Corn and beans ain’t all they produce in Iowa- There’s a good chance the tool in your hand or nearest to hand was made in Iowa. Snap-On has a big plant there, and a bunch of neat little manufacturers like Lisle turn out reasonably priced top quality american made tools. But not so much as they used too…

Couple weeks back I had the R8oST’s heads off and was gettin’ ready to install new rings. So I figured that instead of fakin’ it with a big hose clamp, I should break down and buy a real piston ring compressor. The local farm store was having there monthly or so 17% off on saturday sale, so what the heck, time to buy one from their big display of Lisle tools!

‘Cept the whole display was gone, replaced by a smaller selection of made in China copies. Stopped by a competitor a couple days later, same story- Iowa made Lisle tools replaced by Chinese junk! Now consider for moment that tool manufacturing probably employs several thousand potential caucus voters… You’d think the candidates would be courting those Iowa tool makers and making an issue of this!

But the silence was deafening…. Apparently every single one of the republican candidates for president doesn’t give a damn about Iowa and American workers anymore!