I was reading a couple old threads that said the Coleman 550B was made in China. I have two, a silver one from 1995 and a copper colored one from 2005. Both say made in USA on them. If this has already been resolved, sorry.
Thanks Brad, Herc, I'm not sure if and when I may delve deeper into this re 550s. Brad I'll say that at some point I expect Coleman (like all others) likely sourced some parts from cheapest source they could arrange and some parts for 550B may have been outsourced, I don't have detail to support or disprove it. Herc's link has Coleman moving manufacturing beginning in '04. The most recent date I've seen stamped on a 550B is Aug 2005, made in usa. My initial thought is wondering if 550B model (and many others) production ended instead of moving production? Seems plausible. thx omc
A couple years ago, Coleman double burners (suitcases) were offered on one of these Chinese internet sales sites. One had to order at least 500, and the company could deliver a max. amount of 5000 (I think, might as well have been 500, I didn't take notes...) a week. The price I remember as ludicrously cheap. Re: made in USA, do you really believe everything they want you to believe? Just look at your most famous motorcycle, it contains far less American made components than a Honda! (As far as I know, the brake system is made in the US...). These companies are there only to make (huge) profits, not to be honest to their customers. Best regards, Wim
@Wim Are you talking about alibaba.com? They do have Coleman products for sale there but stoves are not one of them. Harley Davidson Motorcycles motors are manufactured in the U.S.A. and have been since The Grandson took the company over from AMF. Some of the lights and chrome parts are outsourced to Japan and China. The Bike is assembled in the U.S.A. I just seems to me that everyone knows about 'Made in America" I just cannot recall any thing titled "Made in Belgium" Certainly not a motorcycle? or a Camp stove?. I could be wrong. Your elders on the other hand for sure still remembers my Fathers generation. Those Fine young Men were "MADE in AMERICA". It just ain't what it used to be anymore right? It is a global Economy these days. Best regards to you to Wim, HercL4D2
@HercL4D2 It wasn't right to chuck in that comment about America's military contribution to WWI&2 in an innocuous response from Wim about whether a product was made in this or that country and retailed elsewhere. National pride's fine and good, but that response in this context? Not right. Belgian company, FN, made some outstanding motorcycles. John
@presscall Did I miss something here? Or was I just pointing out what some people use to down play the value of what we as Americans hold dear. I love MY Harley and My Coleman stoves. Who cares if some American products are made in china? So what, it is a global economy. Companies are sold and bought every day on the world markets. As far as I am concerned Wim is a nice guy I consider a friend but way out of line to say "Made in America" as "Made in China" and infer that as an inferior product, that to me is a pub fight. I own some Chinese stoves and Lindal bottled fuel line attachments I consider to be of excellent craftsmanship. I swear there just is no more mutual respect any more. Samsung phones, motherboards, computer hardware, IPhones, stoves, "Made in America", "Built in China" I try to hold back but sometimes........
@HercL4D2 I think he is just asking that you play nice. I got an agressive nature out of your post. @Wim is one of the kindest members in this forum. Ken in NC
Hi Herc, let me start by telling you I have a nice Coleman 520 in my small collection.....manufactured in Belgium in 1945! We also had many famous car and motorcycles makes, all gone now sadly. I'm sure you tried our fine chocolates? Or sampled some of our beers? I did not intend to attack anyones feelings or values, only wanted to point out that maybe, some business people are in fact taking advantage, and mis-using to their own profit, your proud feelings about products "Made in America". I DO recognize and appreciate the quality of my Coleman stoves and lanterns, and my Prentiss-Waber stove, all made your end of the Big Water. And btw, I also have some very well made Chinese products, the first one being a 2kg hammer I've used many years working at the forge. Top quality! I also bought some fine knives through Aliexpress, of some very well known American makes, stating they were proudly made in America....to be sold via China at real cheap prices? I don't think so!!! My point is very simple, some people mis-use other people's proud feelings to make big profits, full stop. Sad, yes! Also, many people in your country lose their jobs while big companies make bigger profits. Sharks rule... The stoves was a few years ago, maybe they are no longer allowed to sell them outside Coleman's distributing channels? Dunno! Quite a few of my motorcycling friends this side of the Big Water are very proud of their Harleys too btw. Best regards, Wim Thanks Ken and John for your support! @snwcmpr @presscall
