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It has been the case for years 20? More?
But factories can and do make quality hoses.Just buy heater hose off the roll, it is great. Get some hoses off a new car, or OEM stuff, lovely (a friend had access to all sorts of VW and Nissan hoses, left over when he fitted replacement engines into forklifts, some useful shapes!)
Luckily some cars have silicone hose kits available, I know spitfires etc are catered for. These are generally decent quality, but come at a price. Probably similar to hoses for an OEM application from a main dealer. But most classic owners get offended if a hose costs more than a tenner.
I have heard the cost argument before but I have two problems with it.
The first is, there isn't a direct link between cost and quality of car parts. I have had cheap parts that are brilliant and expensive parts that are fit only for the bin. The second is, it isn't an excuse for suppliers. Of course I want to spend as little on parts as I can, in the same way supplier want to keep their costs down. There is nothing wrong with that.
A supplier has a duty to supply a part which is fit for purpose. If they a knowingly selling rubbish, they are effectively conning their customers. There are quite a few suppliers I wouldn't touch with a barge-pole, I won't list them here.
I only ended up with this top hose because I couldn't find the hose at the suppliers I trust. I suppose I could have gone for silicon hoses but I have heard horror stories about those being poorly made and fit only for the bin.