Does anyone know why...

[Al Smith]

Depending on where you are at the sales tax can vary .In this portion of Ohio it's 6.5 percent . There is no federal tax on sales .

 

Some provinces of Canada charge as much as 14 percent .

 

Regarding minimum wage ,if I'm not mistaken the federal minimum on that is around $7.50 per hour . Stihl which in Virginia would pay much higher than that I'm sure .I'd guess at least double but I can't attest to that as fact .

 

Most of the automotive plants weather they are union or not pay about the same .Vacations ,pensions hollidays etc. could vary depending on the company and I'm sure that applies to Stihl as well .

 

I work for one of the so called big three .Thirty miles south is a large Honda plant .The pay is slightly less but the benefits are more so it about evens out .

[Al Smith]

Here's another thing maybe to think about .Way back when the Brit bikes where king of the road you could buy a BSA,Norton or Triumph cheaper stateside than in England and that's where they were made .

 

I spent about 3 years building a Honda engine plant when I worked construction .The Japanese who came over to commision the machinery etc where amazed that prices were cheaper here than in Japan on just about any Japanese made items . The little rascals where amazed at the price of beer too and they drank Budwieser by the gallons . They must have had hollow legs .