Aftermarket parts from China can be a very good deal

[nuku34]

Today I received, after a 2 month wait due to international shipping chaos, a replacement impeller for my Mercury 3.3hp 2-stroke outboard. The impeller cost NZ$5.75 including shipping from AliExpress. My local Mercury dealer wanted to charge me NZ$46.00 for the exact same part; probably made in the same factory in China. Incredible ripoff. If you don't need parts right away, and are stocking up on spares, this is often a good way to save heaps of $.

[Rumrace]

We have a 25% tax on the Chinese part if shipped by the US. Our way to try to save Mercury Jobs while boycotting GM.
NZ has the charm of being close to China.
I do everything I can to avoid all things Chinese. Genuine Chinese products you may recall were and are very refined. The stuff they make for foreign multinationals is without exception suspect to me.
Like your impeller. Rapid moulding. I can 3D print you a rapid mould for a knock off Merc impeller in 6 hours if you don’t have to change the pump housing next impeller it was original as you suggest.
It’s pretty common to use Aftermarket parts on a BMW which cost less and are better made. It’s a long list too. Brake rotors water pumps radiators brake callipers, relays, lamps...
In 3D printings lower end China rules. Meanwhile a little open format company in Czechia at 3 times China price sell 10,000 printers a month. I just bought another one off them. You just can’t compare end results. Ones toy which works for short periods the European machines are industrial. Same with my airbrushes. $150.00 USA or $19.95 on EBay knockoff.
You can slam that copy where the paint won’t shine.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Rumrace

.
NZ has the charm of being close to China.


.

Geography not your strong suit?
Canada 4000 approx
NZ 5000 miles approx

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by nuku34

Today I received, after a 2 month wait due to international shipping chaos, a replacement impeller for my Mercury 3.3hp 2-stroke outboard. The impeller cost NZ$5.75 including shipping from AliExpress. My local Mercury dealer wanted to charge me NZ$46.00 for the exact same part; probably made in the same factory in China. Incredible ripoff. If you don't need parts right away, and are stocking up on spares, this is often a good way to save heaps of $.

Yep, I get most of our stuff from China, big savings indeed.

Best one to date was end cap gaskets for our 855 Cummins
Wanted 10 of them as they are cardboard and tear when removing

Cummins Australia wanted $365 each plus Freight so over $3600 and would take several weeks to arrive.
Cummins China sent 10 by air, here in under a week for $90 total.
Their's are rubber so won't tear anyway.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Rumrace

We have a 25% tax on the Chinese part if shipped by the US. Our way to try to save Mercury Jobs while boycotting GM.
NZ has the charm of being close to China.
I do everything I can to avoid all things Chinese. Genuine Chinese products you may recall were and are very refined. The stuff they make for foreign multinationals is without exception suspect to me.
Like your impeller. Rapid moulding. I can 3D print you a rapid mould for a knock off Merc impeller in 6 hours if you don’t have to change the pump housing next impeller it was original as you suggest.
It’s pretty common to use Aftermarket parts on a BMW which cost less and are better made. It’s a long list too. Brake rotors water pumps radiators brake callipers, relays, lamps...
In 3D printings lower end China rules. Meanwhile a little open format company in Czechia at 3 times China price sell 10,000 a month. I just bought another one off them. You just can’t compare end results. Ones toy which works for short periods the European machines are industrial. Same with my airbrushes. $150.00 USA or $19.95 on EBay knockoff.
You can slam that copy where the paint won’t shine.

All I can say is my Creality Ender 3 with a string of Chinese upgrades outperforms any Prussa unit costing 3x. It has performed faultlessly for 4 years.

The Iwata brand which is one of the best makes all its entry level airbrushes in China. ( still the Germans make the best in the world )

I support Chinese products , clever people making useful things that power the world. What’s not to like.

In my lightening strike my cheap Chinese leds fittings (with integral smps units ) all survived as did my cheap Chinese invertor , all the Victron and Raymarine stuff failed. !!!!!!

My electronics lab has a cross section of reasonable quality Chinese test gear. All performing well , lasting years and basically doing the job.

I just brought in a Chinese diesel heater. You can see that companies like Eberspacher have been gouging us for years.

Thank god for all those clever productive Chinese.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Geography not your strong suit?
Canada 4000 approx
NZ 5000 miles approx

Mate, I'm not sure there are any strong suits there.

