WEN inverter generators on woot.com today only

2oldman wrote:

wanderingaimlessly wrote:
There is decent stuff made in China, along with the drek. It's a matter of the spec they are required to build to..

It is, or was, my understanding that it's just the final assembly that happens in China. The design and specs come from here, or in Honda's case, Japan, which is more important than simply putting the parts together.

They MFG the parts they are assembling

Like said China will MFG to the specs requested
If the seller wants a better quality product
He can have it

wanderingaimlessly wrote:

2oldman wrote:

wanderingaimlessly wrote:
There is decent stuff made in China, along with the drek. It's a matter of the spec they are required to build to..

It is, or was, my understanding that it's just the final assembly that happens in China. The design and specs come from here, or in Honda's case, Japan, which is more important than simply putting the parts together.

But whether Chinese companies build something worth owning, or nothing but garbage, is still a question of the spec they either build to, or work from.
If the company that plans on marketing the product plans to sell based on price only, they look for cheap, in the extreme.
If they want return buyers for a product line that is intended to still be there in 5 or 10 years, they build looking toward a higher end product.
WEN has been around since 1951. The company is not , by design, a flash in the pan.

In the world of "tools" Wen is a small "bit player".

In fact it does not make the cut when comparing the major players in the tool market.

From HEREit is not listed in the top 18 major players in the tool market which represent a whopping 91% of the global tool market..

Heck even HARBOR FREIGHT gets at least a nod on the top 18 list..

That should speak volumes..

For myself, the last time I saw a WEN product worthy of any attention was using a 50 yr old WEN jig saw, was back in the day when every electric tool was made completely of metal.. Wasn't really all that good, barely moved the blade due to it's cheaply designed vibrating motor (IE no gears).. It was built sturdy, but it looked better tacked on the wall as an ornament.

One must ask the question, can I buy it cheap enough to justify as a throw away item?

Getting parts and service most likely will be the main issue when it eventually breaks down.

I bought a Wen 56125i Super Quiet 1250-Watt last year because I wanted something smaller than my Honda 2000 just to charge batteries when I camp off grid a couple of times a year and I didn't want to start the nosey 2800 Onan or haul the Honda. I have not ran it enough to give it a quality rating other than it has good reviews and it is quieter than the Honda running full power but not as quiet as the Honda in economy mode.

Sorry. Already have my little Ryobi propane inverter generator.

i did a yt video on this a while back, its decent and was quieter then the honda specs. its also the same generator as the harbor freight.

there is a newer version that doesn't need screws removed to check the oil. i have it, just haven't made a video


Clicky

2oldman wrote:

wanderingaimlessly wrote:
There is decent stuff made in China, along with the drek. It's a matter of the spec they are required to build to..

It is, or was, my understanding that it's just the final assembly that happens in China. The design and specs come from here, or in Honda's case, Japan, which is more important than simply putting the parts together.

But whether Chinese companies build something worth owning, or nothing but garbage, is still a question of the spec they either build to, or work from.
If the company that plans on marketing the product plans to sell based on price only, they look for cheap, in the extreme.
If they want return buyers for a product line that is intended to still be there in 5 or 10 years, they build looking toward a higher end product.
WEN has been around since 1951. The company is not , by design, a flash in the pan.

I remember when stuff made in Japan was considered 'junk'. We, the U.S. helped them recover from WWII and gave them the technology and help to produce quality products we see coming from them today.

China, on the other hand, stole or was given the technology by companies to produce cheaper (less expensive) products, However, I must say the quality of China made products has been improving, much like Japan in the past.

I've had a Wen 5500 open frame generator for about 12 years.
Yes, it's very loud. But, it's only for emergency power at the S&B.
I would not hesitate to buy another Wen generator.

I have been very happy with a couple of Wen drills I bought 5 years ago.

They also had fantastic customer service when I had a question. Sent me a free drill!

wanderingaimlessly wrote:
There is decent stuff made in China, along with the drek. It's a matter of the spec they are required to build to..

It is, or was, my understanding that it's just the final assembly that happens in China. The design and specs come from here, or in Honda's case, Japan, which is more important than simply putting the parts together.