What brands do you associate with junk?

SJshooter

SJshooter

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Today I stopped by my LGS to search for used Smiths. Nothing new in the case, but when the guy behind the counter said "but we have this gorgeous Taurus revolver that just came in," I could even be bothered to look at it. In my mind - right or wrong - Taurus=Junk.

When I play golf, if I am looking for an errant golf shot, I will pick up almost any previously lost ball, and throw it into my shag bag. But if I pick it up and it says "Top Flight", I will just throw it back in the woods. In my mind - right or wrong - Top Flight=Junk.

What other brands do you have a pre-conceived notion of it being inferior merely by the presence of the brand name on the label?
 
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I've had a couple Taurus, and a couple Rossi revolvers that I was pleased with, so I don't include those in my list. Here's a few, though: Hi Point, Jennings, Raven, Davis, and RG. Some may dispute Hi Point, but I wouldn't own one. Others will probably add to my list. Over at the Colt forum, they might include Rugers!
 
Well, I can tell you one that I used to think was pure junk & that is Hyundai! I worked at an Acura dealership years ago & the owners decided to add another more lower end brand to the lineup, you know, to cover more bases & increase our customer base. The cars were total ***'s. They would come in on the transport with defective transmissions. In fact, we had to STOCK transmissions to keep the things rolling. The parts support was nonexistent. It was always fun having to tell a customer that we'd have to keep their car for a couple of weeks till we could get parts for it! That was back in the nineties, & I know they've come a long way since then & have really turned their image around. But for me, that first impression killed the chances of me ever driving one.
 
BTW, let's not turn this into a discussion on whether or not the perception is accurate (I'm sure Taurus makes fine guns). And let's not confine this to guns. For example, Jack in the Box I'm sure makes some good food, but in my mind, the brand is just a synonym for garbage. Keebler is another one for me. I love me some mass produced factory cookies... Just not Keebler.
 
Chrysler=junk

Kia= trash. at one time California banks would not lend money to someone if they wanted a used Kia

McDonalds= garbage. They have 3 good menu items. Yogurt parfait, biscuit & gravy ( in the STL area, its really good) and water. The biscuit and gravy in central IL is horrible. The gravy is like tasteless gray water.

Hardees= toxic garbage. there food is so loaded with chemicals that about 10 minutes into a thick burger I'm dancing the GREEN APPLE TWO STEP. blek

Ford Windstar= Did you know in latin, windstar means "rolling piece of ****?
 
They can all break down and if they was as great as the high horse was tall .. then why are there spare parts made..
 
Herter's, Wolf, Tula, Brown Bear, Yugo, Zenith, Magnavox, Gulf gas, Murphy's gas, Firestone tires
 
As long as we're talking about anything, then Pocket Hose. I bought two of them last summer at Home Depot. Both literally exploded after about five or six uses.

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When my misses took her ccw class I purchased her a excellent looking Taurus model 94 in 22lr. She loves it, it's hers. While it's not my s&w k22 it can hold its own on paper. I wouldn't call it junk it's a cheaper way to send the 22 long rifle down range. It just doesn't have the s&w history behind it.

Russian manufactured ammo. My Chinese norinco 1911 shoots one 3 shot clover leaf using Russian wolf 45acp ball ammo. After I installed a national match barrel bushing and a surplus USGI Barrel.

My Chinese norinco firearms have been flawless and accurate for the price.
My norinco tokarev pistols, norinco 1911a1 pistols, my norinco sks and my norinco m14 all are accurate shooters after all there all forged from our scrap rail road track.

Boot history,
I've hunted with those older pink soled Herman tan colored boots for eons. Way before those insulated boots were ever invented. We did make an annual trip to purchase a new pair every year. Then I found the lake of the woods insulated boots which were awesome they were purchased by a rival and put out of business.

Russian Izmash Saiga Sporting Rifle (AK Hunting Rifle)
Never was into an ak style rifle, never. I didn't like the importers butchered
workmanship I was seeing when they removed the full auto feature. The fit and finish was terrible. I refused to own one. Until I seen a rack of the saigas in 308win. These are brand new Russian ak's in a sporter version. For only $289 @ the time for this awesome looking quality rifle at such a silly affordable cost I figured I could return it or bronze plate it. This little 16" barreled rifle of Russian birth is shooting 1 1/2" groups @ 100yds benchrested using surplus south African 308 ball ammo. With the famous Russian chrome lined bore and chamber using a better quality ammo she's shooting 1" MOA's with new over the counter ammo. For the unbelievable low cost and the accuracy what more could one ask for.

I'm not saying every imported item is perfect but everyone so far has functioned in my hands flawlessly. Lately there seems to be good and bad products in every brand. Most of the time it's companies from the USA looking for a cheaper way to manufacture a quality product to stay competitive in the market place. It's a down right shame in some cases we can't manufacture a quality product here but we can regroup and do it over there much cheaper and better that's very sad.

My last job before retiring I was a lead engineering tech for one of the best engineers in the world right here the USA. We did r&d, test new ideas, and life test new products, before they went into the field for dependability and
reliability. It's a very sad position were put in but it's true.
 
SJshooter said:
BTW, let's not turn this into a discussion on whether or not the perception is accurate (I'm sure Taurus makes fine guns). And let's not confine this to guns. For example, Jack in the Box I'm sure makes some good food, but in my mind, the brand is just a synonym for garbage. Keebler is another one for me. I love me some mass produced factory cookies... Just not Keebler.
Click to expand...


Hmmm...I like Keebler's wheat and peanut butter cracker. Sure better than other brands I've tried.

