so dang cheap!

[ghost civic]

walked into tractor supply the other day and saw a adult pedal kart out front...marked down 50%. I would never pay $200 for such a thing, but for $100 I figured the kids would get enough fun to justify the cost.

Right off the bat, one front tire is flat (hole) so they kindly pull another whole wheel out of a box and give it to me, all id have to do is unbolt the flat tire and put on another. should have been easy, but they gave me a rear tire when I needed a front.

Anyway...run the a store and get a can of green slime and patch the flat tire.

My son...who is 5yo...drives it 15' before the chain fell off!

Even a $100 walmart throw away bike can manage to keep it's chain on!

And there were a few places on this thing that really should have had a ball bearing...or at least a bushing...but it was just painted metal on painted metal.

Needless to say, I returned the thing. Looked cool, but was just crap. Maybe I got a dud, but for something meant to carry an adult to break so easy and to be designed so that parts would wear out quickly is just lame.

 

[J_Walker]

Had a local friend growing up who had one of these. the thing was so hard to pedal.

 

[OzFab]

That's Chinese engineering for you

Why are they 50% off? Because they literally can't give them away...

 

[Poboy kartman]

Stay with me now.....but this tickled my funny bone.....can you imagine Kelly throwing a few pieces of junk on this thing and peddling it across the salt flats?

 

[OzFab]

I can now

...but, after reading gc's story, he probably wouldn't get far

 

[machinist@large]

Stay with me now.....but this tickled my funny bone.....can you imagine Kelly throwing a few pieces of junk on this thing and peddling it across the salt flats?

No Doug, you would be the one pedaling....

See, Kelly would only take one if it were free or they paid him to remove it. Then he'd tear it down to it's components, shelve them, and only come looking for them when he had a new project in mind....

Really, Doug... I would have thought your therapist would have managed to explain why you shouldn't project your personal issues onto others as an excuse for your personal.... well, let's say whatever , and leave it at that, shall we??????

 

[J_Walker]

I've always wanted to build a gokart that looked like one of them... but i don't know about how you'd go by anything stable with a single running piece of tubing down the middle. Bending/twisting would be a huge issue i'd think.

 

[machinist@large]

I've always wanted to build a gokart that looked like one of them... but i don't know about how you'd go by anything stable with a single running piece of tubing down the middle. Bending/twisting would be a huge issue i'd think.

That would depend on the cross section and wall thickness of the tube in question.... 3" ×12" with a 3/8" wall thickness would pass almost any test a pedal cart design could throw at it.... The central beam would be well north of 500+ lbs however.....

 

[ghost civic]

I didn't seem issues with strength...but the pedals/gear were obviously not aligned well. The steering was a pipe in a pipe...I guess that is normal but a dang bushing would have been 100 times better. The arm the steering wheel turns is too short, which limited steering angle. The turning radius was far wider than it should have been. Wheels were plastic instead of metal...which is why I didn't swap the tube from the good wheel into the flat one...trying to take the tire off with a flat head screwdriver was marking up the soft plastic. If someone where to make one gas powered, the plastic wheels would have to go for sure. And then you would have to make a custom hub for steel wheels.
I just don't get how the screw up a simple gear/pedal/chain system. Seriously, my son is 5yo and not at all big for his age...he never should have been able to apply enough force to twist anything and cause the chain to come off.

But, as mentioned, this is cheap overseas crap. But lets be honest, it isn't really the fault of the overseas factory or designer most of the time...it is the big-business companies here that want something for nothing that they can then mark up 150%...that way if a few get returned cause they break right away, they still make a fortune off the rest of us. So many companies, even ones considered "good brands" are looking for ways to cut cost and improve profit...and 9/10 times they do this by getting their overseas factories to find cheaper/weaker materials to use in products. And they crunch numbers...they figure our "mean failer times"...if a product can be made cheaper and last "X" amount of time for 90% of buyers (the amount of acceptable time being a figure of just long enough so the consumer will be willing to buy a new one from the same brand) then that is what they will do. It seems like very few companies take any pride in what they build.

