Off-shore manufacturers

[Davis]

What opinions do you guys have about the various off-shore brands of hardware out there? Are all off-shore brands basically equal, or are there some that you've had good experiences with and others that you wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole?

I'm talking about the commercial hardware by the likes of Dorex, LSDA, Cal-Royal, etc. I've recently started working with some commercial grade Taymor hardware as well, which has seemed to be half-decent.

[cledry]

What opinions do you guys have about the various off-shore brands of hardware out there? Are all off-shore brands basically equal, or are there some that you've had good experiences with and others that you wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole?

I'm talking about the commercial hardware by the likes of Dorex, LSDA, Cal-Royal, etc. I've recently started working with some commercial grade Taymor hardware as well, which has seemed to be half-decent.

It depends, but not all products from a particular brand are of good quality. These companies are only the brand, not the manufacturer. I use General brand door closers and Grade 1 levers and I have good luck with their quality. I use LSDA for Grade 2 levers and knobs.

I will not use any import copies of Adams Rite latches, paddles or levers, I have had too many issues with them. I will use the import hook bolts and deadbolt though.

In many cases the imports from Asia hold up better than name brands made in Mexico or USA.

[GWiens2001]

Not to mention that off-shore depends on where you are located. Same with whether the item is an import or domestically produced. Unless you are referring to shipboard manufacturing.

Gordon

[billdeserthills]

What opinions do you guys have about the various off-shore brands of hardware out there? Are all off-shore brands basically equal, or are there some that you've had good experiences with and others that you wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole?

I'm talking about the commercial hardware by the likes of Dorex, LSDA, Cal-Royal, etc. I've recently started working with some commercial grade Taymor hardware as well, which has seemed to be half-decent.

I have used/seen the residential locks from Defiant, Moss, LSDA, US Lock and they are all basically the same
the latches on the deadbolts have a similar construction with one of two latching styles, one is a tension pin
with a link that breaks easily if the strike hole is not lined up correctly and the other style that will take more
abuse. I haven't used the commercial lines from LSDA or US Lock much apart from their grade 2 leversets, but everything
I have tried has been heavy duty enough to last several years, at least. Any Grade 2 lock is gonna break if
someone abuses it enough, I don't think it matters where it is made

Currently
Marks is selling their American made grade 1 & 2 leversets for less money than the china junk. The only drawback
I have seen is Marks uses a grade 1 latch (even on their grade 2 levers)and those are harder to find in a 2 3/8" backset.
Distributors are trying to get out of swapping out the standard Marks 2 3/4" backset for the 2 3/8".

If I were buying any import lock I'd make sure I got it from my distributor, they are the only one's who can help
with a warranty, as it's too expensive to hafta return faulty parts to the manufacturer in china--If you have a decent
distributor, they will stick by you and help with your warranty problem. I would discuss your concerns with them,as
they will be backing you if the client isn't happy with the product

[ltdbjd]

I've used the Cal-Royal grade 2 levers in a lot of commercial applications, and rarely had an issue.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Marks USA is phenomenal. There 9900 exit hardware has incredible quality at a very reasonable price. I wish more locksmiths would push it. It's American owned and American made.

The offshore undercutting horseshit has to end. People are so afraid to lose potential jobs that they'll be happy to sell garbage if it means they get the job - which undercuts American jobs and American materials. Nothing like dooming your industry for the quick satisfaction of a quick profit!

The next post on my blog is going to highlight American made and owned locksmith products. It's a quick and easily compiled list that I'm sure a lot of locksmiths would appreciate.

[cledry]

Marks USA is phenomenal. There 9900 exit hardware has incredible quality at a very reasonable price. I wish more locksmiths would push it. It's American owned and American made.

The offshore undercutting horseshit has to end. People are so afraid to lose potential jobs that they'll be happy to sell garbage if it means they get the job - which undercuts American jobs and American materials. Nothing like dooming your industry for the quick satisfaction of a quick profit!

The next post on my blog is going to highlight American made and owned locksmith products. It's a quick and easily compiled list that I'm sure a lot of locksmiths would appreciate.

Marks doesn't have very good distribution. I think if it competes with the house brand of a distributor then they are seen as a threat to those sales. They are pushing their sales through hardware installers, not locksmiths, so they are competing against PDQ, Dorma, Hager etc. for that part of the market. I occasionally use their products and they are very nice.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Marks USA is phenomenal. There 9900 exit hardware has incredible quality at a very reasonable price. I wish more locksmiths would push it. It's American owned and American made.

