LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner
Cancel
Create thread New Forums

SAD NEWS. DELTA HAS MOVED THERE UNISAW OVERSEAS. HELLO TAIWAN !

Jump to Latest
26K views 85 replies 42 participants last post by  anchorman  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi all. Hope everyone is enjoying there woodworking. Have not posted for a long time. Running a woodworking business takes 99% of your time. Anyways I thought I would share with you some sad news. Delta Power Equipment has moved there once American made UNISAW to taiwan. Just got off the phone speaking with a Delta tech rep and he informed me that they ended up moving the saw manufacturing to taiwan. My understanding of what he told me is people were not buying the saw because of the price. The saws were not selling and the market fell for the american made unit. One thing I will mention, when the saw was made here in USA (most of it ) it was around 3,000 for the base unit of 3hp 36" fence. I'm seeing some companies selling it for over $ 3,000 +. The question I ask is by going to taiwan shouldn't the price go down ?

As we all know the Asian makers can make quality and effect machines. The rep told me that they moved the equipment they used to make it here in South Carolina over to taiwan so the quality of the UNISAW should be up to the former USA made one. I think it comes down to morals of equipment LOL.. If theres any.. Delta was really the last company to make a woodworking machine here. I don't know about you guys, but I like to see a USA made stamp on machinery. It gives me some sort of pride that its american made, made by americans and was made right on our land, with our materials and our expertise.

I don't know when Delta switched the country of origin , if this old news to you guys, sorry. I just learned of it today.

What do all think of the change, bad, good ect..

Thanks, Michael Frey
Portland, OR
FREY WOODWORKING INC.
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
How are American companies supposed to compete if they are not on a level playing field?

If you do not have to pay health insurance, workman's comp, overtime, obey EPA and OSHA and every other industry standard, minimum wage, taxes, child labor laws, EOE, etc.

Our government sold out to the Asian country's decades ago.

Leaves few options for American business men.

Combine that with the "McDonald's Syndrome" of a vast number of Americans, and you have a country that does not want quality, just quantity, convenience, and a cheap price.
 
#3 ·
I believe the change was made when Chang Type bought Delta from Stanley and moved it to Anderson in 2011. The operation they set up in S. Carolina was not a manufacturing operation but an assembly operation (the majority of employees - somewhere between 20 and 40 - are actually executive, administrative and marketing), assembling parts floated to S. Carolina from Taiwan.
 
#5 ·
Taiwan has a much better track record than Chinese factories. Made in USA really doesn't mean much anymore. When they were built here 50+ years ago, they were built using skilled machinists. Over the years, skilled workers gave way to automation, so all we can really say is "assembled" by American workers. Automatic machines work the same in Taiwan and the USA. I expect the Taiwanese version to be no worse than the USA version.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well men its not just the USA the trend to "get somebody else to do it" is well entrenched in Australia too.
I seems to me that there is absolutely no interest in growing the country, its all make as much profit as you can while while the going is good.
The CEO do not care the shareholders do not care as they have stripped all the profits out of the business and move on somewhere else to repeat the process.

What we may be eventually be left with is a nation of workers using sophisticated equipment that nobody has the build skills or equipment availaable to repair if and when it breaks down.

Instead we will be subjected to long delays whilst the OEM overseas suppliers send parts, and from experience they would rather sell you a replacement machine than an individual spare part.
Hence fostering the throw away society.

I an not advocating straightening nails in re using them either, but there needs to be a repair replace line where we can repair an item in a cost effective way of doing so and then continue on.

At the moment we have a situation that even attempting to dismantle an item to investigate the repair options that some of the tools required to do the task are cost prohibitive due to their prospective one off use.

Take the humble lawn mower for example, change the plug, blades oil and may be wheel or two.
Anything more than that and its a "dont put that oily dirty machine on my wood working bench thanks!

So off it goes outsourced for repair. Added with the fact…. hey… I do wood work not mechanical work.
Then if we do have the repair skills the shop gets converted from its primary role to that of a mower repair center we get subjected to massive one off item costs to do the job by our local supplier. Would you pay $10 for a fuel filter when you can get one on the net for $2 free delivery?

Where do you think the mower repair center gets their supplies from?
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi all thank you for your inputs so far.. It was interesting to see even after Delta was bought by a taiwanese company they still made things here. I guess that ship has sailed. If keep with Delta you can notice they have obsoleted a lot of items. I think there wanting to make them there own machines an not the B&D designed machines. In my opinion Delta still makes quality items. I just bought there 6X89 edge sander. I'm very impressed with it so far… I'm wanting to get the new UNISAW, but first I'm going to call delta and find out which model number corresponds with the American made UNISAW, and hopefully find a company with some old stock. Probably machines not made after dec 2013. I like there style saw, but want it american made.