I used to love Volvo. By Volvo, I mean the 80-early 90's 240's and 740's. Absolute tanks, bullet proof motors, tough trans, highly resistant to rust ect. These days, you can buy a Volvo new off the lot and in 10 years it is junk. I often see 740's, now 20-25 years old with over 200k miles on them still in good running and decent looking condition going for $1000-$3000 dollars. But you can buy a 1999 Volvo xc70 any day of the week for $500...cause so many of them lost the 4wd system or trans and would cost far more to repair than they are worth. S40's are much better...decent looking car, but ive seen many of them where the wheels wells and rocker panels are rotted out. I have owned 5 different 740's...all having over 200k miles...all lived in states with winter most of their lives. NONE of them had any signifigant rust, and none of them had metal repair or even been repainted. Today, they want to sell us special under coatings to protect out cars from the terrible, horrible salt that is put on the roads...like we should believe it is not the car's fault it is rusting out. In reality, the metal used and the paint used are weak and inferior to what used to be used.
Long live the Redblock!

 

[crazykart]

How about four 2x2" 1/8" wall tubes stacked in a square, and then welded together where each piece meets?

Something I had thought about for something similarish I wanted to eventually make, this but in adult form:
http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29127

 

[machinist@large]

I've always wanted to build a gokart that looked like one of them... but i don't know about how you'd go by anything stable with a single running piece of tubing down the middle. Bending/twisting would be a huge issue i'd think.

That would depend on the cross section and wall thickness of the tube in question.... 3" ×12" with a 3/8" wall thickness would pass almost any test a pedal cart design could throw at it.... The central beam would be well north of 500+ lbs however.....

I didn't seem issues with strength...but the pedals/gear were obviously not aligned well. The steering was a pipe in a pipe...I guess that is normal but a dang bushing would have been 100 times better. The arm the steering wheel turns is too short, which limited steering angle. The turning radius was far wider than it should have been. Wheels were plastic instead of metal...which is why I didn't swap the tube from the good wheel into the flat one...trying to take the tire off with a flat head screwdriver was marking up the soft plastic. If someone where to make one gas powered, the plastic wheels would have to go for sure. And then you would have to make a custom hub for steel wheels.
I just don't get how the screw up a simple gear/pedal/chain system. Seriously, my son is 5yo and not at all big for his age...he never should have been able to apply enough force to twist anything and cause the chain to come off.

But, as mentioned, this is cheap overseas crap. But lets be honest, it isn't really the fault of the overseas factory or designer most of the time...it is the big-business companies here that want something for nothing that they can then mark up 150%...that way if a few get returned cause they break right away, they still make a fortune off the rest of us. So many companies, even ones considered "good brands" are looking for ways to cut cost and improve profit...and 9/10 times they do this by getting their overseas factories to find cheaper/weaker materials to use in products. And they crunch numbers...they figure our "mean failer times"...if a product can be made cheaper and last "X" amount of time for 90% of buyers (the amount of acceptable time being a figure of just long enough so the consumer will be willing to buy a new one from the same brand) then that is what they will do. It seems like very few companies take any pride in what they build.

I used to love Volvo. By Volvo, I mean the 80-early 90's 240's and 740's. Absolute tanks, bullet proof motors, tough trans, highly resistant to rust ect. These days, you can buy a Volvo new off the lot and in 10 years it is junk. I often see 740's, now 20-25 years old with over 200k miles on them still in good running and decent looking condition going for $1000-$3000 dollars. But you can buy a 1999 Volvo xc70 any day of the week for $500...cause so many of them lost the 4wd system or trans and would cost far more to repair than they are worth. S40's are much better...decent looking car, but ive seen many of them where the wheels wells and rocker panels are rotted out. I have owned 5 different 740's...all having over 200k miles...all lived in states with winter most of their lives. NONE of them had any signifigant rust, and none of them had metal repair or even been repainted. Today, they want to sell us special under coatings to protect out cars from the terrible, horrible salt that is put on the roads...like we should believe it is not the car's fault it is rusting out. In reality, the metal used and the paint used are weak and inferior to what used to be used.
Long live the Redblock!

Ghost, I was teasing J about his idea, nothing more. Crazy backed me up on that angle....

As for the pedal car in question, I know just the one you're referring to, and my other posts are in the same vein....

