Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

Re-read the poll questions and the point of the poll...It's pretty clear that the relevance of the country of manufacture is the ONLY question being asked and the only thing that I would like people to consider for THIS poll.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

Le bump

 

[wbeaton]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

My mud hut is filled with outboards.

My allegiance is to quality products not the country of orgin. We aren't helping ourselves by buying USA or in my case CDN if the products are inferior. By purchasing the best products we force our domestic companies to either make better products or die. I think our auto industry is an excellent example of that.

I recently purchased two 75 hp four stroke outboards for work. I work for a huge employer and we have a list of companies that will sell us outboards at a huge discount over retail. We buy our boats and motors separate and still save over the package prices. Since we wanted four strokes and a good dealer network it left my choice between Yamaha and Mercury. I chose the Yamaha. But here's the thing. I went with Yamaha not just because we've had good luck with them whereas the Mercs have historically given us trouble. I chose them because I'm annoyed with the lack of choice when buying a new boat.

It seems that Brunswick owns the world. I tried to buy two Tracker boats without motors. They wouldn't do it. They said I could buy two boats with Mercs and then sell them back the Mercs at used prices. Of course, then I could have them put on whatever motors I wanted plus rigging at regular cost. I called three Tracker dealers and got the same answer. I gave up on Tracker and purchased two Lund boats with Yamahas. The experience has soured me on both tracker boats and Mercurys. To be fair I wasn't a Merc fan anyway. However, now I wouldn't buy a new Merc or recommend one regardless of who made it, whereas I would have (and did) in the past.

 

[1stgenbird]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

I'm 56 and grew up with Mercury, Evinrude, Johnson, and Chrysler outboards (and a McCulllogh) so brand name is important to me. Those names are the only ones I will buy new or used.

I have never owned a "foreign" automobile in the 30 or so that I have owned since 1970. I buy Ford, GM, or Chrysler products. I know that many of these are assembled outside of US, but the dollars ultimately go to an American company.

I also know that many of the foreign companies have US manufacturing plants, mainly to get around import taxes than any other reason.

This is my way of being a patriotic American.

 

[Big Pete]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

I would love to Buy British If they made anything ...

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

I have never owned a "foreign" automobile in the 30 or so that I have owned since 1970. I buy Ford, GM, or Chrysler products. I know that many of these are assembled outside of US, but the dollars ultimately go to an American company.

I also know that many of the foreign companies have US manufacturing plants, mainly to get around import taxes than any other reason.

This is my way of being a patriotic American.

Think of it this way... Would you rather support the American CEO, or the American worker. My previous car, a ford, had a sticker saying it was proudly assembled in Mexico. My dollars went to an American CEO, and pennies to the mexican worker. Not even final assembly was done in the US.

Current car is subaru, assembled in Indiana. My dollars went to very well paid non-union factory workers, and a little chunk went to a japanese CEO. (compared to american CEO pay standards, pennies)

Also keep in mind that large American companies pay comparatively very little in taxes, they use their offshore holdings to sidestep most of their tax responsibilities, just the same as import companies build cars here to avoid import taxes. (which are minimal with NAFTA and similar agreements)

I guess being patriotic means screwing the little guy while the CEO decides which yacht to buy next.

 

[1stgenbird]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

Think of it this way... Would you rather support the American CEO, or the American worker. My previous car, a ford, had a sticker saying it was proudly assembled in Mexico. My dollars went to an American CEO, and pennies to the mexican worker. Not even final assembly was done in the US.

Current car is subaru, assembled in Indiana. My dollars went to very well paid non-union factory workers, and a little chunk went to a japanese CEO. (compared to american CEO pay standards, pennies)

Also keep in mind that large American companies pay comparatively very little in taxes, they use their offshore holdings to sidestep most of their tax responsibilities, just the same as import companies build cars here to avoid import taxes. (which are minimal with NAFTA and similar agreements)

I guess being patriotic means screwing the little guy while the CEO decides which yacht to buy next.

Spoken like a true proletariat. As long as the CEO buys an American made yacht, that's ok with me.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

bump

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

Apparently, I am the only one who is willing to sit ashore rather than put a forign(spelling??) outboard on my boat??

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

Think of it this way... Would you rather support the American CEO, or the American worker. My previous car, a ford, had a sticker saying it was proudly assembled in Mexico. My dollars went to an American CEO, and pennies to the mexican worker. Not even final assembly was done in the US.

Current car is subaru, assembled in Indiana. My dollars went to very well paid non-union factory workers, and a little chunk went to a japanese CEO. (compared to american CEO pay standards, pennies)

Also keep in mind that large American companies pay comparatively very little in taxes, they use their offshore holdings to sidestep most of their tax responsibilities, just the same as import companies build cars here to avoid import taxes. (which are minimal with NAFTA and similar agreements)

I guess being patriotic means screwing the little guy while the CEO decides which yacht to buy next.

They also have no benefits like health insurance, retirement, and some of them are not employees, so, they are not covered by workers comp, unemployment, or any sort of a contract. Sorry but I would rather pay an american CEO and buy a Taurus that is made in Chicago land, with Union Labor, than send my money to mexico and japan.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

Apparently, I am the only one who is willing to sit ashore rather than put a forign(spelling??) outboard on my boat??

It's a pretty severe position to take...But, your not wrong to take that view and you are not alone. I've met people at boat shows who feel just as strongly as you do. From a statistical view point I would say you are close to one in a thousand as most of us leave our convictions at the door on the way to the boat ramp

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

what can I say........there aren't very many like me around anymore. It still ticks me off that most of my computer wasn't made in America!!!

 

[mikew13]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

I will pay more or buy used if I have to in order to avoid Chinese products.

 

[d.boat]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

I guess I've never understood why it is "patriotic" (which implies that those that don't do it are "unpatriotic") to buy an inferior product at a higher price just because it's made in the US. Note: I'm not saying this is the case in outboard motors, but just making a general statement. The debate between Yammie, Merc, BRP, etc. is a legitimate debate, but for me, they're all good enough so I just look at features, dealer support and price. It's not a US vs. the world thing, they're all good.

But philosophically, I buy the best product at the best price, regardless of country of origin. That's free enterprise, which is a cornerstone of our nation's political philosophy. Competition in the WORLD MARKET causes US companies to be better.

Protecting US companies by buying US regardless of quality and price does not help the US economy in the long run.

For example, it is free enterprise which improved our auto industry from the pathetic tin-heap producting industry of the 70s to being somewhat competative in terms of technology and longevity to the foreign companies. The US cars are HUGELY better than they were in the 70s and it was the kick in the ***** by Japaneze and German manufacturers that caused the competitive forces which did that. If not, we'd still be driving the legacy of K Cars and tin heap Ford fairlanes.

Don't get me started on electronics, but just to say, even more so.

 

[PGFISHER]

Re: Does country of manufacture influence your buying decision?

I agree with buying U.S.A. if I can, but with government restrictions, frivolus law suits and union demands, it's becoming impossible to manufacture in the U.S. We enjoy the highest standard of living because we make the highest pay, and pay the cheapest prices. That is why so many of us are losing their jobs. We did it to ourselves and look for a scapegoat in foreign countries. I would like to buy here, but can't afford our worker's standard of living if it lowers my standard of living.