, we are stocking only the genuine Allison filter. I'm not a fan of buying anything from China and when it is economically practical I choose USA.
The Wix spin on tranny filter is also made in China. Made me mad and I was going to send an email to Wix but did some reading on their website first, and they have a factory in China. I'd bet it's just a tooling deal, as the filters for imported cars are all little bitty things the Chinese factory is probably tooled to make production of the itty bitty Allison filter less of a hassle. Still bugs me though.
The bottom line is that the $$$$$ are still leaving the US and making jobs for Chinese workers.
The bottom line is that the $$$$$ are still leaving the US and making jobs for Chinese workers.
Not that simple.
If it costs $5.00 to make a filter here in the states and it sells for $10.00 the company makes a $5.00 profit which it passes on to its owners. Some portion of the cost, say $2.50 goes to the workers. The rest covers materials, overhead, etc.
Make the same filter in China and you may only pay $1.00 for it, so there's a $9 profit to spread around to the (American) owners which they then turn around and spend on other goods and services. End result, only 10% of the money goes to China and the owners make a bigger profit.
I have a product that I had made in China. I could not have justified the tooling and production costs if I made it here, sad to say, so the choice was China or no product. It is a product that is not available anywhere else, so it would not exist save for Chinese manufacturing. It is very profitable for me and my customers are happy.
SDakDmax
10-22-2009, 20:25
So,,,,,,,, made in USA, a lot of workers share the $2.50. Made in china a few people share $9.00. Lots of workers will spend more money than a few people making lots of money. When the workers don't have as much to spend, who will buy what you are selling? In the long run made in the USA is better for the USA. Our gov. needs to spend its money on making it easier to build in the USA. Give people jobs.
Proud to live in the best country on earth....
Mr. Usual Suspect,
When you said that "It is very profitable for me" you have hit on the real problem with foreign manufacturing. In the US today everyone pushes to get maximum profits and no one looks at the big picture to see what they are doing to the country. Companies need to accept less profits and Americans need to pay the extra money to buy Made in USA products. We need to stop sending our jobs and money to places like Communist China.
I actually try to avoid buying any Chinese products. I will gladly pay more for American products. Shame on companies who support a Communist nation.
I actually try to avoid buying any Chinese products. I will gladly pay more for American products. Shame on companies who support a Communist nation.
Better not shop at Wal-mart, then! Oh, or home depot ,lowes, best buy, or any other shopping venue that isn't your local farmers market.
Retail spending aside, the sad fact is that the US of A as we know it wouldn't exist without China. Thing is they are the majority share holder over our grand country.
I don't like it any better than anyone else, but if you want to stop supporting China we had better all move to Canada or Mexico or Sweden or somewhere else.
DickWells
10-23-2009, 08:09
In 02~, I read somewhere that in 05, when Alberta came on line with all of that oil, that the US oil shortage would be over. Never saw that in print again! Now, we find that most of that oil is going, (guess where)? Neat! Can't blame the Canadians. If the situation were reversed, we'd do the same thing.
I've also been using Baldwin filters ever since I read Dr. Lee's report. I sure hope the big ones are still made here.
Dick Wells
My first goal is quality, and USA made comes in close second.
Not sure where the AC Delco oil filters are made, but the Baldwins put them to shame. Last AC Delco we cut apart was only marginally better than Fram in my opinion and that's not saying much.
Baldwin has a high standard of quality and we have had VERY good results with these fuel filter. There are more parts and more quality inside the Baldwin than any other filter that I have cut apart to date. Where the conventional filters glue the media to the plastic plate, the Baldwin element is a steel capped (both ends) unit pushed up against the plate by a mongo coil spring and sealed by a large rubber seal in between. It's been a long time, but does anybody remember the fall apart filter that Mdrag had? This was back when Racor was the only game in town.
DickWells
10-23-2009, 18:43
Yes, I remember that Dr. Lee found about 2X the filter media in a Baldwin than most others. I always told the sales people at the truck supply place where I went for the Baldwins, that one Baldwin was worth at least 2 Frams. I've proven beyond a doubt that my oil has stayed clean with a Baldwin far beyond anything else that I have used.
