is it better to get the $300-$400 real trd pro grill or a knock off one for $150?

My box said Made In Canada if I remember correctly.

 

Not disagreeing with you, but I feel like all these vendors like TacoTwonz and Tacomabeast and Caliraised are just vendors who source their products from chinese manufacturers, so the quality of their products is just as good as who their supplier is. Like if you order a Pro Grille from Amazon, chances are, it probably came from the same factory as the grilles sold by TacoTwonz. The good things about these guys is that it's easier to work with them if the part you order is not of the quality you're looking for.

 

Get the real one, why would you want a fake?

 

You've been indoctrinated well, young Trailwalker! The nationalism is strong in you.

These grills aren't made in the US, and if they were, the bulk of the revenue wouldn't stay in the US. Your argument is moot, sir. Moot!

Take a good look at the American workforce. They can't stack a fucking cheeseburger, but they're sure their skill is "totes" worth $15/hr, $30k/yr. The sooner you accept that we're screwed until the next civil war is over, and the chafe is separated from the grain, the better you'll fare.

 

If im not mistaken (and i am quite often) but didnt the knock off have some kind of different outline on the T and the A? Looks like your does also from the pics.

 

Yes, this one is definitely a knock-off. I tried looking for the part numbers like mentioned above and couldn't find any. Just a bunch of weird spiderweb-looking marks on the back. I was (still am tbh) a truck noob when it comes to these parts. I'll probably go OEM if I come across any issues with this grille.

Thanks for the info on the outlines, will know what to look for in the future.

 

It all depends on who you purchase it from. The grills from Taco Garage (at this time) do not have that difference in paint color between the letters. I even asked @FreshMexicanTaco before purchasing from him regarding this exact issue. Not sure if Mad Hornets has the same issue but from the few photos folks who purchased from them posted, they look good as well.

 

Mine is from Mad Hornets. Letters are fine.

 

Not really. I'm a free market capitalist in the truest sense. What you would call a true Liberal if you knew your history, what would today be termed Classical Liberalism in the ideas of Locke, Smith. I just fucking hate China. I believe in the idea of the protection of intellectual property to the inventor for a period of time. They haven't done or created a fucking thing, without theft from elsewhere in the last 50 years other than fuck every country that has ever associated with them. All they've done is fucked every country under the guise of friendship, investment, etc. Several countries are now seeing that they have unintentionally sold their entire country through China's New Silk Road. The Granted the U.S are no angels, but we are working under the idea of freedom. Whether it pans out is dependent on all parties involved.

Never said they were. My point was two part, the first you get what you pay for dependent upon where it is made and who makes it and the second buying from products manufactured in China only further helps the Chinese economy. For example a set of Whustof knives made in Germany will cost you $400 and last a lifetime or you but multiple sets of Chinese made Walmart sold knives for half the price, but end up buying three or four sets over a lifetime ending up costing you double.

Couldn't agree with you more. Americans have become lazy worthless fucks, but until Americans start voting with their pocket books and their freedom . . . nothing will change.

Nice to know the entire country isn't full of Sheople. I do fear this as well. If you look throughout history, ever empire eventually feel and their are specific things that I won't go into detail that occurred and became accepted as the norm in the years before their fall. We have already begun upon that trajectory, it's only a matter of time.

 

I paid $140 direct from China 2 years ago when they were overwhelming Ebay. It even has the mounting holes for TSS. Still fits and looks excellent. At that time oem was $500.

 

Not sure why you are asking.

1. If you like to support untested, potentially illegal stolen IP or product from unreliable sources and regimes, go knock off. We can't complain about China's approach to life and yet then give them our money willingly without being hypocritical.
2. If you value your truck manufacture enough to support the R&D and inventory management cost along with intentionally higher markup, go OEM. We can't complain about a legitimate company's business practices and then give them our money without being part of that consensus.

I assume if an OEM part degrades in performance more rapidly than traditional or customary the manufacture will replace or reduce my cost of replacement. I assume if a China fake fails at any point it will end up in the ocean of plastic waste contributing to the eventual demise of humanity.

 

Finally, someone who recognizes the 3rd gens for what they really are.

 

put somethin steel made in merica on there you bunch ah loosers!!!!!

https://www.300industries.com/produ...yota-tacoma-2016-2017-trd?variant=42693029456

 

my dudes....COME....AND TAKE MY GRILL

https://www.300industries.com/colle...016-2017-liberty-or-death?variant=36539524048

 

guys this philosophical debate about the grills really has me rethinking how i live my life. thank you for this.

 

The Pro Grill is a thing of perfection lol. It is overdone among the forum but when I park at Walmart mine is the only one.

 

I like these TW threads. The topic is buying a different grille for a truck because it “looks cooler.”

And so far we have:

Walmart, China, “Sheople,” unfettered free markets, history book name dropping, giddy and ridiculous anticipation of civil war, complaints about how the youth/America/whatever has become so lazy or otherwise decadent, the destructive plastic waste of our generation that is penetrating soil and ocean alike, etc.

Nice one, OP!

 

At the end of the day, just remember we got a grill that made us feel better about ourselves. Our happiness and good cheer will hopefully trickle out to the masses, fostering good will and charity for all. It all starts with the grill. The end? ......

 

I'm not a fan of the Prolapsed appearance.

 

I've tried buying the OEM Pro grill from a few Toyota dealers and they wouldn't release the grill to me, given the fact that the VIN I provided was from a used Pro on Cargurus. Still haven't found a dealer willing to sell me one and yes the price they are asking now is around $250. The cheapest OEM grill I found so far was $212 but again, they wouldn't sell to me. I'll try a few more dealers but I may have to buy one of the knock-offs.