Cheap Chinese Made Junk

I'm a cheap bastard, and that means I look for value, not lowest price.  Sometimes I'm tempted though.

There's a Harbor Freight in nearby Silver Springs.  Its a man's toy store, full of all kinds of tools and gadgets.  The first thing I bought there was a power washer to wash the crud off the RV.  It lasted for one washing before it bit the dust.  Made in China.

The next thing I bought at Harbor Freight was a cordless drill.  It lasted for two uses before it bit the dust, the clutch hopelessly slipping.  Made in China.

The next thing we bought was a small hand vacuum from Walmart.  Yeah yeah, I apologize for that, but sometimes you just have to go there.   It lasted for one vacuuming and started smoking.  Made in China.

There are many yard sales and roadside sales around here, and Earl and I stopped at one.  There was a very old hand vacuum, a Hamilton Beach model HV-1 circa late 1950s.

"How much?" I asked.

"Ten dollars," he replied.

"Five."

"Done."

Here they are, side by side.

The Hamilton Beach was made in Racine, Wisconsin.  It was made to last, a quality product.  The piece of junk on the left was made to quickly wear out so you'd have to buy another.

I'm going to be spending a lot more time at flea markets and yard sales.