USA vs Chinese wheels?

[bracketracer]

I noticed that our local hobby stores all carry "BSA approved" wheels made in China. Are USA made "BSA approved" wheels still made anywhere? From the older posts I have read, most thought the Chinese wheels were of poor quality at the time. Is that still true or has their quality gotten better? My son's pack requires the use of stock wheels (no cutting or truing, only light sanding to remove mold imperfections.) so I want him to start with the best quality part that we can get. Thanks!

 

[txchemist]

at least in Texas, you can go into the Scout store and buy wheels off the USA mold. I have talked to many on-line hobby stores and they can not guarantee USA wheels, so I drive to a Scout store.

From time to time, a Den using the Revel kits ( all have the Chinese wheels plus a lot of other problems, joint our Packs for the derby, and if I look at the times, 100% separation between pine plus USA wheels + some work = fast,
and Revel + paint = slow. and Revel + Zinc and even + more zinc still is slow.

They have to pass out trophies for just that Den, and non of the cars can make it in the pack races.

 

[jator359]

They're also available on www.scoutstuff.org/

 

[5KidsRacing]

I have never seen any China made wheels at our scout store and I have bought them 50 sets at a time. If I wanted them I could only get them with the Revel stuff at the hobby stores. I was given a set once and each wheel in that set was a little lighter than the USA BSA wheels and the plastic finish was really shiny and polished looking. I chucked a couple up and they were all over the place... I am not saying that they all are, but I am not buying them.

 

[bracketracer]

I chucked a couple up and they were all over the place....

That's what I'm seeing, too. I bought a couple sets of the Chinese wheels, there's at least one oval wheel in each container. The Scout Store isn't too close by, but it looks like it might be worth the trip. At least it's not far from the Woodcraft store, so I can combine some errands. Thanks for the advice! Stephen