What happened to quality?

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Posted this under projects, because that is what it's going to turn into. I got this trailer on trade. It's a 6x12 manufactured by a well known company who shall remain nameless. As you can see from the photos, the design and welding leaves much to be desired. I shall disassemble the entire unit, redo all the sorry welds and redesign the tongue assembly. (The cross member it attaches to is starting to bow.) I've honestly seen better work posted on this forum by first time weldors using 110 flux core. The owner of the company that built this mess should be ashamed. Attached ImagesMiller Thunderbolt AC/DC (Sold)Miller Dialarc 250HFMiller MM251Miller MM200 (Sold)Miller MM130Miller Spot WelderVictor O/A rigMiller Spoolmatic 1 (Sold)
Reply:It looks like the trailer was built by someone with little or no experience welding. Illegal labor maybe? If that is the case, it would be tragic if one of these things came apart and injured someone.Yakdung
Reply:A novice weldor would not be happy with those welds.Over this side of the pond once a trailer is 8' or longer we put a second axle under it.
Reply:You really should post the makers name!  PURE DOG SH-T!!!   Actualy dog sh-t looks so much better!!AEAD 200LE, Lincoln precision tig 185, Millermatic 251, Spectrum 625 extreme, Victor torch , Smithy 1220LTD. and  Do all C-4 band saw ,  Always adding.
Reply:Wow...that's embarrassing...Lincoln Ranger 250gxtLN-25Victor OA cutting torchMilwaukee mag-drillMilwaukee 6370-21 metal saw
Reply:Go look at the ones Lowe's or Tractor Supply Sells they all look like this. This is one of the reasons you can't build a trailer to compete $ wise with the major builders."Liberalism is a mental disorder" Dr. Savage
Reply:The saddest part of that is that someone actually paid MONEY for it.
Reply:I would not feel safe pulling it unloadedAmerican by birth Southern by the Grace of God
Reply:Its called get paid 8.50 an hour and go balls out to meet production numbers so hopefully you can get a bonus so you can actually pay for your food for the week. Is what happened their. The people that by those trailers dont care they want it cheap and now.
Reply:i would call the company and complain, and send them an email with pictures of the junk...If theyre still in business..tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Post the name. The beautiful welds speak for themselves.
Reply:flatbustedbroke beat to the trailers at TSC.  bad, bad, bad.
Reply:Originally Posted by jesusno2The people that by those trailers dont care they want it cheap and now.
Reply:WOW, SOB, I would take it back and let them see it before you dissasemble, and repair it.Lincoln pro mig 180Lincoln Square Wave Tig 300/wp 20/home built water cooler Victor, Purox, Harris, O/A welding/cutting setupsVintage Craftsman drill pressVintage Craftsman/Atlas 12"x 36'' lathe7''x 12'' w/c band saw Everlast 140 st
Reply:Americans Make **** things.   Now I know you all say buy American but the reason that so much junk is imported is because we want cheap cheap stuff.  We Americans have for at least my lifetime always bought the cheapest.  we have to build a bridge put out a bid. Take the lowest bidder. Build a trailer get the lowest Bidder. Since we all buy everything on time we have to get it cheap so we can pay the bankers interest. If we all paid cash and didn't buy until we had the money we would buy good stuff that would last the rest of our life. Cheap credit has ruined our whole outlook on how things should work.   Mac
Reply:Who said it was welded by an american Probably an illegal alien working for minimum wage.Probably never welded anything before he went to work thereThey don't pay $hit for wages and if you only speak english you can't get a job there because you can't talk to anyone but the straw boss...And you work your *** off for nothing and nobody gives a tinkers dam about the quality of your weldsI have worked for outfits like that and i quit them just as soon as i could find something betterBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:I just got done rebuilding a trailer that looked exactly like the one from the OP. I'm gonna say "CARSON".
Reply:The guy who welded this probably tells everybody hes a welder . What happened to quality control. Should have took it to the DOT office and showed them whats running up and down the road before you fixed it .
