I Tried To Make Something In America (The Smarter Scrubber Experiment) – Smarter Every Day 308

45 Comments
  1. This experiment was incredibly interesting for hundreds of reasons. It's not just about America… this is an important thing for everyone in the world to be considering. A huge thank you to everyone for supporting local manufacturing!
    If you're interested in getting a scrubber, we have a limited supply at http://smarterscrubber.com. We are absolutely terrified of how difficult it is going to be scale up our output if there is significant demand, so please be patient with us. Our goal is to invest back into the machines and tooling to see if it's possible to make this stuff work http://smarterscrubber.com . Also, we are nowhere in the ballpark of being ready for this… but if you're interested in being a wholesaler we'd love to get your contact information in case we figure that out for the future. Also, if you'd like to help tell this story we'd like to hear about that as well. Here's a link to contact us: https://forms.gle/XFrLTa5b8kxSvPnu8.
    I'm beyond grateful to the Patrons of Smarter Every Day for helping make this happen. You (the Patrons) knew about this long before the general public or the Search Engine episode, and you have been nothing but supportive. I'm grateful! Thanks to all who support at https://www.patreon.com/c/smartereveryday.

  2. I have a question!
    He says that he want to make it in America fro two reasons:
    1) to protect his intellectual property
    2) to create jobs in America
    The first reason is why not only he want the item produced in America, but also the molds.
    I understand that he want to be able to make the part in the US to ensure a stable supply if supply chain breaks down (shipping, tariffs, pandemic, etc.)

    Then why doesn't he produce only the component where some value was added in the design of?
    Shouldn't he just buy the standard parts, like the bolts, from the cheapest stable supplier AND find an American supplier that can provide part of the needed quantity so he can switch to it in case of disruption?

    Advertise the product as xx% made in America (calculating the component that can be foreign as not American even when they are). And reduce the price based on how much cheaper the component end up being.
    This way he protect his intellectual property from being stolen; he avoid increasing the cost for standard part; he protect his supply chain from shocks; and he protect jobs and know how in America.

    The way he did it. It increases the chance of his product being stolen by a know off of same quality but cheaper design.

  3. This video needs to be shown to every student in all middle schools and high schools. Thank you for sharing such amazing intelligent content!

  4. Writing from Western Europe. Same situation here. The developed world of the 20th century has democraticed manufacturing around the world but we have gotten to a point where we have to get back the skills and the capacity to make products on our own. Our independence and prosperity depends on it. The challenge is collosal, so we better work together and share the lessons that we learn. It is not only an American problem.

  5. I think what china cannot offer is guarantee. So in you peach you should offer a someyears guarantee. (Aftersale service also adds value to your product)

  6. Keen to have one of these in the UK

  7. My brother is a tool maker that owns his own small shop now after working in a molding factory in South Carolina. I am also working on becoming an electrical engineer. So it hits home when you talk about the health of manufacturing in America. Great video, great topic. It needs to be discussed more!

  8. Pleaseeee also sell it in the EU :<<

  9. This is an interesting topic, I’m not very surprised with the overall challenge, over the decades we have done this in every industrialized western countries, and these days, Chinese products are often very good, not universally but often enough. This being said, after the 4Privacy scam (or whatever the name was) you are burned to me and have lost all credibility when it comes to buying anything from you.

  10. So would you be okay with people in more countries taking your design and producing it locally?

  11. Utterly foreseeable that this story boils down to Indian scammers.

  12. +999 Missed Call from Undercover PLA Agent👀

  13. Manufacturing is the job source, tooling is the source for the parts that make the parts, there's no shortage of design.
    So, what really needs to happen is NOT to focus on rebuilding Americas manufacturing base, its to focus on rebuilding the tooling base and the raw materials. Manufacturing will follow.
    This requires a governmental focus on education, particularly in stem and trades and build trade deals specifically on key raw materials to improve sourcing as well as to develop their sourcing internally, mining and refining.

  14. The reason why we buy things from China is because we don't value our own future.

  15. The brush does look like it is made in America. It is so cool.😂
    I am so tempted to buy one but I don't have a grill. If you will make something similar that I can use for my bathtub, I may really pick one up.

  16. I work in aviation in South Africa.
    Here, like in the States, we have engine shops. These shops are where I would send piston engines (and their components)to be repaired and overhauled.
    I recently visited most of them in my area, as all engines older than 12 years need to be overhauled, and I was looking for shops with the capacity to do so.
    All of the guys skilled enough to do it are well over 60 years and they have no worker there (apprentice or not) that is even 10 years younger than them. If I started my apprenticeship with them now, they would all have retired or passed on before I would be able to do 10% of what they do.
    Where 20 years ago in the early 2000's there were shops that not only overhauled and repaired aircraft piston engines and their components, but they were also manufacturers of said components.

    We are losing skills faster than we can replace them, (in my opinion) all because of a broken economic model and the stigma behind trades. Not everyone can (or should) become a university student, we need trades. We need people to design and build machines that can build PCBs, injection moulds, and robots. We need people to maintain said machines. We need to make trades the glamorous career path they really are.

