Chinese engines ? Good or bad

[MoorOrLess]

There can be a big difference between "made in China" and a knockoff. I live in China, and knockoffs are "the norm". Just because it is made in China doesn't necessary mean it is low quality. The key is the QC used. As an example, I am typing this on my Chinese made iPhone (I am sure many people on this forum have an iPhone, they are made in Shenzhen) which cost RMB7000, but I could have paid RMB400 for a knockoff. The knockoff would be crap and not worth wasting the money.
Multinational companies put a lot of effort into ensuring to protecting their product from copying. Have heard many instances where a manufacturer was caught producing additional product and distributing out the back door under different brand name.
Buying a knock off (fake) product will most likely be poor quality. Buying a "similar" product will be a hit/miss situation, could get lucky.
In a land where fake and copy is common at 1/20 to 1/50 of the cost of original, I buy original if I am going to use it more than once.

[Tricolor]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

While there are good Chinese products out there and I think market pressure will force the Chinese to improve their QC in general...I can assure those days are not long gone. Here in Central America we get plenty of Chinese junk (and stuff from other makets that wasnt up to QC standards, so they sent it here!).

[emoji41] Ahhh now I know, and what is rejected in Central America they ship to us in Brazil.

[alansmith]

My wife was made in China (Beijing). Authentic.

[john61ct]

The Chinese are capable of producing to whatever quality standard the customer (brand owner) can set up QA processes to enforce. All our PC and smartphone brands, including Apple do very well there.

Left to their own devices, Chinese companies usually build to a low price instead.

But so did Japan if you recall the early days, then Korea. Things evolve!

[BlackHeron]

They could be exact knock-offs of a major name brand made by the factory that the majors contracted to build their genuine products. But all it really takes is one part that isn't quite to spec or perhaps the wrong metallurgy to save costs and it could take out the entire engine when it grenades. Or it could be totally fine. Who knows. It's a gamble. Then again, many of the major brands have their moments and do the same or similar at 2-3 times the price. At least you gotta hope they stand behind it when it doesn't hold together.

2-3 years down the road? Time will tell.

[Brightstar]

Wow, well I never thought there would be such a large response. I purchased a 4 hp ancheer two stroke motor that is a exact replica of Yamaha. During idle break in the pin that holds the water impeller in the cooling pump housing fell out because the impeller was installed upside down. After I fixed the impeller the fuel petcock had a plastic rubber flap in the petcock valve that obstructed fuel flow. After that the thing ran flawless and I even took it 5 miles off coast to rescue my boat with my generator. Just yesterday I’m having fuel starvation issues again so I have to look into that. My engine is now broken in and when it’s running right it really hails with my 8’ dinghy. In the 5nm trio I used just over half a gallon and averaged 4.2 kts. I’m hoping the boat Top end stays together along with the piston and if it doesn’t I’ll replace them with Oem Yamaha parts.
Also the shaft internals says hangkai so it’s the same engine as hangkai.
Paid 457 on e Bay. They gave me 50 back for my troubles. Can beat this engine for the money i have in it.
I plan on going throu it with yamah upgrades at 10 hours of use. I’m at 5 now.

[El Pinguino]

Bought a Kipor 1 kW gen set 10 years ago..... endless problems... mainly around the carby... ended up more Honda than Kipor.... even fuel tank full of plastic rubbish as bought...

Now have a Honda.. no probs thus far....

All down to QC

[Mike Banks]

Ask yourself would you bet your life on it? That is what you are doing with marine products. I have a Chinese lawn mower, a fraction of the price of the Honds which is its equivalent--and so far all I have changed on it after several years use is a spark plug--and I probably could have gotten away with not changing that--just a clean might have done.

Would I buy a Chinese outboard over a Japanese one?

Nope.

I have never had any trouble with Chinese small engines except for one put on a Husqvarna chainsaw--when I thought I was buying Swedish. It was rubbish.

[ballvalve]

why throw your money away, spend the extra and get a Tohatsu - with a bit a basic care it will last years

[Steven UK]

Originally Posted by MoorOrLess

There can be a big difference between "made in China" and a knockoff. I live in China, and knockoffs are "the norm". Just because it is made in China doesn't necessary mean it is low quality. The key is the QC used. As an example, I am typing this on my Chinese made iPhone (I am sure many people on this forum have an iPhone, they are made in Shenzhen) which cost RMB7000, but I could have paid RMB400 for a knockoff. The knockoff would be crap and not worth wasting the money.
Multinational companies put a lot of effort into ensuring to protecting their product from copying. Have heard many instances where a manufacturer was caught producing additional product and distributing out the back door under different brand name.
Buying a knock off (fake) product will most likely be poor quality. Buying a "similar" product will be a hit/miss situation, could get lucky.
In a land where fake and copy is common at 1/20 to 1/50 of the cost of original, I buy original if I am going to use it more than once.

Good point and what a lot of people don't get is that in China it is normal for companies to make cheap knock offs of Chinese made items. So you can find a good original Chinese product and the corisppnding knock off version... Buyer beware... I was in China for three years setting up a factory...

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

All down to QC

Exactly, lots of those so-called "extra factory run" knockoffs are actually QA rejects, aka seconds.

Not such a big deal with T-shirts and handbags maybe, but mission-critical gear give me a global brand where their reputation is their biggest asset.

[hellosailor]

bpatpoker-
Was that the deal where a Honda plant manager's brother or uncle or something like that, was going into the plant and actually making engines with the same (or older worn out) machinery and tooling, effectively bootlegging the whole thing by using the plant when it was supposed to be inactive?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

bpatpoker-
Was that the deal where a Honda plant manager's brother or uncle or something like that, was going into the plant and actually making engines with the same (or older worn out) machinery and tooling, effectively bootlegging the whole thing by using the plant when it was supposed to be inactive?

Don't know the story but my Kipor was ever bit as good as the Honda but that was 10-12 yrs. ago.

[john61ct]

That's SOP in OEM factories in Asia, not just one "story".

If you go to the wholesale street markets in the towns around where Brand X merchandise of any sort is manufactured, you will usually find the *exact* product complete with branding selling at 5-20% of what it goes for back home - depends how good you are at haggling.

They may claim it's just seconds, but often it's impossible to find any actual defects.

These shifts' production are not in any way part of the count, what they're doing for the Brand X purchasers.

[hellosailor]

John-
A specific story that I had heard, was that the "night shift" was a totally unauthorized operation, unknown to the actual owners. On the matter of tools and machining...that's a separate problem, also known to be widespread. For instance, companies like Amp will sell off their used tools and dies once they have been used xx many times, and are still in tolerance. Sometimes the folks who buy them, then continue to use them well past tolerance and wear. Which arguably is why Horror Fright hydraulic crimpers are marked in metric wire sizes, but fit neither metric nor SAE wires properly. (sigh)

I'm sadly not motivated to go to China, or to interview the folks at Honda, to try to confirm that.

But you can buy great non-sparking tools (safer on gasoline engine systems) if you buy the "worn out" beryllium-copper ones that are sold by the ordnance and petroleum industries. Still damned expensive, but plenty of life left in them for the non-commercial iser.