Reply:I can't believe it ever made it just rolling down the road empty.   Holy smokes!!!   Who on God's green earth would consider that acceptable in any shape or form?Victor Oxy weld/cut Setup Meco Midget Torch outfitEverlast 2016 250EX & Power Cool W300Lincoln Power mig 210MP  w/amptrol and Spool GunEverlast Powerarc 200 Hypertherm Powermax 45Bandsaw, Lathe, grinders, press, Bridgeport, etc.
Reply:Who let the seagull out?
Reply:The guy that welded this was blind right? Somebody please say right? Those welds are horrific!-AlexSears/Craftsman 230A Buzzy BoxSears/Craftsman 180A Buzzy BoxChicago Electric 80A InverterALL STICK...ALL THE TIME!I spent a lot of time with the square peg and round hole.
Reply:I'm not even going to comment on the quality of the welds...Where did basic design go?  As a kid we usually had a light duty snowmobile or utility trailer kicking around.  Nothing fancy by any means and probably thrown together in someone's backyard...but I seem to recall that drawbars on any trailer went back to at least midships on the trailer frame.  The overall design was such that pieces were cut and joined to minimize stress on connection points, whether welded or bolted.  You could look at something and intuitively tell that it was structurally sound.  It seems now that "designers" are looking to add stress to weld or connection areas.  The basics of good, sound design just aren't there.I had multiple Meccano sets as a kid and this was something I just learned over hours of bolting things together, seeing what worked and what didn't.  Christ, before I had Meccano sets I played with Tinkertoys - same lessons to be learned with those......society is doomed..."These instructions are at our present level ofknowledge. Legal requirements do not exist.Technical issues subject to change."_________________________________________Lincoln MIG PAK 180Lincoln AC-225
Reply:In our modern society where "where there is blame there is a claim" whoever made that must be suicidal... or funded by lawyers...
Reply:I don't understand what the point is of not saying a company name??Don't you want us to NOT purchase these products and stay away from these companies?Read my welding blog:http://weldeveryday.wordpress.com/
Reply:Ask and ye shall receive. I guess if they're proud enough to put their name on it, I should post it. Attached ImagesMiller Thunderbolt AC/DC (Sold)Miller Dialarc 250HFMiller MM251Miller MM200 (Sold)Miller MM130Miller Spot WelderVictor O/A rigMiller Spoolmatic 1 (Sold)I would ask why you took it as trade? I wouldn't have. unless it will be worth the money owed, the labor, and materials to fix it plus mark up. and a little more.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:I will come out OK in the deal, even with the money/time I will need to invest in it. I am going to use the trailer to haul a couple streetbikes for me and my wife, so I'm not looking to turn a profit on it till I get a few years use out of it. I won't need much in the way of materials, just what will be required to beef up the tongue, and I think I already have that in my scrap pile. Rest of it is just grinding and rewelding......LOTS of it!Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC (Sold)Miller Dialarc 250HFMiller MM251Miller MM200 (Sold)Miller MM130Miller Spot WelderVictor O/A rigMiller Spoolmatic 1 (Sold)
Reply:I'll bet that "weldor" got the high score on Super Mario Bros."The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." - Thomas Jefferson If the Lights are a Flashin', STAY OFF the tracks!!! It might be me at the Throttle...
Reply:I gots to buy me one of those so I can become a rigger and haul milling machines!http://www.triplecrowntrailers.com/Utility.htmlI'll bet that "weldor" got the high score on Super Mario Bros.
Reply:Im only 29 years old, but ive worked in heavy construction for a decade and every single day I find myself at one point or another completely beside myself at what passes for quality and craftsmanship in products. I have a wtf china moment at least once a day. Its embarrassing, and I wasnt even alive back when things were made well. Its to the point that when I come across some well made US tool or product I pretty much obsess over it. Its frightening what a company will do to their product just for the honor of selling it at home depot or lowes. Half of kleins stuff is from overseas now.  Get it done faster and cheaper let nothing stand in our ways! I have to mail order 90 percent of my tools just to get US made stuff. Id make a trailer before I bought one from lowes depot.... and I have!
