Thread: Good Kiwi buggers making stuff.

Res I thought Tokyo was bad enough and they're not burning millions of tons of coal there.

Sorry OP getting OT

Originally Posted by res

This out of date idea of Chinese factory workers has to die.

Most workers in factories earn more after tax buying power per hour than someone doing the same job in NZ would, and the govt limits them to working 60 hours a week max-this is considered a short in China but even so most of the factory's I visit limit workers to 50 hours a week. There is a issue around workers using another if to work as two workers on different shifts but that's completely by choice.
China is no longer the cheep place to get things made, and things are made to the quality that the brand wants and enforces.

Personally I go out of my way to buy NZ stuff whenever possible

Culture is a funny thing in that nobody understands anyone else's culture. A good example of this is a western reporter going to the Foxconn \ Apple factory, seeing workers asleep at the production line and concluding that they are being worked so hard that they fell asleep at their desks. The actual truth of the matter is that it's fairly normal in China to go out for a massive two hour lunch and then have a wee nana nap at your desk afterwards. You keep a pillow under your desk for this purpose.

Whereas here in the western world falling asleep at work is considered a sign of weakness so we make junior doctors work 50 hours straight making life or death decisions without a nap. We make white collar workers fuel themselves on caffeine to push past their mid afternoon sleepy time despite the impact on productivity. Somehow that's better because it's our culture and we understand it.

Originally Posted by MassiveAttack

Culture is a funny thing in that nobody understands anyone else's culture. A good example of this is a western reporter going to the Foxconn \ Apple factory, seeing workers asleep at the production line and concluding that they are being worked so hard that they fell asleep at their desks. The actual truth of the matter is that it's fairly normal in China to go out for a massive two hour lunch and then have a wee nana nap at your desk afterwards. You keep a pillow under your desk for this purpose.

Whereas here in the western world falling asleep at work is considered a sign of weakness so we make junior doctors work 50 hours straight making life or death decisions without a nap. We make white collar workers fuel themselves on caffeine to push past their mid afternoon sleepy time despite the impact on productivity. Somehow that's better because it's our culture and we understand it.

Well said, so true. Bakewell Burners (if I hadn't already said that).

Spiroloc tubing, Thermettes and wood burners

And by no means supporting Chinese made over NZ stuff but the degree of quality or by reverse "cheapness" is determined by the client. They will build to whatever quality/cost the client dictates. The issue is then mainly with the buyer if they are willing to accept the price of quality be it made on shore or off shore. There are for example good and very bad scopes coming out of China.

Originally Posted by res

This out of date idea of Chinese factory workers has to die.

Most workers in factories earn more after tax buying power per hour than someone doing the same job in NZ would, and the govt limits them to working 60 hours a week max-this is considered a short in China but even so most of the factory's I visit limit workers to 50 hours a week. There is a issue around workers using another if to work as two workers on different shifts but that's completely by choice.
China is no longer the cheep place to get things made, and things are made to the quality that the brand wants and enforces.

Personally I go out of my way to buy NZ stuff whenever possible

I disagree, I see shit powertools and machinery from China everyday, I also believe that shit is so cheap it's either slave labour with no Health and Safety or care for most workers or it is all being subsidised by the chink govt! Can't say there's not good profit for the importers thou, priced a motor for a Hobart mixer the other day, cheap Chinese job, single phase, 0.75 kw, $4173.00 + GST ex the U.K... FFS we rebuilt it, the stator had moved, top quality for sure

Originally Posted by zimmer

And by no means supporting Chinese made over NZ stuff but the degree of quality or by reverse "cheapness" is determined by the client. They will build to whatever quality/cost the client dictates. The issue is then mainly with the buyer if they are willing to accept the price of quality be it made on shore or off shore. There are for example good and very bad scopes coming out of China.

Chinese will definitely build you what you want at the price point you want

Thats the issue, most Kiwi businesses seem to operate on the build it as cheap as you can and sell it for the absolute maximum can and then if it fails either replace it begrudgingly with a lot of moaning or totally ignore the customer/walk away.

I wont buy locally produced hunting clothing now both the fit and quality is rubbish. its no good getting your rooted dodgy boots replaced with another pair of the same, when you hobble back after they failed during a hunt

American companies know what customer service generally is and excell at it.

All great stuff guys thanks for the input, when I started this thread it was my intention to find out about the really great stuff made here with a little side dig at all the dicks that have taken their manufacturing off shore. There has been some great replies keep them coming, there is a crowd in Akaroa making underwear does anyone know the name? I soo want one buy one of those AMP annealing machines its not funny but at about $1500 I need about 9 other people to put in shares for one who all live in AKL. Oh well back to work tomorrow.

kuiu socks are made by "the sock factory" in Ashburton then i guess exported back to us when we buy them

Originally Posted by Dermastor

All great stuff guys thanks for the input, when I started this thread it was my intention to find out about the really great stuff made here with a little side dig at all the dicks that have taken their manufacturing off shore. There has been some great replies keep them coming, there is a crowd in Akaroa making underwear does anyone know the name? I soo want one buy one of those AMP annealing machines its not funny but at about $1500 I need about 9 other people to put in shares for one who all live in AKL. Oh well back to work tomorrow.

Just a suggestion but if you buy a annealing machine you could anneal brass for other people for a set fee. That was you would own it but you could also recoup some of the costs. Going shares with that many people is a disaster waiting to happen because one bloke will forget to give it back or stuff it and then you are down a mate and a annealing machine. As the saying goes don't lend out your gear or your mrs cos they will come back rooted.

Norsewear in Norsewood for socks and stuff - bloody good

I too want an AMP machine and 90% sure to get once my Whidden hydraulic die shows up for 260AI.

Originally Posted by Tikka7mm08

I too want an AMP machine and 90% sure to get once my Whidden hydraulic die shows up for 260AI.

And keep it in your office by the river

There is a difference between NZ and Chinese culture that does effect quality. I work with teams in both countries so am reminded by this every day. In China they will never miss a deadline so the main way they do this is by working as hard as it takes but when push comes to shove then quality can be compromised. e.g. we are building an appartment block and the concrete is not up to spec but rather than miss a deadline they will just carry on. Most of the time this is ok but occasionally the apparement building falls down.

In NZ doing what the boss says appears to be optional and nobody can make anybody compramise on the qualtity standard that the individual has decided they must adhear to. This means that when push comes to shove they miss the deadline and you have half a perfect thing.

An example would be the Clyde dam. They decided the hills around it were an earthquake risk so they execcede the inital budger by many orders of magnatude and stabalised the hills. I can guarantee that this didn't happen when they build the three georges dam.

Neither way is perfect but as the guy running those teams I would rather have the Chinese way as you can't run a business selling half a perfect thing. Also perfection is impossible to actually achieve in the real world so they key is to build things to agreed quality standards then the producer and the consumer gets what they are expecting.

So what are you actually saying - it is prudent not to live downstream of their dams, and unsafe to live in a lot of their appartments?

And where I worked in the last 30 years, (on shore and off shore steel industry and mining) is wasn't optional to do what the boss said. Mind you most of the bosses (me included ) managed in a modern style. You didn't last long if you worked to your own set of rules.
I am sure that many here on this forum who run their own businesses would not have an optional relationalship with their employees.