Chinese Hit&Miss

[NortonDommi]

So many people bash anything not made in USA without realising that the majority of stuff labeled Made in USA was not. It was just assembled or maybe even just packaged in USA. Things may be changing with Trump working so hard to restore USA's manufacturing capability and return manufacturing to the nation but a lot of product is made offshore.
Nothing wrong with the countries of origin but it is down to what the individual company does and what you specify. Caveat emptor.
I buy stuff out of China, Hong Kong, India, U.K., Russia because of price AND the shipping rates are reasonable unlike buying anything from USA.

Quality can be variable but I ask lots of questions and specify exactly what I want when making an order unless buying something already made, even then I ask questions. To date even the worst of the cheapest stuff I have bought has been up to the job even if a little rough. Unlike a lot of the knockers,(most of whom it seems have never knowingly bought Chinese),I have been very happy with my direct purchases. The service has been second to none and I have turned into a repeat customer.
Quality costs no matter where a product is made and price is often an indication of quality but some brand names are just rip-offs. Snap-on is one that I name. Very little of their products are actually made in USA, non are as good as many other products on the market, the price is astronomical and in my experience the service is crap. Try holding them to their guarantee. Good luck with that.

End of the day with modern technology asking questions is easy. If you don't get timely answers flag it. Ask for photographs and a video of a running engine. People laugh at Lada's but put a decent carb on the old ones you have an instant rally car. Skoda's were designed as rally cars, now they have gone upmarket but are still bulletproof solid vehicles that some people stupidly rubbish because of where they are made.

Eyes wide open and you can get some good buys.

 

[Superburban]

People laugh at Lada's but put a decent carb on the old ones you have an instant rally car.
Eyes wide open and you can get some good buys.

Interesting you mention the carb. I have fixed up many old single cylinder engines, over the years. You may have to make up an adapter plate, but it is often cheaper, and better in the end, to buy a carb for a newer engine. Many can be found on E-bay for $10 to $20 range. A carb kit would cost the same, or more, and often has rubber parts that do not work well with the new gas we have.

I have fixed up a couple of old Army gas generators. They have a cork float, and rubber gaskets that swell up with the new gas. One could spend about $75 for parts, and then coat the float with some sort of lacquer, or something like that. Or buy a carb for a newer 15HP gas motor for $13 shipped IIRC, and make up the adapters. Unless you compare then side by side, one would never know I used different carbs. Yea, made in China, but darn near bolt up and go. I'm sure the majority of the parts are molded, or CNC, so even a blind child could make one that will work good.

I have even seen many repo carbs for older trucks and jeeps, for near what you would have in rebuilding one.

 

[savarin]

Interesting you mention the carb. I have fixed up many old single cylinder engines, over the years.

I stuck an SU carb on a WL Harley, no other engine tweaks and the stock mph went from 75 to 99mph (wouldn't quite hit the magic ton)
Fuel economy went from hideous to incredible (cant remember exactly)
The manufacturers didnt always know what was best.

 

[john.k]

True hit and miss engines generally didnt have a governor,but a pivoted weight on the exhaust lifter that would engage/or disengage when the revs got too high and lift the valve ...which gave the characteristic sound ..........the only hit n miss diesel Ive ever seen had a similar setup on the injection pump......no variation in fuel delivery,just full ,or none.....Wasnt a true diesel ,a hot bulb engine.