Thanks, Michael Frey
Portland, OR
FREY WOODWORKING INC.
 
#12 ·
Nothing anymore is 100% made in America. Not Ford, not GM, not Delta. It is a universal economy where everyone contributes to the market place. I'm sure this is a good thing overall. I had an old Plymouth with less than 100K miles. It burned a quart of oil every 50 miles. Cars today get 250K+ miles, so not everything has gone to the dogs.
 
#13 ·
MrRon. " Good thing over all" Really ? What happened to the Delta employes that made the UNISAW ?. They lost there jobs. It always ends up hurting someone. In Deltas sense, it hurt jobs here in the USA. But like you say in the car industry overall having everyone contribute to it is not bad. I agree with you on that point.

In my opinion this move not only hurt the former Delta employes that made the UNISAW, but it also hurts other companies that were providing parts for the UNISAW, such as the casting companies, the metal companies, ect.
I know this is not new news, but it just sucks that the last company that held on with a USA made woodworking equipment, had to leave our land… What is done is done…

Cheers, Mike F.
Portland, OR
FREY WOODWORKING INC.
 
#15 ·
Well this is easy enough don't buy the new items from them buy the old stuff.This must be why Norm retired. Just like craftsman tools not made in the usa anymore, check the box before you buy. I think the screw drivers are still made here but if you are going to pay regular usa prices for something made oversees why wouldn't buy a better item for the same price. Like I quit buying craftsman and started buying kobalt mechanic tools. I believe the kobalt is a better tool then the craftsman. I only bought craftsman for it being made in the usa now it's not and I'm buying kobalt, both are made overseas but one is better. It's said that this country was built be the working class and now we are being wiped out to fatten a congressmans pocket. So good job to our government way to look out for yourself and breaking the oath you made to the country. So that's my 2 cents
 
W
#17 ·
American manufacturing is much more important than having a uni saw with made in America on it. Who is going to manufacture our war machines when we go to war with these countries that hate us but manufacture all our stuff. I know it is hopeless but I buy American whenever I can but affording it is often times not possible.
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
Chinese workers get about $500 per month plus a ton of benefits from the government. They get things we have to pay for.

- Knothead62
Click to expand...
You so right. They get things other people have to pay for. The Chinese government is like the US government they have no money unless they take it from somebody or print it out of thin air.
 
W
#22 ·
Mr. UNIX, I am sorry I offended you. Unfortunately we have to consider these things in life. I don't like it and I hope we never find ourselves as we were in WW one and two. We had the factories then to convert over to our. Defense in short order. All I am saying is we don't have that anymore. To me that is concerning. Well let's get off this subject after all what does it have to do with woodworking. By the way I am new to the Lumberjock community. I am retired and do woodworking as a hobby. I never know how to classify myself because I am not sure what a beginner, intermediate and higher classification is as it apples to me. People love what I make I give some away and I don't sell it. I just enjoy Woodworking, lathe work and am getting into carving a bit.
 
T
#24 ·
Two points:
1) this thread is morphing into Unisaw moving to China. It isn't, at lease according to the original post, it's moving to Taiwan. Manufacturing wages are about 3 times higher than in China, causing a flight of manufacturing from Taiwan to China. Still, wages much lower than here since our system shifts far more cost for "health and welfare" to the purchase price (through taxes on the manufacturer) than on society as a whole through taxes. Somebody pays in the end.
2) Why would anyone buy one of these offshored brand names just for the name after they've moved unless a unique product? Why not look at Grisley or any of the other better imports? Why pay for a name. These days trade names never die, they live on to be sold and resold in hopes that people will remember them as a quality product.
 
W
#25 ·
A few years ago I purchased a DeWalt woodworkers hydrid table saw, mostly because it was made in the US and I wanted to support them and the US economy. Within a few months they discontinued the saw without notice. This made the saw I purchased obsolete. When I bought it I thought at least it will be around forever like much of the Delta old iron is today. I have to agree with Third Rail. These brand name companies no longer stand for what they once did. They claim quality
through years of experience but that experience is no more along with the American laborer. I am toying with replacing the DeWalt and I am looking at brands like Grizzly, many seem to like that product.
 
LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
posts
2.5M
members
128K
Since
2006
A forum community dedicated to professional woodworkers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about shop safety, wood, carpentry, lumber, finishing, tools, machinery, woodworking related topics, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Blogs Power Tools, Hardware and Accessories Woodworking Skill Share Off Topic Coffee Lounge Hand Tools