Germany once admired British workmanship – but that was a long time ago: Guardian

kabayiri

To resurrect UK manufacturing we have to get the consumer to look at 'product value' in a different light.

Let's consider Siemens, since they were referred to earlier by Julie. All the kitchen appliances in our new kitchen are made by Siemens. I think they are nice but they are not cheap.

So where were these Siemens items made ?
- the hob : Spain
- the oven : Germany
- the combination microwave oven : UK !
(I can't remember the source for the other items)

The microwave is definitely the star of the show. It's a lot more expensive than something like a Beko unit, but I expect it to last a long time and deliver good value for money that way. I'm proud that it is made here.

If people keep buying £50 cheap microwaves which last 1 month beyond warranty, we are just creating a landfill dilemma.

chewmylegoff

kabayiri wrote: »

To resurrect UK manufacturing we have to get the consumer to look at 'product value' in a different light.

Let's consider Siemens, since they were referred to earlier by Julie. All the kitchen appliances in our new kitchen are made by Siemens. I think they are nice but they are not cheap.

So where were these Siemens items made ?
- the hob : Spain
- the oven : Germany
- the combination microwave oven : UK !
(I can't remember the source for the other items)

The microwave is definitely the star of the show. It's a lot more expensive than something like a Beko unit, but I expect it to last a long time and deliver good value for money that way. I'm proud that it is made here.

If people keep buying £50 cheap microwaves which last 1 month beyond warranty, we are just creating a landfill dilemma.

siemens don't make anything do they? i thought they just stick siemens labels on bosch stuff. they're in the same group, so probably just siemantics anyway.

i'll get my coat, shall i.

Road_Hog

chewmylegoff wrote: »

siemens don't make anything do they? i thought they just stick siemens labels on bosch stuff. they're in the same group, so probably just siemantics anyway.

i'll get my coat, shall i.

I thought that Bosch is the cheap stuff (much of which is made in Spain etc.) and Siemens is actually still the decent high end quality stuff. But you are right that they are the same group.

chewmylegoff

Road_Hog wrote: »

I thought that Bosch is the cheap stuff (much of which is made in Spain etc.) and Siemens is actually still the decent high end quality stuff. But you are right that they are the same group.

i'm only going on what the washing machine repairman said about our sh!te washing machine "cheap bosch rubbish with a siemans badge on it" and then he kicked it. he then mumbled something about zanussi being better, and cut his hand on the back of the machine and bled all over it.

adouglasmhor

chewmylegoff wrote: »

i'm only going on what the washing machine repairman said about our sh!te washing machine "cheap bosch rubbish with a siemans badge on it" and then he kicked it. he then mumbled something about zanussi being better, and cut his hand on the back of the machine and bled all over it.

I am pretty sure the Siemens comms, observation and targeting kit used by the British forces is not Bosch stuff with a label stuck on it. But hey a washing machine repair man is bound to be an expert on global multinationals and their output.

Generali

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Steel from Ravenscraig was ranked amongst the best in the world at the time it was closed.

That is completely meaningless. There are loads of types of steel.

It's rather like saying, 'Rolls Royce is the best car'. Well it's pretty hopeless for driving round a track or for parking in central London.

adouglasmhor

Generali wrote: »

That is completely meaningless. There are loads of types of steel.

It's rather like saying, 'Rolls Royce is the best car'. Well it's pretty hopeless for driving round a track or for parking in central London.

They made several types of steel at the Craig, it was the size of a small town but it was plate and hot and cold strip both high and low carbon they specialised in. I know there are many types of steel I am a time served Smith thank you.

In the context of the post I replied to it was a relevant answer you rude little Muppet.

Generali

adouglasmhor wrote: »

They made several types of steel at the Craig, it was the size of a small town but it was plate and hot and cold strip both high and low carbon they specialised in. I know there are many types of steel I am a time served Smith thank you.

In the context of the post I replied to it was a relevant answer you rude little Muppet.

Thank you for your gracious response.

If the steel was that good, why couldn't the producers command a premium to allow the plant to remain open?

If you're not making a profit then you're no good. That's just the way business works. Best and worst is meaningless.

adouglasmhor

Generali wrote: »

Thank you for your gracious response.

If the steel was that good, why couldn't the producers command a premium to allow the plant to remain open?

If you're not making a profit then you're no good. That's just the way business works. Best and worst is meaningless.

Which is what I referred to in my later post. My reply was ungracious because that is what your ignorant trolling deserved.
The grade and quality of steel is based on physical and chemical standards, the cost is based on how cheaply you can achieve them.

Generali

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Which is what I referred to in my later post. My reply was ungracious because that is what your ignorant trolling deserved.
The grade and quality of steel is based on physical and chemical standards, the cost is based on how cheaply you can achieve them.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to lower yourself to appear on this board as you seem to be so contemptuous of so many posters here.

I don't really see how a bunch of workers 'taking the pish' can produce such a wonderful product. It doesn't add up to me.

I suspect like so much of British industry, it had become used to being subsidised by taxpayers and produced a sub-standard, overpriced product that could only be sold to captive or lazy buyers.