The offshore undercutting horseshit has to end. People are so afraid to lose potential jobs that they'll be happy to sell garbage if it means they get the job - which undercuts American jobs and American materials. Nothing like dooming your industry for the quick satisfaction of a quick profit!

The next post on my blog is going to highlight American made and owned locksmith products. It's a quick and easily compiled list that I'm sure a lot of locksmiths would appreciate.

Marks doesn't have very good distribution. I think if it competes with the house brand of a distributor then they are seen as a threat to those sales. They are pushing their sales through hardware installers, not locksmiths, so they are competing against PDQ, Dorma, Hager etc. for that part of the market. I occasionally use their products and they are very nice.

That may be true but Clark Security Products stocks them. US Lock stocks them. Southern Lock stocks them. Flake stocks them. IDN stocks them. I've never had trouble purchasing Marks products via distribution.

[Davis]

Thanks for all your input. It's useful to me. Personally, my main experience regarding off-shore stuff has been (in the past) Dorex Grade 2 knobs, and more recently Taymor Grade 2 knobs and levers, which our shop carries (directly from Taymor, no middleman). I haven't found much information online about Taymor's commercial products, but I find it interesting that their mechanical warranties are 5 years for Grade 2 and 10 years (!) for Grade 1. That sounds pretty nervy to me!

I've heard of the Marks name, although I can't recall seeing any of their stuff in person. But I looked on their site, and it seems like I've seen that idea somewhere of rollers on the latch retracting mechanism; I'm sure that would greatly increase the smoothness (and longevity, by extension) of the lockset.

As I'm in Canada, our suppliers are largely different to yours; we use DG Maclachlan and McGregor Hardware Distribution quite a bit, and occasionally CC Craig or A-Line. I'll have to see what they have, and what their customers have had to say.

[cledry]

I am not familiar with either brand you mention, but the Dorex grade 1 lever appears to be of the same manufacturer as the General grade 1 lever I use in the US.

[tjohn]

for those in the US, our preferred is LSDA grade 2 levers (standard SC4) through the IDN Distribution network and switch out with Ilco cylinders for different keyway.
Sold thousands over the years with very little trouble with any of them.

I however will say LSDA door closers have gone to crap and I pretty much won't install them anymore.

[cledry]

What opinions do you guys have about the various off-shore brands of hardware out there? Are all off-shore brands basically equal, or are there some that you've had good experiences with and others that you wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole?

I'm talking about the commercial hardware by the likes of Dorex, LSDA, Cal-Royal, etc. I've recently started working with some commercial grade Taymor hardware as well, which has seemed to be half-decent.

I have used/seen the residential locks from Defiant, Moss, LSDA, US Lock and they are all basically the same
the latches on the deadbolts have a similar construction with one of two latching styles, one is a tension pin
with a link that breaks easily if the strike hole is not lined up correctly and the other style that will take more
abuse. I haven't used the commercial lines from LSDA or US Lock much apart from their grade 2 leversets, but everything
I have tried has been heavy duty enough to last several years, at least. Any Grade 2 lock is gonna break if
someone abuses it enough, I don't think it matters where it is made

Currently
Marks is selling their American made grade 1 & 2 leversets for less money than the china junk. The only drawback
I have seen is Marks uses a grade 1 latch (even on their grade 2 levers)and those are harder to find in a 2 3/8" backset.
Distributors are trying to get out of swapping out the standard Marks 2 3/4" backset for the 2 3/8".

If I were buying any import lock I'd make sure I got it from my distributor, they are the only one's who can help
with a warranty, as it's too expensive to hafta return faulty parts to the manufacturer in china--If you have a decent
distributor, they will stick by you and help with your warranty problem. I would discuss your concerns with them,as
they will be backing you if the client isn't happy with the product

Hmm, I am getting quoted around $70 for the Marks grade 2 lever. That is almost 300% more than the import grade 2 lever we buy. What are you paying for the Marks 175 series?

[billdeserthills]

Right now at Allied Lock the Marks 175 series in 626 are $48
HL Flake is getting $52 for them

[cledry]

Right now at Allied Lock the Marks 175 series in 626 are $48
HL Flake is getting $52 for them

Those are better prices than I was quoted for sure. Still about double the imports but I can work with those prices. Is that a sale price or their regular price?

[billdeserthills]

$52 is about normal for 626 finish, I was paying more for US Lock china made hardware, but I have been providing leversets
with clutches to my clients since they've been available on import locks. Marks provides a clutch and a grade
1 latch with even their grade 2 hardware. Also I like the feel for the way their leverset functions.
I have only been using them for a few months which is too soon to know if they'll hold up or not