 

[OzFab]

I didn't seem issues with strength...but the pedals/gear were obviously not aligned well. The steering was a pipe in a pipe...I guess that is normal but a dang bushing would have been 100 times better. The arm the steering wheel turns is too short, which limited steering angle. The turning radius was far wider than it should have been. Wheels were plastic instead of metal...which is why I didn't swap the tube from the good wheel into the flat one...trying to take the tire off with a flat head screwdriver was marking up the soft plastic. If someone where to make one gas powered, the plastic wheels would have to go for sure. And then you would have to make a custom hub for steel wheels.
I just don't get how the screw up a simple gear/pedal/chain system. Seriously, my son is 5yo and not at all big for his age...he never should have been able to apply enough force to twist anything and cause the chain to come off.

But, as mentioned, this is cheap overseas crap. But lets be honest, it isn't really the fault of the overseas factory or designer most of the time...it is the big-business companies here that want something for nothing that they can then mark up 150%...that way if a few get returned cause they break right away, they still make a fortune off the rest of us. So many companies, even ones considered "good brands" are looking for ways to cut cost and improve profit...and 9/10 times they do this by getting their overseas factories to find cheaper/weaker materials to use in products. And they crunch numbers...they figure our "mean failer times"...if a product can be made cheaper and last "X" amount of time for 90% of buyers (the amount of acceptable time being a figure of just long enough so the consumer will be willing to buy a new one from the same brand) then that is what they will do. It seems like very few companies take any pride in what they build.

I used to love Volvo. By Volvo, I mean the 80-early 90's 240's and 740's. Absolute tanks, bullet proof motors, tough trans, highly resistant to rust ect. These days, you can buy a Volvo new off the lot and in 10 years it is junk. I often see 740's, now 20-25 years old with over 200k miles on them still in good running and decent looking condition going for $1000-$3000 dollars. But you can buy a 1999 Volvo xc70 any day of the week for $500...cause so many of them lost the 4wd system or trans and would cost far more to repair than they are worth. S40's are much better...decent looking car, but ive seen many of them where the wheels wells and rocker panels are rotted out. I have owned 5 different 740's...all having over 200k miles...all lived in states with winter most of their lives. NONE of them had any signifigant rust, and none of them had metal repair or even been repainted. Today, they want to sell us special under coatings to protect out cars from the terrible, horrible salt that is put on the roads...like we should believe it is not the car's fault it is rusting out. In reality, the metal used and the paint used are weak and inferior to what used to be used.
Long live the Redblock!

In short, nothing is made to last these days, we live in a "throw away" society, as in, when (not if) it breaks (whatever it may be), throw it away & buy a new one...

I love TV shows like American Restoration, Lords of the Car Hoards, etc because I think it's great when something old is brought back to life, simply because IT CAN BE, because it was "made to last"; unfortunately, this type of activity will only last so long before all the old, well built items are gone & the "throw away" items take over, at which point, there will be no point restoring anything because it wasn't manufactured correctly in the first place...

I've said before, Honda engines are now made in the same factory as the much cheaper clones, the quality control for the Hondas would, obviously, be much higher than that of the clones which is where the clones come from, most likely, the clones are the engines that don't pass Honda's quality control (plus others that are made on the side because they can), which is another reason why they're so cheap while a Honda is so expensive, when you buy a Honda, you're buying the "cream of the crop" while the clones, after being rejected by Honda, are worth nothing to them...

 

[ghost civic]

throw away society indeed.
this summer alone I bought a riding mower (not running, no deck) for $25...cleaned the carb and used my drill to start it since it was missing electric start motor. Got it running good, sold it for $100.
I got several power wheels for free, a few that I paid $10-$20 for. Most either just needed a new battery or a switch cleaned. 2 that I had got for free, which just needed batteries the lady had planned to throw away!
I got a white outdoor riding mower from a mower repair shop for $100. Motor ran great, trans was good, needed a deck belt. Some cosmetic issues and such. Put a new belt on it ($25) and sold it for $250.
I know some guys work insane hours, but many are just to lazy or don't want to get their hands dirty. Ive seen MANY riding mower on Clist this year that most likely needed either a belt or the carb cleaned and were being sold for dirt cheap. Sadly, they were all 2+ hours away from me.
I got a older snowblower as well for $25. Put a new carb on it, $20 and just have to replace the fuel line and tune the new carb. I will likely be able to get $150-$200 for it once snow is on the ground.
But heck, other people throwing away stuff (or selling for next to nothing) that doesn't need much work or money put into it is good for me

 

[machinist@large]

Throw away?????