Most gun brands that I regard as junk have been mentioned, although the cheap Spanish guns of decades ago can join the list.

Yugo cars have a bad rep. Most Chinese knives aren't the best. I avoid MacDonald's here. I saw Heidi Klum in a commercial for MacDonald's' in Germany and it looked better.
 
I've had several junkers from many manufacturers including S&W, Taurus, Marlin, Remington, Winchester, and Beretta just to name a few. One manufacturer you don't see in my list of junkers is Ruger. Every Ruger firearm I own or have owned has been absolutely trouble-free! All very accurate shooters whether rifle, handgun or shotgun. I guess I sound like a Ruger advertisement but oh well! Let the cards fall where they may!
 
Mercedes and please no flames.

I bought a 320 SUV with about 40,000 mile on it 6 years ago. Everything was fine till about 140,000 miles when the thing started to fall apart.

Front end differential went out on me at the beach and I had to have it towed all the way home (300 miles). It actually locked up on the road while I was driving it. I had it repaired. Now I wish I could attach the repair list for that thing before I gave it away on Craigs list. Radiator even went out..., Let me just say I put thousands in trying to keep that car running. When the transmission went out I listed it on Craigs List for $2,000 and sold it for junk.

Now to compare, I have a 1996 Landcruiser that my wife brough new that has close to 350,000 miles on it that has only had maintenance work done on it.

I hate Mercedes...:mad:
 
I had three brand new Colts that had problems. A python that had timing problems, a 1911 combat commander that had problems feeding and a government 1911 that had loose sights and feeding problems. From the 70's thru the 80's. Pretty much quality guns.

I been a Chevy guy since 14yo. When my new chevette 79 needed the engine pulled after a week of owing it. My 88 suburban engine blocked cracked at 52k and it was covered under the warranty I was done with chevys when all the service guys laughed at me when I told them my engine sounds like marbles in a can when it first starts.
I been a Subaru owner ever since.

Husqvarna 250wr dirtbikes '98 couldn't jet it. It was right when wide open only. '99 TE610e dual sport the oil pump failed. The dowel pin hole that locates the pump housing was too deep. The pin vibrated in, the round housing inside the pump turned and shut off the oil supply. Brand new bike.

Husaberg dirtbike brand new. The PO dealer stripped the bike and put in lesser option parts he removed the ignition with the lighting coil and replaced it with a non lighting coil. Left the screws loose and cracked the block. This was a 9k bike and being a left over when the original dealer went out of business told me it was ok because I got the bike for 6k. But it leaked oil.

My two new front loader Samsung washer/dryers are having problems too. Just two years old the heating element in the dryer went. The pump in the washer went. Thank God the misses got the extended warranty. There made in Korea. Next time I'll purchase the made in Japan only.

Trust me if I have no problems with something it should be a great product.
 
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Guns....Taurus, Rossi, hi-point, marlin

Cars....Kia, GM CARS (not trucks, and not corvettes), Suzuki, VW's attempts at SUV and minivans.

Airlines....US Airways

Cable/Internet....comcast, twc (ironic that they want to merge).

McDonald's. Epic ****, and they have the world brainwashed. It's sad, really. Throw in taco hell and their dirt tacos, too.

Home Electronics....Anything NOT Sony, Samsung, LG

Smart phones....anything NOT Samsung, LG, Apple

Teehee I guess I'm opinionated. I could go on all morning, lol.
 
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LG Refrigerator

We bought a Kenmore double-door refrigerator at Sear's a few years ago. Within the first month, the fan had to be replaced. A month later, the temperature sensor failed, then the upper door latch broke. Everything fixed under warranty.

After the warranty ran out, the rails for the freezer baskets broke and the door gaskets were replaced. Cost me almost $300 for service and parts. THEN we bought the extended warranty. Pretty dumb. I should've loaded the refrigerator onto my truck and dumped it at Sear's front door with a big lemon decal on it.

BTW, the service technician told me that our model is made by LG. Let's hope LG doesn't get into the car-making business.

Want more? http://lg-appliances-reviews.measuredup.com/9211588

Ed
 
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Cobra, Jennings, Jiminez, etc.

Hipoints look like trash but they do tend to work.

As far as revolvers go I'm not a big fan of Taurus/Rossi. They can make some good guns, but there are plenty that make the shelves that should have never left the factory in the condition they are in. Their Tracker and "Raging" series guns are pretty nice, but one shouldn't buy one without a thorough inspection.

Some Armscor revolvers I've come across are plain unserviceable.

On the Harley comment above, after working in H-D and import shops I can say that the H-D's in general compare favorably to Japanese offerings, if we are comparing apples to apples. The Japanese always update the styles of their cruisers but many have been unchanged mechanically since the 80's and 90's. While the H-D's continue to look like the bikes of old, they have changed a lot since the 80's, unlike the popular lore. The newer power cruisers certainly outclass most anything H-D is putting out, but they cost just as much, if not more. One thing is for sure, when their bike has a major mechanical break down people always wish they had the other brand...

That said Harley's have various predictable small vibration related breakages (small exhaust hangers breaking and loose fasteners) and with the import companies, the various bikes all have some kind of long standing known weakness that is never fully addressed for some reason :confused: Savvy owners tend to know what to expect and willingly accept such things.
 
My opinions change over time... as do the products.

35 years ago I viewed Harley as a company who couldn't even figure out how to put two engine cases together without leaking oil. Today I think they make top shelf bikes.

30 years ago I had a very poor opinion of domestic car makers. That has changed.

25 years ago I thought Microsoft was on the cutting edge and Apple was a joke. Now that opinion has reversed.

Never ending junk.... As Seen On TV....
 
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