I get asked all the time why we buy US-made (or Japanese) equipment vs. cheaper chinese machines. "Dude, you could buy 5 of the chinese machines for the price of one of of the US ones!" True, but it wouldn't necessarily mean more uptime, efficiency or profit. I buy US-made machines when possible because I need the reliability, service, support, and communication. It's more money upfront for better quality of life down the road. My business model isn't compatible with chinese machines because: - We are quick-turn. We can't afford hours of downtime let alone days or weeks - We are square footage constrained. If I only have 600 square feet to place a machine, it needs to be the best, most productive machine possible - We have high demand and run 24/7. The machines need to be spec'd to 120% duty cycle in a harsh environment Models that can work well with chinese machines: - Long lead times / patient customers. If a machine goes down for a few weeks, and it won't ruin you, go for it. - Unlimited square footage. That way you can have "spare" machines in case one takes a poop - Just testing out the model to make sure it works before making larger investments ( I see this a lot and I agree. Kinda like buying a harbor freight tool to see if you like it. When it breaks, go buy snap-on or whatever) Buying high-quality US/Japanese machines has worked for me for decades now. In the long run, I save/make money with them because: - The warranty is usually great, or at least I can buy a service program. With high-dollar equipment, it's nice to be able to get a factory tech on-site within a day to fix things vs. wechat messages or forums - Good machines are full of good parts. Name brand motors, solenoids, controllers, bearings...stuff you can buy on McMaster or Grainger if needed. - Factory spares. We keep critical spares on-hand, but if we need something weird, we can usually get it overnighted from the US factory or distribution center. Much harder with chinese stuff - US/Japanese (and German too, I forgot about them) are usually way overbuilt and can handle a decade or more of abuse. The chinese machines are cheap because they cut corners, use thinner/lighter materials, cheap motors, and don't last as long. For some of our CNC machining, we use Matsuura MAMs. I know of a few in the wild that are 19+ years old and still churning out parts with tolerances measured in tenths-of-thousandths of an inch. - Resale when it's time to upgrade: A good machine from a well known name will hold value much better than a chinese machine. Often times chinese machines aren't worth the rigging/moving costs once it's time to replace them - Financing: It's 1000x easier to get a loan against a good US/Japanese manufacturer than a chinese machine. Banks are using the machine as collateral, so they want to make sure it's going to be worth something if they have to come get it. Equipment lenders know the market for brand name, popular equipment, so they are more likely to lend against it. Today we use: - Amada America lasers and press brakes - Brea, CA and Highpoint, NC - Amada Japan lasers - Isehara City, Japan - United Finishing - Statesville, NC - Brother CNC machines - Kariya City, Japan - Matsuura CNC machines - Fukui City, Japan - Powder coating equipment - various companies in MN and WI - Toyota forklifts - Columbus, IN - Omax waterjets - Kent, WA - etc If you can make the initial investment pencil out, buying the highest-quality machine available ends up saving you money (and making you money) down the line. Little pain up front for a lot of gain down the road.