There's actually a great many things that are still built to last, and can be repaired, but you'll never find them at Walmart or its likes, and none come cheap. If for no other reason than the fact that the Walmarts of the world have destroyed the old model where the quality mfr's had the ability to use economy of scale to help offset their costs......

 

[OzFab]

throw away society indeed.
this summer alone I bought a riding mower (not running, no deck) for $25...cleaned the carb and used my drill to start it since it was missing electric start motor. Got it running good, sold it for $100.
I got several power wheels for free, a few that I paid $10-$20 for. Most either just needed a new battery or a switch cleaned. 2 that I had got for free, which just needed batteries the lady had planned to throw away!
I got a white outdoor riding mower from a mower repair shop for $100. Motor ran great, trans was good, needed a deck belt. Some cosmetic issues and such. Put a new belt on it ($25) and sold it for $250.
I know some guys work insane hours, but many are just to lazy or don't want to get their hands dirty. Ive seen MANY riding mower on Clist this year that most likely needed either a belt or the carb cleaned and were being sold for dirt cheap. Sadly, they were all 2+ hours away from me.
I got a older snowblower as well for $25. Put a new carb on it, $20 and just have to replace the fuel line and tune the new carb. I will likely be able to get $150-$200 for it once snow is on the ground.
But heck, other people throwing away stuff (or selling for next to nothing) that doesn't need much work or money put into it is good for me

I can't tell you how many push mowers I've bought cheap or picked up free & flipped; in most cases, it took under an hour & a few dollars to get them running before selling for a massive profit (& they were still cheap by comparison)...

Only once did I get burned; I bought a non running Tecumseh powered mower for $40, had to drive an hour & a half to get it (I won't do that again); turns out it had a dead coil; I ended up finding a engine with a good coil; it cost me more in gas to pick it up than I paid for the engine &, after fixing all the other little issues, I had to sell it at a slight loss... you win some, you lose some...

There's actually a great many things that are still built to last, and can be repaired, but you'll never find them at Walmart or its likes, and none come cheap. If for no other reason than the fact that the Walmarts of the world have destroyed the old model where the quality mfr's had the ability to use economy of scale to help offset their costs......

I do agree with you there, however, for the most part, that's not the case; even major automotive companies have stated that if their newer cars last for 10 years, their doing well...

 

[ghost civic]

auto companies today are a joke. For the most part, they load up models with stuff we don't need...charging a markup on every little add on. But around here, it is clear that the paint and body are made very poorly...they start showing rust in 8-10 years, more rust than my 20+ year old Volvo's had.

 

[thisismyusername]

walked into tractor supply the other day and saw a adult pedal kart out front...marked down 50%. I would never pay $200 for such a thing, but for $100 I figured the kids would get enough fun to justify the cost.

Right off the bat, one front tire is flat (hole) so they kindly pull another whole wheel out of a box and give it to me, all id have to do is unbolt the flat tire and put on another. should have been easy, but they gave me a rear tire when I needed a front.

Anyway...run the a store and get a can of green slime and patch the flat tire.

My son...who is 5yo...drives it 15' before the chain fell off!

Even a $100 walmart throw away bike can manage to keep it's chain on!

And there were a few places on this thing that really should have had a ball bearing...or at least a bushing...but it was just painted metal on painted metal.

Needless to say, I returned the thing. Looked cool, but was just crap. Maybe I got a dud, but for something meant to carry an adult to break so easy and to be designed so that parts would wear out quickly is just lame.

I saw 4 of these in front of a ts one time. All of them had stickers on them saying do not sell, broken lol. All of them had horrible steering and they were just crap all over lol

 

[Badot]

auto companies today are a joke. For the most part, they load up models with stuff we don't need...charging a markup on every little add on. But around here, it is clear that the paint and body are made very poorly...they start showing rust in 8-10 years, more rust than my 20+ year old Volvo's had.

Yep. This is the problem when people look at a 'feature list' to decide which car they want because they're too lazy to do actual research. The quality of the important stuff (you know, engine, transmission, frame... the actual car) suffers while they load on a bunch of flashy cheap electronics.