Good Morning, @wim,@HercL4D2 , @presscall , and All, I, too, have to support Wim in this thread, as he is a good friend, a fellow Living History reenactor, and a trusted and sharing CCS member! His comments did nothing to denigrate US-made products, and to the contrary, were complimentary, and very spot on. For anyone to say that no motorcycles, cars, stoves, guns, or anything else, ever came out of Belgium, is patently false, and very far from the truth. Belgium produced the most excellent Browning Highpower pistol, for which I lusted and thirsted for many years, and many other handguns, rifles, and shotguns. I also have many antique items that were made in Belgium, during the 18th century, and the quality is wonderful. As Wim mentioned, far too many companies are trying to cash-in on the "Made In-------" tagline, and make huge profits, all the while turning out an inferior product that cheaply made "somewhere". It happens with far too many companies these days, sad to say. I give you the tangled mess that Optimus created by offering SVEA 123R stoves, which were made in China, but stamped "Sweden" on the fonts!!! Confusing? You darned right!! Misleading? Absolutely!!!! I am very proud of the United States, and will always love my Country, even if it does not have the bloom of positive forward movement, and all embracing opportunities that it once had. But, after traveling the World a good bit, I love other Countries, too, and know, after visiting so many other places, that I know there are many other ways to do things, than just the American way!!! By the way, Wim mentioned Belgium chocolates, and I'm sure he wasn't talking about the El Cheapo Tourist stuff. He is talking about the real deal, and real Belgium chocolate is simply sublime in it's delicacy and taste! And, if memory serves, the humble "french fry", which Americans have long adopted as their own, actually began in Belgium!!! I once spent a lovely evening in Luxembourg, Belgium, and found the people absolutely lovely, the food excellent, and Police professional, helpful, and friendly, and the services top notch!!! So, in closing, though you may not have meant it to be, your comments were out of line, and have no place here. Remember, we are a band of Brothers and Sisters, from all over the World. We are joined together in our common interest in, and love of stoves, and need to be appreciative and respectful of one another. Just my thoughts, and thanks for reading them! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
We could go on an on again about quality and from what country again. I've seen this CCS movie before. Suffice it to say, if possible, it's all about doing your own research and finding out the quality of what you are buying and if you are willing to pay for it. It isn't always 'you get what you pay for', but mostly it is. What I like to do is read reviews and see what other's experiences are with something, and if possible, see if there is a history of the item in question, watch videos of it in action, and then, if the price and the quality is right, go for it. I think the quality thing has been around for a very long time. Nowadays, we have to apply a whole lot more scrutiny than ever before, something we really couldn't do as well in the past, but can do today with the Internet and all the information that is available to us. Gone are the days of searching for the manufacturing location and relying solely upon that as a sign of quality. However, I do miss seeing 'Made in USA' on new Sears Craftsman tools. sam
Morning, Sam, I totally agree with your excellent comments. And, as an aside, I also miss Craftsman tools being made in the USA. I have many US-made Craftsman tools, which I've used for many, many, many years, and they are still going strong. I also have a full set of wrenches, and socket sets, made in China, and it's easy to see that, while OK, the Chinese-made tools are not up the same same level of quality, as are the older, US -made tools. Sad, but that's how it is.... Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Mark
Hi Mark! Yeah, I still buy Craftsman, but more for the warranty than for the quality, although, they are still fine tools, even though they are not the cut above the rest like they used to be. I've bought a few Snap-Ons that I really like and am willing to pay for. The sad/good thing is that the Sears Craftsman warranty is still in force. I've broken many of my Craftsman, made in China, tools and was able to do an exact exchange for a brand new tool. I've not had to do that with _any_ of my US made Craftsman tools where some are over 40 years old, which I inherited from my dad. I've recently rebuilt and overhauled engines, replaced suspension parts, like steering knuckles, and wheel bearings and other motor work, which requires a great deal of tension and pressure on my tools. I snapped the end of a 1/2" breaker bar, trying to loosen a nut, which was amazing to see, because I've never seen a tool break like that before. Usually, it's the pin within the swivel head that pops, but this was just poor quality metal in the socket interface that twisted like licorice. Needless to say, the warranty covered it and I was back in business and this was about 4 months ago. As long as Sears and Craftsman are around, I'll keep going there. As for Coleman stoves, especially in today's economy and international