  17. India is even worse than China, pal.

  18. I think you’re approaching this issue from the wrong angle. I’m saying this respectfully. Have you looked into why people buy things in a first place? For instance, if I’m at Walmart and all of a sudden I see a grill brush on sale a lot of things go through my mind. “OMG, I do need one.” “Look how cheap it is” “This will be a great present for Bob for Christmas” “Since they’re so cheap I might as well have one as a backup because mine is wearing out” “That’s a cool design” “This thing looks better than mine” and that’s all. I don’t concern myself where it has been made. And just looking at product consumption in America I have a hunch I’m not alone. So maybe we should rethink how to market “Made in America” stuff beyond patriotism or doing good things for local businesses. One idea is sell them as “gift items” which would make people look past the price. Or maybe not. Can we look into this? Like what drives buying? Price is obvious. But what else? And cater towards those reasons.

  19. Hey Destin I really appreciated the video, about to go buy one right now! Have been looking for a good non metal bristle grill cleaner for a while. I work in the automotive industry and have launched injection molds for door panels and other parts, nothing beats having a great toolmaker in the plant that can fix all your problems.

  20. Was not expecting the $75 price… was going to purchase it if under $40 🥲

  21. This is awesome! This was something we started to discover with our business. We found it's not easy to be 100% American made. This is one my list to purchase now! 👍

  22. Great video! One thing I like to see in products that are supposed to last a lifetime is replaceable parts. It's nice to be able to buy just the broken bit and salvage the rest.

  23. The only thing I would criticize about the video (which I found super interesting and inspiring) is the final part of the pitch.
    I understand that the other product can be dangerous, and I’ve noticed that North America has often resorted to sensationalism to highlight the qualities of one product over another, but resorting to speaking badly about the competition to sell your product is not a good strategy.
    What John says about Peter says more about John than about Peter.

  24. That doesnt look like it'll clean a grill more than 25 percent…. a griddle/blackstone yes…a grill no.

  25. Great idea
    All success to you 😊

  26. I have followed you off and on since you started. I am so ** mad about this very thing! I would like to help. My background is in math and computer, science, logical, or electronic engineering and I’ve done some machine shop work. But I’m currently on disability due to a back injury. Could I impose upon you to contact me? Thanks, Justin.

  27. Thw effort is awesome, appreciate the dedication to build it at home (USA). Are you going to have replacement parts like the chainmail, in case I leave it out and it rains and gets a lil rusty lol?

  28. 看Destin视频很久了,我知道他是个老保,不过有这样的人在市场上竞争绝对是一件好事。就算是在中国市场上,高品质有创意的商品也是在逐渐减少,反而是拼多多上比拼价格而牺牲质量的同质化商品越来越多

  29. I’ve worked on some projects here in El Paso, TX and have filmed inside both a injection mold facility, Interprecision Mold (family owned and operated) as well as Aconity’s showroom which produce 3D metal printers. It truly is a fascinating process. I nerd out every time I’ve been at either facility. UTEP also has one of Aconity’s printers on campus.

  30. i keep yelling at my screen, COSTA RICA IS IN AMERICA… you're thinking of the u.s., but central america, is; in fact, america!

  31. Stainless steel wire securing the wire seems like an obvious failure point I feel like you could beef up the gauge without having to alter your molds.

  32. Great video! I can’t help notice the income graph you shared. My dad was a machinist who didn’t have a college degree but was able to provide for our family including my college. The fact that we are paying manufacturing jobs so much below average income is a strong factor against having manufacturing in the States. Besides supply chain, know how, the financials gotta make sense and I’m afraid tariffs really isn’t the answer.

  33. Good work BUT…. who tf can afford a 80$ scrubber… even if i buy a 3$ scrubber every year it would take 26 years… like i see the effort and yea its good and made in the USA but tbh… its just a scrubber in the end

  34. I didn’t know Destin lived in the tip of Chile! Huh. Fascinating.

    Small jest aside, love the work, great video!

  35. I love the experiment. Chain mail with a sponge inside is going to be a mess to clean up though

  36. I started buying quality over quantity the second I got my own income. The problem is it's hard to always locate quality items. There's so much false content on certain items it's actual insanity at times. Even local items are somtimes made worse quality than foreign and bet on national pride to sell.

  37. Why don’t you use a wire mesh as the squishy part? That way it can be used on hot grills?

  38. 😂 are you stupid?
    Mid evil weapons? It was more like Midevil armor!

  39. Why not just use the metal wire brush?

  40. Alternatively, you can move to China, then everything is made locally.

  41. Destin, you make the very best videos that say more than just the words you speak. Here in the UK our manufacturing base is shrinking, for all the reasons you show and outline in the States. I like your design, I like your ethos and I like you have a 'Be Kind' sticker on, what looked like a tool box! Not sure if the scrubber has a UK agent, but I will check.

    A few years before I retired from my engineering sales job, I asked my manager for an apprentice and would forego my share of the profit sharing scheme, to help make it possible. I was told no. I still to this day regret that bad decision. I have now retired and almost none of my acquired knowledge over 35 to 40 years has been passed on. My skills were in energy management and general engineering, although by training I was an electronics design engineer. Infrastructure for new ways of generating and distributing energy are the core of a better future. Embrace that future.  

    Thank you for what you do, all of your videos are simply the best and should be part of a teaching curriculum! IMHO.

  42. The U.S. is a post manufacturing economy. While I appreciate the experiment, the country isn't ready to compete with China and for good reasons. China will grab your scrubber, copy it, and sell it for way less…

  43. Life changes. Even if the product would actually last for more than 4 years to make up the price difference from the cheaper one, It's not necessarily guaranteed that you would still grill a lot 4 years later. A cheaper initial commitment provides more flexibility.

Leave a reply

Som2ny Network
Logo
Register New Account
Compare items
  • Total (0)
Compare
0
Shopping cart