Black Iron Fittings - Domestic Vs Imported

So I started making a list of fittings I'm going to need for a project and I see they are available domestic or imported with a significant price difference.
1 1/4 " 90's for instance are 4.39 domestic and 2.49 imported. That was at Supplyhouse.com. What's the deal? If they can sell that that much cheaper after they had to ship them here from china I assume, they must be junk? Or am I over thinking this?

When installing my Buderus oil boiler, I used Chinese adapters due to availability, and that is where all the crookedness came from in my supply manifold. The German fittings on the bolier where far supperior. If I had a choice domestic all the way especailly when doing things ourselves and fussing on quality work to have poor quality fittings defeat you.

Poor quality threads on most of the foreign stuff vs good quality threads on USA stuff.

If you wish to expand your vocabulary go with the Chineese, if you go to church every Sunday you better stick with "made in USA"

There is a difference.

The imported stuff sucks. Get the domestically produced fittings.

What about when u get the valves and boiler drains and what not? Can u also purchase domestic or imported thread?

That's what I figured. I'm guessing HD and Lowes carry the Chinese crap?

Yep!! A GOOD, local plumbin supply might be worth callin.

Ward is outstanding made in USA iron fitting mfg'r.

I don't like the cheap imported fittings. Poor quality, crappy threads, etc.

Had all of the black iron pipe redone in a 2 family house for nat gas supply to laundry, kitchen and boiler. Plumber had to postpone my job to return all of his stock and get domestically sourced fittings and pipe.

Told me he had just done a job for a funeral home that installed a new nat gas fired crematory. The fittings were leaky and crooked and the entire install had to be ripped out. Cost him a fortune to re-do.

Well that settles that! No Red Chinese fittings for me!

hotblast1357 wrote:What about when u get the valves and boiler drains and what not? Can u also purchase domestic or imported thread?

The threads are NPT either way, the difference is quality and how close the fittings are to spec.

Ok guess so if your gonna bother buying all domestic black iron, u better buy the better quality fittings valves etc, or it's kind of a waste of time.

i just redid some of the plumbing for my dhw on my stove and ordered brass fitting from supplyhouse
everything went together good ,filled the lines up , pressurized , looked good ,no leaks ,left and came back a little while later and there was a small puddle on the floor , checked it out with a flashlight , I never saw anything like it , the water was weeping through the brass 45 , it was pourious , I was pissed , tore it all apart and threw them in the recycle bin , they did say china on them , went to ace and got 2 new ones , those said china on them also but used them , everything good , I can only imagine that there are several grades of china also