Good Bench Vise Recommendations

[powerscol]

Was not sure where to put this. I did do a search, but not much came up.

My 30 year old 4" vice is showing its age. I keep finding I wish I had a bigger one sometimes. I do use the anvil and pipe holding jaws under the main vice, but was hoping to find something more versatile. Harbor freight is out, at least for this size as one I got my son lasted 3 years before striping out. I dont want to spend a lot of $$$, just wanting something that is good and has worked for folks. I'm guessing I need and 8" model. I have access to Lowe's, Home Depot, TSC. and Harbor Freight as well as ACE and TRU Value. Online is OK if shipping is reasonable.

Can folks recommend what has worked for them? Pictures would help too.

 

[Zerk]

They are all over the map on price. I was on Wilson's site. I don't understand how you can justify a few grand for a vise. when I worked in manufacturing time is money. If it were to fail, it could cost you. But what are they doing to make it so much better?

I want American made, I look around on Craigs list, seems people know what they are worth though.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Just get a Record, now bought by IRWIN.

A friend kept ridiculing my junky Chinese Vice. After breaking the third one and getting a free replacement, I saw his point. I found a discounted Record at Habitat For Humanity Restore and have been pleased.

I see many good vices selling cheap at auction.

 

[GManBart]

There really is no such thing as a good, inexpensive, 8" vise. The only companies I know of that still make bench/mechanics type vises in the U.S. are Wilton and Yost. You're best bet is probably looking on Craigslist for an older Wilton, Yost, Columbian, etc. I'm pretty sure the current "Record" vises sold by Irwin are made in China...I think the UK facility was shut down completely. :-(

The lower model Yost vises are good, but aren't made in the U.S. The lower end Wiltons like what they sell at Lowes are pretty much junk.

 

[zzvyb6]

http://www.wiltonviseparts.net/

Look at "Used For Sale"

 

[kencunningham]

Enco has about the best prices on wilton vises that I have found. Sign up for their mailing list and they throw out 20% off offers pretty regularly. Still not cheap, but probably the best vise you can buy for the smallest amount of money. I did manage to find a brand new Snapon branded wilton for 200 dollars and craigslist. Im pretty sure they sent the snapon guy one to many by mistake and that's why he was selling it so cheap. I don't think I would pony up the money for a 8 inch vise, holy- cow.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sure. Who wouldn't want "Made In USA" on just about anything, but not everything made in China is Junk. You can have pretty much any quality stuff made there. Having said that, My IRWIN vice just doesn't have the feel of a quality thirty year old vice.

 

[IslandTractor]

Yost makes their high end ($1000 and up) vises in the US but they also import (?China) some pretty decent vises that are very good values. Yost Vises 75-DI 5" Heavy-Duty Multi-Jaw Rotating Combination Pipe and Bench Vise with 36-Degree Swivel Base and Head: Bench Vises: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

 

[bcp]

The best cheap vise:

Build your own vise

Bruce

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Here's another vote for a used Wilton or the like!

SR

 

[ovrszd]

I'm with Rob, Wilton all the way. They just have a "User Friendly" personality. Makes you wanna keep them painted up and in good shape. It's the least you can do for the beating they take. Get it,,, beating,,,,, in the vice...... Oh never mind.

 

[ultrarunner]

I found a good Rigid Vise... it has served me well...

No idea if they are still USA made or not?

 

[powerscol]

Thanks folks - I am learning a lot. First I was confused between jaw width and working opening. Not all are made the same. Same for the offset (When bolted down is jaw off edge of table to hold a door, etc) I looked at a few brands yesterday at HD and my local hardware stores, and even in brands some are us made (bigger units) and imported.

Question, some are advertising tensile strength 60K to 90K. It higher better? Salesman said higher chips more. Also difference between forged and cast - is there much of a quality difference today? Anything I should look for in options such as jaw rotation? Don't know if I would use that.

Thanks for the help

 

[ultrarunner]

Forged has always been the gold standard... a good forging can take abuse.

That said... I was given a large Harbor Freight Vise about 25 years ago... I took to Washington and have not been able to break it yet...

 

[sd455dan]

Difference between Forged and cast? Forged is a molten slug forced into a die -this lines up the molecular grain. cast is just -poured in a form.

Given a choice in most anything made of metal -give me a forged item, it is about a third stronger in yield strength. Forgings usually weigh more for the identical sized item.

 

[LittleBill21]

i bought a wilton, it was from china, you have to step up to the industrial line to get one from USA. that said i haven't broken it, but i haven't beat too much on it.

 

[GManBart]

Question, some are advertising tensile strength 60K to 90K. It higher better? Salesman said higher chips more. Also difference between forged and cast - is there much of a quality difference today? Anything I should look for in options such as jaw rotation? Don't know if I would use that.

Thanks for the help

Not to start an argument with some of the other comments, but if you were to buy a new $2,000 Yost or Wilton, it would be cast ductile iron, not forged steel. The confusion comes about because when people say "cast iron" they're using a generic term for gray metal castings that are inexpensive, and low quality. Ductile iron is different and costs more, but is still a casting.

My Yost 880-DI is made of ductile iron, has a 65,000psi rating, is made in the U.S.A. (even in Michigan!) and runs $310 on Amazon. it's not exactly cheap, but I think it's good enough that I can consider it a lifetime purchase. I've been very happy with it, and I'm glad I went for the 8" width. You can put small stuff in a big vise, but you can't put big stuff in a small vise!

Yost Vises 865-DI 6.5" Heavy Duty Reversible Bench Vise Made in USA: Bench Clamps: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

 

[ultrarunner]

Cast gets a bad wrap because the cheapest of the cheap is also simply called Cast.

We probably have all had experience with cheap castings.

I restore Model A Fords... some of the original Ford parts with forgings... later Ford went to stampings... the forged items are just as good today as when made... stampings often fatigued.

So a company in India starts casting pieces copied to look like forgings... thing is if you try to bend a casting... it snaps... the original 85 year old Ford forged pieces could be bent like a pretzel and not break..

Same with axles... Forged is very tough...

I have an old Anvil... it to is forged.

 

[IslandTractor]

My Yost 750-DI is also ductile iron but is Chinese. Ductile iron is I guess technically "cast" but it is a modern high strength cast. I believe Yost claims the material is 60,000 PSI.

In any case, as I don't make my living with the vise, I wasn't going to pay more than the $160 it cost me on special from Amazon (including shipping) and it seems a good value for a 63lb, 5" rotator with pipe, mechanic and v jaws from a well respected company.

 

[GManBart]

My Yost 750-DI is also ductile iron but is Chinese. Ductile iron is I guess technically "cast" but it is a modern high strength cast. I believe Yost claims the material is 60,000 PSI.

In any case, as I don't make my living with the vise, I wasn't going to pay more than the $160 it cost me on special from Amazon (including shipping) and it seems a good value for a 63lb, 5" rotator with pipe, mechanic and v jaws from a well respected company.

I think that the imported Yost vises are made in Taiwan, rather than mainland China, going off things I've read elsewhere. Not that it's a big distinction, but some people claim generally higher quality for similar items made in Taiwan.