[Dave_S]

I know I'm in the minority but I can't ignore the China thing.

Flame suit on and adjusted... Flame on people ��

I realise it is very tempting to by cheap stuff and if it genuinely is the same product, go for it. But please try not to buy Chinese, we just might end up in conflict with them.

[Sailor Sailor]

One should distinguish between the different parts of China, and between the people and their government.

On August 1, I ordered two impellers on eBay from a seller in Taiwan - Boat Propeller. I received them August 4th by FedEx, with a gift of a floating key chain, a panda key chain, and two latex gloves. The price was about average.

Sorry, I do not get that kind of service from most American retailers. I feel lucky to receive goods within a week or so, if that fast.

[Dave_S]

Taiwan don't see them selves as part of China, hence the war games in their air space going on right now.

[Chotu]

in Asia right now, stopped in China for a little bit for a layover. Got a Chinese motorcycle about a year and a half ago. All I can say is that we in the western world that have been grossly misinformed.

15 years ago stuff was kind of junky coming out of there. They were saving all the good stuff for themselves I think. they are definitely out pacing the west now. Somebody on the plane had an interesting comment about this. He was Italian from the Austrian border.

he said that at one time Europe was the great power. And then it shifted to the United States. Now it is time it is shifting to Asia. And he’s right. They have pulled ahead of us.

[sailingunity]

Ordered a lower unit bearing for a Yamaha 15HP 2 stroke from China, primarily because it wasn't available in the US during COVID shortages. The bearing fit in the lower unit, but the shaft wouldn't turn very easily, tolerances were not the same.

Ordered genuine Yamaha bearing later and it worked fine.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Chotu

15 years ago stuff was kind of junky coming out of [China]. They were saving all the good stuff for themselves I think. they are definitely out pacing the west now. Somebody on the plane had an interesting comment about this. He was Italian from the Austrian border.

he said that at one time Europe was the great power. And then it shifted to the United States. Now it is time it is shifting to Asia. And he’s right. They have pulled ahead of us.

It's an interesting situation.

In North America, we're in sort of a consumer bubble. A lot of stuff is specifically styled and tweaked for us. Vehicles that are sold the world over aren't available here, and vice versa; not enough tailfins and doodads. (much of it made in China...)

More broadly, the first world has N American and European brands which are usually refined, (mostly) reliable, and expensive. And increasingly, their manufacture is outsourced to China...

The rest of the world needs basic stuff that is affordable and works. Not many John Deere dealerships in Bangladesh. In the developing world, companies from China and India provide basic, sometimes even crude machines and devices that are simple and repairable. Stuff that most of us N Americans haven't even heard of.

Diesel heaters are a great example. The primary market for these is commercial trucks, of which there are a zillion. This market demands cheap and reliable. Diverting 10k of these into recreational marine? Yawn.

Most of us recall how Japan was once the cheap manufacturer of choice. I can remember when "Made in Japan" was a putdown. Not so much, anymore. I'm expecting that at some point Chinese engineering and design will rise as well. They are already poised to dominate in some sectors of the EV market. I've been a fan of one Chinese semiconductor company since 2014.

Once upon a time, I believed that globalization - trade and commercial interdependence - would change relationships from implacable foes to squabbling siblings. My faith in this is currently shaken , hopefully this is just a bump in the road, but ultimately we will either cooperate, trade and survive, or fight and consume ourselves into irrelevance.

[Simi 60]

China is pretty amazing

Just reading an article about electric cars stating that you can now buy one there for $5000
https://vietnaminsider.vn/appeared-m...ly-90-million/

Further research says...

Wuling's Mini EV, made in partnership with General Motors, outsells Tesla's Model 3 in China and costs less than adding CarPlay to a Ferrari. The mini EV costs around $5,000 new.2 May 2022

https://www.wired.com/story/review-w...guang-mini-ev/

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

I know I'm in the minority but I can't ignore the China thing.

Flame suit on and adjusted... Flame on people ��

I realise it is very tempting to by cheap stuff and if it genuinely is the same product, go for it. But please try not to buy Chinese, we just might end up in conflict with them.

Please buy stuff that way we don’t end up in conflict with people we want to be friends with

[JPA Cate]

Discussion of replacement parts is fine on CF.

Political discussion is not allowed. Please stay focused on the issue: nuku 34 saved 7 times the local purchase price by buying from China.