Reply:That trailer is a fine American Made product. Soon it will be an Improved American Re-Made product!
Reply:I've dealt with a number of mass production trailer manufacturers - good and bad.  They don't pay by the hour but rather flat rate.  They couldn't compete if they paid by the hour and don't care if it takes 3 hours or 3 days to weld it up at flat rate.  That way they control their labor costs.  They pay a flat rate based on the overall trailer design and it's up to the welder how good the job turns out.It's only the good ones that hold their welders to any level of quality standard and monitor with inspections.  Even then, consistancy between welders is non-existent and things - sometimes big things - still get missed by the "inspector(s)". MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Pic #4 - How Do You Get That Much Splatter With That Little Weld ?
Reply:Originally Posted by RenagadePic #4 - How Do You Get That Much Splatter With That Little Weld ?
Reply:"Its Ugly, But It Holds" Thats all I can think to saw. Aside from "Wow".[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Originally Posted by bratkid63Ask and ye shall receive. I guess if they're proud enough to put their name on it, I should post it.
Reply:From their website: Triple Crown Trailers was established as a family business in 1983, the company is still family owned and operated today. We manufacture a quality line of Hydraulic Dump, Utility, Lawn, Car, and Equipment Trailers, for business and home use. The company has a dealership network stretching from Florida to Maine. Over the past 22 years, Triple Crown Trailers has established a reputation for quality, durability, and dependability. 4251 South Pine Avenue Ocala, FL (352) 867-1675
Reply:Originally Posted by PickupmanFrom their website: Triple Crown Trailers was established as a family business in 1983, the company is still family owned and operated today. We manufacture a quality line of Hydraulic Dump, Utility, Lawn, Car, and Equipment Trailers, for business and home use. The company has a dealership network stretching from Florida to Maine. Over the past 22 years, Triple Crown Trailers has established a reputation for quality, durability, and dependability. 4251 South Pine Avenue Ocala, FL (352) 867-1675
Reply:In My Area of the SouthEast, That manufacturer is well known for CHEAP Quality!! Please Do your Homework before you buy.American by birth Southern by the Grace of God
Reply:My brother worked for Trailerman out of Louisiana, MO for several years. I have to give them credit I have seen a lot of their trailers and not one had welds like this. They paid by hour but you were expected to meet quota and if you didn't you better have a good reason, some of the others pay as Duane said piece work. I worked for one like that for a while could build 2 single axle trailers a day if I had to cut my own metal. That wasn't the deal when I started, it was all supposedly precut just had to assemble no painting,decking,wiring just weld. With precut you could build three a day and average 17-18 a week at $75 per that's not bad money.  We have at least a half dozen trailer manufacturers just here in MO and some are okay so aren't."Liberalism is a mental disorder" Dr. Savage
Reply:"Triple Crown"...the product of;+Last edited by Groo; 01-05-2012 at 02:43 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Groo"Triple Crown"...the product of;+
Reply:I would send the company those pics.  If it was my company, I'd wanna know where that came from.  Makes novice welders (like me) think that their welds look better than that and prolly would hold up on the road, if that POS can.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Originally Posted by PickupmanFrom their website:. . . The company has a dealership network stretching from Florida to Maine.
Reply:Originally Posted by citizen smithIm only 29 years old, but ive worked in heavy construction for a decade and every single day I find myself at one point or another completely beside myself at what passes for quality and craftsmanship in products. I have a wtf china moment at least once a day. Its embarrassing, and I wasnt even alive back when things were made well. Its to the point that when I come across some well made US tool or product I pretty much obsess over it. Its frightening what a company will do to their product just for the honor of selling it at home depot or lowes. Half of kleins stuff is from overseas now.  Get it done faster and cheaper let nothing stand in our ways! I have to mail order 90 percent of my tools just to get US made stuff. Id make a trailer before I bought one from lowes depot.... and I have!
Reply:Excessive stick out.