competition, big and small companies have to compete with varying grade levels of quality, and, perhaps, as a result, price. I don't know how Coleman liquid stoves can compete with all of the cheapo offerings, propane, and with the average consumer in the 'throw it away when it breaks' attitude and with fuel prices fluctuating like they do (btw, Coleman fuel is cheap right now, go getcha some!). I have found nearly new Coleman suitcases out in the wild, from as far back as the 1930s to the 2010's that had very little use with only minor issues, like fuel cap seals or a slightly bent this, or clogged that, that after a little bit of work, and I mean very little, was back to new operation in no time, that the seller was throwing out, because it didn't work anymore. Most people aren't into fixing things up or keeping something maintained either because they don't want to or they don't have the aptitude. Liquid fueled stoves are a whole lot more of a fuss than gas canister or propane bottle types. So, I think Coleman and, perhaps, many other liquid stove manufacturers, have a niche market to sell to, that demographic being people that have the know-how, the patience, ingenuity, are mechanically inclined, and have enough knowledge to overcome the fear of how something works, like a volatile, gasoline stove like Coleman has to offer. My own brother and sister have a hard time with this concept, they don't know a wrench from a hammer from a sewing needle. It's amazing we grew up in the same house! Anyway, the market is the market and the I.Q. of the ever-expanding universe is a fixed quantity. Would I buy a Made in China Coleman product or other consumer products, for that matter? Yes, as long as the same ol' Coleman quality was there, I would, and have. It's been a morning! sam
@HercL4D2 I responded as I did because of this comment you made in the context of a discussion about who makes what in a global market, Firstly, no-one was denigrating American products, merely remarking on the nature of marketing and production these days. Secondly, you compounded that misconception by ramping up your argument unnecessarily and hurtfully with the inference that we Europeans need to consult our 'elders' to learn to appreciate the contribution those other American 'products' (its fighting men) made in two World Wars. Not true, nor do we need reminding of the sacrifices and hardships of all of those caught up in conflict and who still are. For myself, my family was blighted by those wars as so many were and my paternal Grandfather is buried near to where he fell 'going over the top' on the Belgian/French border in WWI and the scrapes my Dad got into during WWII (in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Palestine) make it a miracle I got a life.
Hi Sam, we had quite a few articles in the written press, and also on the magical moving pictures box about manufacturing "western brand" items in cheap labour countries (not only China!) and it all comes down to the same! The difference between proper quality control or lousy QC can be as little as a few cents per article produced! So, it is all about the greed or pride in one's products that makes the difference. Best regards, Wim PS., maybe I should add it is also often the customer that wants to pay as little as possible as, like you mentioned, we live in a "throw away" world nowadays...
Hey, Sam, Excellent comments, my friend! You are right about the "handiness" of to many folks today. Whilst we love fettling, and fixing things, others consider such things akin to Nuclear Science!! You've made a very cogent point on this, and I agree with your assessment the abilities, or lack thereof, of the general public these days. I also agree with you comments on Sears Craftsman tools. I have bought Chinese-made items from Sears, like my drill press, after seeing that it was, indeed, of far better quality than what could be had at Harbor Freight, other such places. At one of my past jobs, we bought the heaviest duty drill presses that HF offered, and every one of them went out-of-round in a very short time!! Not worth having bought them, as we really needed machines that would last a lifetime, or at LEAST 20 years, or more. My Sears drill press is still tight, strong, and very nicely made. So, items can most certainly be very good, being made in China. Look at the excellent clones that came out of Taiwan, back in the 1970's. Not totally up to the quality of the then Swedish made stuff. But, serviceable, and still being used safely today. And, we can't forget the absolutely fantastic Korean stoves, either! As good as, and in some cases, better than the Swedish-made stoves, those I have from Korea are of excellent design, and wonderfully tight manufacturing tolerances. Great upgrades can be had on those stoves, too, just as they came from the various factories back then!! I love them and am very happy to own several excellent Korean-made stoves!! Thanks, as always, for your great comments, Sam. Best to you and your lovely Lady, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Mark
@Wim, @presscall, @Doc Mark, @idahostoveguy, I apologize for the comments about my Fathers Generation. That should have never been brought up in this forum.