At this point, I'll hold my comments/misgivings about my current $180+ oil/filter change (using Amsoil) for a separate thread!
Dick Wells
Companies need to accept less profits and Americans need to pay the extra money to buy Made in USA products.
You first. If you own part of a company, stocks, mutual funds, whatever, you head in there to the next shareholder's meeting and tell them they need to aim low. Heck, why not go for non-profit? Just remember, that means less money in the pocket of every single shareholder to spend in the American economy. It also means less taxes paid to the government.
And, get out there and start an advertising campaign for higher priced goods. Everyone should jump in line for that. How about "You will pay more money but you won't get better goods!"
I am not a company, I am just one guy. I tried to have this item made here in the states. The price I would have had to sell it for would have meant no sales. The financial outlay would have been too high to risk on the off chance that over the next 20 years or so I might have broken even. I would loose money for sure in the short run and no one would buy the product.
I've seen a few of these items used on e-bay go for as much as $125 each, but that's not sustainable. As it is now I'm offering them new for $40.00. The quality is better than the original (70 years of manufacturing improvements).
Better to have happy customers and a good profit, even if a small portion of the pie ends up in China. There's a good chance I'll break even after the first year or so, then I'll have all that money to spend on other goods and services as I see fit. On the other hand, 100% of zero doesn't help anyone.
American workers can compete in the global market place by several means.
They can build a superior product, the increased value of which justifies the increase in cost. I would buy a 2 year (or better still, 3 year) product over a 1 year product at half the price, unless it is something I don't anticipate needing after 6 months.
They can build product more efficiently, so the per unit cost is competitive even though the per hour cost is not. 1000 widgets an hour from an American worker with a machine trumps 1 widget per hour from each of 1000 Chinese workers by hand. (Quality is probably better, too.)
They can invent a new product no one else is capable of producing. (Never stand still, someone will be gaining on you). PC's, then PC software and microchips, then microchip manufacturing machinery, what next? But, if you can't stay ahead of the curve you'll be swallowed alive by Taiwanese computer manufacturers and Indian programmers.
They can convince the American public that, even though the product is grossly over priced, the feel-good value of buying American is worth the difference. (Who else remembers the "look for the union label" campaign?)
They can get the government to adopt protectionist policies that artificially increase the costs of overseas goods. So, you pay more but no one makes more money, so there are less sales, less profits, less money in everyone's pocket, workers get laid off...
... one Baldwin was worth at least 2 Frams...
Hmmm, Two Frams sounds like double trouble to me! First prize, a Fram oil filter. Second prize, a case of Fram oil filters...
But, they have that nice sand paper grip!
;)
WyoDutch
10-24-2009, 18:23
Vise-Grip Pliers - Made in Nebraska for nearly a century. Last year, the factory closed.. 300 Americans tossed out of work and the tooling sent to red china. Vise Grip pliers still cost what they did when they were made by your neighbor in Nebraska.
Radio Flyer Wagons - Made in Illinois since 1917. Five years ago, the owners shut the doors... fired 50 American workers and moved the manufacturing to red china. Radio Flyers didn't go down in price.
Craftsman (Sears) hand tools. They used to bear that proud stamp "Made in the USA". Today... most of them are made in red china. There was no decrease in retail pricing when the jobs went east.
Harley-Davidson leather jackets. Last Harley jacket I bought was a $550 'FXRG'...made in red china. http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/sunindustry/product-detailObqQUnyjZuhp/China-Harley-Davidson-Motorcycle-Leather-Jackets.html
ManikBhai
10-26-2010, 09:48
I want to know that where it will be find out Chinabuye Baldwin Filters
Just check the filter and BALDWINS are also made in CHINA?
Does anyone mfg. filters in the USA?
Wyo - thats really depressing. I've bought a lot of Vise-Grip tools specifically because they are made here. Channel Lock is another brand of hand tool that has been made in USA and now China.
It doesn't take a lot of effort to look at a package and check where its made. I check everything and buy US made products as much as possible.
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