Reply:dna930; I agree with you in a technical sense, but I have a big problem with cheap low quality tools becoming my only choice. when big box runs everyone else out of town, they are now the single source for product in that area. Therefore, when big box decides to only carry cheap china crap, they are in turn, limiting my choices to chinese crap or more chinese crap.  I dont deny that somewhere china is producing something of quality, but its not making it out to me thats for sure.  I bought a General brand ratcheting tap wrench made in china and got about 13 holes tapped before a jaw broke. I gave up and ordered a starrett like I should have done in the first place. But the point is, theres probably tons of old timers out there that have tapped a million holes with a 60 year old US made tap wrench, and I got a lousey 13 with my china one... shame on me I guess. I was recently working a job where we had alot of flange bolt-up using 3/4" bolts from china. I twisted off 3 heads in a row with only channel locks. Not good. Defective batch? maybe, but how many times can you call it "defective batch" before you have to start calling it "you get what you pay for"? And this isnt just about china, that trailer was made in the US and I doubt the guy that made it was cashing a giant pay check every week. If we cant pay for good labor, domestic or overseas, then I guess we get what paid for. Which goes back to support your idea about quality goods from china. Apple products will cost a bit more than the rest right? Maybe apple should get into the trailer manufacture business.
Reply:Originally Posted by citizen smithdna930; I agree with you in a technical sense, but I have a big problem with cheap low quality tools becoming my only choice. when big box runs everyone else out of town, they are now the single source for product in that area. Therefore, when big box decides to only carry cheap china crap, they are in turn, limiting my choices to chinese crap or more chinese crap.  I dont deny that somewhere china is producing something of quality, but its not making it out to me thats for sure.  I bought a General brand ratcheting tap wrench made in china and got about 13 holes tapped before a jaw broke. I gave up and ordered a starrett like I should have done in the first place. But the point is, theres probably tons of old timers out there that have tapped a million holes with a 60 year old US made tap wrench, and I got a lousey 13 with my china one... shame on me I guess. I was recently working a job where we had alot of flange bolt-up using 3/4" bolts from china. I twisted off 3 heads in a row with only channel locks. Not good. Defective batch? maybe, but how many times can you call it "defective batch" before you have to start calling it "you get what you pay for"? And this isnt just about china, that trailer was made in the US and I doubt the guy that made it was cashing a giant pay check every week. If we cant pay for good labor, domestic or overseas, then I guess we get what paid for. Which goes back to support your idea about quality goods from china. Apple products will cost a bit more than the rest right? Maybe apple should get into the trailer manufacture business.
Reply:The sad truth is, Big Box stores haven't run the competition out of town, we (or at least those who shop Big Box) have. By and large, Americans show greater loyalty to low prices than small non-corporate owned businesses. That is not without good reason...we all want to the most we can from the money we earn and Big Box does offer that. Buy from the small guy so he can send his kids to college or buy from Big Box and send yours to college, I realize there's a lot more to it, but this is essentially the dynamic at work here.That said I do find the lack of quality products made in this country appalling. I used to be a carpenter and always bought the best tools I could find to make a living with. For "hobby work" tools I'm much more budget conscious. I was shopping at Lowe's the other day and was looking for a second worm drive saw, mine is pretty old and tired...don't use it too much but it's a great tool. ALL the worm drive saws on display were made in China except one, DeWalt, made in Taiwan. Now I'm not sure whether to look for a used one or just go to HF and buy one that's not ashamed to say where it's made (for less than half the price)...why give more $$$ to Skil for the same product with a different name? And then there's the Lincoln welders "Hecho en Mexico" they had on display...I am old enough to remember when a brand name meant something, you knew you were buying a quality product that would function well for it's intended purpose and be a durable as well. Sometimes now it seems like you just get something more complex and failure prone...not better...Millematic 210Hypertherm 380Everlast 200DXHF 110v Inverter
Reply:Originally Posted by farmallThey should have held the seagull closer to the work, squeezing evenly for best deposition.