Yes I did... What percentage do you think of our car parts are made in good ole USA?
I happened to track down the maker of Chines forged cranks and rods that are shipped here and sold under various names.. I go to china 2 times a year for the Hobby expo.. I got to talking with a sales rep/friend from a brush less motor company that saw my car on facebook and then one thing led to another and low and behold she found me the manufacture that makes Eagle, scat and compstar parts and a few other companies.. she was able to get a list of manufactures then we looked up the export info and shipping records which is easy to view and not regulated in china. Was like Awe what are they doing buying there s&$% from china!
Go to alibaba.. search a product, then find the manufacture name of the product your interested in (so you do not deal with middle man) contact the business via msn messange skype or email they will have it on there site.. Do some asking about who there clients are DO NOT GIVE THEM NAMES, other wise they may lie and say oh ya we make for them..
A lot of time you can get samples and just pay for shipping
For instance look at this Rod, this even comes with ARP bolts.. this took about 2 min for me to find..
http://scxinkun.en.alibaba.com/produ...om_shizun.html
Wiesco: Always on back order 9/ 10 it a chinese holiday or boat stuck in customs!
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detai...090838483.html
Cranks shaft LS1
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detai...543950251.html
The RC jet industry is very competitive everyone wants to go as fast as possible much like us with the best parts.. A NUE motor is like having callies internals.. There right here in USA but there bearings come from Japan, the magnets and windings are done in china. But there assembled here with the hi temp laminents in usa. So everyone thinks there a usa product only the assembly is done.. Unless it a off the self motor but most all of nue motors are custom.
I do not believe for one second that callies sales there rods unfinished and a shop puts there name on them..
I do believe that callies compstar products are sourced from china to there standards and they may sale those unfinished here to some shops. But why pay the middle man? Go to the source!
I find it more likely a shop did what I can do and sell the same part for a better profit.
I had stayed up for hours and hours searching I had been looking for where this one shop got there motors from called ARC.. I got lucky and stumbled upon shipping records from customs that listed the name of the company and the addresses to the hobby shop. Low and behold there they were on the Beijing brushless motor website. All along I thought the motors where his own brand.. but no..
When you find the actual cost of things like me.. this will lead you to question pricing and who's making the parts that are not listed with brand names.. it all make sense..
Things I have found is pay attention to details on what your looking for to try and compare.. For instance I won't give you another RC example but, Like the rods look at the weight of each rod then go to the Scat or callies or eagle or K1, then see if the grams are there to see who's it is and other little features. The manufactures make big runs and then times get slow in the USA so the parts that were initially ordered for a big USA company has to go somewhere..
For instance these Maybe Jessel, by looking at the site they may make scorpion crane gold, or Harland sharp... You do the research.. I just provide the know how..
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detai...showimage.html